Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday-- Books I Can't Believe I Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a really cool original feature/weekly meme now hosted over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week they post a new Top Ten List that bloggers join in on answering... and today (January 30th) I'm one of them :)

Today's Topic

Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Read


  • This list was tough to put together.  I guess my book choices don't usually surprise me-- and I don't tend to follow hype around (although some of these clearly were read because of that).  Some of these books are ones I really liked, and some of them... ICK!!!  But all of them give me pause at the thought of ME picking them up.


1.  Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

  • I'm surpised because vampire love is not my thing.  I read it because of the INTENSE hype surrounding it and I was curious.  SO CURIOUS.  But sadly, I did not understand the love for it (sorry Twihards).

2.  Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

  • Surprised because I don't usually read Adult Romance/Chick Lit & I can't remember what exactly led me to read this book... but I'm glad I did because I really liked it!!

3.  Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz

  • More like, surprised that I KEPT reading it.  This was one of those books that I got cover-baited with and it was just NOTHING like what the cover and tagline led me to believe it was about.  It would make my top 5 list of least fave books of ever.

4.  Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

  • I'm even more surprised because I DIDN'T read this for a class.  I read it on my own because I kept hearing that this was a book that serial killers and other sickos liked and I just HAD to know what the deal was.  I'm still not sure what the deal is because this book is about nothing.

5.  The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

  • I definitely don't do capital letter ROMANCE like this, and yet, I read it.  I liked it too-- who even am I????




6.  Mommywood by Tori Spelling

  • I have nothing to say.... I don't know why I read this, I really don't.  I'm just going to blame it on 90210 addiction.

7.  Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

  • I'm surprised because this is SO not my kind of book.  I just don't gravitate towards books with characters like Stargirl... I just don't.  I thought this book was fun, although I think I am too serious of a person to really "get" it.

8.  Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany & Jack Thorne

  • I didn't think I needed to read more Harry Potter after the last book (and I don't even acknowledge the Epilogue, because NO), but after this was out for about 6 months I figured I may as well just do it.  I kind of wish I left it alone.

9.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

  • I tried SO HARD to avoid the hype and not read this book.  I really did.  Honestly, I didn't think I would ever read this book because it pissed me off.  I know it wasn't the book's fault, but when the hype for this was at fever pitch, EVERY freaking book that came out was like a generic copy of it-- and it was SO annoying.  But I accidentally saw the first movie, and in a Jennifer Lawrence-haze, I decided I needed to read the books.

10.  The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

  • I just finished this book last night!!  The thing is, I've known about this book, and honestly-- I didn't really want to know the husband's secret.  I don't usually like reading about marriage and husbands and babies and jobs and REAL LIFE.  I just don't.  BUT, I read Big Little Lies and I realized that I did in fact want to know the damned secret.  Besides, who am I kidding??  I always wanted to know the secret because... SECRETS!!!




Which books made your lists this week?  Do we have any in common??

23 comments:

  1. I wish I had just left The Cursed Child alone too. I really didn't like it!

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  2. The Hunger Games should have made my list, but I guess I didn't think of it while putting everything together. Saw the Something Borrowed movie (and once in a while I re-watch it when I want something entertaining), but I've never read Emily's books let alone this one.

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  3. I jsut read the Hunger games recently, after thinking it wouldn't appeal to me, and LOVED it! Guess I was wrong about that lol. And I was the same way with The Husband's secret- I basically read it because I loved Big Little Lies and immediately needed to read something else by her. I liked BLL more tho...

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    1. Yeah-- I didn't think I would like it all either and I really did end up liking it. I think I was just too annoyed with all the HG's knock-offs to actually give it a fair shot. I'm glad I waited like 3 years to try it.

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  4. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child made my list this week too - I hated it - and I really didn't enjoy Stargirl either. I'm pretty sure I'm never going to read The Catcher in the Rye - I'm just not interested. Great list!

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  5. The Hunger Games has popped up on a lot of lists today, and it makes me feel more surprised that I haven't read it yet!
    I also read The Catcher in the Rye for fun and I remember liking it, but I can't remember exactly why. I'm tempted to reread it, because it's pretty short, but I don't want to end up hating it.
    Here's my TTT.

