Top Ten Tuesday: The Very Best Bookish Things I'm Thankful For This Year

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly countdown meme, hosted by the Broke and the Bookish! 

Bear with me, and pardon the emotions, as I get as mushy and gross as the canned cranberry mess oozing across Thanksgiving plates this upcoming holiday, because I'm about to expostulate on some of my favorite book-y things that have significantly brightened up my life within the past year. 

1. S.J. Maas

Maybe I've just got her stuck in my mind because I finished Crown of Midnight all of a day and a half ago, but I'm still filled with awe at the guts this lovely lady has, to flawlessly dominate everything we knew to be true about Young Adult books, and turn them completely on their head. And if you follow her Twitter, you can tell that she clearly loves her fans. Homegirl is doin' this whole author thing right. 

2. Reconnecting With My Kindle 

Hello, I am a despicable human being. My Kindle has not only gotten a lot of use this past year, but it has superseded actual print in my reading practices, in helping me get my favorite new releases even faster, and at cheaper prices, too. I mean, I don't have easy access to a bookstore... can you imagine how long I'd have had to wait for Crown of Midnight otherwise??? Damn you, convenient technology! 

3. YA Book Bloggers on Twitter

@mizgillianberry, @Lili_Reflects, @Reader_Fictions, @EllaBeeReads, etc. make my day with their constant updates about all book-related goodness. Like, constant. And then they're so funny and relatable that I try to bring them up in conversation, and the moment passes because I'm so preoccupied with figuring out the least creepy iteration of what to call them: "That totally reminds me of something my friend - I mean, acquain - this... person... I follow... online... Nevermind." 

4. Goodreads

THANK THE LORD ABOVE for the goodness that is Goodreads, something I never knew I needed until I had it. How else am I supposed to do things like connect with authors and other bookworms, stalk the novels that my friends are reading without invading personal boundaries, and make endless, endless lists about everything I know and love in BookWorld? 

5. College Dorm Room Bookshelves

I know I just confessed to the cardinal sin of  mentioned how much play my Kindle has been recently, but that doesn't mean it isn't nice to have some of your best and newest paper-bound friends up at school with you. Besides, do you know how impressive it comes off as, when you have a fully-stocked bookshelf in the small space you have in your dorm room? 

6. English Major Friends

In English 111, Freshman Fall Quarter, it was Lisa and Cady. In English 297 and 301 Winter Quarter, it was Susan, Joanna, Hannah, and Ally. Susan, Joanna, and Hannah and I all followed each other into English 302 in the Spring, and now, in English 333, back to Fall, I've found Megan and Hallie. 

In every single English class I've taken at UW, a bunch of random people in a classroom, turned into people you sit next to in lecture, turned into study buddies, and at some point, spontaneously erupted into full-blown, real-world friendships, involving debates over Heathcliff, dedication to sub-genres (like "The Cult of Austen," as Prof. Lockwood calls it), and fangirling over Lizzie B. and Emma Approved like nobody's business. I LOVE my English friends, many of whom still take the time to read my blog (D'aww). 

7. The Art of Fangirling

Speaking of fangirling, I've never really experienced the cathartic release of book-related feelings in a public forum before this year, and let me tell you, it feels great. From Darcy to Dickens, recent releases and English class classics, freaking out over fiction has never been so socially acceptable, and I love it! 

8. ARCs 

Oh my GOODNESS I love ARCs. You mean people - a lot of them, actually - are more than willing to send me books for free, providing simply that I'm willing to read them? Are you kidding me? 

9. College Fashion 

I know that I might have a slight tendency to complain about my position as contributing editor when a deadline's looming over my head, but I am actually extremely grateful for the ability to write for this website for the past year. Not only is it, honestly, great for my resume, and great at making me sound incredibly important when I bring it up in party conversation, but it's given me a great vehicle for exercising one of my oldest passions: fashion styling and history. Books and pretty clothes are always going to be two of my greatest loves, and College Fashion has given me ample room to talk about it. 

10. Everyone Who Actually Reads My Blog

Yeah, you guys. I hope you never think that I take you for granted. Whether you're a dedicated follower through Facebook and Goodreads, or if this is even the first time you've popped over for a "Top Ten Tuesday" post, thank you so much for your patronage and support. I'm not going to say that you guys give my blog meaning or anything, because, honestly, I'd still be writing, reading, and reviewing even without it... but you all definitely make me feel less crazy for doing so. Thanks for making me feel like the things I say are worth a listen. 

So, in conclusion, I am a very, very fortunate person, with a lot in my life for which to be thankful, but especially those that have to do with all of the books and the industry I care about so much. 

Thank you everyone, and have a great holiday! :)