Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish
It’s always disappointing when I discover that a book I thought I was going to love ends up being a dud. But it’s really exciting when I’m reading a book that I had minimal expectations for turns into a favorite. Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about those books.
Books I thought I’d like more than I did:
Splintered by A.G. Howard (Goodreads): I was really enjoying this when I first started listening to the audio. The entire premise was intriguing and I was drawn in. But then it turned into a weird, way-too-emo for me story that I couldn’t enjoy. There’s a really long list of things I really disliked about this debut.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (Goodreads): I’m still disappointed that I didn’t like this book. I didn’t even finish it! It didn’t speak to me and I hated the footnotes.
Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan (Goodreads): This debut had instant action and lots of promise, but ultimately it fizzled about half way through the book. I never finished it.
Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins (Goodreads): I really expected to like this book. I like the star-crossed lovers storyline, and I was looking forward to see how the story would play out with one of the characters being Amish. Unfortunately, the story grew repetitive and stalled out. I stopped reading it after I discovered that there would be more books. If I was already bored half way through the first book, I couldn’t let myself invest in yet another series.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Goodreads): I love Lauren Oliver’s writing so I fully expected to love this one. I was listening to the audio over the summer and made it as far as the second half of the audiobook before I gave up. I grew bored with the story. I wanted it to move along faster, and after a while Lauren Oliver’s flowery writing started to sound verbose. Maybe one day I’ll come back to this one, but it won’t be any time soon.
Books I thought I’d like less than I did:
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Goodreads): Two students told me about this during my first year teaching my YA elective. I was really hesitant to read it because I thought I didn’t like science fiction. After they told me how amazing it was I decided to give it a shot. It’s one of my favorites and it even made me cry.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Goodreads): I remember when my high school best friend picked this up when we were in college. She raved and raved about it, but I wasn’t interested. One of my students gave me her copy to read during spring break a couple years ago, so I finally caved and read it. I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner because it’s SO GOOD! I didn’t want it to end.
Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick (Goodreads): I remember seeing an ARC of this in my ALAN box in Chicago and thinking, “What is this?” I had never heard of Jordan Sonnenblick, and I had never heard of this book. I don’t know why I was so hesitant. I can’t even remember how I ended up reading it last year, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s funny and heart-warming.
The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima (Goodreads): I tried reading The Warrior Heir during my first year of teaching and really disliked it. Last year I requested some titles to help me discover more fantasy and this was recommended. I figured I’d like it, but I had no idea I would love it. I was completely absorbed in the story and the world. It’s a long book, and I’m pretty sure I read it in just over a day. This is a fabulous series.
The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Goodreads): I tried reading this in the traditional sense and then a year later I tried the audio. Both times I had to set it aside. I finally tried the audio for a second time and I was finally hooked. I think this is one of those “I need to be in the right mood books” because I can’t believe I didn’t finish it the first time I tried reading it. It’s such a fantastic book that’s beautifully written. If you haven’t read it yet, I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audio.













































































