Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Read or Avoided Because of the Hype

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Hello everyone! Today’s topic is books I read or avoided because of the hype. I am writing this without thinking much about this time; I am curious now if I will end up with more books or more books avoided!

If I ended up not liking a book you love, I am sorry! I usually do not say anything on my blog at all about books I don’t like – I just don’t mention them at all after I read them. It’s just how I like to do things. I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings!

Status: Read

Verdict: Loved it!

I remember when this came out everyone was going mad over it, and I was so upset because I could not get a copy from the library quickly. There were just a million requests for it. My dad ended up buying it for me and surprising me with it! I was very grateful because I ended up loving it. Like the main character, I also have bits of nature scattered all around my house, that we have collected on our adventures. I loved everything about this story.

Status: Read, but I avoided it for a year first!

Verdict: Loved it!

I don’t have much to add to this other than I wish I had read it sooner!

Status: Avoided

I know, I know. Everyone has read this book but me I think. I keep thinking I need to read it, but then, I just don’t. Should I read it?

Status: Avoided

I really don’t know why I am being so contrary with this one. If you read it, what did you think? It seems pretty universally loved!

Status: Read

Verdict: Loved it – but only after I listened to the audio

I live in Michigan and this book was in my face wherever I went. I couldn’t avoid it, but then as a Michigander I couldn’t resist it either. I started it, and I had a difficult time with it until I listened to the audio, which was read by Meryl Streep. She really brought this to life for me.

Status: Currently Listening

Verdict: Pending

So far I am having a hard time getting all the comparisons to Gilmore Girls out of my head! I think once I can stop mentally comparing this book to the show as I listen, I will enjoy it more, because it has all the things I love in a book!

Status: Read

Verdict: I liked it!

I am going to talk about the series as a whole here, not just this book, even though I did not finish the series. I did really enjoy the books that I did read though. I especially loved the character Rhys.

Status: Read

Verdict: Loved it!

This was one of those books I was like ohmygoshIlovethisbook! It is so good, and I am so glad that I listened to the hype and read it. It was one of my very favorites that I read that year.

Status: Read

Verdict: Loved it!

This was one that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on! I loved it.

Status: Read

Verdict: Loved it!

Sigh. I loved this story. I had not read a Sanderson book before, and I am so glad that this one was one that I did read. It is a very enchanting tale!

And it looks like when I did read these hyped books, I enjoyed them and even loved them! That makes me feel I should go back and read some that I have avoided.

I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else has to say!

59 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Read or Avoided Because of the Hype”

    1. ACOTAR – I feel like I read this before I knew too much about it and before everyone was going wild but is that even possible? Lol. I read the first three and enjoyed them but then I was good, and didn’t need to read the rest.

      Where the Crawdads Sing was such a great read. I loved it.

      I am loving this too!

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  6. Don’t worry, I’ve not read Fourth Wing either! It’s funny how sometimes hype makes you want to read something more and sometimes less. I absolutely loved The House in the Cerulean Sea and especially Mexican Gothic – so good! Happy reading. 🙂

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  7. Joanne's avatar Joanne

    I am right there with you on Where the Crawdads Sing & House in the Cerulean Sea. I wasn’t sure I had in it me to read The 4th Wing either since I’m not usually a fantasy fan anyway but I finally started listening to it on audiobook while cleaning house one day and was immediately sucked in… I have since listened to the next book in the series and am very impatiently waiting for the 3rd book to come out. I honestly though I’d hate it BECAUSE of all the hype and nearly skipped it. I disliked Lessons in Chemistry and I’m not even sure why but I just could not get into it and didn’t even finish it. I haven’t given Tom Lake a try yet but I really enjoyed listening to The Dutch House by the same author so I’m hopeful. I’ve also had my eye on A Court of Thorn and Roses to try but am currently listening to The Inheritance Games and loving the book so far.

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    1. I will try listening to Fourth Wing! If you loved it and it is not your thing, then I am definitely going to try it. And I think I might just skip Lessons in Chemistry. There is something about that just doesn’t grab me.

      I loved Tom Lake but I had to listen to the Meryl Streep audio to really enjoy it.

