Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Surprised Me

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the Broke and Bookish and hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl where we get a new topic for a top 10 list.

This week is all about the books that surprised us. Now, typically I know what I’m getting into when I start a book. However, that doesn’t mean that some books don’t catch me off guard. Today I’m sharing with you the books that surprised me in a good way.

1. A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet: This fantasy series definitely made a mark on me. Admittedly, I do have some slight issues with the book, but looking back it helps that those issues play a part in the growth of our characters. This is definitely a fun fantasy series, and I think the camaraderie between the “Beta Team” is what surprised me the most because the banter is on point and so comical at times.

2. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin: I knew there was a lot of hype surrounding this book when it first came out, but I was not expecting Wolf by Wolf to be as good as it is. At a first glance you think this book is just about revenge, but when you really get into the book you can see how it’s not about revenge but about identity and that is what took this book to a whole new level.

3. Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway: The beauty in this book lies in its simplicity. The subject of Oliver’s kidnapping is not an easy one, but Benway does an incredible job at realistically exploring the way this event shaped the community. Even more so, the relationship between Emmy & Oliver is beautifully developed. It’s an understated contemporary and the effectiveness of this technique is what surprised me most.

4. Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley: This is undoubtedly the most mentally exhausting book I’ve ever encountered. I was not expecting this book to be so tense. With Sam being part of the first group of girls admitted to this military academy I knew there would be some animosity aimed towards them, but I never expected it to be so intense. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat from page one.

5. The Hard Count by Ginger Scott: I thought this book would be your typical sports contemporary novel with romance at the heart and everything else working itself around the romance. That is not the case with The Hard Count. At the heart of this book is the sport. It’s about how sports can come to define a community. It’s about social divisions and racial tensions. Most of all, this book explores the ways sports can tear people apart and unite them.

6. Wanderlost by Jen Malone: I was not expecting to like this book. I thought it was going to be too far-fetched for my liking. However, what grounds this book is Aubree’s growth. Throughout the book, we get to see Aubree broaden her horizons, build her confidence, and push herself to explore the world beyond her comfort zone. It’s an endearing story and one that made my wanderlust go wild. 

Those are the books that surprised me.
Which books surprised you?

 

26 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Surprised Me”

    1. Well, there’s still the romance, but the emphasis on the sport itself and how it plays a part in a community’s life is definitely center stage. YES! I am all for a hockey based book like this, especially if there are mentions of my fave, who will go unnamed for now. 😛

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I am so, so happy to see Emmy & Oliver on your list, I agree that it is such an underrated contemporary, I loved the story, the characters and everything about it so, so much ❤ ❤
    And yay for Wanderlost, I also loved how Aubree's character developed 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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