What Reading Means to Me + 3 Books About Books to Pass on the Love

2020 has been a year full of uncertainty and fear, and in my own little way, I want to share a bit of light with the world. Thus, The Bibliosmile Project was born. My aim for this project is to spotlight how books (+ the bookish community) have brought smiles, happiness, and positivity into our lives. Through an ongoing series of guest posts, different readers will share their stories of bookish happiness that will hopefully spread some much-needed positivity, joy, and bring a smile to your face. You can read more about this series in my introduction and catch up on previous guest posts here.

If you’re interested in writing a guest post as part of The Bibliosmile Project, then please contact me at my email, [email protected].

Abby’S BIBLIOSMILE STORY

Hello everyone! My name is Abby and I blog at Beyond the Read, where I talk about all sorts of things — including but not limited to my faith, musicals, and (obviously) books. I am so so excited to be here at Novels & Waffles today! A million thanks to Kat for inviting me to participate in the Bibliosmile Project, for spreading positivity during these difficult times, and for being such an amazing person in general! ❤️

Let’s start with a story. Once upon a time, a couple of months ago — before we were all forced into quarantine and 2020 had not yet revealed its true nature — my classmate and I had locked ourselves into a very intense roast battle. We went back and forth all period, until he finally struck with his ultimate diss.  “Go read your book, Abby,” he told me in a tone of utmost disgust.

I burst out laughing. It was all for fun, obviously, but I couldn’t say anything against that. Because it’s true. Reading has always been my greatest weakness and one of my greatest strengths, as well as something that defines me. I’ve never been able to pinpoint exactly why I love reading so much, but whatever the reason is, the magic’s yet to fade. Books make me laugh, they make me cry, they make me wail over people who don’t even exist. Even on the really bad days when I’m just too exhausted by reality to take refuge in a fictional world, I’m thankful for the seemingly insignificant bundle of pages next to me. Because I think that a life with books is better than a life without them.

Today, I want to pass on that joy to all of you reading this post. Books have brought me (and continue to bring me) love and beauty and hope to hold onto when the going gets rough. And it doesn’t get any better than a book written as an ode to that magical experience called reading. So without further ado, here are three of my favorite books about books!

1. The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng

The Year of the Book is a middle-grade contemporary about Anna, an American-born Chinese girl who knows firsthand that friendship is complicated. Confused and unsure about where she fits in, she turns to her books for company (sounds sort of familiar, doesn’t it). I think this was the first book I ever picked up that showed me that girls like me — Asian-American, juggling one language at school and another at home, whose family doesn’t eat turkey for Thanksgiving — could be the stars of the show, even if I didn’t realize it then. This book is perfect for the younger readers in your life or any other MG lovers who want to read about the elementary school experience from a unique perspective. Plus, there are Easter eggs from some well-known children’s books that are simply delightful.

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

A classic YA book, The Book Thief takes place in Nazi Germany, beginnning with a girl named Liesel picking up a book in the snow at her brother’s funeral. From there, our narrator, Death, spins a difficult but touching story about Liesel’s life with her foster parents and her best friend Rudy. When her father agrees to shelter Max, a Jewish young man, in their basement, Liesel’s way of thinking is turned upside down. Together with Max, she discovers through books just how hateful and yet beautiful the world can be. Markus Zusak’s writing is more akin to poetry than prose, and Liesel’s journey from the first page to the very last will wrench at your heartstrings but also provide you with moments of laughter. A must-read!!

3. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H. G. Parry

The Unlikely Escape is one of my favorites from this year! In this gorgeous novel, we’re introduced to Charley, a prodigy who has the amazeballs ability to summon people and things out of books, and Rob, his older brother who’s just about had enough of cleaning up after Charley’s messes. When they discover a Street dedicated to housing characters who have been pulled from their books, they unearth a plot that could mean destruction for both the fictional and real dimensions. This book is all about the magic of reading and the complicated but beautiful thing that is family. Also, there are five Mr. Darcys. If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.

“And… you know when you read a book, sometimes, and you suddenly realize that you’ve been missing something your whole life, and you weren’t even aware, and all at once you’ve found it and are just a little bit more whole?”   — The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep, H. G. Parry 

So there you are — 3 books about books to celebrate what reading means to me and all of us bookworms!! I know that 2020 has been terrifying and saddening for everybody, and that it’s so easy to be discouraged these days. But I hope this post brought even the tiniest smile to your face! Thank you for reading, and God bless!!

More About Abby

Abby defines herself by her love for Jesus, fiction, musicals, and family, and she really enjoys going beyond the read with the books that she loves. On her blog, you’ll bear witness to her bookish ramblings in all their fangirling glory.

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