Thanksgiving is almost here, and we are so ready for some delicious food and quality time with our favorite people and books. If you’re a little nervous about how you’ll find time to read among all the eating and talking to relatives you see once a year, don’t worry—we have you covered.
Here’s how to rock Thanksgiving Day like the champion book nerd you are!
1. If you’re helping with the cooking, volunteer to cook the turkey.
That might seem like a big task, but here’s why you should take it on. Once that bird is in the oven, depending on the size, you’ll have three or four hours of downtime to read! The average person reads about one page per minute, according to the interwebs. If your turkey needs to cook for four hours, that means you can read 240 pages before you need to take it out of the oven. Luckily, we have some great book recs that fit right into that range!
2. Charge your e-reader in advance.
Keeping an e-reader on your lap during dinner is crucial, and you don’t want it to run out of battery in the middle of your cousin’s boring story about how awesome college is.
3. Cheers!
If you’re asked to give the Thanksgiving toast when you sit down to eat, just say this: (thanks, Lord of the Rings!)
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
4. Avoid nosy questions from family members.
When your relative asks you if you have a significant other in your life, don’t panic! If you’re single (you do you!) but are feeling the pressure, you can rely on these book baes! It doesn’t matter if they are technically fictional—that rude relative doesn’t need to know.
5. Be on point!
When the conversation inevitably turns to the news and current events, here are a few YA books you can speak to that are powerful and about topical issues:
6. Use your secret weapon!
If the conversation gets stale and you’re facing an awkward silence, pull out the question you know you have the answer to: “So, has anyone read any good books lately?” This is your time to shine. You got this!
7. Don’t eat too much!
Don’t let the tryptophan get you! After a long day, you deserve to stay up to read that extra chapter.
