Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is a freebie!
Before I started this blog, I found some YA book blogs that I would run across when searching for what to read after The Hunger Games, which is how I came across The Selection, Matched, and Divergent. I wasn’t religiously following these blogs yet though, and I still didn’t know what it was like to see hype surround a book at its release as I do now. Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot from blogging, and I’m thankful to the community for introducing me to some great reads that I might have otherwise not found! This week’s list is in order of my absolute favorite book discovery from the blogsphere to well, I’m still really glad I found this!
Note: These aren’t necessarily my absolute favorites that I’ve read since blogging, but what I don’t think I would have read on my own. Some of my favorites I found on my own or I know I could have because of my awareness of something that would have directed me to it (like my awareness of Brandon Sanderson from his podcast would have still potentially led me to Steelheart).
I highly doubt I would have ever picked up a story about a cyborg Cinderella had I not read so much hype about it on various blogs. And it was rightly earned! I thoroughly enjoyed Cinder and Scarlet, and then Cress was just so near perfection… I just love this series, so much. I love the characters and just… everything!
I might have had more feels about this book after reading it than I did while reading it. It’s just when I think of Liesel and Rudy I can hardly handle it! Their story is so poignant and I’m so glad I discovered it from blog hype.
I decided to separate this one from its previous book, instead of lumping it together like The Lunar Chronicles because… it’s my blog and I’ll do what I want to! Or I guess because they stand on their own a little better. I ADORE THIS BOOK. I can’t imagine this still not being in my Top 3 for the year at the end of the year, and that might be a bold statement to make in May, but it had everything I want and love in a book. I NEED MORE IN THIS UNIVERSE, DIANA PETERFREUND.
4. For Darkness Shows the Stars
The day I found out that Jane Austen retelling + genetic engineering existed in a book was a glorious day indeed.
5 (tie). The 5th Wave
Again, there was a lot of hype around this one that piqued my interest. Alien apocalypse? Hmmm… could be interesting. I really enjoyed it and am glad I checked it out!
5 (tie). Shadow and Bone (Grisha trilogy)
I just finished Shadow and Bone last week and I am definitely intrigued by this world and its characters. I’m hoping that the trilogy will end strong, and it seems everyone also enjoyed Siege and Storm, so I’m looking forward to getting it and reading it soon so I can truly be on the bandwagon.
Even if I had discovered this one outside of blogging, I most likely would have dumped it because I would not have been so sure it would all turn out to be so interesting. (OK, so I have DNF’d one highly revered book after blogging, but I just couldn’t go on. I could get through this.) Even though I didn’t experience all the feels like some, I do have a great appreciation for this story.
8. Pivot Point
My first recommendation for this book was actually from a non-blogger friend, but it was via Goodreads and I didn’t know what Goodreads before I started blogging so… there you go. And what really prompted me to read it was its rave reviews (oh, and the e-book was on sale! That’s actually the case with many on this list; take note, publishers!) But seriously, I love the sci-fi paranormal meets contemporary twist. I still need to read more Kasie West!
Pretty prose and a unique world.
10. Ready Player One
I do think I could have discovered this one without blogging, especially since I remember it being reviewed on Epbot a while back, but I read it for my book club that I’m part of with some fellow bloggers, so that was what really got me to read it. It’s certainly one of the most unique books I’ve read.
What are some of your favorite books you may have never discovered without blogging?
I’ve only read (and heard of) the first two! I think I might need to check this out 🙂
They’re all good! Definitely look into the others and see what piques your interest! 🙂
I agree on finding so many books through the blogs. I would have never picked up Ready Player One for sure. Some days I am generally excited about all the books they are introducing us to. Some days when I look a little to close at my TBR I am not so excited.
Ha ha, I can understand that!
I like this topic! And funny enough Cinder, The Scorpio Races, Ready Player One, Code Name Verity and Pivot Point would all feature on my list too. As would Colleen Hoover books and Parallel by Lauren Miller. Most I found because all book bloggers are the worst book pushers and when I see glowing reviews from trusted friends, I can’t resist. Thankfully!
Parallel will probably be my next read, so if I end up liking it a lot there is definitely a chance it could have made this list! I have to agree that glowing reviews from friends makes it hard to resist books!
This is such a great topic, and one that I’m definitely stealing for future freebies!! I agree with almost all of these! Blogging has been such a game changer when it comes to books… I honestly don’t even know where I found new books before it. But I especially agree with you on Cinder!! I never would have picked that book up and now it’s one of my favorites.
Great list!!
Thanks! I was talking to a girl I know who picked up Cinder because of her teacher’s recommendation, and she was talking about how she was really unsure of it at first. And that was how I felt too, but EVERYONE was raving about it on their blog so I had to see what the fuss was! I’m sure glad I did!
Great idea for a list. Cinder would be on mine too as I might never have even heard of the book without all the awesome bloggers constantly talking about it. While it didn’t turn out quite as well as I wished, I’m in the midst of reading Scarlet and am really, really liking it.
My TTT
I think a lot of people were influenced to read Cinder because of the blogsphere. I hope you end up loving Scarlet… and Cress! Cress is definitely my favorite of the three so far!
I so agree that blogging opened so many new book doors for me. I really loved Shadow and Bone series and I don’t think I would have found that before. I am going to have to read For Darkness Shows the Stars, sounds awesome!
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
For Darkness Shows the Stars is really great, and I loved its companion novel Across a Star-Swept Sea even more! I’d HIGHLY recommend both!
Great idea for a list! There are so many books I probably wouldn’t have looked into if not for seeing them on other blogs all the time — particularly YA books like Cinder and The Book Thief. I’ve never heard of For Darkness Shows the stars but my interest is piqued!
It’s great; definitely worth checking out!
I think I might have only stuck to HP and Percy Jackson if I hadn’t started blogging — seriously! Well, and maybe other book-to-movie adaptations because I followed movies more closely than I did books before I started blogging. But you’re right! SHADOW & BONE, THE BOOK THIEF, CODE NAME VERITY, PIVOT POINT, and probably 99% of my to-read shelf on Goodreads is thanks to blogging. Yay for spreading our horizons! 😀
Hmm, some fav books I discovered due to blogging… SHADOW & BONE is definitely one. THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE by Leila Sales, PARALLEL by Lauren Miller, THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater, THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers, and so many more which I won’t list down because it’d take forever and it’d probably bore you to death. So yeah, super glad I started blogging, even though it gets time consuming. But that’s a small price to pay for so many other good stuff. Great TTT, Amy!
Oh yes, so much of my TBR is because of blogging! Parallel is next on my list to read, so I’m hoping I’ll enjoy it as much as everyone else seems to!
I haven’t read any Diana Peterfreund books but you are so excited about them and I now need them in my life (preferably right now, haha).
I wouldn’t have read The 5th Wave without blogging, either, but I didn’t love it so much D:
A lot of the books I’ve received unsolicited from publishers are ones that I wouldn’t have discovered without blogging. Namely Trish Doller’s books. I’d sort of drifted away from YA contemporaries but then I received Something Like Normal in the mail one day and decided to read it because the story sounded amazing. And I ended up adoring it, and have no rediscovered the amazing genre that is contemporary!
Shadow and Bone is amazing so I’m glad you were introduced to it 😀
I do really love the two Peterfreund books I mentioned! I’m sorry you didn’t love The 5th Wave, but I understand that it’s not for everyone.