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?

The Fault in Our Stars- a review

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The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green

published by Dutton Books

2012

Summary

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

My Review

I admit I read this because my daughter loved it.  I mean- really loved it-and very passionately begged me to read it.  I enjoy reading books she loves because it gives us so much to discuss.  That being said, it was very easy to understand WHY my almost 14 year old daughter loved this story.  The character of Hazel is so well written, she is SUCH a teenager, that kids can’t help but get her.  And add to that the gallant, smart, slightly disrespectful but still nice Augustus Waters.  Who wouldn’t love this guy??  Even Hazel’s parents like him.  I know that almost everyone out there has already read and reviewed this, so I won’t go into the story, except to say it was wonderful, romantic, funny, and extremely sad.  If you haven’t already, please read this book as soon as you can.  And let me know how you liked it!

(and if you have a 14 year old daughter, get her this book)