It’s that time of the week again, friends! We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: the last ten books that gave me a book hangover!
This is a toughie because I really can’t remember the last time I had a book hangover? I don’t think I have them that often and most of the time it’s because I try to push through those feelings (and I guess I’m pretty good at it)! 😂 When I think about books that have given me hangovers, they’re usually the ones that leave me so emotionally devastated and thinking “what in the actual f did I just read?!” They’re the ones I can’t get out of my head when I want to try reading something new; the ones whose stories and characters play on an endless loop because I want more of exactly that kind of emotional devastation (such a masochist but it’s true). Some books I’ve read lately have high book hangover potential, namely Love Lettering, but I refuse to allow myself to dwell too long on the feels because I have book deadlines! But the characters are definitely lingering in my mind.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me was what I consider the start of my journey with Zapata and I fell immediately in love. I wanted more of her slow-burn romances that had me feeling like I’d gone through an emotional wringer. I couldn’t step stop reading her books for a good few weeks after this!
I think Nevernight is pretty self-explanatory because Kristoff wrecked me. SO MANY EMOTIONS. I can’t even!!!
I read The Great Alone & The Nightingale last year and both had me ugly crying like I couldn’t believe! Pretty sure I haven’t cried for so long or so hard over characters before. Lol jokes, I cried harder over A Little Life and that was the worst three-month hangover I’ve ever had.
Normal People is still one of the books that surprises me most considering how much I didn’t jam with Rooney’s debut! This book hit me so hard emotionally and I still (often) think about Marianne and Connell and this gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, frustrating book!
The Dry sent me into a hangover because I’m sure I’ve never read anything like this thriller before and I was desperate for more of Harper’s atmospheric writing. I immediately went out and devoured another of her books until I was satisfied!
It’s not surprising there’s at least one TJR book on here because her evocative writing and characters know how to really stick in my mind. I wasn’t expecting to love The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo as much as I did but Evelyn Hugo’s character was so interesting and like no one I’d read before.
Oddly enough, Verity got me out of the worst reading slump last year but it also sent me into a book hangover because I just needed more of this romance-thriller combo!
Volume 9 of Saga shook me so badly! Pretty sure I went on a GN binge after finishing the last volume but it was so hard to feel satisfied reading anything after this! I was devastated (and pissed)!
The Illuminae Files surprised me not only with its mixed media format but also because of how the all the story lines affected me. Holy wow, I got emotional AF. That was my first taste of Kristoff & Kaufman and there was no turning back. They are the ultimate writing duo to mess with your emotions!
Do you get book hangovers easily?
What were the last few titles that gave you a book hangover?
Great to see Saga make a list! I imagine Kristoff will haunt t my timeline all day today!
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I freaking love Saga and ugh, that last volume super crushed my soul. So devastating! I can’t wait to see what’s next 🤣
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Yeah, this week’s prompt was a tough one. But you did a great job with it, and I’m impressed by how many books you thought of for it.
Thanks for visiting my list!
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Thanks Lydia! It’s all thanks to “my” Goodreads memory 😉 Just seeing these titles reminds me of all the crazy feels I felt after finishing them! Haha
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Great list! I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I really want to read Nevernight.
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I might sound like a broken record now but Yes! Read Nevernight! I would also recommend the audiobook (if you wanna give it a try). I was never one for audios before Nevernight but the narrator is just so good 😍
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I definitely didn’t want The Illuminae Files to end!
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Right?! Those two just really messed with my feels with that series… Haha
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I feel like pretty much all Kristin Hannah books are guaranteed to cause a book hangover. They’re so good, but so emotionally draining. Nice list!
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I haven’t read her other books yet but I’m looking forward to it. If she can keep making me feel the way I felt after these two, she’s definitely gonna be a new auto-buy and favourite author! Totally agree about the emotionally draining but also oddly satisfying 😂
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I had to alter the topic slightly because I don’t think I get book hangovers? Even if it’s a book I love to pieces and I write fanfiction for, I generally can read another book. I really want to read Kristin Hannah’s books though. I got The Great Alone for $1.99 on sale and I haven’t drawn it in the TBR lottery yet.
