How a Book Series Rekindled a Lost Part of Me
This past winter, I reconnected with a part of myself I didn’t even realize I had lost—all thanks to a book recommendation from a best friend!
Now, when someone recommends a book, my usual response it “Oh yeah, I’ll add that to the list,”—which is code for “Maybe I’ll get to it…someday…probably not.” But this time was different. My friend Lili, who knows me so well, specifically told me, “I think you’d really love these books.” For some reason, that stuck with me.
A couple of weeks passed, and I couldn’t shake it. So, I finally caved and picked up A Court of Thorns and Roses (aka ACOTAR) by Sarah J. Maas.
ACOTAR Series
And it sounds dramatic, but it was life-changing.
Remembering the Bookworm I Used to Be
Growing up, I loved to read. Fantasy, adventure, even a little romance—devoured it all. My childhood was filled with stories that pulled me into other worlds, like A Series of Unfortunate Events (justice for Lemony Snicket), The Looking Glass Wars (a criminally underrated Wonderland retelling), and of course, Twilight—which Lili and I bonded over back in the day—and still to this day actually!
But somewhere along the way, I lost that love. Like completely lost…not even remembered. A lot of life happened for me. The path I chose as a young adult piled on the traumas and responsibilities, and I lost touch with who I was and didn’t discover who I was becoming. So, in my 30s, I put a lot of the past behind me and have been trying to do just that. Find me and grow me. And when I finally tried to venture back into reading, it felt … disconnected. The books I picked up were usually philosophy or self-improvement books—nothing immersive, nothing magical.
Until ACOTAR.
Reading these books lit something in me. Like a long-lost memory resurfacing, it reminded me of who a piece of me was—a book girly at heart. It was like flipping a switch in my brain.
Suddenly, I remembered why books had meant so much to me and how they made me feel. How they shaped parts of who I was. And how much I needed to get back to that.
My Fantasy Book Spiral & Kindle Glow-Up Project
After tearing through the ACOTAR series in about eight weeks (yes, I had no social life, thank you for asking), I was hooked. I jumped into Heartless Hunter and Spark of the Everflame, and I am plotting all my next reads to get me through the rest of the year.
That brings me to my latest creative project: customizing my Kindle!
This is my Kindle Paperwhite, with a clear back side cover.
I’ve seen people online making their Kindles all cute with stickers, backgrounds, and little personal touches, and I realized—mine is completely blank. So, I’m making a custom insert to slide into my clear Kindle case. That way, I can switch up the design anytime my book obsession changes (which, let’s be honest, will be often).
Are you a fantasy book lover too? Drop your favorite reads in the comments—I need recommendations now that I’m back in my book era!
