Books that Lived up to the Hype (and some that didn't)

Books that Lived Up to the Hype (and Those that Didn’t)

For the first time, I’m participating in Top Ten Tuesday by That Artsy Reader Girl and this week’s theme is: Books that Lived Up to the Hype. My modification of this is books that I felt lived up to the hype, and conversely, those that didn’t for me.

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10 Books that Lived Up to the Hype:

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Yes, it is slightly cliche to name this series, but the characters, the world building, the emotion, the good vs. evil…it is all so well done that I just can’t help but adore these books. There is something here for everyone and I think they live up to the incredible hype they receive

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

This book is filled with drama and emotion, set during World War II. The story of two sisters, divided, yet united. A gut-wrenching, beautiful story.

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

This was the introduction to dystopian fiction for me (and I’m sure for many people). The imagery and the characters have stayed with me for years. This book series really stands the test of time with its enduring story of love, family, and freedom.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

This novel won many awards, and I feel that this quiet, contemplative tale deserves all of them. It is a book to be savored and pondered, not consumed in a big gulp. I think I read it at the perfect time in my life and it still holds much meaning.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

For as many people as adore this book, there are an equal number who shake their heads and wonder what all the fuss is about. I personally adored Ove, found this book full of humor, but tempered with Ove’s dealing with grief and building up a new family.

The Stand by Stephen King

King is another one of those writers who people either love or hate. Some of his books..I tend to agree, they go too far and I just don’t care for them. The Stand is not one of those (neither is 11/22/63, another amazing SK book, the mini series doesn’t do it justice at all). This is the ultimate novel of good vs. evil. There are great characters, a post-apocalyptic world, and an epic showdown. Love, hate, joy, sadness–they are all represented throughout the pages. It’s a long book, but well worth the time.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Translated from Spanish, this book transports the reader to Barcelona in 1945, at the end of the Spanish Civil War, where a bookseller’s son is introduced to The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. He chooses a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax and is engrossed. When he looks for other books by the author, he finds that nearly every one of Carax’s books has been destroyed. This leads him on a mysterious journey filled with adventure, suspenseful situations, and even some romance. A must-read that totally lives up to all of the people who gush about it.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

This is sold as a children’s book, but I feel like the message about loss is so deep and meaningful that you just won’t grasp the breadth of it unless you are an adult. The movie is nowhere close to as heartfelt as the book, so do yourself a favor and just read the book already.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I felt better about loving this book before the movie came out, and I hesitate to gush about it too much lest anyone think I’m a band-wagoner. However, I read the book many years ago and adored it, I’ve passed it on to many people and recommended it many times since then. It’s a fantastic story with amazing 80s references. The movie is good, but the book is SO much better.

Room by Emma Donoghue

I am starting to realize that most of my favorite books here have all been made into movies. I find that kind of amusing, although I think it’s a given these days that if a book is well-liked then it gets optioned for a movie. The movie Room is good, it is definitely one of the better adaptations of a book. Yet…the book is better. Donoghue captures Jack so exquisitely, I have never read a book that captures a young child’s personality so authentically as this one does. The first time I read this book, I listened to the audio book and, WOW, the narrator is phenomenal.

Just for fun, 5 books I feel did NOT live up to the hype:

Bellman &Black by Diane Setterfield–I was so looking forward to it after loving The Thirteenth Tale, but it just fell flat, was just boring.

Ill Will by Don Chaon–So many people loved this book. So many. I found it bizarre and confusing. The premise is great, but the execution is terrible.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown–Nominated as one of America’s favorite reads, I find the entire thing to be totally whacked out theologically. The main character treats a Da Vinci painting as if it’s photographic evidence that Jesus was married. And that is just one of the dumb parts of this book. I don’t get the love for this book at all.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout–Didn’t like Olive at ALL, thought the timeline was confusing, and found the entire thing boring. It won a Pulitzer but I can’t figure out why.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel–I think I’m one of only a handful of people who disliked this book. For me, this is a case where the movie far surpassed the book in my eyes. The book I found tedious, boring, and too strange. It actually took me three or four times to get through it because I kept setting it down for more interesting things.

So, what about you? Any books here you have read and feel they live up to or don’t live up to the hype? What would you add to the list?

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Author: Melissa

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