Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books That Defied My Expectations


Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by 
That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Books that defied my expectations so I'm listing ten books that for whatever reason weren't what I expected them to be.


1.  Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller - I picked this book up based off a prompt from my TBR Tarot cards and absolutely adored it.  I expected to enjoy it but I ended up loving it.

2.  The House of Riverton by Kate Morton - I've read and thoroughly enjoyed every other book by Kate Morton that I've read and I expected to love this one too.  And I liked it okay but it just didn't pull me in the same way I expected it to.

3.  Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto - This was one of my 5 star reads for this year so far.  I loved all of the characters and every second of the book.

4.  The Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard - I expected to really enjoy this as it had a small town found family vibe with flowers but it ended up not living up to my expectations at all and I was happy to see the end of it.

5.  The Awakening by Nora Roberts - I had avoided Roberts' fantasy titles because I'm not a big fan of fantasy but I absolutely loved this trilogy.


6.  Midnight at the Blackbird CafĂ© by Heather Webber - I like magical realism and expected to enjoy this book but I did not expect to absolutely fall in love with the setting and the characters.

7.  Curtain by Agatha Christie - This is Poirot's last book and it is an interesting mystery but I just find it so sad that I can never truly enjoy it.

8.  Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan - This was my first book by this author and I was a little apprehensive because it does involve a seriously ill child but I loved every page of it and have enjoyed other books by this author.

9.  Q's Legacy by Helene Hanff - 84 Charing Cross Roads by this author but the second book was a bit of a letdown.  This one though had all the loveliness of the first book and I so enjoyed it!

10.  The Last Bookshop in Madeline Martin - This was one of of my absolute favorite books the year it came out and it is still a book I think about here and there.  I expected to enjoy it but it was an absolute favorite.

What books defied your expectations?  

6 comments:

  1. Mixed selection of reads . Thanks for the updates

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  2. I might have to try the Nora Robert's series.

    Anne - Books of My Heart

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  3. Great list. Some fantasy is better than others and usually NR does it in a way I like. I'd say Fourth Wing was the one that surprised me, I thought I wouldn't really be into it, but....oh my word.

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  4. This is a great list. I'm really looking forward to reading Hotel of Secrets! I loved Biller's previous novel. :D

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  5. I always love it when I end up liking a book even more than I expected.

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  6. HOTEL OF SECRETS does sound good! And the cover is gorgeous. I'm putting it on my TBR. Thanks for the heads-up!

    Happy TTT (a week late)!

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