It’s September 23rd and I’m another year older. I’ve already eaten cake and blown a candle, which kind of makes the whole occasion more official. I’ve decided to take a rest day today so I’m home, reading a good book, eating more cake and perhaps reflecting on how being nineteen will turn out for me.
There’s nothing really special about turning nineteen, I guess. There’s only the fact that it’s my last hurrah as a teenager and I want to make the most out of it. I don’t mean partying hard or YOLO-ing. I just want to thrive and learn and be as happy or content as I can be. I was reading a post from Thought Catalog earlier called ‘A Checklist For The Age 19‘ and I’ve decided to take most of it to heart. Here are some of the things it reminded me to do:
- Try to be realistic without growing disillusioned.
- Find comfort in the reality that you are still a teenager and glaring errors are still permitted and perfection is still suspicious.
- Let your eyes grow wide.
- Keep your feet on the ground.
- Approach love consciously, in real time.
- Linger, savor, know now that there is no rush.
- Love on a day-to-day basis instead. Build slowly.
- Remember that you are not a coward, that you are invincible because you are still 19.
- Realize how lucky you got. Be grateful. Try to be worthy.
- Be gracious, be kind, eliminate self-pity. Look in the mirror and shift your internal monologue from ‘How do I look?’ to ‘This is my face,’ from ‘What the hell am I doing?’ to ‘This is my life.’
- Just keep going. Go, and do not stop.
I just hope this inspiration to have a good year being nineteen goes on and that when I reach the big two-oh next year I’ll be able to look behind the past years and find them meaningful. :)
Anyway, I’m going to stop being sappy and get to the fun part! It may not be obvious but giving away books makes me happy so I’m doing just that. I’ll be choosing 2 winners to receive any book/s of choice from to The Book Depository with a value up to $19. Just enter the rafflecopter widget below:
Good luck, book nerds! Hope you’re all having a great day because I sure am. *takes a bite of cake*
78 Responses
Happy Birthday Hazel!! May your birthday and every day be filled with the warmth of sunshine, the feeling of love and the sharing of good cheer.
Happy Birthday and thanks for the giveaway! I would choose something from my wishlist. :)
Happy birthday Hazel. You share your birthday with one of my best friends, so you get a extra birthday hug from me. Hope your 19th year goes with a bang.
Thank you for the giveaway. Have fun girl! :) xxx
Happy Birthday Hazel!
I do exactly the same thing on each birthday of mine :P – reading a good book instead of out partying.
Hope the year ahead of you will be as amazing and thanks for the giveaway :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ATE HAZEL!♡
First of all, thank you so much for being one of my earliest friends in the book blogging community. :)
I really love your blog and I hope for its success in the years to come.
I don’t know what books to pick yet in case I win, but I’m sure I’ll figure things out. :)
May God always bless you, Ate Hazel! Take care. ♡
Happy Birthday Hazel! xD Enjoy your day!
Happy birthday!! :)
Happy birthday!!!!! yay 19 is cool! It’s no so bad!
thanks for the givewaway
Happy Birthday! Have fun! :)
(And I would choose The Iron Trial if I won yay:)
I forgot! I would like to win vicious by v.e.schwab
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAZEL!
I hope today is an awesome day and that everything you want comes true and you eat tons of cake and get tons of presents and showered in love :) xx
Happy birthday! I remember when I was 19.. no actually I don’t remember it that much anymore :) But I wish you a great year and more awesome things to come your way. Cheers!
As for the book, it would have to be The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) I’ve always loved mythology and I would want my daughter to read this one as well.
Happy birthday Hazel! 19 is such a strange age, but I’m enjoying it so far :D I LOVE all of those points on that checklist – it describes 19 pretty well actually!
As far as books… *wails* I’ve had my eye on Kiss of Deception for a while, but Echoes of Us by Kat Zhang is another one!
happy birthday, Hazel! I hope you are having a great birthday! Stay kind. As for the book, I’d choose DASH AND LILY’S BOOK OF DARES! :)
I would like to get the SHATTER ME series for my Kindle. I’ve read them but don’t have my own copies.
Happy birthdayyy!! :)
I’d love to win Wings by Elizabeth Richards to finish my trilogy. Thank you for the giveaway.
I really would like to get the hard cover of Throne of Glass. When HoF came out, they released a new hardcover, and I must have it. Everything other book of hers is in hard back, and it’s killing me that Throne of Glass is the only paperback I have lol. :) Thanks for the giveaway and happy birthday! May 19 be kind to you!
I NEED the foreign edition of Sway by Kat Spears and the only place that has it is the book depository. It’s just so pretty. I’m officially obsessed with book covers.
