T10T: Scared of the Hype

September 11, 2018

TTT-Big2

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s prompt was “hidden gems”, but since I did a similar post recently (Under-Hyped Books I Love), I decided to go in the opposite direction: books that are so hyped, I’m scared to read them!

These are all books that I honestly WANT to read, but every time I reach for them, I get a little bit intimidated and read something else instead.


01

1. The Book Thief — Markus Zusak
I feel like I’m one of maybe three people in the world who hasn’t read this yet, and I know it’s supposed to be super important, but that makes it even worse, because if I don’t like it, everyone will side-eye me. ?

2. All the Light We Cannot See — Anthony Doerr
I even bought this one and everything, but… yeah. See previous explanation!

3. The Selection — Kiera Cass
I own this one, but I never seem to reach for it, because even though it doesn’t sound super interesting to me, I feel like everyone loves it… so I’ll feel bad if I hate it! ?

4. Vampire Academy — Richelle Mead
I honestly expect that I will like this one, but the hype still has me intimidated.

5. The Name of the Wind — Patrick Rothfuss
Okay, hear me out: I know I’m going to love this. There’s not a fiber of my being that thinks I’ll give this book less than 5 stars. That’s the problem, though—I hear so many people talk about how agonizing it is to wait for the third book, having not heard any news on it in so long, and I’m scared to join that league of sad people. ??

02

6. The Final Empire — Brandon Sanderson
I could have put this or any other Brandon Sanderson book here, really, because the hype has me terrified to pick up my first book of his!

7. Dark Lover — J.R. Ward
I feel like this series gets hailed as one of the all-time faves for lovers of paranormal romance, and I’m pretty excited for it, but also nervous because I’ll be super let down if I don’t enjoy the series!

8. Station Eleven — Emily St. John Mandel
Have you ever resisted reading a book solely because of the hype? I almost never do this, honestly—I usually don’t mind hyped books at all—but for some odd reason, that happened to me with this book for about 2 years. I only added it to my TBR a few months ago, when I finally bought it from BookOutlet.

9. The Secret History — Donna Tartt
I feel like people either love or hate Donna Tartt’s books, but the people who love this book REALLY FREAKING LOVE IT, so I’m a wee bit frightened.

10. The Woman in Cabin 10 — Ruth Ware
Again, this could have been any book by this author. I own three books by Ruth Ware and haven’t read any of them because she’s so hyped as a thriller writer, and “popular” thrillers tend to be so hit and miss for me (looking at you, Gone Girl) that I know I’m either going to absolutely love her books… or want to set them on fire the whole time I’m reading them.


That’s it—here are ten books I’ve been scared to pick up because of the hype! Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think of them? And do you ever put off reading a book because of the hype?


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More about Destiny @ Howling Libraries

Just a horror aficionado/geek girl trying to juggle motherhood, reading, blogging, gaming, and everyday life.

157 Comments
    1. Honestly, even though we have no idea when or if The Doors of Stone will be written, I still think you should check out The Name of the Wind. Sure, it sucks to have to wait, but Rothfuss will write it when he’s ready and the books is still so good just as it’s own entity.
      Also, PLEASE READ ALL THE SANDERSON. His books are just SO GOOD.
      Great list, though! 🙂

      1. This is SUCH a good point. Thank you for saying that! You’re right, he will do it in his own good time, and even if I have to wait along time, it will still be worth it!
        And thank you so much! <3

        1. It is so worth it. Plus, you do have the second book to at least tide you over a little bit more and they are both so, so good (plus, the 10th anniversary edition just came out of the first one, so I think you should totally check it out).
          <3

          1. That’s very true! And yes, I have the 10th anniversary edition – it is soooo gorgeous. I’m hoping they’ll do it with the 2nd book when it hits its 10 year mark, too, because I need all the pretty books hah!

            1. Isn’t it so stunning!? All the red, I just freakin’ love it. I hope so, too, I would adore that. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it, if you decide to read it!

