Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Impulse Reads

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. They feature a different top ten list every week. This week's topic is top books I picked up on a whim without hearing too much about them.

I don't typically buy books completely on impulse. I didn't really have ten books that this applied to, so I split this list into two categories. The first category is books I really did buy on impulse, based on the title alone. The second category is books that I bought based solely on recommendations of a few fellow bloggers.

Books I bought based on title alone

1. The V-Word: True Stories About First-Time Sex by Amber J. Keyser - This book was just as funny and just as moving as I had hoped. This book is geared towards teenage girls who are struggling with the issue of when to have sex for the first time.

2. Famous Last Words: Fond Farewells, Deathbed Diatribes, and Exclamations Upon Expiration by Ray Robinson - This was an impulse buy at a London bookstore. These last words were both funny and moving.

3. More weird things customers say in bookstores by Jen Campbell - Where did I find this? A bookstore of course. These are pretty hilarious.

4. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan - I had no clue what this book was about and I don't even remember where I learned about it. I do know that it sat on my Kindle for months before I read it and when I did, I kicked myself for waiting so long. This was book was so incredibly moving and one of my favorites. 

5. We should all be feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - I saw the title of this one and immediately bought it on Amazon. This was a short, but very powerful, read.

Books I bought based solely on recommendations by bloggers
6. Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Grace @ Rebel Mommy Book Blog recommended this gem. I read this one earlier this year and it is still one of my favorite books of the year.

7. Bright Side by Kim Holden - This was another gem recommended by Grace. To be honest, I barely knew the premise. I saw she raved about it, went to Amazon and it happened to be on sale so I impulsively bought it. This was such a moving book. I loved it!

8. Return Once More (The Historians #1) by Trisha Leigh - I bought this one based on a review by Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight. Shannon and I are practically book twins. We have the same feelings about 99% of the books we read. There are so many books on my TBR because of her. When she does a review of a book that I vaguely know about or even one I have never heard of, I just scroll down to see what her rating was. If it's a high one, it goes on my TBR list, no question. I absolutely loved this story of time travel. 

9. After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid - I had zero interest in reading this one until I saw a review posted by Nereyda @ Nick and Nereyda's Infinite Book List. Yes, I loved Maybe In Another Life, but there was something about the premise that just turned me off. Then I read Nereyda's glowing review and I knew I had to have it. I am so glad I did because it was just as good as Maybe In Another Life.

10. Alice and The Fly by James Rice - This was recommended by Cait @ Paper Fury. I had really not heard of it before her review so it wasn't on my radar at all. I was even on a book buying ban. Then I read her review and purchased it immediately. Worth it.

What have been some of your favorite impulse reads? Do you ever buy books without knowing anything about them?



26 comments :

  1. AHHHHH I'M SO GLAD ABOUT ALICE AND THE FLY. *flails wildly* XD It's so super awesome to know my recommendation went down well. heh. ;D And I read more books from recommendations than I do spontaneous buys these days. 0_0 Not that I particularly regret it?! Rec's are AWESOME. But sometimes it is really awesome to know nothing about a book and go in blind. :') Here's my TTT!

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    1. Yes, I totally trust you on recommendations! Alice and the Fly was amazing! I wish I were the type of reader who could just go in blind, but alas, I am just not that way. :)

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  2. I bought We should all be feminists because I saw it in a sale email. Totally should have added it to my list!! So happy you enjoyed both the books I raved about last year!! I still need to read After I Do. Great list :)

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    1. Thanks Grace! You will LOVE After I do!! It was so incredibly amazing!

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  3. I like how you split up this week's topic! Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops is the funniest! :D

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    1. Thanks so much Kay! It really is. It was such a quick and funny read.

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  4. I just added Two Boys Kissing to my TBR list. I saw David Levithan at BEA last week. I haven't read one of his own books yet - only ones he's co-written.

    I don't buy many books, but I do sometimes select books on Goodreads or NetGalley without knowing anything about them.

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    1. Kate, oh I am so jealous you met David Levithan! I absolutely love him. Two Boys Kissing is one of my favorites for sure.

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  5. I have been known to pick up books based solely on the cover. I should feel ashamed, maybe I do a little, but I continue to do it! Every once in a while it will work out fabulously or fail completely! I'm really good at picking books for my husband just on a title or a cover!

    My Top Ten

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    1. Christina, yeah sometimes I will pick up a book because the cover is amazing but I still don't buy it unless the premise sounds as good as the cover looks. That is awesome that you have such a knack for picking great books based on cover or title alone. I wish I had that skill!

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  6. Oooh. There's ANOTHER "Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops"? I need this! I haven't heard of any of these titles. I may have to look in to a few of them!

    My TTT

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    1. You really should, Auggie! I actually never read the first Weird things customers say. Good thing the sequel can be read on its own. ;)

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  7. Weird Things Customers Say looks like a lot of fun, and I thought Maybe In Another Life was good too. Return Once More has a cool premise also and I was thinking of giving that one a try...

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    1. Greg, you really should read Return Once More. I am loving time travel stuff and this one was really good.

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  8. I've been interested in Two Boys Kissing for awhile but I still haven't gotten around to reading it! Soon!! Great list :D

    Here are my Top Ten!

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    1. Tracy, oh you need to do that! Two Boys Kissing was so beautiful and I swear that it's one of my favorites by far.

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  9. I saw "After I Do" briefly on GoodReads and seriously considered reading it, but I've yet to get to it. I love that cover though, everytime I see it I love it more

    Liselle @ Lunch-Time Librarian

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    1. Liselle, you really should read it soon! You will not regret it, I promise!

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  10. Shannon's review is also what put Return Once More on my TBR. I've yet to read it but I'm still so excited about it. Time travel? Yes please. I see so many raves about Taylor Jenkins Reid but have yet to read anything by her... until now. I just started an arc of One True Loves this morning and I'm so hopeful to find a new (to me) author that I will love.

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    1. Tanya, oh I hope you read Return Once More soon! I am loving time travel stuff and this one is great. I discovered Taylor Jenkins Reid this year and I have now read almost all of her books. She is amazing. Her books always make you think. I love her. I loved One True Loves so much. I would also recommend Maybe in another life. That was the first book I read by her and it's still my favorite!

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  11. I am definitely one for buying on impulse. I purchased The Selection on a whim at a book fair once based on the cover alone. It has become one of my favourite series! <3

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    1. The Candid Cover, that is so great about The Selection series! I wish I was the type of person to be able to buy books on a whim. I guess I am just not spontaneous that way. :)

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  12. Great list! I love Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores and We Should all be Feminists! I'm definitely intrigued by Alice and the Fly. I don't do a lot of impulse buy, but used bookstores are my favourite place for them.

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    1. Thanks Cyn! I don't go into used bookstores often, but maybe I would have more spontaneous purchases if I did.

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  13. I really want Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops because I just am dying to know what they overhear. Someone said that the owner was chewed out one time for not have read all the books, and I knew this was the book for me.

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    1. Lyn, that book was seriously hilarious. The things people say are just so crazy.

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