Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Books I Am Thankful For

This time last year the Top 10 Tuesday prompt was authors I am thankful for. 365 days later and I think that list is pretty much unchanged for me. The 5 authors I listed there have been and are some very important people to me. I've admired them all at different points in my life, and I admire them still. This year's focus is on books. There are a lot of books I could say I am thankful for. But there are only 4 that came to mind that I think really captured my life: 2 in how they represented an era of my life for me, and 2 in how I could so strongly relate to them.




 Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
The first book in The Infernal Devices series is what got me started on the Cassandra Clare spiral. I was reading the Shadowhunter books from about 2011 to 2014. For something to be a part of my life from ages 13 to 16 seems really important, and it was. These books were the biggest deal for me, and I made friends through my love of them and got to read of a type of storytelling that was completely new and exciting to me that I hadn't come across before.

 The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Cycle was a much later obsession, spanning my late teens (17 to 18), but it's an obsession that I didn't know I needed at the time, and one that still hasn't actually ended for me. The series evokes a certain kind of tone and feeling that is unmatchable to anything else I've ever read, and my love for Blue and her boys is borderline irrational. I love books about powerful friendships, and the aesthetic qualities of the story is something that still clings to me.

 Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
I'm thankful for Radio Silence for a very different reason that I'm thankful for the previous two books. Rather than being a series that I carried through an era of my life, Radio Silence is a standalone I relate a lot to. The friendships felt like some of my friendships, and Frances' experiences with university and thinking about the future were experiences I was going through at the very same time I was reading it.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
I think I read Fangirl a little late because I only picked it up when my peak youth fangirl-y-ness was over. But I saw so much of myself in Cather in how she dealt with the world and how she was passionate about stories and storytelling. Now that I'm at University like Cather, I am constantly reminded of this book. I shared the struggles of the character back when I was in high school, and can relate to them even more now.


What books are you thankful for? Are you thankful because they represent an era or your life or you found them relatable, or for some other reason?

This post was inspired by the prompt 'Top Ten Books I'm Thankful For' on Top 10 Tuesday, which is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
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10 comments:

  1. Valerie23 November 2017 at 01:25

    I also read Fangirl a bit late, but still in the target age range because I just entered college. And I think it definitely helped me get back into reading!

    For me, the books I'm thankful for are The Book Thief and The Mediator series by Meg Cabot!

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    1. Helia (Rose Quartz Reads)23 November 2017 at 11:38

      I'm glad Fangirl was able to get you back into reading, Valerie! It's amazing how so many people can connect to one book.

      I love The Book Thief so much, and I've never heard of The Mediator series, but I'll be sure to check it out :D

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  2. Melissa23 November 2017 at 04:43

    For me, it would be Michael Ende's The Neverending Story, because the boy in the story was being bullied and escaped into his book, literally, and I wished that I could do the same. I remember being absolutely CAPTIVATED by the book, which was close enough to being able to live inside the story. I want to reread it as an adult, but part of me is afraid that it won't have the same magical quality.

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    1. Helia (Rose Quartz Reads)23 November 2017 at 11:44

      I can't believe I've never heard of The Neverending Story! I'm so glad you found a book you really connected to and could find a sense of escapism in. Everyone deserves to have a book like that in their lives. I know the fear of rereading as an adult - it's hard to know if you can find the same magic in the same pages twice.

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  3. CG @ Paper Fury24 November 2017 at 09:56

    Eeeep I'm SO with you on The Raven Boys!! I started reading them in 2014 (I think?!) and like it's just been an ongoing and powerful love (OBSESSION. WHO AM I KIDDING) and they totally are just a huge part of my heart. Sooo thankful afjdksald. And I adore FAngirl! It's been so so long since I read it though, I feel like a reread. Radio Silence is also everything. <3

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    1. Helia (Rose Quartz Reads)11 December 2017 at 13:54

      I feel you so much, Cait! I started reading the books in 2015 and they mean the world to me. I'm glad you share my love for them and that so many other people do too because they are wonderful <3
      It feels like ages since I've read Fangirl too, I was thinking about rereading it as well, and Radio Silence too. So many books to love :D

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  4. iloveheartlandX24 November 2017 at 13:51

    The Raven Cycle was on my list this week too!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/21/top-ten-tuesday-134/

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    1. Helia (Rose Quartz Reads)11 December 2017 at 13:55

      Awesome! It's a wonderful series and I love how so many people love it too <3

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  5. Sophie @ Books Like Wolves12 December 2017 at 12:39

    I've seen MANY people loving Radio Silence, and I'm totally interested in checking it out. I don't even know what it is about that well, but I trust other fellow readers! I want to read Fangirl so much!!

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    1. Helia (Rose Quartz Reads)12 December 2017 at 12:59

      It's so good! It's about a bunch of British teens freaking out about university applications and trying to decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives and if it's what society tells them they should do. It's also about friendships and nerdiness and the love of podcasts, and the characters are perfect. I really recommend that and Fangirl - they're both so relatable!

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