Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
Post header background: Designed by balasoiu / Freepik
Hi everybody, and welcome to a new Top Ten Tuesday!
Today’s all about books I can’t believe I read. More specifically, I can’t believe I read them because the blurb promised me tears and sadness and tough topics and most of the time, I avoid those like the plague and go for the feel-good books instead. Most of the time, but then some times I just find myself picking up one of those heartbreaking books anyway, and end up crying my heart out. And I don’t mean crying like “Oh, my eyes got a little watery at that scene”. No, I mean full-blown snotty nose, red face, ugly-crying. And guess what? I still loved every single one of these books so, so much, despite the tears.
So here are some of my fave books I can’t believe I even read because they promised tears:
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
After a terrible accident, Mia has to make a choice. Stay, and live a life without her parents and younger brother? Or let go and not have to face a life without her loved ones. I cried pretty much throughout the entire book and the movie was seen through the same watery filter as well.
A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks
This is an instance where I saw he movie before I read the book, so I thought the book wouldn’t impact me as much. I thought wrong.
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
This story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who wants to die broke me a bit. Maybe a lot. I still get tears thinking about it. And I still really want to see the movie, even though we haven’t heard any news in so long so is this even still happening?
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Though the ableist message has come to my attention after reading this and should definitely not be ignored, I still loved this book so much and cried my heart out.
The Fault in our Stars by John Green
Should I even still explain about this book and why it made me cry? I mean, John Green is pretty much a YA legend. (And yet I have only read 2 books by him so I should get on that).
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
When a story is narrated by Death and is set in Germany during World War II, that should already be enough to clue you in on the fact that there will be tears.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I though that since I already knew how this would end, that the ending wouldn’t affect me as much. I have never been more wrong.
…
And well… you know I only have one auto-buy author whose books always promise the tears and yet I CAN NOT STAY AWAY and I adore every single one of them even if they still make me cry months later.
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
My first Adam Silvera book blew my mind. More Happy Than Not is definitely one of those books which will haunt you for a long time after reading it.
History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
The story about a boy mourning the death of his first love is definitely not something I’d willingly pick up. But since it was Adam Silvera I did and it broke me but I have no regrets.
They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera
Come on, the title could pretty much just be ‘prepare to ugly-cry’. But as with any Adam Silvera book, the story leaves you both broken but also filled with hope.
SO MUCH YES to your intro about liking feel-good books. These are my kind of reads too. Because of this I should have put Gayle’s and John’s on my list – and I like how your spun yours about reads that promise tears. That would have been a great way to figure out my list because I’m all about the smiles, too. 🙂
Yes, the smiles are the best! Though sometimes the pull of a great sob-book is also strong 🙂
If I Stay is one I’ve been wanting to read and just have never gotten around to it. Nice to know it’s good, although it sounds pretty emotionally intense. The premise just sounds so interesting.
If I stay is definitely good, but indeed super emotionally intense! Not a read for every day 🙂
I don’t cry quickly but The Book Thief is one of those for me as well. Great list!
The Book Thief definitely brought on the tears 🙂
I literally cried for over an hour last week – up until the boyfriend didn’t even know what to do anymore and he simply let me hug a pillow. 180 Seconds by Jessica Park. If you haven’t read that one yet, get ready for some extreme heart-break!
Oh I didn’t know about that one! I’ll have to check it out and keep it in mind the next time I’m looking for a heartbreaking read 🙂
I was the exact same with The Song of Achilles! I figured that since I knew how their story ended already, I wouldn’t be as affected. WOW, was I wrong. I sobbed for minutes after finishing it. Even when I re-read it, I shed a few tears…
Yes, exactly! It really shows how well written and how well developed the characters are! I want to re-read someday too, but I’m saving it for when I’m in the right mood…
I’m not wild about Made-Ya-Cry books either…in principle…but I am constantly looking for them and reading them and loving them.
https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2018/01/books-i-cant-believe-i-read.html
Yes, I can really love them… when the mood is right 🙂
I’m right there with you on The Fault in Our Stars and All the Bright Places. I knew going in that I would end up sobbing but just couldn’t stop myself from reading them.
Exactly! It’s weird how we do that to ourselves but maybe we just love to feel all those emotions sometimes 🙂
I sobbed my way through If I Stay as well. Did the movie stay true to the book?
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
I think the movie stayed true to the book, but it was a long time ago (and I haven’t rewatched it because tears) so I could misremember.
I’ve not read any of these and to be honest, they aren’t my usual genre. However, I do have to say that the Me Before You is the prettiest cover I’ve seen of the book. I hate the movie tie-in cover. Thanks for sharing these!
Oh yes, movie tie-in-covers are usually horrible, aren’t they? 🙂
I love books that make me cry – I mean, not that I like to read about terrible things happening to characters, but I love when a book can make me that emotional! Me Before You was definitely one of those books!
Yes, emotional books are definitely amazing! Though I need to be in the right mood 🙂
I actually love sad books, when I look over my favourites, quite a lot of them have that really strong emotional impact, The Book Thief for instance is one of my favourites. Lighter books aren’t usually my thing, usually because they tend to be romance focused and that’s not really me.
Yes, emotional impact books can be absolutely amazing! It all depends on my mood 🙂
I LOVE most of those! Fault in our Stars, Me Before You, If I Stay, Book Thief….sigh of happiness….Love it when others enjoy books I’ve liked.
Yay, great minds think alike 😉
I’m so looking forward to They Both Die At The End. It looks incredible. Most of these books have made me cry too.
I loved They Both Die At The End, hope you’ll enjoy it!
If I Stay caused the worst sobbing episode ever with me, which is the exact reason I can’t see the movie. I won’t go through that again. And the same for The Fault in Our Stars. :'(
I completely understand! I watched the movies, but I prefer to do it alone when nobody can see me cry through an entire movie 🙂
Ugh, I knew how The Fault In Our Stars and The Song Of Achilles were going to end because spoilers, BUT I WAS STILL SO EMOTIONAL. The ending of a Song Of Achilles ruined me. Adam Silvera has definitely broken my heart over and over again. More Happy Than Not made me sad, History Is All You Left Me almost made me cry, and They Both Die At the End ACTUALLY made me cry. What could possibly be next? ?
Yeah Adam Silvera is the best a heart-breaking books. Really makes me wonder what I’ll think of his collaboration with Becky Albertalli, who wrote some of my favorite feel-good books, haha 🙂
A good cry is necessary sometimes. I love picking up a sad book on occasion!
Yes, a good cry can sometimes make me feel so much better afterwards 🙂