Books Can Inspire

Ignore the title. It's crap and I know it.

So, onto the point of this impromptu post: I find myself constantly inspired by YA novels- not only the writing aspect of it, and how it makes you want to write your own novel or steal any of those ideas (which of course, great YA novels inevitably do)- but just general things in the novel. I'm not explaining this very well, so I'll give some examples to attempt to make my point make sense.

Into The Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern:
It's inspired me to want to sew my own skirts. This hasn't actually happened yet, but it will. One day. How awesome would it be to sew all these skirts out of different fabrics and wear them every day? Also- audiobooks. Jessie listens to many contemporary audio books, like Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zavin, and it has inspired me to listen to audio books. (Currently Harry Potter et la Coupe de Feu, in preparation for an AP french exam.) Audiobooks, as I've discovered, are wonderful things.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley:
Geocaching. 'Nuff said. Lauren and I have been wanting to do this for AGES, ever since reading this book... way back when we first started this blog! I think we missed our first blogoversary... Whoops. Geocaching will happen. We're signing up for coordinates as we speak. So stay tuned for some potential videos of us attempting to geocache.

Those are examples are of novels that inspire to start something new. Those examples are all basic activities- fun things to do. YA novels have diverse characters with diverse interests, and so there's so much potential to be inspired to get a new hobby. Character quirks can become our own quirks.

Then, if you want to get cheesy and mushy, there's also the whole characters-are strong-and-follow-their-dreams, which can very well inspire you to take action of your own life. And I mean this in the very best way possible, because of course that's an amazing thing. Books that can actually inspire positive change are probably one of the greatest things possible.

So really, what I'm saying, if I haven't quite explained myself, is that there are so many diverse ideas in novels, specifically YA novels for the purpose of this post, that there are endless possibilites to be inspired. I don't know if I have met a book that didn't inspire me in some way, whatever that way is. Often it's just a small creative element, like the protagonist sews her own clothes. Or it's something huge and impactful, like a girl finally speaking up and identifying the boy who abused her.

Book inspire. Books provoke change.

What books have inspired you?

with a touch of Lauren