I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie

Hi, world. My name is Lauren and I like books. No. I mean, I reeeeeeeally like books.

Whether I'm happy, sad, angry, passive, content, anxious, lonely, or surrounded by people I love, books are always there. They are more to me than just a collection of words used to pass the time. Books are like a portal; a passage to another realm. I can escape my own reality and dive into the reality of someone else. Sounds like a wonderful thing, right? Wrong. (Well, partly wrong anyways.)

Let me set this straight: authors will break your heart and crush your soul. They don't feel bad about it, either. In fact, they love it. They thrive on it. They make their money off of it. The worst part? A sick part of me actually enjoys the pain through which writers put me. I subject myself to it over and over and over again because--regardless of the fact that I may cry when my favorite character dies--I just have to find out what happens to the rest of the lot.

Ahh, characters. They can either make or break a story. They are people who did not even exist until the writers created them. They are people whom we feel we actually know. Yet, in spite of the fact that they...well, aren't real (ducks and hides from crazy character fanatics), I love them. Sometimes, I love them more than I love actual people. Harsh? Nah. True? Absolutely. Authors have a way of making some characters so perfect, even with their character flaws. 

Look at Percy Jackson, for example. I would gladly fight Titans with him any day, even though he can be completely irrational and he often makes stupid decisions without thinking first. Regardless, he is such a brave human being who always puts the well-being of his friends and family before his own. Moment of silent appreciation for the writing talents of Rick Riordan. 

Now let's take a look at Jace (SPOILER ALERT!) Herondale. He's rude. He's snarky. He has absolutely no value of personal space or privacy unless it's his own. He can kill demons like nobody's business, yet he's terrified of ducks. But you know what? I. Love. Him. Brava, Cassandra Clare, for writing one of the greatest and most complex characters in modern literature. Regardless of the fact that Jace shows his nasty tough-guy exterior all too often, he has a giant heart and loves so many people with all of his being. Even though it sometimes seems as though he's just looking out for himself, in retrospect, everything he does is for the well-being of someone he cares about. That's what love is, folks. 

Moving on. Who else can we fangirl over other than one miss Katniss Everdeen?! I'm not going to lie, Katniss drove me crazy for about 2 1/2 books in the esteemed Hunger Games trilogy. I mean, come on, for a majority of the series all that goes on in her head is "I choose Gale and the rebellion. NO, I CHANGED MY MIND! I choose pretending to love Peeta and keeping my family safe. Lol jk, that failed, so I choose fighting back and rebelling again. Wait, never mind, I actually might love Peeta for realz and I want to do everything I can to protect him." BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH. However, in spite of the fact that Katniss' indecisiveness annoyed the living daylights out of me, I loved it. Why on earth is that? Because it's so relatable. Take a look at every teenager that you know. I guarantee that not a single one of them knows exactly who they are or exactly what they want. They are confused, lost, and constantly changing their minds. Katniss is the literary embodiment of every real-life adolescent.

I could ramble on and on about different books and characters and plots and whatnot, but I'll stop here. Point is, books are my not-so-guilty pleasure! Seeing as I read so much, I'm always looking for new stories. Comment below with your favorite books, and I'll check them out!

Stay nerdy, my friends.

❤