Top Ten Tuesday!

Books That Surprised Me

In a Good Way:

1. All For the Game by Nora Sakavic Why: Everyone said these books were next-level amazing, but take one look at the covers and it's hard to believe. It took me about a year to come around to them, but they are insanely good!
   
2. The Sum of Its Parts by E.M. Holloway Why: Another self-published series that doesn't have all the frills on the outside. But the characters are amazing and the plot is always refreshingly kick-ass.
   
3. They Both Die at the End and History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera Why: I have legitimately never been so emotionally devistated by works of fiction. Cried like an actual baby. Both times! This man has a gift and that gift is gut-wrenching sadness.
   
4. Divergent series by Veronica Roth Why: I was so over the dystopian thing by the time these were a big thing. You couldn't pay me to pick this book up. I eventually pulled the trigger, and to this day, I think this was the most refreshing addition to the genre since The Hunger Games! I'm not a fangirl for the characters or plot, but the emotional complexity to the story gets mad respect from me.
   
5. The Skinjacker Trilogy by Neal Shusterman Why: These are riding the fine line between YA and middle grade. I picked them up at age 18 and figured I'd be too old to enjoy them, but I was totally wrong! This series was so moving that I honestly regret not having them as a part of my childhood.

In a Bad Way:

1. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Why: It's no secret how much I loathe this book. Unfortunately for me, it was required high school reading long before the hype. It was assigned in the aftermath of a classmate's suicide, and I was blindsided by the insensitivity of both the author and our faculty for choosing it.
   
2. The Selection series by Kiera Cass Why: Okay, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. I figured with all the hype these must have had some depth to them. But nope, it's all the trashy of reality TV like The Bachelor but in YA book form. Guilty pleasure? Yes, Good books? Yeah, no.
   
3. To All the Boys I've Loved Before series by Jenny Han Why: Was I missing something? Dumb girl is supsrised when an honestly not-that-offensive teenage guy is, well, a teenage guy? Add in some slut shaming and hella shallow characters and you lost me.
   
4. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green Why: I think we all saw this one coming. Not exceptionally bad, just not exceptionally good. Heck, I can barely even remember the characters writing about it now.
   
5. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas Why: Book One? Meh. Book Two? Holy hell this is amazing I re-read it like five times. Book Three? What garbage did you just feed me? I am not joking when I say I read a fanfic that was a better sequel for this series.

Top Ten Tuesday feature courtesy of of That Artsy Reader Girl