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  6. Aw, I love Cursed Child. I read The Catcher in the Rye on my own too - I liked it okay, but it wasn't anything I loved or would want to re-read. I can't really think of much to put on a list like this since I tend to just read what I want, regardless of hype.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I liked that the Slytherin House got some redemption (and a POTTER!!), but it just didn't FEEL like Harry Potter at all. Like who the heck was Ron in that book? It wasn't the same one Rowling gave us. And Hermoine was so much smarter than the Cursed Child gave her credit. It was fun to revisit and I loved Scorpious, but I think it needed major edits.

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  7. I actually just bought Catcher in the Rye to reread because I loved it in high school. And I totally read TWO of Tori Spelling books lol!!

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    1. I also read sTORItelling LOLOLOL-- I really can't think of the reasons behind this at all!!

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  8. I somehow managed to avoid the hype for The Hunger Games, it had been out a few years by the time I read it and the first movie wasn't even out yet, I'm glad that I got to read it with fresh eyes. Twilight I actually never read? That one seemed to pass me by! I actually didn't mind The Cursed Child.....I feel like a bad Harry Potter fan for admitting that.
    My TTT: https://twitter.com/iloveheartlandX/status/958351779409752069

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  9. I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't get Stargirl. :)

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  10. I love Something Borrowed! Which is weird, because when it came out I was reading a lot of "chick lit" but I usually HATE books that have cheating in them, but I actually ended up loving Something Blue even more. Sadly, I have not enjoyed any other book by the authors since then... but I keep trying.

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  11. I avoided The Hunger Games at first because of the hype as well. Also, dystopian fiction isn't really my thing. However, I had a good friend recommend the series to me, and I enjoyed them. Here is my Top Ten Tuesday.

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  12. I was so sure I wasn't going to pick up Cursed Child either, but ended up reading it anyways. What can I say? I'm weak when it comes to this universe. Also, I don't consider what happened in this play to be canon. How could you?

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  13. Hi! I feel into the hype of Hunger Games an Twilight, too! :) Stargirl was one I read also and didn't really connect with.
    https://lesliehauser.com/cant-believe-read-top-ten-tuesday-post/
    Leslie

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  14. I laughed out loud at least three times as I read this, so, thank you. I read Catcher in the Rye over 30 years ago for school. I do not believe I would pick it up on my own. You know what Holden is? A manic pixie dream boy. I don't mind old book. I liked some of my school reading, but that book was not for me. Moriarty is so brilliant at writing these domestic tales that leave me with my jaw on the ground. She so good at the element of surprise and I need a new book from her NOW.

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  15. Hey The Notebook is pretty darn good. I’m just saying, I was surprised I liked it too lol! 😊😊

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  16. Hi Michelle!
    I feel exactly the same about The catcher in the rye. I wanted to read it for the same reason and it was so random and BLAH. Nop! I didn't enjoy The notebook, I prefer the movie.
    Now I want to know the husband's secret too!!!

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  17. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed The Hunger Games, and even more surprised that I went on to read books 2 and 3. But I've still not read any Harry Potter books and (controversially, apparently) feel absolutely no inclination to do so.

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  18. I tried to resist The Hunger Games too, if you can believe it! But a friend convinced me to, and the rest is history! I am cracking up at the Tori Spelling one. I assume it was as terrible as I imagine it to be? And now I am so curious about Invincible Summer. I mean... what even?! I read your review on Goodreads, and I am seeing that the reviews in general are so polarizing- one stars and five stars and very few in between, and I'll be damned if I don't want to know what weird and icky things are happening! Love your choices!!

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  19. I've seen a lot of people putting Twilight on their "can't believe I read this" lists this week :) I remember really liking "Something Borrowed," but I think that's the only book by that author that I really enjoyed - a few of her others were a little odd and I DNF'd. I remember reading and enjoying Hunger Games, but keep giving myself a "can't believe I just read that" anytime I picked up a Teen Dystopian since :)

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