I haven’t been feeling well lately—test at the hospital tomorrow—and I’m sure it’ll all turn out okay in the end, but aside from being positive and eating better than I normally do and skipping those delectable mochas for green tea, I’ve just been letting books take over. Last night I lounged in bed for five hours with a pint of blueberries, a bottle of pomegranate iced tea, and a book, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, and I just let the story fill my head, and I couldn’t stop turning those pages. This is a good one. I adore Lola. If you loved Stephanie’s first book, Anna and the French Kiss, as I did, you may just love this one even more. I think I do! (It also makes you really want to visit San Francisco. Me, I mean. I need to visit San Francisco.) I’m also reading an egalley of Clean by Amy Reed—it was just difficult to read on the computer in bed last night, so I had to wait to read more until this morning. This book is utterly brilliant, so intensely honest and searing. It stuns me. Between these two wonderful books, each one speaking to me in different ways, satisfying different sides of myself, I just had this simple thought that I’m sure many of us have again and again at each wonderful, or difficult, or scary, or frustrating, moment of our lives:

I love books.

I’ve loved them all my life, always using them as comfort when nothing else helps, or a special treat when I’ve worked hard at something. Is there anything better than a good book? The way a good book can hold you close or open your mind to something new or utterly change you by the last page?

I don’t know. I guess I was just having one of those I LOVE BOOKS! moments. I’m sure some of you relate.

Then I started thinking about how honored I am to be able to write books. That here I am, writing one, able to contribute to something I love so much. How is this my life?

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One sad note: If you were coming out to get Imaginary Girls signed tomorrow, June 30, at the Barnes & Noble in Albany, I’m so sorry, but I’m too sick to travel up there right now, so I won’t be there. But this Summer Reading Kickoff event includes ten other authors of books for all ages and sounds like so much fun. If you’re in the Albany area, you should go!

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 One happy note: If you’re reading this post from Australia, the ANZ edition of Imaginary Girls comes out THIS WEEK! Available in stores from Pier 9 / Murdoch Books on Friday, July 1! If you see it in stores, please send me photos for my collection.