*Not a sponsored add*

I have this problem where every time I walk into a Half Price Books, I walk out with a pile of books. Which, I mean, isn't really a problem unless you look at my bank account. Walking into a Half Price Books is the most comforting feeling. There is nothing better than walking through the doors and being hit with the smell of the old books. And, I know what you're thinking "why don't you just go to a library?" Well, great question. The problem with libraries is that you have to return the books, and I want to keep my books forever. Also, the library smells different. The books in the library are used over and over again. The ones in Half Price Books are lost souls that need a home. They're stories to uncover. Also, they're old friends.

It is extremely satisfying to walk into a Half Price Books, strut over to the YA Literature section, and recognize many of the titles because I probably own them. Books are my hobby. They're a part of my story. I love to read. I love to be transported to another world and internalize fictional problems. There's fun promiscuity that comes with falling in love with a fictional character who is setting the bar so high for *real life* men. The stories that books tell are romantic, terrifying, enthralling, enlightening, and tragic. You never know what you're going to get when you open a brand new book. And you might fall in love with your favorite series that sparks an interest in something even greater.

I"m so glad that I get to be a teacher because I never get to stop reading. I think it would take a piece of my soul away if I stopped completely. I never get to stop learning about new books and seeing the stories from the student's point of view. I will always call Half Price Books my home because it holds many of my friends between the pages. Thanks for being there for me when I was alone, you're the keeper of the best treasure there is.