    1. I feel exactly the same about All The Light We Cannot See. The hype scares me a lot. I dislike The Selection series so I won’t be recommending that one! 😉 Ha!

      1. I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling that way about All the Light We Cannot See! And I honestly don’t even know what to expect from The Selection… sometimes I consider just unhauling it and calling it a day ?

    1. I’m one of the three people who haven’t read the book thief too! ? I’m afraid I won’t like it as well! The vampire academy was a great series! You’ll fly right through it!

    1. “The Selection” isn’t the “best book ever” kind of read, but it’s really entertaining and for me was something I breezed through. Sometimes that’s all I want from a book.
      Haven’t read “The Book Thief,” and honestly, I don’t really feel in a rush to read that one. I hear really good things about ‘Light’ too. But again, it’s another one I’ve not read.
      Thanks so much for the Finding Wonderland visit, Destiny! 🙂

      1. Very true! Sometimes you just need to veg out and have fun with what you’re reading! 🙂
        I don’t feel super rushed to pick up The Book Thief either, honestly. There are so many hist-fic stories about that time period and the Holocaust that I’m more interested in reading.
        Any time! Thanks for checking out my list <3

    1. I liked the Selection, but I can’t really picture you reading it??
      BUT I think you might like The Final Empire, but it’s so dense >_<

        1. Honestly, it’s a huge investment, I can attest that the audiobook isn’t all that bad. I started reading it, and then switched to audio. I really only REALLY liked the first book, but the niche lost it’s appeal in book 2 & 3 for me.

          1. Oooh, I might have to give the audiobooks a try in that case! Sometimes I struggle with high fantasy in audiobooks, but I always like trying it. I don’t know why, it’s just that if there are a lot of strange sounding names or places, my brain will struggle to keep them all separate when it’s an audiobook?

            1. I totally get that, maybe do a little bit of both? I started it reading the first couple hundred pages at least before getting into the audiobook, and didn’t feel like I struggled.

    1. I feel the same about the Name of the Wind! I think I’ll need to be in a serious high fantasy mood to pick that up hahah I actually read a third of the book thief and put it down cause I was a little bored, so I might pick it back sometime in the future?

      1. Oh yeah for sure! If you aren’t in a major fantasy mood I can’t see Name of the Wind being as fun to read. And I’m sorry to hear The Book Thief bored you! You’re actually not the first person I’ve heard say that, and that’s a big part of why I haven’t read it yet.

        1. Yeah so many people say The Book Thief is so amazing and their favourite book but I just couldn’t get into it ? hopefully if we both pick it up one day we’ll enjoy it more

    1. Station Eleven is kind of that way for me- like will I really like it, or has the hype sorta ruined it for me? I should give it a try though. Same with Name of the Wind. I’d probably love it but just haven’t…
      The Woman in Cabin 10 I’ve read, and I liked it, especially towards the end. There were a few things I didn’t like about it, but it might be my favorite of her books (the rest were just okay for me and I haven’t read the latest). The cruise ship setting was cool. And Vampire academy I just want to read because that whole concept just gets me lol!

      1. Yes, exactly! It can be a little intimidating when you know there’s a chance that the hype could actually hurt your enjoyment of the book.
        I’m super happy to hear a positive review on The Woman in Cabin 10, though! I’d really like to try reading it – or at least one of her books – some time this fall!

    1. I really want to read the Vampire Academy books too!! I have been so intimidated because of how many books there are, plus the hype. I also have been too intimidated to pick up The Book Thief!! Great list! I can’t wait for you to read The Name of the Wind!
      Heather @ Heather’s Reading Hideaway|My Top Ten Tuesday!

    1. I’ve heard of several of these, but I’ve never read any of them. I’m not usually intimidated by hyped books, but I know a lot of people are. I hope if you choose to read them you’ll like them!

    1. Vampire Academy is one of the first series that I’ve finished and seeing it here makes me feel nostalgic because I love it so much !!!! It is really great ?. But I understand the fear of reading books with a lot of hype, it happens to me like all the time ?

