Books | Sorry I'm Booked

Four Books to Get You Into the Christmas Spirit

Posted on December 10, 2019 by emilylizthompson

It’s that time of year again! Michael Bublé is crooning Silver Bells in the coffee shop, and Christmas trees are sparkling in households across the world. While some people may bah-humbug at the thought of Christmas and the holiday season, I morph into my final form during this season. Emily the Elf is even more obnoxiously excited and––true to elf form––even more of a cookie fanatic. One of my favorite ways to get into the holiday spirit (other than baking and music of course) is diving into my Christmas book collection. Every reader has a few books that they set aside to read every year with a cup of their favorite festive beverage. Here are four books that I love reading during the Christmas season.

1. The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen

The Snow Queen is a holiday classic that I’ve loved since I first read it in middle school. This book is also what loosely inspired Frozen! Emphasis on loosely. This story follows a little boy and girl, named Kay and Gerda. When Kay is cursed to only see the bad in the world, he is taken by the Snow Queen to live in her palace of ice. It’s up to Gerda to save her best friend and travel through the realms of the seasons to get to the Snow Queen’s palace. This story is a lovely fairytale that reminds me of the stories I heard as a kid. It can be read at any age and has a fun host of side characters that both help, and hinder, Gerda on her quest.

2. Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares is one of those YA Christmas novels that’s perfect to read while curled up on the couch! The story is a fun combination of crazy adventures, scavenger hunts, as well as a cute romance. It all kicks off when Lily leaves a red notebook in her favorite bookstore with a list of dares. Dash comes across it, and soon they are on a scavenger hunt of festive tasks. Anyone who loves Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist will consider this one a holiday staple!

3. Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Let it Snow is a fun group of short stories that take place during a snow storm. The first tale, by Maureen Johnson, follows Jubilee, a high school girl who finds herself on a train to Florida on Christmas Eve after her parents get arrested. Why? Waiting for a new limited edition piece of their Christmas village decor got heated! The train gets stranded in a tiny town, where she meets a new friend, and the other stars of the stories. The second short story, by John Green, follows three friends as they travel through the perilous roads to get to a Waffle House for hash browns, and the stranded cheerleaders on Jubilee’s train. It’s a fun adventure that reminds you of your friends, and makes you crave delicious hash browns. The third story, by Lauren Myracle, wraps up the tales with a story of a barista who is going through a hard time. The lovesick barista is tasked with protecting her bff’s teacup pig, but everything goes awry. The three tales are unique, but all share the same humor and charm that will warm you up on a cold winter day!

4. I’m Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

The fourth and final book on my recommendation list is a bit different. I’m Half-Sick of Shadows is the fourth mystery in the series by Alan Bradley. It follows the eleven-year-old British sleuth and scientist Flavia de Luce as she goes on a quest to trap Father Christmas. Everything’s going to plan, when a film crew arrives at her family’s estate to shoot a movie with a standout star. During a blizzard, the members of Flavia’s town of Bishop’s Lacy gather at the de Luce estate to watch the star perform. It’s all Christmas cheer and excitement, until she’s found murdered! It’s up to Flavia to use her wit and solve another murder, and hopefully catch Father Christmas along the way. Fans of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie will be charmed by this witty girl. You can read this book mid-series, but if you enjoy it, why not check out the others? Flavia’s charming stories are also wonderful on Audible, where the talented Jayne Entwistle brings her to life.

I hope you enjoy these Christmas-themed books, and that they get you into the holiday spirit! What are some books that you like to read during the holidays? Comments below to let me know! Also, if you have any book recommendations for me, you can send them by filling out the survey found here. Happy Holidays everyone!

5 Relatable GIFs For Readers

Posted on November 26, 2019 by emilylizthompson

In this modern world of Snapchat and Instagram stories, visual forms of communication are more popular than ever. One of the most popular, and greatest in my opinion, are GIFs. They’re relatable, hilarious, and can get your point across without saying a word. The emotions they convey can be perfect for almost any situation. Upset that your team lost again? There’s a GIF for that. Excited because your best friend got a promotion? Cue the happy dance GIFs. When it comes to readers or book addicts, the options are endless. There’s a GIF for everything from discovering your new favorite couple, to finishing a series and not knowing what to do with yourself. Here are five of those GIFs that have readers saying, “can relate”.

Packing your books for a trip.

