Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Top Ten Tuesday: Recently Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

Recently Read!


This week we are supposed to feature our last ten reads. I wanted to twist it a bit. Therefore, I am sharing the last ten books that really surprised me.  
  • Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize by Margo Rabb - This was a YA mystery, which was really heartwarming. I didn't expect to care more about the main character's personal journey than the actual mystery. 
  • Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne - This one was getting lukewarm reviews, so I was hesitant to read it, but I LOVED it! Probably her most heartwarming book to date (and you all know I love a warm heart). 
  • That Second Chance by Meghan Quinn - I always read a Quinn book when I want to laugh. As expected, I laughed a lot as I read this book, but Quinn made me cry too, and I was not expecting to be hit with that sort of emotional impact. 
  • Fade into the Bright by Jessica Koosed Etting and Alyssa Schwartz - This was more uplifting than I expected. I mean, it's about something sad and heavy, but it was very hopeful. 
  • Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock - My love for this book shocks me. Yes, I do think the author is a brilliant writer, but my luck with short story collections is hit or miss, and these were a bit on the bleak side, which is also, not my thing. Still, I loved it!
  • Mistletoe in Paradise by Jill Shalvis - One might call me novella-averse. I am rarely satisfied by a novella, however, I adored this one. I am a solid Shalvis fan, but I was still surprised how complete the story felt to me. 
  • The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston - Fact: I tried listening to this audiobook and DNFed it. It just wasn't grabbing me, but because I had since read and loved Elston's This Is Our Story, I thought I would give it another go. I was immediately fully engrossed in this tale, and it ended up a 5-star hit for me. 
  • The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman - Another short story I took a chance on, and it far surpassed any expectations I had. I think I picked it up, because people were talking about the adaptation. I was really impressed with how much Grossman accomplished in this short book, and he left me thinking about being more present and appreciating those small "miracles" we encounter every day. 
  • Prepped by Bethany Mangle - I always thought doomsdayers were out there, yet, I was fascinated by this peek into their world. 
  • Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler - I am not an outdoorsy person, but the way Morganthaler wrote about the excursion in this book had me almost wanting to climb a mountain myself. I found all the details really interesting and enjoyed that part of the book way more than I thought I would. 

What's a recent read that surprised you?
Let us know in the comments!

29 comments:

  1. I love seeing That Second Chance included. It remains my favorite from the series (well, it's tied with That Forever Girl) and I fell hard for Griffin and Ren.

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    1. I have read two in the series and really enjoyed them both. I look forward to seeing the other two brothers get their HEA

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  2. You know now much mysteries are my faves, so your mention of Lucy Clark Will not apologise
    Piqued my interest right away!

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    1. Not sure this YA mystery will rise to the level of the stuff you read, but it was enjoyable. It was on the cozy side.

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  3. That's pretty cool that The Lying Woods went from a DNF to a 5-star read for you!

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    1. I firmly believe that not every story works for me on audio, and this was a perfect example of that. There is something about pacing and the amount of detail that affects my enjoyment when I listen to an audiobook

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  4. All of these covers are giving me summer vibes! I'm curious about Lucy Clark.

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  5. I haven't read a Megan Quinn book in forever! I need to bump her up my tbr.

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    1. It had been a while for me until recently, and they have all be solid books for me.

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  6. I can't wait to read Enjoy the View. An excursion through the mountains is definitely my jam, so that's a win win for me. Glad to hear you enjoyed it not being an outdoorsy person! It's such a great series!

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    1. Some people weren't that into the survival aspects of the story, but I enjoyed learning that stuff.

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  7. I like your twist on today's topic! I've been meaning to read The Lying Woods forever!

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    1. It was good. It was about family secrets, and I liked the way it unfolded.

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  8. I so love the twist you put on today's topic!!

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  9. So many great ones here! Several are on my TBR and you convinced me to add Second First Impressions. :) I LOVED Enjoy the View, as well. It definitely made me want to climb a mountain. Ha!

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    1. I have noticed that people are looking for all Thorne's books to be The Hating Game, and I think it clouds their vision when it comes to her books. I thought her last book was pretty good, and Second First Impressions was wonderful. Right? The mountaineering parts were great in Enjoy the View. People complained about that too. I am such outlier

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  10. You have the only recent Shalvis book that I haven't read on this list. I need to get to it! I haven't read any of Sally Thorne's books besides The Hating Game but I am glad to hear that this new one is a winner.

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    1. It was a novella, and I normally skip those, but I was in a holiday mood. No regrets. Thorne's follow ups don't get treated fairly, if you ask me. Everyone is expecting more of The Hating Game, but I have to say, I loved her latest release. It was more my speed than Hating Game, actually.

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  11. Oooh fun twist! I figured I wouldn't do this one since I will be reviewing the last 10 books I read, so your idea was perfect! I enjoyed Prepped too, and Everyone Dies Famous, but I actually really agree, it is not your usual fare, which was why it was awesome that you loved it anyway! I really want to read The Lying Woods, so I am excited to see it on your list too! Also, I love the cover for Lucy Clark, and if you loved it, I just might need to get it too!

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    1. Lucy Clark was a surprise, because of how lovely the story was, but also because my last experience with the author was meh. I am so glad I gave it a try.

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  12. I am reading Second First Impressions now and enjoying it. I also loved that Quinn book. I didn't read The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, but we watched it on Amazon and loved it.

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    1. I know they had to make quite a few changes for the adaptation of Tiny Perfect Things (the author talked about it in the afterword)

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  13. Ooooh, you have me very curious about LUCY CLARK. I love a mystery, especially one starring a great character. I'm definitely adding this one to the TBR mountain chain. Thanks for the heads-up! I hadn't heard of this one before now.

    Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!

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    1. For me, Lucy Clark was not about the mystery. It was about the found family and acceptance she finally found. Really heartwarming

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  14. I just picked up that Meghan Quinn book, actually I think I snagged the whole series, so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this one. I also just get that Elston book from Audible Plus so yay for your 5 star rating on it.

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    1. After I read the 4th book, they all went on sale. I have the rest of the series as well. Just need to read 2 and 3.

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