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Fair enough! I thought I got book hangovers more often than I actually do (which I only realised while thinking about this topic)! 😂 Ooh, that’s a great deal for The Great Alone! It was a really emotionally heavy but rewarding read. Prepare tissues for when it gets drawn in your TBR lottery! 😅
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I have both those Kristin Hannah books on my shelf ready to read, I really need to get to them!
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They’re quite emotionally heavy but so so worth it! After I read them I couldn’t believe I kept putting them off for so long 😂 I hope you enjoy them!
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oooh I have the nightingale on my tbr so i’m lowkey excited to pick it up now! last hang over I can think of is when I finished reading the shadow and bone trilogy lol
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I remember reading the Shadow & Bone trilogy but it was quite a while back (nah, my memory is just really awful LOL) so I feel like I really need to re-read them soon! I hope you enjoy The Nightingale. It’s heavy but worth it 😉
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Kristin Hannah almost always wrecks my emotions and leaves me sobbing. Total book hangover. And Verity definitely caused a book hangover! I was stunned afterwards and kept going over everything again and again. LOL
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I’m so keen to read more of her books and to see if she can keep emotionally destroying me (LOL such a masochist) 🤣 Verity was a crazy book AND hangover! I actually picked up Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher coz I heard it was similar–but of course I haven’t read it yet 😅 Haha
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I’m similar to you, I try to push through the hangovers by forcing myself into a new book real quick 😂 so I usually count a ‘hangover’ as one I can’t stop thinking about or feeling all the feels for even if it’s been weeks or months afterwards
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LOL same! I try to pick up my read as soon as I finish writing my review for whatever book I just finished! I totally agree with your definition of the hangover too. These books are definitely ones that stick with you for a long time after flipping the last page! So so good 😍
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I’m like you and don’t really allow myself to have much of a hangover, so I went with books that keep coming to my mind after I’ve put them down.
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My fear in letting a hangover take over is not being able to pick up anything else after for months (which then means reading slump)! Which is exactly what happened to me after reading A Little Life. The ultimate ‘wreck me’ book 🤣
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This just reminds me I need to read Normal People soon. Feel like such a dodgy Irish person for not reading it yet lol! But yeah, as you saw from my post I just don’t get the whole book hangover thing. I just like reading too much and nothing is gonna stop me 😂😂😂
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Haha I don’t think not reading makes you a dodgy Irish 😜 Is she quite famous in Ireland though? I mean, obviously she’s Irish but as an author? Have you read her debut?
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Yes famous in an authorly way. As in impossible to miss her books in a bookstore. Always highlighted as an Irish author of interest. Discussed in the public media etc…. and nope, not read that one either 🙈😂
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Illuminae was so fun. that whole series. and Evelyn Hugo is everywhere!!!!! I’ve only read one TJR book but really liked it- clearly I need to try Hugo as well!
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I really need to read more TJR too! She’s so good at making me feel all da tings 😂
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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and The Nightingale definitely gave me a book hangover too!
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How good are they, right?! I still think about both books to this day ❤
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I loved The Dry! I could have easily put that one on my list, as well. And so many others on your list are on my tbr. I’m especially excited for The Nightingale. 🙂
My Top Ten Tuesday
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The Dry was so good 😍 I’m really looking forward to seeing the adaptation–I hope it lives up to the awesomeness of the book! I really hope you enjoy The Nightingale, Dedra! It was so emotionally heavy but ugh, so so good 💙
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I completely forgot about the adaptation of The Dry! So many adaptations coming out. Yay!!
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Jane Harper! The Dry and The Lost Man gave me such hangovers!
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Right!? SOOO GOOD! She needs to write more books ASAP 🤣
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I still think about Normal People, that book was so painfully realistic! Great post.
