 |
| Image Source: The Broke and the Bookish |
Top Ten Tuesday is a really fun topic (again) this week* - since it highlights books from genres or on topics that we don't normally read, but that we really liked.
As a bookseller, it's part of my job to read a diverse selection, so I have read plenty of books that I wouldn't pick up because I simply wanted to. Here are 10 of the books I liked more than I thought I would!
As always, TTT is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, and you can find out how to participate in the link-up right here. (Disclaimer: All images belong to respective copyright holders and are not being used for any financial gain)And here we go . . .
Top 10 Books That I Liked (Even Though They Weren't My Usual Reads)
Why it isn't me: I don't usually go for cute and cuddly NYT bestsellers.
 |
| *Sniffles* Pushing Daisies! |
How it changed my mind: While it was most definitely cute and cuddly, and bestselling, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry was sweet not sappy, and a love letter to books and bookstores. How could I not approve? The author really captured the charm of indie bookstores, reading, and the quirky people you meet in the bookish world.
2. The Iron Fey Series (And The Immortal Rules) by Julie Kagawa
Why they aren't me: Two words- paranormal romance. And they were billed to me as "swoony," which always earns an eyeroll (internally, of course, one must be polite).
 |
| My eyeliner is never this flawless, but this is how I'll react . . . |
How they changed my mind: While there was zero swooning, I did find the characters charming** enough to read every one of the Iron Fey books (and I even made it through the slight love triangle unscathed).
Anyhow, these books are like those giant cupcakes -- you buy one and one becomes five and . . . anyhow, I actually really enjoyed them. But I sort of felt like I had a sugar hangover after the fact. The characters are fun, the worlds are lovely (I especially love her take on the Fey), and Julie Kagawa is a good storyteller. Immortal Rules was one of the more interesting vampire books I've come across, and I loved Kagawa's take on a post-apocalyptic setting.
Why it isn't me: It's an adult contemporary romance/comedic novel. I don't usually enjoy romantic comedies, and they only ask for an hour of my time. A book is much more demanding.
How it changed my mind: It was actually hilarious. The characters were quirky and fun, and I loved Don Tillman. He's autistic, brilliant, and so socially awkward that I was immediately charmed. Rosie was fun, but Don's narration won this novel for me.
4. The Benny Imura Series and The Joe Ledger Series by Jonathan Maberry
Why they aren't me: I am not into zombies. Period. And the Joe Ledger series are an adult zombie series, which really isn't my thing . . .
 |
| Before Rot & Ruin |
How they changed my mind: TOM.*** While there are a lot of zombies in both series, they also include: strong characters, brother bonds that will make you cry in a hole, great action, swords, authentic and relatable teenage drama, adorable characters, plotlines, humor, philosophy, and really complicated but terrifying villains. And did I mention Tom Imura? No? Small oversight. And as for the Joe Ledger books - they're like a Clint Eastwood movie with zombies and humor. A little rough,**** but I liked them way more than I thought I would (I haven't read them all yet, but they're still going strong)
 |
| After |
Why it isn't me: I read some of Faulkner's short stories for school and was driven mad by his stylistic decisions (run-on sentences, strange punctuation, etc). Despite my love of classic lit, we didn't click.
 |
| Trying to capture that eerie, empty feel with a gif here |
How it changed my mind: I saw how short it was, and picked it up on vacation. And I was completely won over by the eerie darkness, the strange style, the drama, the depiction of the South, the story, and the narrators. Faulkner went from my never-read-again list, to my read-everything-eventually list. Just because of this book.
 |
| So pretty |
Why it isn't me: I tend to avoid coming-of-age novels as a genre, especially when they sound like they're just about teenagers doing teenage things (no, I never liked them when I was a teenager).
 |
| Couldn't resist, mate |
How it changed my mind: First, there was the evocative title. Second, I met a few people at Winter Institute who completely convinced me to read it with their love for this book. And then the author read an excerpt, and I loved her prose. The story is much more layered and complicated than what I expected, the characters are lovable and seem like real people, and the peek into 60's-70's Alaska was absolutely fascinating. If you like contemporary-ish YA at all, you should definitely give this book a shot.
7. Fruits Basket (Manga) by Natsuki Takaya
 |
| Just look at this cover . . . |
Why it isn't me: While I love manga, I'm not much into the shoujo/school stuff/romance. I prefer shonen, hands down.
 |
| And Hiro - that kid with unlimited adult sass |
1. Everyone and everything is so darn cute!
2. The Chinese Zodiac have human forms, and they revert to animals when hugged by the opposite sex. It's weird and random and provides tons of hilarity.
3. The characters have surprising layers, and/or really dark sides.
8. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Why it isn't me: See #2. Guys - this is so "not me" that I was almost too embarrassed to put it up (and I am not knocking anyone who likes these books, I promise). Paranormal romance, love triangles, ridiculously unrealistic characters, weird taxidermied-looking dudes on the covers, I could go on for days here - but they're not my normal thing, obviously.
 |
| Taxidermy . . . |
9. Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?: True Stories and Confessions by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
 |
| Got to love that title though |
Why it isn't me: This is the sort of book I'd never even notice. Confessionals, anecdotes, personal mother-daughter stuff, chick-lit, etc.
 |
| Batman, are you trying to make us all feel bad? |
10. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
Why it isn't me: I was fully persuaded that I didn't like Dickens. (Too early of an exposure - which was my own fault!). Long, overrated, boring, and melodramatic - that's what I thought. And Little Dorrit is basically moose-sized.
How it changed my mind: I watched the Masterpiece Theater (love MT!) version and was hooked, so I decided to give the book a chance. I liked it even better. It was hilarious - with a such a heady level of satire I was completely surprised, and the characters were brilliant. The Circumlocution Office still figures into my conversations. Anyhow, Little Dorrit rekindled my love for Victorian novels, and sparked a new one with Dickens' works in particular. Many years later, I'm still a loyal fangirl <3
So, what was the last book you read that was out of your comfort zone or not something you'd normally read? Why did you like it? Have you read any of these books?
Footnotes:*Last week was 10 Songs that Should Be Books - which was a fabulous idea!
**Ash is my spirit animal (okay, one of my many spirit animals)
***Tom Imura = <3<3<3<3<3
****The Joe Ledger covers are gross. Who wants to look at this?
No comments:
Post a Comment