Books I’m Thankful For (2017)

Happy Thanksgiving, Canadians! To celebrate this beautiful day, I wanted to share a few  books that I’ve read this year that I am soooo thankful for. 

Happy Thanksgiving, Canadians! To celebrate this beautiful day, I wanted to share a few  books that I’ve read this year that I am soooo thankful for.


Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

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This book is probably one of the highlights of 2017. When I first found out that Sarah J. Maas (the queen) was making this a full-fledged novel instead of the novella it was supposed to be, I was kind of disappointed because that meant the release of the final book would be pushed back.

But then I read it.

And I still have no words for it.

I haven’t actually been able to sit down and write a proper review on this novel because I’m still recovering from the secrets that are revealed in this instalment. Gosh, my heart was pounding for the entirety of the last 200 pages, and I still remember the way I screamed and cried and gasped and didn’t breathe for most of it.

It was SO good.

I am so thankful for this book because as Sarah said, this is a story of healing. Of redemption. Of finally figuring out what it really means to live. I’m thankful that I read it, and I’m thankful that I didn’t stop reading.


A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

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If someone told me four months ago that I would come to love Dickens, I would’ve slapped them in the face. That isn’t to say that I formulated an opinion before I actually read his books, but because I didn’t think classics could be anything but completely…monotone? I loved A Picture of Dorian Gray, and I was pretty sure nothing could top that.

I was wrong.

Gosh, this book has everything: romance, history, bravery, adventure, and just a little bit of heartbreak to make it my favourite classic in the world.

I’m thankful I read this book because it taught me that I shouldn’t give up on reading classics based on one bad experience. I’m thankful I finally discovered Dickens because now he is probably my favourite classic author. I’m thankful for this story because it taught me that even when life throws the worst circumstances at you, you can fight through it.


 

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

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This was the first novel I finished in 2017. And I am still in love with it.

Six of Crows captured my interest instantly; I couldn’t stop reading it. Crooked Kingdom was no different. I fell back in love with Kaz and Inej and the rest of their crew effortlessly, and Bardugo continues to prove to me that you can write a fantastically plot-driven story while still having real elements in it.

I am thankful I read this because it brought joy and despair and love. I am thankful I read this because it set the standard for what fantasy novels should be like. I am thankful for Leigh Bardugo because her writing style, her characters, her wit, and her endless creativity will never cease to amaze me.


 

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

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If you didn’t see my mini review on this in my Summer 2017 Wrap-Up, let me summarize my thoughts on this beautiful book: I loved it.

November 9 is the kind of story you read when you want to immerse yourself into a world where happy endings are not always a reality. It is full of love and joy and disappointment – everything life is.

I cried for a solid hour while reading this, I kid you not. It was heartbreaking, but I don’t regret reading it. If anything, I can’t imagine my life without having read it.

I’m thankful for this book because it taught me what fighting through a bad situation is like. I am thankful for Fallon because she is the epitome of strength and integrity and everything I wish I could be as a person. I am thankful for November 9 for letting me feel what it is like to be vulnerable and raw and exposed. 


 

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

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This book is probably my favourite YA cutesy romance ever. 

I don’t care that it doesn’t have a real climax or real rising action, or any sense of anything but fluff and love and Peter Kavinsky. It is the perfect book for when you’re feeling down and need a little pick-me-up, for when you want to see what the standard for a real boyfriend is like (Peter Kavinsky is one of my book boyfriends, and if you’ve read this, you’ll know why).

I’m thankful for this book because it made me laugh and smile and giggle. I’m thankful for this book because it brought me back to the lighter side of life and how good it can be. I’m thankful for Jenny Han because she brightened my day when I didn’t know it was dark.


 

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

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Neil Gaiman brought me back to my love of mythology. I read Rick Riordan’s books, and I fell in love with Greek and Roman myth, but Neil Gaiman nourished my love for Norse legends.

If you didn’t know, I love Marvel movies. All of those superheroes have a special place in my heart, but I was never really familiar with the Norse references when it came to Thor and Loki. This book retells those stories in such a funny and engaging way that I couldn’t help but love every single word of it.

I’m thankful for this collection of stories because it reminded me of why I love learning about new cultures and their histories. I’m thankful for this book because it is so aesthetic that I feel I could take a million pictures of it, and it still wouldn’t be enough. I’m thankful that I read it because it was beautifully written and hilariously clever.


 

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

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There are a lot of contemporaries on my list this year because I thought it was finally time for me to delve into this genre while I still could.

Love & Gelato quickly became one of my favourite YA contemporary novels of all time because of how real it is, how adorable it is, and how it made me long for a life in the Tuscan countryside surrounded by good-looking boys. It whisked me away from the present and brought me into a world where some things might just turn out the way they should, where happiness isn’t that far away, and where solving a puzzle might end up being a solution to the question who am I?

I am thankful for this book because it hit me in all the feels and took my mind off of the bad things in this world. I am thankful that an Instagram friend told me to read this because it was the perfect end to a productive summer of reading. I am thankful for Love & Gelato because it showed me that originality and thoughtfulness can still be found in a world with millions of books.


So, in summary, I am thankful for many things this year.

I am thankful for each and every one of you that took the time to read this. I am thankful for having the privilege of living in such a beautiful country like Canada. I am thankful for all the writers out there that picked up a pen and said, “I’m going to share a story.”

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.


What books are you thankful for this year? Share your thoughts down below!

 

3 thoughts on “Books I’m Thankful For (2017)

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