Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature at That Artsy Reader Girl. This week: books that surprised you!
Well, it's been a while. I think I'm going to stop explaining all of my absences and promising to get back to a regular schedule, because it's always "school was stressful, I'll try to be more consistent, don't get your hopes up." Starting now, I'm just gonna consistently do my best and try not to apologize at the beginning of every post.
At first, I thought this week's TTT theme was going to be pretty repetitive, because I know I've already done at least two lists of books that have surprised me in a bad way. But then, I realized that I don't ever think I've done it the other way around! So here are some books that I enjoyed more than I was expecting to.
DEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone: I was fully expecting to like this book, but what I wasn't expecting was for it to become an instant favorite. It absolutely took my breath away, and I don't think I've stopped thinking about it since I finished it two months ago. It's an absolute must-read for everyone.
EVERY HEART A DOORWAY by Seanan MacGuire (Wayward Children #1): I was skeptical of this one mostly because of the length - how could something this short be so good, even if the premise was incredibly promising? It turned out to be a perfect length for the story, and an absolutely marvelous book.
HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME by Adam Silvera: I didn't think this book was going to be amazing because I wasn't the biggest fan of Adam Silvera's first book. I was so happy that this proved my totally wrong. It's one of the best books I've ever read, and I'm so excited to reread it again and again.
WE ARE OKAY by Nina LaCour: I really had no idea what to expect from this book, so I didn't want to get my hopes up for something spectacular. What ended up happening was that this book completely and totally wrecked me. It packs such a powerful emotional punch in such a short time, and it's such a wonderful story.
WONDERFUL FEELS LIKE THIS by Sara Lovestam: My expectations for this book came part-way into reading it. For the first hundred pages or so, I was enjoying myself, but didn't really connect with the book. That all changed, I got entirely sucked into the story, and these characters are still some of my favorites.
WOLF BY WOLF by Ryan Graudin (Wolf by Wolf #1): I was highly skeptical of this book going in, but it turned out to be even better than my wildest dreams. It was fast-paced and intense, and it's one of the most unique premises for a book that I've ever read.
WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman (If I Stay #2): I was a bit unsure of this book, since I didn't think the first in the duology lived up to the hype and I'd heard mixed things about this one. I've never been so happy to have an unpopular opinion. This book spoke to me on so many levels, and I basically inhaled it both times I read it.
RED QUEEN by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen #1): I'd heard some mixed things about this series, so I tried to not have many expectations going into it. It completely blew me away within the first two chapters, and from there, it was a roller-coaster ride the whole way through. I'm so excited for the last book in the series this year!
LADY MIDNIGHT by Cassandra Clare (The Dark Artifices #1): I'd read a ton of other Cassandra Clare books before this, and while I liked them, I didn't really think that they lived up to the hype. This one, on the other hand, goes beyond the hype. I love this series, and this first book managed to completely destroy all of my expectations for it.
SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo (Grisha #1): I was probably the last person in the bookish world to read this series, and I was prepared for something good, but not necessarily great. I was totally wrong, and I'm thrilled about that. This whole series was fantastic, but this first book is the one that really shattered my expectations.
What are some books that exceeded your expectations? Have I convinced you to read any of these? Tell me in the comments!
Well, it's been a while. I think I'm going to stop explaining all of my absences and promising to get back to a regular schedule, because it's always "school was stressful, I'll try to be more consistent, don't get your hopes up." Starting now, I'm just gonna consistently do my best and try not to apologize at the beginning of every post.
At first, I thought this week's TTT theme was going to be pretty repetitive, because I know I've already done at least two lists of books that have surprised me in a bad way. But then, I realized that I don't ever think I've done it the other way around! So here are some books that I enjoyed more than I was expecting to.
EVERY HEART A DOORWAY by Seanan MacGuire (Wayward Children #1): I was skeptical of this one mostly because of the length - how could something this short be so good, even if the premise was incredibly promising? It turned out to be a perfect length for the story, and an absolutely marvelous book.
HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME by Adam Silvera: I didn't think this book was going to be amazing because I wasn't the biggest fan of Adam Silvera's first book. I was so happy that this proved my totally wrong. It's one of the best books I've ever read, and I'm so excited to reread it again and again.
WONDERFUL FEELS LIKE THIS by Sara Lovestam: My expectations for this book came part-way into reading it. For the first hundred pages or so, I was enjoying myself, but didn't really connect with the book. That all changed, I got entirely sucked into the story, and these characters are still some of my favorites.
WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman (If I Stay #2): I was a bit unsure of this book, since I didn't think the first in the duology lived up to the hype and I'd heard mixed things about this one. I've never been so happy to have an unpopular opinion. This book spoke to me on so many levels, and I basically inhaled it both times I read it.
RED QUEEN by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen #1): I'd heard some mixed things about this series, so I tried to not have many expectations going into it. It completely blew me away within the first two chapters, and from there, it was a roller-coaster ride the whole way through. I'm so excited for the last book in the series this year!
SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo (Grisha #1): I was probably the last person in the bookish world to read this series, and I was prepared for something good, but not necessarily great. I was totally wrong, and I'm thrilled about that. This whole series was fantastic, but this first book is the one that really shattered my expectations.
I totally agree with History Is All You Left Me, Lady Midnight, and Where She Went!
ReplyDeleteThose are definitely three REMARKABLE books!
DeleteWolf by Wolf is sooo good!
ReplyDeleteIt's one of my favorites! I need to reread it sometime soon.
DeleteWe Are Okay almost made my list too! It was probably my favorite book of last year. It is so quiet and unassuming until it rips out your heart a little bit lol. I am so behind on Cassie Clare but I hope I like Lady Midnight as much as you did!
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly how I felt about We Are Okay! And I was WAY behind on Cassie Clare for the longest time, so I know how you feel. I think I'm pretty much caught up now, though, and I can absolutely say that Lady Midnight is my favorite of her books!
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