Top Ten Books That Surprised Me

(This meme is actually hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl now, but I am far too lazy to make a new graphic)

As devoted readers, I think that we tend to have a pretty good idea of which books we will enjoy and which books we won't, but occasionally a book comes along and surprises us--which can be a good thing or a bad thing. I present to you five books that I liked much more than I expected and 5 books I disliked more than I expected. 

1) Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman - Whenever there is a lot of hype surrounding a book, I try to brace myself for disappointment, but this novel exceeded my expectations. It is addicting and fun and I fell in love with the characters. 

2) Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally - I'd read some of Kenneally's other books in this series, and while they were okay, they were nothing worth raving about (for me--other people adore them!). However, I really enjoyed this one! I thought it had depth and lots of kissing and really good messages. 

3) Caraval by Stephanie Garber - This is another book I was hesitant to read because of the hype but it completely stole my heart. It was an emotional roller coaster. The whole novel kept me engaged and eager to find out what happens next. 

4) Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin - I didn't know what to expect from this one, but it was gritty and interesting and had fascinating, unique formatting. 

5) And I Darken by Kiersten White - This one was completely unexpected. I'm not really one for historical fiction or dense YA novels, which this one definitely is, but I fell so in love with the characters and the story. I couldn't stop talking about it for months! 

1) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - I can't even put my finger on what was disappointing about this. I ate it up in like one sitting, but, in retrospect, it just wasn't that riveting. 

2) The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder - I was expecting something beautiful and poignant with a premise that sounded interesting and magical. That's not what I got. The emotion in this book was unconvincing and the protagonist was infuriating. I was completely unsatisfied at the end of this novel. 

3) Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard - I thought the first book in the series was really interesting and I was invested in the characters, but this sequel was boring and painful to get through. The ending picked up a bit, but not enough. 

4) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - This book just reeks of creepiness and darkness and FUN, but it was really slow. And not really creepy. 

5) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - Maybe it's my fault for letting the hype get to me, but I was completely underwhelmed by this book. Again, the ending was pretty good, but it was such a struggle to get through like 2/3 of it. 

Top Ten 2016 Releases I Meant To Read

There were so many fabulous 2016 releases to read that I could barely keep up. Okay, I didn't keep up. There were so many I was highly anticipating and 100% planned to read, but then I never got around to it. BUT I WILL READ THEM, I WILL. I've listed 10, but trust me when I say there were a lot more.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare - I bought this, like, right when it was released and it still sits upon my shelf unread. To be fair, I think I'm going to wait until all the books are released before I read this and, in the mean time, re-read the Mortal Instruments series.

What Light by Jay Asher - This would have been the perfect read around Christmas time, but I think it's okay seeing as it's JUST NOW starting to feel like winter.

Replica by Lauren Oliver - Lauren Oliver is BAE af. I actually won this one in a giveaway, and it should be waiting for me at school when I get back. So hopefully I will be reading it SOON.

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard - I loved Red Queen, and I bought this one as soon as it was out, but I heard mixed reviews so then I was too afraid I wouldn't like it, so it is still very much unread.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova - I got an eARC of this, but it was released right around the time I went back to school, so I never got around to it.

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken - I was SO PUMPED to have won this one in a giveaway, and then I didn't read it and now Wayfarer has been released and now I CAN READ BOTH OF THEM.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro - A GENDER-BENT SHERLOCKIAN STORY. I was highly anticipating this, but I didn't have the monies to buy it.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo - Even though I haven't read Six of Crows, this book makes the list, because I'm mad at myself for not having read Six of Crows yet.

Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate - I got an ARC of this and never got around to reading it but if I end up liking Redgate's Noteworthy as much as I expect to, I have a feeling I will be picking this one up shortly after.

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash - This one just sounds so nerdy and cute and I AM HERE FOR IT but apparently not enough because I still haven't read it.

New To My Wishlist #2

Welcome to a new feature at The Left-Handed Book Lover! Basically, this feature is meant to showcase books I really want to read, whether they were released years ago or don't come out for another six months. Enjoy!

What Light by Jay Asher

Published: October 11, 2016 by Razorbill

Summary from Goodreads:
Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other.

Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.

By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.

What Light is a love story that's moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.

While I don't love Thirteen Reasons Why as much as a lot of people, I still really enjoyed it and I think Jay Asher is an excellent writer. Plus, CHRISTMAS. <3333

Once and For All by Sarah Dessen
Published: June 6, 2017 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Summary from Goodreads:
As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen's thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine.

Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that's why she's cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm's length. But Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged, now that he's met the one girl he really wants.

Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.

MY QUEEN SARAH FUCKING DESSEN. Hot diggity damn. I kid you not, I cried when this book was announced because I was (and still am) so excited. And I feel like Dessen's books keep getting better and better and this deals with the world of wedding planning which is really cool and DEAR LORD SOMEONE SAVE MY HEART. How am I going to wait until June?

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
Published: July 18, 2017 by Simon Pulse

Summary from Goodreads;
Stop the Magician.

Steal the book.

Save the future.

In modern day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Esta is a talented thief, and she's been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta's training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1901 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.

But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.

I was thoroughly THOROUGHLY impressed with Maxwell's Unhooked, which released in the beginning of 2016 and now I can't wait to read anything else she writes. Plus, I love anything set in New York. Plus, this just sounds really interesting.

I am very much superdy duperdy excited for these three titles. Do these sound like books you'd want to read? 

Ten Books I Feel Differently About After Time Has Passed

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - I feel like I'm going to get a bunch of crap for this, but, as time passed after I read this, I realized I just didn't love it as much as I thought I did. It's not that I disliked it, but I had it hyped in my mind to be the most amazing book ever, and it was just good.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - This is pretty much the same thing as Eleanor & Park. We all fall victim to the hype monster every now and then.

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead - This one is super painful for me to admit. As you may or may not know, the Vampire Academy series is my favorite series of all time, so when I started this series, I convinced myself that  was in love with it, but as time passed, I didn't finish the series and I realized that it wasn't as great as I was telling myself it was.

Evermore by Alyson Noel & Fallen by Lauren Kate - I read both of these several years ago. Both of these series I just kind of lost interest in and never finished. Now that I think back on them, I realize they're...well, not very good.

Marked by P.C. & Kristin Cast - Another series I started reading in middle school. The series started to go really downhill, and now I realize all the books are just meh.

That Time I joined the Circus by J.J. Howard - I didn't really like this one the first time I read it, but I gave it 3 stars and claimed it had something that made me feel good after reading. But now I don't even know what that is.

The Bane by Keary Taylor - I rated this one 4 stars and I have no idea why.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - So, this book. This series is what made me start reading. I was in love with this series (as everyone was), and I read it, I kid you not, 8 times. But then I started reading other books, and I learned what makes a good book, and Twilight, in my opinion, doesn't have those things.

Just One Day by Gayle Forman - This is another book  absolutely hate to put on my list, but I loved If I Stay so much that I was so unbelievably stoked for this book, I thought ti was incredible and I couldn't wait for the sequel, but now I think back on it and I get bored. I like the story and all, but I don't think I'll ever read it again.

What books do you feel differently about now that time has passed (be it good or bad feelings)?

Would You Rather #2: Contemporary

Hiya! Would You Rather is a pretty self-explanatory new feature here at The Left-Handed Book Lover, and I think it will be a lot of fun. Each WYR post will have a different theme.

In honor of summer vacation being upon me, I figured contemporary books were the way to go. I picked 20 of my favorite contemporary novels, paired them up at random, and then picked one. This was extremely difficult! I love all these books so much, and there were some pairings where I spent way too long deliberating which one to choose. 

What do you think? Any choices you'd make differently? Any books you'd add/take away from this list? 

Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

Man. My first TTT is a toughie! I have an endless wishlist of books I would love to own, so it was a challenge to pick out a mere 10!

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry - I love Katie McGarry. She has extraordinary writing skills that always leave me wanting more.
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - I've heard of Rowell's awesomeness.
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - I've heard about the all the feels that this novel provokes, and I want them.
Across the Universe by Beth Revis - No, people, I still have not read this series.
Just One Year by Gayle Forman - Gayle Forman is brilliant and I cannot wait to read Willem's story.

Where You Are by J.H. Trumble - J.H. Trumble is the bomb dot com. I have and love her other two books and I'm dying for this one. 

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen - This is my number one favorite Dessen book, and while my goal is to collect all of her novels, this is the one I needs to have. 

Allure by Lea Nolan - After leaving me guessing at the end of Conjure, I really want to get my hands on the sequel. 

Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook - I've been wanting this since before it came out and still, for whatever reason, don't have it. 

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley - I actually read this when it was first released and fell in love with it. I would love to have it on my shelf so I can read it over and over.