The best feeling is picking up a book you don’t know much about, with low expectations and finding out how amazing it is. And then there’s a book with a lot of hype, or that you’ve got hope for, but it was a let down. I’ve linked book reviews I’ve written.
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl to bring bookish friends together. A new topic is posted each week.
– positive surprises –
Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen
- I didn’t have expectations going into this book, and it turned out to be good, young adult fantasy. Enjoyed it a lot.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
- First book I read by Haruki Murakami, which probably wasn’t the best idea, but I loved this journal/running diary. I don’t even run.
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
- First book by Brandon Sanderson I ever read and I was blown away. His writing and world-building is excellent, the ideas so complex for how many and varied books he produces. I can’t keep up with all the releases.
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Liu Ken
- I’ve never loved short stories like I do with these. So much creativity, orginality and important topics within immigration and asian culture
– negative surprises –
Reckless by Cornelia Funke
- The other Cornelia Funke books are great, this is very below average
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
- The perfect example of the last book ruining a trilogy
Cress and Winter by Marissa Meyer
- I liked the first two books, but these weren’t as good.
Ash by Malinda Lo
- Boring and dull, but with a cute f/f relationship
Half Bad by Sally Green
- Below average, very cliche witch-book
aquapages 
I agree with Allegiant ruining a trilogy (though at that point I didn’t care…).
Sorry to hear Ash was a disappointment – I was hoping to read it. 😦 (At least the romance is cute.)
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Oh, Cress is my favorite in The Lunar Chronicle series!!! And I didn’t enjoy Divergent at all so I didn’t bother with the rest of the trilogy. I haven’t seen many people enjoy Allegiant.
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Cinder is my favourite, Cress a close second! But the plot felt a bit all over the place in comparison to the first two books. Have you read fairest? I haven’t and wondering if I should
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I haven’t read Fairest but I really want to. Levana’s story was an aspect that I was invested in and I would love to read more of it.
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Sanderson is such a quick writer that by the time I even get around to finishing one of his books, he’s released another few titles (one of which is his behemoth tome in Stormlight). I definitely need to read Mistborn though as I’ve heard nothing but great things for it.
Cheers,
Joey @ Thoughts and Afterthoughts
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Can definitely relate to that!
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I can seriously agree with Allegiant being on the bad list. Just thanks to the spoilers from it I refuse to read it. In my mind, things ended with Insurgent. I just can’t with Allegiant.
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Go you! That’s the decision I would’ve taken, had I not been too excited and read it before a lot of reviews were out
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