TOP TEN TUESDAY: The Last Ten Books That Gave Me a Book Hangover

I hate it when books make me feel things.

I read to ESCAPE life. How DARE you make me EMOTE.

Happy Top Ten Tuesday.

I gotta tell you about my last ten book hangovers.

Let me take an Advil first.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

The plot and climax of this novel aren’t my favorite, but the themes and characters really got to me.

The survival narrative is poignant.

Bardugo has hinted that readers may not like Alex because she isn’t “nice.”

I don’t blame Alex for a single thing she does.

You do what you have to to survive.

I love Dawes and Alex and Turner and I HOPE THEY ALL REUNITE FOR THE QUEST ALLUDED TO IN THE CLIFFHANGER.

 

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

You know I love a bittersweet ending.

Magic ends on a hopeful-ish note that made me bawl.

Life is messy. Nothing is perfect. The case is solved kinda.

There are images from this novel I can’t get out of my head.

All I can say without spoiling anything: these poor kids.

 

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

CURSE YOU, VANDERMEER.

YOU GOT ME INVESTED IN YOUR SCARY SPACE NATURE SERIES AND I CAN NEVER FORGIVE YOU.

 

The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West

THANKS FOR THE SURPRISE ESSAYS ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

THIS BOOK SENT ME SPIRALING INTO A DEPRESSIVE FUNK.

I’M TERRIFIED ABOUT THE STATE OF THE PLANET.

 

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

The last chapter is a cascade of tearjerking moments and I DO NOT APPRECIATE IT.

I thought I could make it through without bawling UNTIL THE CAT CAME BACK THE VERY NEXT DAY.

THE CAT CAME BACK.

YOU THOUGHT SHE WAS A GONER, BUT THE CAT CAME BACK.

 

Black Moon Rising by Frankie Rose

After finishing this book, I couldn’t imagine how any other book could compare.

This book is a perfect trashy space adventure that I wanted to reread immediately.

I kind of want to reread it right now.

It’s so much fun, unlike a certain space opera called The Rise of Skywalker.

 

Shrill by Lindy West

I read Witches first and thought I’d topped out on surprisingly-sad essays and memoirs.

NOPE.

I don’t remember why this book destroyed me, just that it did.

 

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

Reading this book was EXHAUSTING.

SO MANY BIG THINGS HAPPENED!

I kept gasping, which took a lot out of me.

How is the mystery going to wrap up after THIS???

 

Deerskin by Robin McKinley

I still think about the ending of this book.

It’s been weeks since I finished it.

I really loved this book; it might be my favorite book of 2020.

This is a bold statement, but I think this book has my favorite ending of all time.

It was so, so satisfying.

 

Crier’s War by Nina Varela

Confession: I haven’t finished this book yet.

I got a quarter of the way through and had to stop.

I’m afraid this book is going to ruin me.

I’m not ready.

On to my next hangover.

I’m still worried about Crier’s War, so I have King of Scars and The Water Dancer lined up instead.

Something tells me this is a bad plan.