There are so many books that I love, and not enough time to talk about them all. Luckily, this week's Top Ten Tuesday was all about books that you love but haven't talked about enough or recently. It was pretty difficult to choose just ten, but I think I made a good list.
Note: I did limit myself to standalones for this list, which should explain a few glaring omissions.
1) Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley - This book grabbed me from the first page and never let me go. It has that special kind of emotional weight that comes from the combination of the fact that too many of these horrific circumstances were real and absolutely masterful writing. It's been a year and a half since I read it, and I don't think I've stopped thinking about it since. It really should have been in my Standalones I Want to Reread post.
2) I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson - This book has a very unique writing style that not everyone likes. Fortunately, it worked for me. The story itself is not always very exceptional, but the way it's told and put together makes it extraordinary. The two points of view told from two different points in time make it seem as though it might be difficult to follow, but (at least for me) it flowed so well that it wasn't any trouble at all.
3) Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen - If any YA book perfectly captures the balance between a fun contemporary and a deeply profound novel, this is it. I had a lot of fun with this book, but at the same time, it taught me so much. I read it long ago enough that the details are fuzzy, but I remember the impact it had on me.
4) A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis - This book shocked me in so many amazing ways. I flew through it. It wasn't really what I was expecting it to be, but that didn't make me like it any less. It's also one of the only books in which EVERY plot twist was a complete surprise.
5) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - I did not go into this book with high expectations, and I certainly didn't go into this book expecting it to affect me so much. I also can't say anything about how I was so wrong because everything involves spoilers.
6) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - Okay, so this one's a lie. I talk about this book a lot. I've made nearly everyone I know read it. But I'm pretty sure I've only mentioned it once on this blog, which absolutely falls under the category of not talking about it enough. After all, it's quite possibly my favorite book ever, so I can't talk about it too much. (And I may have cheated a little bit with my standalones-only rule, but Rose Under Fire is a companion novel, not a sequel.)
7) Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick - I was so completely drawn into this book that I devoured it in a day. That wasn't as difficult as it might seem, since the book is half pictures, but I loved that aspect of the book, too. It's one of the most unique books I've ever read.
8) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - I don't talk about this book a lot because it seems like everyone else is talking about it already. Don't mistake my silence for indifference, though. I loved reading this book, and it has some of my favorite writing ever. This is another one for which a reread is LONG overdue.
9) Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - This book made me so happy. It STILL makes me really happy whenever I think about it. This book is incredibly diverse, it tackled real issues, and it kept me smiling. A rare but amazing combination. If you're ever sad, this book is the cure.
10) Looking for Alaska by John Green - I might be being really repetitive by now, but this is another book that really affected me. it made me think differently about interacting with people and going through life, and it's a book I think about a lot when I'm just contemplating life. This is also the absolute best example of an ambiguous but satisfying ending.
Which books do you not talk about enough? Are there books that you can't talk about too much? Tell me in the comments!
Note: I did limit myself to standalones for this list, which should explain a few glaring omissions.
1) Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley - This book grabbed me from the first page and never let me go. It has that special kind of emotional weight that comes from the combination of the fact that too many of these horrific circumstances were real and absolutely masterful writing. It's been a year and a half since I read it, and I don't think I've stopped thinking about it since. It really should have been in my Standalones I Want to Reread post.
2) I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson - This book has a very unique writing style that not everyone likes. Fortunately, it worked for me. The story itself is not always very exceptional, but the way it's told and put together makes it extraordinary. The two points of view told from two different points in time make it seem as though it might be difficult to follow, but (at least for me) it flowed so well that it wasn't any trouble at all.
3) Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen - If any YA book perfectly captures the balance between a fun contemporary and a deeply profound novel, this is it. I had a lot of fun with this book, but at the same time, it taught me so much. I read it long ago enough that the details are fuzzy, but I remember the impact it had on me.
4) A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis - This book shocked me in so many amazing ways. I flew through it. It wasn't really what I was expecting it to be, but that didn't make me like it any less. It's also one of the only books in which EVERY plot twist was a complete surprise.
5) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - I did not go into this book with high expectations, and I certainly didn't go into this book expecting it to affect me so much. I also can't say anything about how I was so wrong because everything involves spoilers.
6) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - Okay, so this one's a lie. I talk about this book a lot. I've made nearly everyone I know read it. But I'm pretty sure I've only mentioned it once on this blog, which absolutely falls under the category of not talking about it enough. After all, it's quite possibly my favorite book ever, so I can't talk about it too much. (And I may have cheated a little bit with my standalones-only rule, but Rose Under Fire is a companion novel, not a sequel.)
7) Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick - I was so completely drawn into this book that I devoured it in a day. That wasn't as difficult as it might seem, since the book is half pictures, but I loved that aspect of the book, too. It's one of the most unique books I've ever read.
8) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - I don't talk about this book a lot because it seems like everyone else is talking about it already. Don't mistake my silence for indifference, though. I loved reading this book, and it has some of my favorite writing ever. This is another one for which a reread is LONG overdue.
9) Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - This book made me so happy. It STILL makes me really happy whenever I think about it. This book is incredibly diverse, it tackled real issues, and it kept me smiling. A rare but amazing combination. If you're ever sad, this book is the cure.
10) Looking for Alaska by John Green - I might be being really repetitive by now, but this is another book that really affected me. it made me think differently about interacting with people and going through life, and it's a book I think about a lot when I'm just contemplating life. This is also the absolute best example of an ambiguous but satisfying ending.
Which books do you not talk about enough? Are there books that you can't talk about too much? Tell me in the comments!
Ooh, I *loved* Code Name Verity! I love pretty much ALL of Elizabeth Wein's books! I really wish more people would talk about Brian Selznick's books too! His artwork is SO good and his books are really unique! Great post!
ReplyDeleteCode Name Verity is amazing! As I said, possible favorite book ever. I read it two years ago and it still amazes me. And Brian Selznick is so great, too! I haven't read his latest book, The Marvels, yet, but I really want to get to it soon!
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