Hello, everyone! I’m back with yet another Top 5 Wednesday post. Today, we’re talking about books that surprised me. Specifically, books that were outside my usual tastes and that I didn’t expect to love nearly as much as I did.
But before we get into the actual list, here’s the original prompt:
I know I, for one, normally stick to genres that I know I’ll enjoy. But every once in a while I try a genre that I normally stay away from. What are your top five books from genres you don’t normally read? they can be the top five favorite or least favorite.
(This month’s prompts were provided by Alex (The Scribe Owl). Top 5 Wednesday was originally created by GingerReadsLainey.)
Honestly, I like to think that I’m pretty open when it comes to reading. Obviously, I mostly read a lot of fantasy and science fiction, but I do branch outside of those fairly often. Kind of often. (Okay, I probably branch out less than I should, but it’s fine. There aren’t any rules, here.)
Anyway, that being said, there are definitely books I’ve read that are way outside my comfort zone, books that I never expected I’d enjoy whatsoever. So, here are five books that totally surprised me.
Gild by Raven Kennedy
I actually participated in a book tour event for this one! Someone recommended it to me over on Bookstagram, and even though it sounded pretty different from my usual tastes, the idea of a Midas retelling interested me enough that I signed up when the opportunity arose. And I’m really glad I did because enjoyed reading this book so much! But I won’t go into any more detail, here. If you want to know more, just head on over and read the tour review post.
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
I know; considering how often I talk about how this is one of my favorite books ever, it’s surprising that this book wasn’t one I expected to love. Though, I wouldn’t say I expected to dislike it, necessarily. I just never thought I was a big fan of straight-up romance before this book, so I figured I would find it fun but mediocre. Of course, it ended up totally blowing me away, and now I’m honestly in love with contemporary romance books. So, thanks for converting me, McQuiston.
Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
When I first read The Mortal Instruments a very long time ago, I stopped after the third book. I just disliked it so much; the writing wasn’t my favorite and the story was just ugh. So, I definitely didn’t think I’d like any of Clare’s other books; I went into Lady Midnight thinking I would dislike it just as much. But, surprisingly, I really enjoyed this, and it convinced me to give Cassandra Clare a second chance. Admittedly, I haven’t gotten far on doing so and haven’t read beyond Lord of Shadows, but I’ll get around to the rest eventually.
(I did finish The Mortal Instruments, though. I still didn’t enjoy the series all that much, to be honest, but I do think the later books are better than the earlier installments.)
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
As I said before, I mainly enjoy reading fantasy and science fiction. And when I do read realistic fiction, it’s normally YA romance or coming-of-age books like One Last Stop or Aristotle and Dante. So, it was definitely surprising when The Midnight Library turned out to be one of my favorite books last year. It’s just such a moving, well-written story, and I loved it. I definitely want to read more of Haig’s books in the future!
The Place of the Lion by Charles Williams
When I got this book, it just seemed like such a strange read. And, honestly, it is. But I also ended up really enjoying it, and I’d recommend reading it. It’s just very unique and interesting, and I definitely think it’s worth taking the time to give it a try.
So, I hope you enjoyed this list of books that surprised me. If you’d like, feel free to drop a comment down below and let me know which books would make your own list! You know I always love to talk about books.
Additionally, if you enjoyed this post, feel free to use the Extras tab above to find more similar posts!
