Five Hyped Books That Deserved the Hype
All of these books were ones that I heard (almost) nothing but love about before I picked them up. I was hesitant to grab a couple of them for just this reason. But they all turned out to be great reads and I would recommend them myself now.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken was one I somehow missed in my childhood but it still managed to be thrilling and tense when I finally picked it up last year. I still need to read the sequels.
The Supernatural Elements by Edgar Cantero was praised even before it came out for its beautiful cover. The story inside was even more amazing.
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein was such a smart book but the kids weren't all "nerds" and they still managed to be smart even while liking things like video games. The sequel to the book is coming out soon and Z and I are both excited about it!
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman was just totally unexpected and unique. I am eagerly anticipating the sequel to this one too.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple was crazy but was really fun for a Seattle resident like me to read (it's set in this lovely city). I don't read a lot of modern fiction so it's nice when I give something a chance and end up enjoying it.
And a bonus: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern which I put off until late last year because of the hype and then, of course, loved. This year when I reread it, I loved it even more -- so it managed to outperform my own high praise and thoughts!
Did you join the adoring fandom of a well-loved book this year?
Now a believer,
K
Where'd You Go Bernadette was so much fun! I temped at Microsoft for a while, so I could feel extra insidery. I'm glad you liked the Wolves, it was one of my favorite series as a child.
ReplyDeleteI was at Microsoft for a while too! It did bug me that the park she talked about doesn't exist as far as I know. They could have just headed over to the secret Buddhist temple though. :)
DeleteI'm 2 for 2 lists on seeing Bernadette...and I loved that one! It made my Best of List last year, I think.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I ended up grabbing it. It was a fun story!
DeleteOoh some of those are great ones and definitely worth the hype! (And the others I haven't read, so I can't speak to them. :D )
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteI really enjoyed The Night Circus. The rest are on my tbr list.
ReplyDeleteLOL! The hype gets them on our lists but doesn't always get them read.
DeleteStation Eleven, An Untamed State, Big little lies, and All the light we cannot see . . . all had a lot of hype that was so well deserved!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check those out!
DeleteI don't usually go for "chick lit," but I just added Where Did You Go, Bernadette to my wish list. :-)
ReplyDeleteBTW, glancing over your Library Thing authors, it looks like we enjoy some of the same writers, including Neil Gaiman, Agatha Christie, Diana Wynne Jones, and Willa Cather.
Bernadette is one of those difficult-to-categorize book so I hope you like it!
DeleteAnd I love meeting someone whose reading tastes overlap mine. :)
I joined the adoring fandom of Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Boys books this year, and they were more than worth the hype. I'm sorry I waited so long to try them! (Except, no, I guess I'm not that sorry, because I read them right before the third one came out, which is a pretty good time for such things.)
ReplyDeleteI'm always on the fence about starting this series. I think I'm going to have to get to them next year, right?
DeleteI STILL need to read The Night Circus. I actually have a signed copy. And still haven't read. Le sigh.
ReplyDeleteI delayed for a long time too. Luckily, once you finally pick it up, you will probably fly through it!
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