Top 10 Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in 2010. It combines what I love most in this world into one—lists, books, and blogging. It couldn’t be any better suited for me! This week is all about the best things about being a bookworm — what are some of the perks of reading? Or your favorite thing about books? This should be fun!

1. Finding a used book with notes in the margins.
One of my favorite things about getting old books from a store, from friends, or from the library is seeing all the notes someone has made in it. I love seeing an inscription saying Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas from 30 years ago. I love seeing love notes stuck in pages like bookmarks or underlined quotes showing what the previous owners thought was important. I think used books teach us more than any other book with what secrets they hold not just within their pages but also with their years.

2. Going to a used bookstore.
This is one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning. I love finding little bookstores with great deals on amazing books. You always find the best reads, and it usually costs you less than $20 for five books. I say you can never go wrong with a day spent in a used bookstore.

3. Book recommendations from a friend.
I love when my friends give me books as presents or just tell me about their new favorite read. I think it really means something when you can recommend books to friends — it means you know each other on a much deeper level. It’s also just a great feeling when you find a new favorite book because your friend knew you well enough to recommend such a good read.

4. Recommending books to friends.
On the flip side, I just recommended two books to my roommate and she loved them. That’s one of the best feelings in life  — it’s like buying someone a really good gift that they absolutely love. Sharing my love and taste in books with others is something I truly treasure in life.

5. Rainy day reading.
There is no better day to read in bed than when it is raining cats and dogs outside. I loved growing up in Florida over the summer because I could spend the morning at the beach and the afternoon curled up in a chair reading because it would inevitably rain at 3 p.m. everyday. There’s just something about drifting off into another world when yours is so quiet and peaceful with rain.

6. Remembering the books you used to read as a kid.
I love when I’m walking around a bookstore and I stumble upon the kids section and see The Magic Tree House or Nancy Drew or The Boxcar Children. It sends me back in time to hours spent on the library floor or late nights sitting up with the tiniest sliver of light to read past my bedtime.

7. Starting a hefty book.
There’s no better feeling than cracking open a 500 page book and getting to page 250. It feels great to see your progress unfold.

8. Binge reading a series.
There are few things better to a read-aholic like myself than realizing you love a book that is part of a series — and all the books are already published. There’s no waiting or anticipation — you can have the next books in your hands as soon as you have finished the preceding books. (This is why I finished the Divergent series in two weeks.)

9. Interesting divisions or illustrations in a book.
I love opening up a book and finding the inside just as beautiful as the outside. I recently read a book that had absolutely studding artwork on the inside that separated the book into sections. It’s just a little something that adds to the character of the book and is a sweet surprise.

10. Buying a new book — and falling in love with it.
There is absolutely, 100% no better feeling than buying a new book and it becoming your new favorite. Having a new favorite book, recommending it to everyone, and talking about it every chance you get is one of the better things about being a true bookworm.

What are your favorite bookish delights? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy reading,
Kimberly