Let me start off by saying I love to read.

Not like skimming the pages, but really getting into the plot, the characters, and visualizing the entire book-which I always hope will be turned into a movie or Netflix show! I love to see how the characters come to life and how similar (or totally different) they are from what I imagined.

I started the summer with a goal to read seven books.

When I was in elementary school, I used to have my mom buy me a poster board so I could list out 50 books to read. (Totally possible when each book has like… 20 pages and big pictures.) Now that I’m reading actual novels, it’s a little more intense.

Since we traveled a lot this summer, I only packed three books in my suitcase- that was a big mistake! We were outside most of the time, and by the time we got home, I had finished maybe two chapters total. Not exactly off to my best start.

With my summer days going too fast, I made myself a promise: I’d read for at least one to two hours every night. That turned into me pulling accidental all-nighters because, once I start, I can’t stop. It’s basically like binge-watching your favorite show… (which I also did, no regrets).

My favorite book I read was The Summer I Turned Pretty series. It’s all about a teenage girl who spends her summers at the beach with her family, and it’s filled with friendships, relationships, and all the drama that comes with growing up. I laughed, cried and couldn’t put it down.

So even though I didn’t hit my seven-book goal, I found stories I loved and that’s what really matters. Plus, we’ll always have summer…and I’m definitely bringing a bigger suitcase.