When the time comes for a book lover to go on a trip, how can they just bring one book? Blasphemy! We, like Merlin, love bringing options for any mood or situation. Sadly, magical packing skills and bottomless bags aren’t something I’m blessed with.

2. Going to the library or bookstore for new books.

Most readers can relate to Belle, especially in the above GIF. Going to the library or the bookstore is like stepping into a magical word of opportunity. Plus, the smell of books flooding the shop or library is like heaven to a reader’s nose. If my library had one of those ladders, you can bet that I’d be swinging along just like Belle.

3. Trying to explain why you’re obsessed with books.

Some readers began their love affair with reading later in life, but some have been inhaling books since they could put letters into words. From that day on, the books you read feel like they become a part of you. It’s lovely, especially if you grew up reading something life-changing like Harry Potter or the Narnia series. The best part of all? You can share these amazing stories with the next generation and see how it shapes their world.

4. When you hear someone bad mouthing your favorite character.

When a reader loves a story, they usually love it deeply. The same can be said for characters. Be it a rouge, charming villain or a wholesome sidekick, readers are protective of their favorites. Many will fight you if you dismiss or belittle the characters they’ve grown so close too. Opinions of stories are allowed to be varied, but any extreme claim about a character will have angry readers storming the internet castle. I know that I’ve grown close to Kylo-ing out when I heard someone say that Luna Lovegood wasn’t a good character!

5. When someone keeps disturbing you while you’re reading

There’s nothing worse than being deep into a wonderful story, about to discover a life-altering plot point, when… “Hey!!” Someone disturbs you and pulls you out of the book and back into the dreaded real world. Important memo to non-readers or those who read less frequently than their book-obsessed friends: do NOT disturb someone reading unless it is a life or death situation. Have a funny cat meme you’ve been dying to show them? Wait until they close the book or prepare to face their wrath. I’ve been on the giving and receiving end of this look, and let’s be real, it never ends well.

I hope you enjoyed diving into the book lover’s GIF world! Are there GIFs that you relate to as a reader? Let me know in the comments down below! Also, I have a feature where you can send me book recommendations. You can send me those by filling out the survey here, or comment below this post and I’ll add it to my Goodreads!

A Love Letter to Libraries

Posted on November 18, 2019 by emilylizthompson

If you’ve ever read a book, odds are you’ve stepped foot into a library. The smell of books and shelves full of exciting new worlds are magical. You can get a ton of books with just a swipe of a card and not clutter up your tiny apartment with them — again, magical!

When I was younger, I read like my life depended on it. Saturday afternoon? Sure, my sister and I would play outside, but odds were when it was time for dinner we were reading on our deck. When you have two kids who read books as fast as they eat, you turn to options outside of bookstores. For a few years we went to the tiny library in our small town of Signal Mountain, Tennessee. It was great, but we tore through the children’s section like the Flash. Our mom decided to get us library cards for the Chattanooga Library, a place which still holds magical memories for me to this day.

I remember walking into the library carrying my little pink bag with a dancing teddy bear on it, ready to fill it up with as many books as possible. We could be there for hours, picking out books, reading a few, and even playing games on the early 2000’s computers. It was like a wonderland for baby Emily. Sis and I would sit in a yellow chair among the books and go through our pickings, narrowing down which ones we could take home with us. The library had a rule of 20 books each, which we usually hit every time. The great thing about having a sister who reads as much as you is that we’d leave each time with 40 books to read for a few months. I felt like Matilda every time we walked past the book fountain outside and through the library’s doors. Other than swimming, visiting the library was my favorite thing to do.

Now as a 24-year-old, the library holds many different meanings. It’s still a magical place to get books, but it’s also where I studied for finals and made friends in college. My definition of a library as an adult is not just a place for books; it’s a place where the community comes together and learns. Every time I visit my local library, it feels like a tiny ecosystem. The hardworking staff, the clubs meeting, the students studying for finals. There’s a buzz that’s both calming and electric, motivating me to sit down and read or be productive.

If you haven’t been to your local library in a while, or ever, consider carving out an hour one Saturday afternoon and make the trip. You never know what kind of magic you’ll find in between the shelves. There might be a new world waiting for you to explore, or history waiting to be told. While you’re there, consider talking to a librarian about supporting your local library. At the end of the day, it’s up to us to keep our happy places happy. Anything we can do to help a future generation discover the joys of a land of books is a step in the right direction.