[Top Ten Tuesday] Ten Books I Loved More I Than Anticipated

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish. A prompt is given each week, and I hope to do it every week so I always have something going up on Tuesdays. I wish I had known about this earlier because some of the previous prompts were so good! I love some of them so much I may still do them as separate individual posts. I cannot wait to see what prompts are brought up each week. Since it's on hiatus until March 7 I am happy to be able to do this prompt and then wait and see what is in store.

This week's prompt "Ten Books I Loved More Than Anticipated" is a challenging prompt because I almost always try to go into reading a book pretty blind. Because of that, I am always surprised with the book, whether I liked it or was disappointed. So I am going to choose the books that really surprised me in a good way. Also, this isn't in any particular order. 

The Duff by Kody Keplinger 

I had expected this book to be another typical high school superficial romance and I was so happy to be proven wrong. I think the body positive themes in this book are really important and it was really cool for me to read about two years ago. It was one of the first YA books that didn't gloss over sex and the I really enjoyed the romance.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas  

I thought the previous book in this series was good, I even gave it a pretty good star rating, but there were problems in the story that made me feel like that maybe this series wasn't for me. I didn't like the victim blaming and the lack of power our main character had in a world of very powerful creatures. However, the sequel was getting a lot of praise and I caved. I am happy I did, a lot of the problems I had with the story were definitely in the direction of it being fixed. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one, and it makes me really excited for the third book.

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick 

Autobiographies are always a hit or miss. Even if they're by celebrities I am a huge fan of. Sometimes, they are a bit boring, and other times you realize the writing isn't great. Sometimes they feel like weird cash grabs. So when I borrowed this from the library I wasn't expecting much because although I really love Kendrick as an actress I didn't know much about her. I knew she was from Maine, which is always fun to know because that's where I am from, but other than that I didn't know much. This book is absolutely hilarious and it had me laughing loudly often. I love Kendrick's humor and her background is so impressive. This book definitely gave me even more respect for her. 

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss 

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. I was definitely nervous because I was just starting out with reading more fantasy (it had been my year goal to read more) and I was immediately pulled into the story. The characters and the world building is so rich and detailed. I felt like I was there walking the streets of the University with Kvothe. I cannot wait to re-read the series this year.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I'm assuming my raving about this book is getting old, but if this is your first post of mine, know that this book is my current favorite book. My top favorite book always changes, but Ari and Dante keep the place for now. I had expected a cute LGBTQ+ romance but it's so much more than that. I love Ari and Dante so much.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 

I never read this book in high school like most people in America. I somehow slipped past any classes that required it, but I bought a beautiful copy in college. It sat on my shelf for years and when Harper Lee released a sequel, and then passed not long after, my interest peaked again. I am so happy I have finally read this book, it's such an amazing story. The characters are great and the writing is amazing. It's definitely a favorite of mine now. I do not plan on reading the sequel, but I can see myself re-reading this book.  

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle 

I love how strange this book is. It's a perfect read for October because that is when the accident season starts. The imagery for the book added with the writing is one of my favorite things about it. When I read this book it feels like there's this film between me and the story playing in my mind like it's this moving fairy tale. It's so weird to explain but it is what keeps me loving this book. 

Room by Emma Donoghue

This book caught me by complete surprise because I didn't know what it was about at all going into it. I had heard it was going to be a movie but the trailer pretty much gave away the whole book, so I stayed away from the trailer and immediately picked up the book. I was blown away by the story, my heart hadn't beat that insanely in so long. The mid point of the story had my blood pressure through the roof as I found myself absolutely terrified for the characters. I was so pleasantly surprised with how addicted the story was and it was exactly what I needed.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman 

I was so shocked with how much I loved this book. I went into it excited because I knew it was a fantasy story that a lot of people read when they were younger and I definitely felt like I was missing out but I wasn't ready to be completely blown away. I have always been a huge Harry Potter fan because I grew up with the books and the characters but I always wondered if I had read them for the first time as an adult if I would like them. I had the same worry about this series, thinking maybe I had missed the chance to be in love with this story. I am so happy I was proven wrong.

Thanks for reading! 

Have you read any of these books? Which books surprised you with how much you loved it?