5 Books That Surprised Me
We’ve all had it happen to us at some point in our lives, haven’t we? We picked up a book because a friend recommended it a hundred times. Or said friend gifted it to us after we didn’t buy it, even though they recommended it a hundred times. We saw it on some list and thought we should read it, even though it wasn’t our usual genre. Or maybe we just liked the cover and bought it despite the plot. BookTok said it changed their life. Bookstagram said it’s their new Roman Empire.
However it happened, you stumbled across The Book. The Book that surprised you. The Book that you rolled your eyes at, thought you were going to hate, ranted about to your other friends. You sighed whenever you caught it peeking at you from your shelf. Fine! You said. I’ll read you. You opened it, ready to shut it again after two sentences. See? I gave it a shot. I knew I wouldn’t like it.
And then... you couldn’t put it down. It wasn’t what you thought. It enraptured you. It took a hold of you and said I TOLD YOU SO. You lost track of time. Friends called, worried about you. God forbid it was a series. This was your life now. Dishes went unwashed. Underwear went unfolded. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was… The Book.
Ok, maybe I embellished a bit. But you get the idea. I have stumbled across these books in my reading journey, and thought I would share them with you, just in case you’re on the fence about some of them, or are just looking for your next read.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown- No, I will not shut up about this book. This was one of those stories that just never appealed to me. Sci-fi is not my thing. Or so I thought. My husband, a non-reader, could not put this series down and he said over and over again that I would like it. So I said screw it. Worst case scenario, I don’t like it. I read the first 5 in a month. Do with that what you will.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman- If you’ve talked to me at all in the past few weeks, I have probably mentioned this book to you. Or convinced you to buy it. And I will not apologize. I saw this book everywhere on social media and you know what? I got influenced. I wanted to see what the hype was all about. There were so many inside jokes on Instagram and Reddit, and I got FOMO. I wanted to be in on it. So I read the first one. And then I read the second one. And now I have the third one on my nightstand as we speak. I am not a gamer, I barely know most of the jargon he uses, but it doesn’t matter. It’s entertaining, it’s funny, it’s poignant and there’s a talking cat named Princess Donut. Need I say more? It’s a dystopian, sci-fi, fantasy wild ride and I’m so glad I jumped on.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck- I know, I know, but hear me out. This made the list not because I didn’t think I would like, I knew I would. I had read John Steinbeck before and enjoyed him. What I didn’t expect was that it would change me and how I read. It forced me to slow down and read carefully. It reminded me that reading is not about hitting some arbitrary number, or trying to cram as many books into my brain-mouth as I could. I started reading longer, more complex books after this, taking my time with them. Savouring them. Not to mention, Steinbeck sold his soul to the devil to write the prose in that novel. It set a high bar for me that has not lowered since.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson- I don’t read travel literature, and I have to be in a certain mood for non-fiction, but a customer recommended Bryson to me and I was intrigued. I take customer recs very seriously, and for good reason. This was a really enjoyable read. Bryson’s humour is uplifting and laugh -out -loud funny, even while he talks about really serious things. The story itself is inspiring and I went out and got 3 more of his. If you’re looking for a lighthearted and educational read for Spring, I highly recommend him. He might even give you the travel bug.
Middlemarch by George Eliot- Full disclosure, I’ve only just started this but am enjoying it so much more than I thought. This is an East of Eden situation. I’ve read Eliot before and loved her, but I was really intimidated by Middlemarch, as I’ve heard it can be a slog and the writing is like cutting through the jungle with a butterknife. Lies and untruths. I am so caught up in this story and the characters that I miss it when I’m not reading it. Her writing is beautiful and witty and her characters are so real I’m startled when I look up from my couch and I’m actually alone. It’s long, I know. But give it a chance.