Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’ve Changed My Mind About


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is books I’ve changed my mind about. Are you ready for some controversy? I think I’m going to get some serious hate for this one. Can I suggest that you throw brownies at me instead of rotten fruit and vegetables?

I sometimes change my mind about books after I read and review them. Some books I like less as time passes, and some I like more. I’m going to list a few books from each of those categories.



Books That I Like More As Time Passes





Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Other than the parental over-involvement at the end, I loved everything about this book when I first read it. I love it even more as time passes because it’s one of those books that have unexpectedly stuck with me. I actually think about it fairly often.





Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. This book has a saggy middle, but it’s wildly creative, and the end is devastating. This is another book that I often think about.





The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I felt very “Meh” about this book when I first read it as a teenager. Holden Caulfield is a whiny brat. I couldn’t see past that as a teenager, but now that I’ve read this book several times as an adult, I can appreciate everything else that is going on in this story.





Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. I actually didn’t like this book when I was a kid because it was below my reading level when I first read it. It’s still not my favorite book in the series, but now that I’m past my reading level snobbery, I can see that it’s an entertaining story with a good message.  





Books That I Like Less As Time Passes





The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. According to Goodreads, I gave these books 2-3 stars each when I read them. Back then, I was afraid of giving 1-star reviews. I struggled with the amateurish writing style and the tropes in this series. I didn’t even finish the series.





Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Nobody panic, I still really like these books. I’ve just read a lot more middlegrade since I read these, and my tastes have changed. I now prefer more realistic middlegrade that deals with real-world issues.





Divergent by Veronica Roth. I gave these books 3-4 stars when I first read them. I didn’t like the character development or believability issues. Now that I’ve read a lot of YA dystopias, these books aren’t original enough for me.





Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Again, nobody panic. I’m obsessed with this series. I just think the third book was too short to wrap up all the stuff that happens in the first two books.



I’m ducking the rotten fruit now . . . 





7 comments:

  1. Ari & Dante is definitely one I liked more as time has gone on. I didn't love Mockingjay either but love that series as a whole.

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  2. I hated The Catcher in the Rye, SO MUCH in high school that I can't even bring myself to try and reread it! Holden got on my nerves THAT much! :\
    My Top Ten Tuesday!

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  3. I agree with so many. I feel teh same with divergent. I did give it a 3 i think maybe a two but really i didn't like it at all. no character develepment. I felt no connection to the story at all.

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  4. It's so interesting to see how our thoughts on books change over time, and in the way that they change too. Sometimes I'm left surprised when a certain book goes down in my expectations etc... I'm an over thinker and so this can happen often!!

    Great list!

    Reading With Jade

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  5. I'd complain about your Catcher pick, but I'm too busy gagging on vomit.

    (My opinion of you is much more positive.)

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  6. I tried to get into Percy Jackson but I think I'm too old now. I get it.

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  7. Hmmm see, the fact that you want MORE Mockingjay actually doesn't make me want to throw things ;) And I agree 100% about City of Bones! I liked them fine when I had read like 2 YA series and that was it. So agreed, for sure! And Divergent... it's hard, because I am so MAD at it, but it is still kind of a guilty pleasure for me. But do I like it as much as I had? No. I can't decide if it's because of the subsequent books, or because of the whole series hahah.

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