Guest Post: YA Author's Appreciation featuring Laura of All Of Everything and J.K. Rowling

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞

J.K. ROWLING

© LAURA @ ALL OF EVERYTHING

Hi everyone! *waves*. I'm Laura from All of Everything here today to share the YA author that I greatly appreciate. Why I started blogging stems from my love of reading, and my love of reading as voraciously as I do stems from this author. I know I'm not the only one writing about her but I think she greatly deserves the praise :]

J.K. Rowling

My parents encouraged my love of reading from a very young age. They would always bring me to the library and help me carry the stacks of books I always came out with. Close to Christmas, I overheard my dad on the phone with my uncle, who wanted to get me some new book that had come out that was getting really popular. That's how I got Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone. I think I may have finished it in a matter of hours, I was so engrossed. That book started my obsession.

Sure I have always loved books, but Harry Potter was the first book that got me excited, frantic and NEEDING to get the sequel as soon as possible. I started preordering the books as opposed to waiting for them at the library (which probably would've taken months!) The day Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out me and my family were due to leave for vacation. Well, I couldn't wait a week to get the last Potter book! So when we left we stopped by the mall pretty much right when it opened and I RAN to the bookstore to pick up my (preordered) copy. The workers were standing amidst piles of the books and handed me my copy with a smile and 'hope you enjoy'. Between sitting at the beach or on the deck, I finished it in two days. And I was blown away, as per usual.

J.K Rowling wrote a series that I fell in love with, that grew up with me, and from how old I am now, was pretty much a big part of half my life. Half my existence spent with Harry, Ron and Hermione at the magical place that was Hogwarts. I'm sure I was one of many who daydreamed of having magical powers and attending such a magnificent school. It was gold for the imagination.

Even though it's over, it's become such a huge part of my life and my love for books. It started so many discussions, and brought about some serious fangirling, of the book and movie kind. I had never been so crazy about a series before. And from Harry Potter have come even more amazing books to sit beside it and for me to preorder months in advance: authors like Cassandra Clare, Suzanne Collins, Christopher Paolini, Stephenie Meyer, James Dashner, Rachel Caine, Patrick Ness, Veronica Roth, Beth Revis, Tahereh Mafi, Marie Lu and so many more are proudly displayed on my shelf with books I've loved or will continue to love.

I loved reading before Harry Potter, but it set off some spark in me, and made me CRAZY love reading and made it a passion. I got more involved, learned about new books, widened my reading horizons and so much more. And down the line, years later, here I am blogging about books, and hoping to get into the publishing industry. Thanks J.K. Rowling. And thanks Suz, for letting me share :)