Top Ten Tuesday

So, this is my first post for Top Ten Tuesday! I am very excited to be joining the Top Ten Tuesday meme from The Broke and the Bookish because I love reading  it each week. This is my first time because I just began my own blog. I have written for work-related blogs and school-related blogs ( I am a teen librarian), but this is my first blog just for me and my enjoyment.

Top Ten Books I Thought I’d Like MORE/LESS Than I Did

1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

This book was a wonderful surprise! I read it because it was on the Texas Lonestar reading list for 2012. I usually enjoy books that are set during World War II so I expected to enjoy it, but I had no idea how hard I would fall for this book. I even loved the audiobook for this title and I am happy to say this book is now on my favorite books of all time list! If you read this book you MUST read the author’s note at the end. I think it is part of what made me LOVE this book.


2. Liar by Justine Larbalestier

This book summary sounded interesting and it sounded like something I would enjoy, but boy was I wrong!! This book has landed itself  as one my least favorite books EVER!  I kept reading it thinking that it had to get better, but it never redeemed itself. This book was just AWFUL!


3. Reached by Ally Condie

I really enjoyed Matched and Crossed by Ally Condie and I was really excited for the third and final book in the trilogy. However, I found that I was a little disappointed in this last installment. Not to say that the book was terrible, but it was definitely lacking something.

4. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

So the series was not awful. The Maze Runner was good enough to get me to finish the trilogy, but  I just felt like it could be great and it was only okay. I think it was the swearing with made up words that really turned me off to this book. It was just a little silly.


5. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Have you ever read something and you just wanted to clap and cry and cheer and everything else when the story ended? Well, that is exactly how  I felt at the end of Unbroken. I wanted to cheer for Louis and his heroism and survival, I wanted to cry because of his heartache and loss, and I wanted to clap because this is probably one of the most astounding books I have EVER read! It still brings me to tears each time I read it. It is so moving and just AMAZING!

(P.S.- This book is an adult title. I do not usually enjoy adult books as much as YA, but Hillenbrand’s writing was exceptional!)

6. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

This book is a classic and one I had never sat down to read until recently. However, I am so glad that I finally took the time to read it because I really enjoyed it. I don’t have too much to say about this one, but it was a very pleasant surprise!


7. Fever by Lauren DeStefano

I really liked Wither by Lauren DeStefano (the first book in The Chemical Garden Trilogy). I was so excited to continue the series and I picked up Fever as soon as I could. However, I found that I was a little let down by this second book. The story went from amazing in the first book to mediocre in the second. I am a little worried about the final installment (Sever), but I’m going to go ahead and give it a chance.


8. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
So, this book is a junior book and not at all what I would usually choose to read. However, I am a librarian and this book was on the Texas Bluebonnet List for 2012-2013 so I felt obligated to read it. I am so glad I did! The unique way that Selznick tells the story and intertwines his characters is awesome!


9. Heist Society by Ally Carter

The Gallagher Girl series by Ally Carter is one of my favorites. They are just fun, relaxing reads that are easy to follow, fun to figure out,  and simple to love! I was really hoping for the same thing in the Heist Society series by Carter, but I felt a little disappointed by this first book. It was okay, but I just simply did not enjoy it the way I did the Gallagher Girl series. The characters were not as lovable, the humor was missing, it was just very bland overall.


10. Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony

I heard so much about this book for weeks from many of my co-workers before I finally picked it up to see what all of the fuss was about. And all I can say now that I finally picked it up and read it is that I wish I wouldn’t have. I did not really enjoy anything about this book. I did not care for the style in which it was written (unique-yes, good-not really), I did not care for the ending (I am not even positive I know what really happened), and I just felt like the plot was boring. This book was a huge letdown after all the hype!