Cry Me a River- a Top Ten List

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & the Bookish.  It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely ladies over there give us book bloggers wonderful and fun topics to create our lists!  Check out what others have posted by going over there! http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com

This week’s topic is-

Top Ten Rewind- and I picked Books That Made Me Cry (originally done 11/10)

I tried this topic because it made me think.  Usually when someone tells me a book is a really tear jerker, I will shy away from it.  Why read something you know is going to make you sad?  But here are a few that snuck up on me-

Major Spoiler Alert in each comment

1. & 2  Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince AND The Deathly Hallows.

I was all good until the end of book 6.  I recall literally throwing the books across the room.  How could Dumbleldore DIE????  I was totally done with the whole thing, then beta reading it from the beginning.

And #7- don’t get me started.  Dobby, Fred, Lupin, and Tonks!!  By the end, I was numb.

3. The Fault in Our Stars

Ok, kids with cancer is very bad, so it is no surprise that this is a sad book, right?  But to see them fall in love, then die a long painful death- too much.

4.  The Book Thief

When Death is the narrator, you know people will die, no?  But when he describes taking each of them, it got to me.

5.  The Giving Tree

Laugh at me if you will, but just try reading it to your child without crying.  When she says she has nothing left to give, I lose it.  I once choked up while reading it to a class of 2nd graders.

6.  Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas

This was a surprise- I mean, it IS written by James Patterson of Alex Cross fame.

7.  My Sister’s Keeper

What an ending!!!  I love surprise endings!

8.  We Need to Talk About Kevin

I knew all along there was a school “incident”, but I was unrepared for what actually happened at the school, or what happened at their home.  A  nightmare.

9.  Gone With the Wind

Scarlet might not be the nicest woman, but man does she lose all the women closest to her- mother, daughter, best friend.  Each of these death’s changes her.

10.  Marley & Me

I have a yellow lab named Katie (after Katie Scarlet O’Hara)  who is about to turn 11.  I love her and her goofy step brother Jack the choc. lab.  Like my children.  I have had dogs my whole life and I know we are only blessed with them a short time, but that really doesn’t prepare you for the pain that comes when you have to say goodbye to them.  Especially if you are there with them, as an owner should be.  I am crying just writing this.

The scene where he goes to the vet to put Marley down is one of the saddest things I have ever read.  This is one book I cannot reread, because it is too sad for me.

I know- cancer, massacres, etc. I can do, but when the dog dies, I just can’t.

What books made you cry?

A to Z Survey

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This is a little fun survey created by Jamie over at The Perpetual Page Turner.  I have wanted to do it for a few weeks, and finally decided to go for it!!

Author you’ve read the most books from:

John Grisham – started reading him when The Firm first came out.

Best Sequel Ever:

Hmmmm…this is a bit difficult for me-but I will sayThe Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson.

Currently Reading:

Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Water.  When it’s later, maybe a glass of chardonnay, but I do most of my reading before dark.

E-reader or Physical Book?

Physical book 85% and E-Reader maybe 15%- I borrow my daughter’s kindle when I really want a book from Net Galley, but otherwise I prefer a real book.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Sirius Black in High School- later, I would want a Mr. Darcy definitely.  Actually, my husband is a little like that, now that I think of it…

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

The Book Thief

Hidden Gem Book:

The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

When, for the umpteenth time, I picked up a book from the library, only to read a chapter or so and realized I had already read it.  That’s when I decided to start keeping track of all the books I read-and stretching those writing muscles- by writing reviews.  Hence, this blog.

Just Finished:

The Never List by Koethi Zan

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

I usually do not read heavy romance.  I like a light, beachy read, but straight romance is not my thing,

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Gone with the Wind– over 1,000 pages

Major book hangover because of:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-I think I actually turned right back to the front and read it again.

Number of Bookcases You Own:

4-two upstairs and two in the basement, but one of those actually has mostly kid’s books.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Pride & Prejudice

Preferred Place To Read:

on my deck

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

“He’d have been glad to witness her kissing his his dusty, bomb hit lips.  Yes, I know it.  In the darkness of my dark-beating heart, I know.  He’d have loved it, all right.  You see?  Even death has a heart.”

from The Book Thief by Mark Zusak

Reading Regret:

I have never read a Stephen King book.  I will change that.

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

I started The Game of Thrones series- but came up against a wall with the 5th book.

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

Pride & Pejudice, The Book Thief, The Lord of The Rings.

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Harry Potter-though i am horrified to say that I have been unable to get my mother OR my husband (non-reader) to read any of them.

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

Sycamore Row by John Grisham- going back to Jack Brigance from A Time to Kill-always picture Matthew McConaughey!

Worst Bookish Habit:

I am-cringe-guilty of dog-earing books I own-but only whenI love a passage and want to be able to find it again-never to mark my place.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind.

Your latest book purchase:

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty-the She Reads Book Club September selection

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

The Bones of Paris by Laurie R. King- a great mystery.

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

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It’s Monday!  What are you reading?  is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey  where we discuss what we have been up to lately, and what we are looking forward to in the coming week.  Stop over there and see what other bloggers have posted!

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com

 Here is what happened with me this week

Whew- my 3 year old nephew JUST left, and before I fall into a very deep sleep, I thought I would catch up real quick!

This week I read-

Beautiful Day 

by Elin Hildebrand

beautiful wife

Amity & Sorrow

by Peggy Riley

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I am currently reading-

The Book Thief

by Mark Zusack

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I am reading this for a great little read along over at  It’s All About Books,

We start the discussion tomorrow and I am almost done with part 3!

Up next-

Honestly not too sure.  I need to take a breath, wash some sheets, and figure out what’s next!

So- What have you been reading?

Please leave a comment and let me know!!

Honestly, do you keep reading it?

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I am very lucky to be currently reading The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin, with some very interesting books waiting in the wings!  BUT, I did have a patch recently where I started a few books I just could not get into.  It made me wonder what other book lovers out there feel about this.  What do you do when you realize you are just not enjoying reading a book?  Do you power through?  Or give it up?  I  read for pleasure- and most of the time, reading gives me great pleasure.  But I have at times had to put a book down and walk away from it.  Sometimes, it is just not an interesting topic.  Or it is TOO cookie cutter.  There are so many books out there, I feel that I might be missing a great story by sticking with something I am not enjoying.

But this does have a big downside.  I can recall many books that I started and stopped, only to try again and realize I loved them.  This was true with two of my favorite books- The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Book Thief.  I could not get into either at first.  I put them both down for a long while, only to realize when I did read them in entirety that they were wonderful!

So, the question is to all book lovers-what do you do?