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Top 10 Tuesday: Books I Almost Put Down But Didn’t

May 13, 2014 by brooke 7 Comments

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Excited to be participating in Top Ten Tuesday again! I thought today’s topic was particularly interesting – books I almost put down but didn’t. This is actually quite rare for me. What’s more common is when I decide NOT to read a book, and eventually wind up reading it due to positive reviews or recommendations.

So…#1-5 are books I almost put down but didn’t.

5 books i almost put down but didn't

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – I’d been wanting to read this book, after all the hype on Twitter and about the upcoming movie. But the first few pages left me wondering whether I should put it down and maybe try again later. I think Death’s narration took some getting used to, but I came to appreciate it. (The Book Thief is one of my favorites, and I believe it’s beautifully written.)

2. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen – I remember feeling uncomfortable about Annabel’s less than perfect life, and about her sister’s anorexia. But I pushed through, and of course loved the characters’ growth and transformations.

3. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin – Recommended to me by a friend, I began reading the book and was bored by the first several pages. This book is so dense!

4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling – My dad and I read every Harry Potter book but this one together. For some reason, I was convinced Order of the Phoenix was too dark, or too scary, or something, so I considered putting it down. So glad I didn’t.

5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – Again, bored by the first few pages. I thought maybe I wouldn’t enjoy the book as much as everyone else did. Silly thought.

 

#6-10 are books I almost didn’t read but did.

5 books i almost didn't read but did

6. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer – Vampires? It was an immediate ‘no way’ for me. And then I started a new school and the girls in my Literature book club chose to read Twilight. Needless to say, I rushed to the bookstore for book 2 the minute I finished.

7. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – I have a strict policy against cancer books. I have a cousin with cancer, and so all cancer-related books/movies/etc were immediately banned. But I picked up TFIOS in the bookstore and couldn’t stop reading – it wasn’t really a “cancer book” because it was about so much more than that. And I loved the book for it.

8. The Host by Stephenie Meyer – I should have learned my lesson after Twilight… The aliens were a turn-off for me, but I really wanted to see the movie, so I read the book and fell for the romance.

9. The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith – When I discovered Robert Galbraith was a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling, I thought (just as I had with Casual Vacancy) that I wouldn’t read the book because I didn’t want it to change my opinion of her in any way. But that’s silly, because you can’t compare mysteries to YA fantasy.

10. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – Again with the vampire snobbism. Luckily I got over it.

Looking forward to checking out other TTT posts!

 

Have you read these novels? Share your thoughts! 

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Filed Under: Blog Posts Tagged With: top ten tuesday

Hi! I'm Brooke, and I'm an author. I love writing; I always have, and I love anything that has to do with words and poems and reading. I also like to sing, act, swim, and laugh (a lot.) Read More…

Comments

  1. Chrissi Reads says

    May 13, 2014 at 9:20 am

    I almost gave up with The Book Thief too, but it is a beautiful book! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it too.

    Reply
    • brooke says

      May 13, 2014 at 10:54 am

      I really did! It’s such a moving story. Did you see the movie??

      Reply
  2. Caitie F says

    May 13, 2014 at 10:51 am

    I love it when it turns out I am wrong about ta book I almost put down! I am really skeptical about The Host, but it is on my shelf.

    Reply
    • brooke says

      May 13, 2014 at 10:55 am

      Same here! 🙂 When I was younger, my dad would find books for me at the bookstore that I had never considered trying. But I loved every single one…funny how that happens! You should give the Host a shot – the romance is beautiful though the plot is somewhat lacking.

      Reply
  3. Cheryl Malandrinos says

    May 13, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    I had to take a break from The Book Thief because Death’s narration was too odd for me. Once it got into the girl’s story more, it was okay. I still haven’t read the whole thing.

    My daughter is obsessed with The Fault in Our Stars, but not so much with other Green books.

    Hope you’ll visit http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2014/05/top-ten-tuesday-ten-books-i-almost-put.html

    Reply
    • brooke says

      May 13, 2014 at 6:36 pm

      Death’s narration was definitely odd…even though I knew Death was narrating, I still reread the first several pages a few times trying to find out what I’d missed.
      The Fault in Our Stars is actually the only John Green book I’ve read! I’ve considered reading his other novels, but they didn’t seem to interest me as much.
      Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. May Rewind & Review says:
    May 29, 2014 at 12:12 am

    […] As, In the Shadows Top 10 Tuesday: Book Covers I’d Frame as Art Received first digital galley Top 10 Tuesday: Books I Almost Put Down But Didn’t Top 10 Tuesday: Books About Friendship TCWT Blog Chain: My YA Reader […]

    Reply

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I'm Brooke Harrison - I'm a 20-yr-old writer and voracious reader. Welcome to my YA book blog!
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