Anika | chaptersofmay.com
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SO painfully realistic! Ugh, all their feels just wrecked me 😭 I can’t believe that book has stuck with me for as long as it has. Goes to show that giving authors second chances can really be worth it 😍
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I really like you take on this weeks theme. I really want to read Normal people and Conversations between friends by Sally Rooney! Maybe I’ll start with Normal people after reading your post 😉
I can’t remember my latest 10 books that gave me a hangover so I just listed the top five books that affected me the most. But I believes the latest book that gave me a hangover was Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill ❤
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I personally really did not enjoy CwF and that’s why I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed Normal People. It was an amazing read and I would defo recommend reading it first! I can’t wait to read more O’Neill! I’ve heard so many good things about her books 😍 Really need to get my hands on them!
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Thank you for the rec. I will definitely start with Normal People now 😉
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Nice list! Nevernight is interesting because I’ve had it downloaded for AGES but still haven’t got around to reading it. Idk whether this makes me more or less eager, lol. Many of these books are on my TBR, actually, like Seven Husbands, and I’m in the beginning books of Saga, so I guess I should prepare myself for devastation…
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Haha I know the pressure of the hype can be quite intimidating. I admit that I finally picked it up because I was just so curious to see what the fuss was about (although I hadn’t really heard much about the series before picking it up)! But wow, was it worth it, especially following along to the audiobook. The narrator is amazing! I hope that you’re enjoying Saga!? Definitely have those tissues handy for that final volume 😂
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Oh that’s good to hear about Nevernight – and the audiobook too. I’ve been meaning to try audiobooks out, maybe I’ll give it a listen instead of a read! I am very much enjoying Saga but my gosh it really throws you in it straightaway doesn’t it lol
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I really enjoyed The Dry too. I think the only one of Jane Harper’s I’ve still to read is the latest one.
I have Nevernight and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo on my pile of books. Hopefully I’ll get around to reading them soon 😀
Great list!
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I read The Lost Man right after finishing The Dry and it was also SO so good! I still need to read Force of Nature but I’m looking forward to picking it up in the summer, maybe! I hope you enjoy Nevernight and Evelyn Hugo too 😍 Such amazing reads!
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Oh, I have book hangovers so much! I remember how nothing felt right after Crier’s War. Or how after Mo Dao Zu Shi I kept disappearing into fanfiction instead of reading more books!
I once experienced the opposite of book hangover after reading The Starless Sea! It made me want to read ALL the books 🙂
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I remember reading your Crier’s War review and feeling all your feels for it! I STILL need to read it and I’m SO looking forward to it (I don’t know why I haven’t yet–never enough time)! Ooh, interesting reaction to Starless Sea! I wasn’t sure I wanted to read that one but I’ve recently been convinced to give it a go! 😀 I hope it makes me want to read all the books too 😂
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I recently ‘reread’ it in the audiobook form and the narration was amazing so if that would save your time, I reccommend 😀
Yes! It’s so good! It’s kind of literary nonsense so I get that it may not be for everyone but it absolutely works with the story ❤
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I don’t really remember ever having a book hangover, but my memory is very short, so… 😀 I also try to pick up a new book right after finishing the other one.
Normal People is one of those books that will always stay with me, it will be very difficult to forget THAT messed up relationship, even with my fish memory. Lol
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Haha I feel that! My memory is awful and I wouldn’t be able to do half the posts I do without the help of Goodreads 🤣 It’s my reading memory bank! LOL but glad that Normal People left that kinda mark on you. It did the same for me too 😅
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I really loved Illuminae too! Verity is one I’ve been meaning to read but just haven’t gotten to yet. And ONE DAY I’ll finally pick up Nevernight!
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I hope you enjoy both Verity and Nevernight, Tracy! Both were so so good 😍
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The Nightingale ended up hitting me right in the feels once I finished it. I actually finished it while in the reading room of a cruise ship and everyone was giving me weird looks as I gasped and cried haha.
The Great Alone was AMAZING. Utterly amazing. It’s my favorite book of hers to date.
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OMG I can’t even imagine reading either of those books in public 🤣🤣🤣 These books reduced me to such a blubbering mess that I wouldn’t have been able to handle that in public hahaha very brave of you! Haha I can’t imagine any of her books topping how I felt about these two but I’m keen to see if they might be able to 😀
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A huge yes to both Kristin Hannah books and to Evelyn Hugo. All of those were major book hangovers for me.
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