      Like

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  17. marsha57's avatar marsha57

    I’m one of those who just didn’t get the hype on Tom Lake. It was OK, but I was stumped at why everyone loved it. I loved Mexican Gothic. It was so creepy and made my skin crawl, but I couldn’t put it down! I also loved The House in the Cerulean Sea. Lessons in Chemistry was just Ok. I tried to watch the series but couldn’t even get through that. I would add Remarkably Bright Creatures to my list if I were making one!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    1. I really think if I didn’t have such a connection to the area I would not have liked it so much. And I definitely didn’t like it as much until I started listening to it. Mexican Gothic freaked me out too!

      I don’t think I can Lessons in Chemistry. I am not sure why.

      Would you add Remarkably Bright Creatures to the glad you read or avoided because of the hype? Because that is another one I keep squirreling on. (Billy refers to my going to/not going to behavior as squirreling – it’s a long not that interesting story lolol)

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    1. Ugh yeah I would not want to read it in January either. I can’t read out of season. Lol. I managed to find it on audio from Hoopla at my library.

      We just went on vacation and we spent a lot of our driving time listening to a full production dramatization audiobook version so our son could hear the story. My husband and I both loved Tress (I read it, he listened our first time around) so it was fun to listen to this way with our kiddo.

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  19. I bought FOURTH WING because of the hype and FOMO even though it really doesn’t sound like my kind of book. It’s still sitting on my shelf gathering dust. I don’t know if I’ll ever read it. The more I hear about it the more I’m convinced it’s not for me. We’ll see.

    THE PUMPKIN SPICE CAFE is one I’ve seen all over. It looks cute, so I’ll read it at some point. I’ll be interested to see what you think once you’ve finished it.

    Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!

    Susan

    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

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    1. I have done that with books too! Like I can’t wait to read this – and then it sits on my shelf.

      I am enjoying the PSC more now, it is super cute, but I still don’t know where the “spice” level lands. I have a feeling I will find out soon. Lol.

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    1. Sometimes it is so much better to have no preconceived notions about a book! I hate when people give me a book they loved and tell me I am going to love it. It makes me so reluctant to read it in case I don’t and I hurt their feelings! Lol.

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  26. It never fails to amaze me how similar our reading tastes are. Most of the ones that you’ve read and loved were the same for me, although you’ve got a few I never read. I still have Fourth Wing on my TBR (I heard from good friends that it’s great), and Lessons in Chemistry. I’m a bit nervous about Lessons in Chemistry because one of my besties read it and didn’t like it at all. So while it’s widely loved, not *everyone* loves it!

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    1. I just can’t pull the trigger on Lessons in Chemistry and Fourth Wing. Lol. Maybe eventually I will. My husband liked Fourth Wing but he said it would have been better without the romance aspect.

      I know right! I love too that I find so many new titles on your blog that I am sure I will enjoy!

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  27. This is the second time today I’ve seen someone I like/follow say that Tress of the Emerald Sea is worth the read – so I may have to bump that one up my TBR! 😀

    Lessons in Chemistry was better than expected – I actually read it as my first read of the year, trying to play catch-up on BOTM picks, and it was a 5-star read for me. (My book club ladies at the library had been singing it’s praises for months, I should have trusted them, lol).

    Fourth Wing is good fun, just maybe don’t expect classic literature, if you know what I mean 😉 But it was a lot of fun, and I had to buy my own copy in the middle of reading the library’s, so that’s a good sign. Just need to finally read book 2….

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    1. Tress is just so smart and funny and sweet. The author wrote it after wondering what would have happened if Buttercup had gone looking for her Farm Boy instead of everything else that happened in Princess Bride. Such a good book.

      Well that is good to know about both of them! Oh, that is a good sign if you bought it! That is how I know I really like a book too, if I buy it while reading the library book.

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  28. I listened to Fourth Wing and it was fine. It’s a fun read/listen but after I finished I was like “wait a minute – that plot point didn’t make sense”. If you ever get time and are in the mood for dragons it’s fun but not life changing. I have the Heather Fawcett book on my TBR. I loved The Grace of Wild Things so I have high hopes for Emily Wilde. I need to add Mexican Gothic to my TBR.

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