Yeees! I totally want a copy of that one too! :DDD (Should probably order one for myself already…)
Yay happy birthday, Hazel! Hope you have a good one filled with books, food, and happiness. :D
Woops I forgot to comment what I’d like if I won.. hmm probably a paperback of any of the Harry Potter books (except book 1,2,5 b/c I have those haha).
Happy Birthday!!! I hope you have a fabulous one. Not to take your thunder or anything, but my birthday is tomorrow (24th). Not to rub it in but this would be a marvelous birthday present! I’ve never gotten a book for any kind of present. That’s pretty sad. As what books would I choose? Maybe, Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines or Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover. Thank you so much.
A big Happy Birthday to you!! 19 is a great age because you’re just that bit older than the legal age (assuming 18 is considered legal) but you’re not yet 20, so you’re not THAT old. Trust me, turning 20 is daunting.
Hope you have a love day though, and that you succeed in what you want to achieve at this age :)
Thank you, Tracey!! Exactly- 19 is an in-between and I’m a firm believer that in-betweens are important and I just hope to make the most out of it. The thought of turning 20 next year is seriously scary! Thanks again! <3
Raw by Belle Aurora or Making Faces . They are my favorite books
Hazel, I hope you had a wonderful birthday! I hope it was full of pretty things– very photographable and full of books! :) You’re only a couple days older than me. Here’s to another fun, wonderful year!
For me, I’ve had my eye on Kiss of Deception and Falling into Place for a while so I’d probably get that.
Hey! Happy birthday. Praise God for giving you another year to read more. :) Thank you for this giveaway.
We borrowed the first Inkheart book from the library and my son loved the story so much he couldn’t wait for the library to get the other two after they were released, so we bought them, in hardcover, at Barnes and Noble on their book birthdays. It would be really wonderful to get that first book to complete the set. Happy birthday, Hazel. I don’t think you need a checklist, I think you only need to stay as sweet and smart as you already are. May all your wishes come true. Thank-you for giving us a chance to win a gift on your birthday!!
*insert let me love you gif here* Oh my thank you so much for the sweet sweet message, La La! <3 <3 <3 Good luck with the giveaway!
Happy Birthday! Thank you for the international giveaway. I am not sure exactly which book I would choose, but it will be one from my to-read list that will also be popular in our school library as I will definitely donate it once read! :)
Happy Birthday, Hazel! Really hope you enjoy your day :-) Hmm, the books i would like to pick will probably be The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials. :)
Happy birthday Hazel! Cheers to another year of adventures, bookish and otherwise! :)
Belated happy birthday again, Hazel! :) I wish I can hang out with you in person one of these days and share blogging experiences with you. May you have good health and your dreams come true. P.S I want to win Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and Of Poseidon! :)
Happy Birthday Hazel! Enjoy your last year of being a teen, I’ve always loved celebrating my birthdays but now that I’m getting older…I’m starting to hate it. I’m gonna be 18 next yr huhu I really hate it. :((
anything by rainbow rowell,i’m dying to read her books:) and happy b’day,hope you had fun and got lots of presents,thx for the giveaway:)
Belated Happy Birthday Hazel! LoL I know its already the 25th but hey, better late than never right? :)
Hope you enjoyed your daay, although I’m sure you did ;)
If ever I win, I would like to pick the Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins to complete my collection. :)
Happy birthday! (Your banner’s so cute.) Enjoy your cake, but it’s pretty late to say that. :P But seriously, happy of happiest birthdays! I’m so happy to share a birth month with you.
Happy happy 19th birthday!!! Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken!!! I adored the first book and can’t wait to read the sequel :D
I would probably get Isla and the happily ever after!!
Happy Birthday!! I totally agree with that whole last hurrah as a teenager! Make to most of it and you wont regret it!
I would really love the UK edition of My True Love Gave to me, or one of the Hunger Games books, or the foreign edition to one of the Chaos Walking Trilogy books. I am having a hard time deciding :)
Happy Birthday! :D
I’d like to win the Throne of Glass book(s), because they’ve been on my TBR for ages!
Awww, your birthday is the day before mine! Happy birthday, Hazel! I hope you had an awesome one. I love your list of inspiration. :)
Belated happy birthday, Hazel! Keep being an awesome book blogger! I love your blog! And also your IG feed :)
Happy birthday!! I think your checklist is seriously wise, too, by the way. I hope you had a good day (and lots of cake. XD)
Thanks, Cait! I did have a good day- a great week in fact! And yup, there was lots of cake!! :DD
Happy Birthday:) I’d love something from Melissa Marr!
Happy Beated Birthday Hazel! :)
I would probably choose Stone Cold Touch and Anna and the French Kiss.
I’d love to win Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch!
Happy birthday Hazel! Thank you for sharing your blessings with us :) I do hope I will be the lucky one to win thee awesome giveaway :) any book will do please
I’m gonna borrow this checklist since we’re of the same age. Please tell me I can. Hahahaha!So that we could both make the best out of our last year of being a teenager. LOL!
