November 8, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: The Unexpected Ones

As always, this feature is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
I honestly don't venture out of my comfort zone very often when it comes to reading. But I have tried a few unexpected titles - and here's a few I thought of sharing today.

I ended up liking:

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
My first dystopian novel - and I absolutely adored the rollercoaster emotional ride it put me through.

2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
In all fairness, though I'm not a Twi-hard, I did end up liking Twilight, which I read upon the recommendation of my sister.

3. After the Darkness by Sidney Sheldon
I read this because my best friend recommended it. Though it's not really my style, as it's more thriller/mystery, I was drawn in enough by my fascination with the MC to keep reading it.

4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
The first book about werewolves I ever read - and I loved it. I love Maggie Stiefvater's writing style.

5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
One of the first non-fiction novels I ever read - and this one's a personal favorite.

I didn't really like:

6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Though a lot of people really enjoy this series, I just didn't. I managed to finish the first book, but it didn't end up being something I really liked.

I could only come up with six titles for this week's topic.
What about you - what books outside of your comfort zone have you read and liked or disliked?

32 Comments:

  1. Some of those are way out of my comfort zone. It's rewarding to find some that you actually enjoy.
    Here's my Post

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  2. I had a hard time with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, too. I didn't even finish it. I wiki'd it, though just to see what the hype was about and GEESH! Glad I didn't!

    Nice top ten!

    Amanda

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  3. This was a tough list to come up with!

    That sucks that you didn't enjoy Girl With A Dragon Tattoo, I still really want to try that one :-(

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  4. This was a really hard list for me.

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  5. I've never tried girl with the dragon tattoo cuz its not really my thing either.
    I really enjoyed the hunger games, twilight and shiver so I'm glad you liked them :)

    Here's my TTT

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  6. Michelle@FabbityFabBookReviewsFebruary 6, 2012 at 12:14 PM

    Okay, I think I may really have to give Shiver a go! And The Hunger Games, which has been sitting in my TBR pile for a long while now.

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  7. My mom reads that particular genre a lot; it's never appealed to me but this one book that I tried did. I might not go into the genre again anytime soon but at least I know there's a chance that a book of that genre will interest me.

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  8. Do try Eat, Pray, Love! It's a very hit or miss book, but I found I enjoyed it :)

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  9. Everything about that book definitely took me far, far away from my comfort zone.

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  10. Shiver is my favorite book of the series, although Forever has a spot in my heart too.

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  11. I felt the same way! It took me 4 months to read it - which is the longest it's ever taken me to finish a book. I just powered through it in the end, haha. YOU CAN DO IT!

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  12. I haven't seen the movie, but trying to get through the book (and somehow managing) expended all my energy for that particular series.

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  13. Definitely! I think it's a true blessing to stumble across a genre or subject matter that ends up being utterly fascinating.

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  14. I know EXACTLY what you're referring to. Isn't it crazy? And thanks!

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  15. I can honestly say we are SO alike in our opinion of Twilight. I liked the first Twilight book too, but the rest of the series was just okay.

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  16. Agreed! I don't know, I guess it just wasn't really my style. It had a good story, don't get me wrong, and I can see why people might like it - but it wasn't for me.

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  17. Hmmm... If you're a fan of descriptive writing, read Shiver first. But if you want something heart-pounding, definitely The Hunger Games first!

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  18. I loved The Hunger Games - it took me about a week to finish the whole trilogy. Can you believe that I only read it this year?

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  19. YEAH! Hunger Games was the most amazing dystopian ever! :) I am so glad I picked that book up!

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  20. i totally agree with you on Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. i didn't care for it either. It was waaaaay too long and waaaaay to boring. i might check out the movie though cos hello! Daniel Craig! :)

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  21. I can't read those Sidney Sheldon et al mystery-detective-type books, I find them really boring to be honest. My in-laws are constantly reading them, Tess Gerritson and countless others, but I had to read one for a course at uni - Patricia Cornwall - and I not only found it really boring and the characters really two-dimensional but also sort-of offensive! It made me mad, the plot and assumptions in it. I can see the appeal, just, but they're not for me. :(

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  22. Michele//Just a Lil LostFebruary 6, 2012 at 12:15 PM

    Admittedly, I enjoyed Twilight as well.. and reading it before the movie came out, it was nice not really knowing what the characters "looked" like.

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Michele | My Top 10

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  23. I want to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo before the movie comes out but the mixed reviews give me pause. I've heard Eat, Pray, Love is amazing so I'll have to give that one a try. Shiver was my first werewolf book too, but I still haven't finished the series. Great call on The Hunger Games - so amazing!

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  24. OH! Good call! I'd completely forgotten about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. You're right - that took me out of my comfort zone on so many levels.

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  25. The Hunger Games was on my list, too! I just wasn't sure about kids fighting to the death, but I ended up loving the whole series! I've been contemplating The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but since I watched the original movie I haven't been to sure about the book. Great list :0)

    My Top Ten

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  26. Eat, Pray, Love is sat on my tbr pile, but I keep hearing such mixed things about it I keep putting it off! I really liked Shiver too, although I haven't gotten round to reading the other two books in the series yet.

    Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  27. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is my NEMESIS. It's almost to the point where I am determined to tackle it and finish it just because I feel I should. I quit every time I try it. Love The Hunger Games, glad you gave it a try! Shiver is one I see in a lot of places, but I've never really wanted to read it. Maybe I'll give it a second look.

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  28. The Hunger Games was my first dystopian as well :) And I liked Twilight as well, the other books were pretty bad, but the first book I liked! I still need to read the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but it's so huge! I've also enjoyed some Sidney Sheldon books, though myster/thrillers aren't really my thing.

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