The overflowing shelf of my kindle

        Recently my Kindle has turned into a very realistic virtual version of a personal library. I’ve accumulated books that I haven’t read, and the accumulation happens faster than my reading. It’s an overflowing shelf. And most of the shelf is made up of popular YA books that I haven’t gotten to. I used to love YA, but I’ve kind of fallen behind on it. There’s too many to catch up on! But I’ve still accumulated books like someone who compulsively wanders Barnes and Noble everyday.  It’s not even that easy to get books on the Kindle. It’s not like browsing books in a store; I have to make an effort to look through or find books. And yet I still have so many that remain unread. I just want that rush of dopamine that comes hand in hand with the spontaneous purchase of a book with a funky title and intriguing cover. Contrary to popular belief, that can still happen with an e-reader. However, in an attempt to not overflow the shelf further, I’ve tried to not buy more books unless I’m definitely going to read them. 

        The good news, the book I’m reading now was one I purchased a while ago that I’m finally getting to. It’s the The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, and luckily I made the decision to read it before I impulsively purchased the hit from about a year ago by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Daisy Jones and the Six (perhaps my next read?). Good thing I didn’t buy it. Though it’s tempting. Maybe I’ll just… no, no, never mind. 

        I’m sure most people have heard of this book; it’s been popular in YA for a few years and I believe it’s being turned into a show. But I’m behind! I have too much to read for class! I’m trying! Anyway, I decided to read it because I just met for the first time with a novel writing group (two people from my creative writing class last semester), and they talked about The Raven Cycle (the whole series that The Raven Boys introduces), like, four separate times. I knew the first book was waiting in my Kindle library and I wouldn’t even have to struggle to connect to Northeastern’s wifi to get it, so I decided to start reading it.

        I about a fifth through it and I really like it so far! My writing group discussed how it had beautiful prose and a lot of character depth, and so far I agree and I like the characters. I’ve been told to not read any blurbs about it because it gets spun as teenage romance even though it’s a lot more than that. So thus far, all I know is that it’s about a girl named Blue with a clairvoyant family whose gifts she doesn’t share and a group of boys who are in search of magic, one of whom Blue saw the future dead ghost of, meaning she either kills him or is the love of his life. They’ve only kind of met, which is confusing because why didn’t she recognize him from seeing his ghost? Unclear. But their eventual friendship is inevitable and I’m excited for it.