I will never forget my 13th birthday. That year, my best friend gave me the most memorable gift: the gift of books. She hauled a huge tote bag with about 20 or so books to my family’s apartment. Then she declared that she had taken the books that were most dear to her and decided to loan them to me to read. We were only children after all, so we couldn’t afford to actually buy each other presents.

Sometimes waiting for a highly anticipated book feels like being left out in the rain. (Made You Up by Francesca Zappia will be published May 19, 2015.) Still, if there’s one thing I love, it’s rainy nights. The air is fresh and cool as I sit by my window and curl up in bed to read. When I’m, done reading, the rain becomes a lullaby that rocks me to sleep.