It’s been like 5 days since you turned 19, I hope it’s great so far because mine started with a blast. Happy Birthday again, Hazel! I wish you all the best!
Happy Birthday! It’s so generous of you to offer up a gift to us on your special day. As for what book I’d pick maybe To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han or The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas, I don’t know, I’m terrible to book shop with, it takes me forever to decide.
Happy Birthday, Hazel! More birthdays and books to come in the future! Thank you very much for doing this giveaway. If I was chosen as the lucky winner, I’d pick Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.
Yeay for Isla!! Love love love that book!! Good luck with the giveaway. :)
Happy birthday, Hazel! If I win, I’d pick Huntley Fitzpatrick’s What I Thought Was True. I’ve read that book already but only on my kindle and I loved it! I always make sure to have a physical copy of the books that I read on my kindle especially when I loved them so much!
Happy birthday! Wish you good health always!
A Brandon Sanderson book! I want to finish the Mistborn series already. :)
Oh! And Happy Birthday!!!!!!
I would love to win To All the Boys I’ve loved before by Jenny Han.
And Happy Birthday :D Hope you get lots and lots of books.
Happy Birthday from a new follower!!!!! I hope it was fabulous! :D
I would love to read/win The Scorpio Games and The Unbecoming of Mara Dwyer. I want the Scorpio Races because I am a huge horse person, and it’s such a different take on horses! I have heard great things of Mara’s story and I really want to check it out!
Thanks for hosting the contest!
Happy Happy Birthday Hazel!! You make me feel old (30) but thats okay, cuz im still 19 in my brain. Hope you had a fab day. I would prbaly choose Blue lily, lily blue or Stray by elissa sussman
Happy, happy birthday!! I’d choose Snow Like Ashes. :)
Happy Birthday!!!
I would choose Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children because most people say it’s amazing.
Well, belated Happy Birthday Hazel!!!!
If I could choose, I would loooove to get Throne of Glass maybe?
I’ve recently read Stephanie Perkins’ Anna series, so maybe that?
Happy Birthday Hazel!! :DD Thanks a bunch for the giveaway!
I would want Lailah because I have been fangirling so hard over this book! And I’m not sure about the second one. I would have to think about it ^.^
Happy Birthday, Hazel! :) I would choose Snow Like Ashes because of the cover. Haha
Happy 19th Birthday! I hope you had a nice and memorable celebration! If I won, I would like “The Beginning of Everything” by Robyn Schneider and “Maybe One Day” by Melissa Kantor because I remember they came around my area for a book signing event; however, I was unable to make it because of the horrible snow/ ice weather. I was so upset I couldn’t meet the authors in person and get their books signed. Thank you so much for this amazing giveaway! :)
Happy Birthday and thanks for the giveaway!
i would like to read The conversion
thanks!
Hi Hazel, and happy belated birthday! I tried to leave a comment on this post when it first went up, but was having trouble posting it…but I think I figured out why my comments wouldn’t publish, and now, yay, it seems to be working!
Anyway, thanks so much for hosting this giveaway! There are so many marvelous books that I want to own, so I probably won’t know for sure which ones to choose until it’s necessary to choose, but some options for me are The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Lies We Tell Ourselves, Jackaby, Gates of Thread and Stone, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and Otherbound. SO MANY GOOD BOOKS I DON’T OWN YET!!
Happy belated Birthday Hazel! You’re very kind to offer a giveaway! Thank you very much :) I don’t know which book I would get! There is soooo many!
I’d love to have a copy of Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake because ODYSSEUS!!! Nuff said.
Thank you for hosting this giveaway! :)
Anyway, I would love to have a copy of What Happened to Cass Mcbride by Gail Giles because I’d love to read more about complex characters and a fast paced psychology thriller. I’d also love to own Jenny Han’s books. I’ve been trying to collect her books but can’t save enough. Hahaha Thank you again! :)
I’d like to get As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes. Great book and movie, I think this will be fun too. Thanks and Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday darling!! I hope you have an amazing birthday and an even better year. :)
I’d love to win so I could finally get The With of Little Italy by Suzanne Palmieri.
Happy birthday Ms. Hazel! You run an amazing blog and I hope it can continue until your 19s have quadrupled.
Anyway, I’d love to have the Throne of Glass series because Celaena Sardothien is one kickass heroine :)
Belated happy birthday, Hazel! I just had my birthday a few days ago so I think we’re both Librans? Hahahaha!
I’d love to have Stephanie Perkins’ Isla and the Happily Ever After. I’ve read it already but NBS and Fully Booked still don’t have the paperback. :( Or maybe My True Love Gave to Me, which looks really awesome!
Happy Belated birthday. I hope you had a good birthday. I’d love Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins because I really want to start this series and I already have the last two books.