      1. Awww, that’s so great! I feel like it is such a warm memory for so many people that sometimes I really regret not checking it out when it was new, lol! But I’m glad I’m not alone with fearing the hype ??

    1. I really liked the Vampire Academy myself, so I definitely recommend reading it if you find the courage to! The romance isn’t Insta-love at all and the friendships are really strong! The female characters are well developed too, and allowed to have weaknesses and flaws. I hope you get the chance to read the series for yourself!

    1. I’m with you on The Name of the Wind. I’m too scared to start until I know the third book is out haha (even though I put it on my list to read every year). I have read some Brandon Sanderson (Steelheart and white sand) and they were honestly dissapointing. Having said that, I think Final Empire and The Way of Kings are just much more up my alley. But it has scared me to pick them up.

      1. I don’t blame you for wanting to wait until the third one releases! I will probably go ahead and read the first one some time over the next year or so, but I will probably wait on the second one until the third book at least has a release date. :/ I’m sorry you didn’t love what you’ve read by Sanderson so far! I hope your next read of his is better if you give his books another try.

    1. Oh gosh, The Book Thief is my favorite book. BUT I can see what you mean about being hesitant to read a book people have talked and talked and talked AND TALKED about, because then you’re expecting something OUT OF THIS WORLD AMAZING and that can kind of dampen any book, even if it is good. Living up to high expectations is hard. I had this happen to me when I read Agatha Christie’s book, And Then There Were None. This was one of my friend’s favorite books and he talked about it constantly whenever books came up. But, when I finally sat down and read it, I was like,”Wait, that’s it?”

      1. Riiiiight! All of this! You can’t help but expect to be totally blown away after all the hype, so it’s like, even if it’s a 4-star read, anything less than a 5-star read is a risk of feeling “disappointing” in a sense!
        Oh no, I’m sorry you were let down by ATTWN! That’s one I want to reread sometime soon, but I’m in no rush. I feel like it was fairly ground-breaking for its time, but compared to today’s thrillers and mystery novels, it takes on a different light, if that makes sense.

        1. I guess I never thought about how ATTWN was written in a different time when the definitions of a genre were different. Thanks for bringing that up! In any case, I hope that if you do read any of the books on this list, that they won’t disappoint 😛

    1. Oh man, I get you with the too much hype thing!
      I was nervous going into Vampire Academy but I ended up loving it! It was the opposite was around with Station Eleven though, I was so confident I’d love it but it ended up being a DNF over 50% through because I just didn’t like it at all.
      Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk

      1. I’m so glad you loved Vampire Academy, but sad to hear that you didn’t like Station Eleven! 😮 I think you might be the first person who’s told me they DNFed it! I hope I will enjoy it. Sci-fi is so hit and miss for me (I think it’s sci-fi, right?).

    1. ooh I want to read The Secret History! Although the real reason I’m procrastinating it is because it’s HUGE. ? (I fear huge books so much it’s a problem haha.) Also I truly understand with The Name of The Wind…it’s so good (although a little meandering?! But like magical universities and pretentious teen geniuses adfjkslad yes yes) but I haven’t read the sequel yet because whereeeee is the third book?! Why do fantasy writers take this long. ??

      1. Oh my gosh, YES, it is ginormous and I feel you 100% on fearing huge books. ? That’s also a big reason I haven’t picked up Name of the Wind yet, and most of Brandon Sanderson’s books, and… well, most of the other adult fantasy on my shelves? ? Between the size and the gaps between releases for some of them… sigh. Speaking of huge books, one of my goals for October is to read IT by Stephen King, and I am sweating it. I think it’s over 1200 pages.

    1. I love Black Dagger Brotherhood! I’m not big fan of Vampire Academy but I absolutely love it’s spin off; Bloodlines. I’m actually scared to read Final Empire, too.

      1. I didn’t know Bloodlines was a spinoff! I always thought it was totally unrelated. Good to know! Do you have to read the whole VA series before reading Bloodlines, or does it matter?

        1. I don’t really think it matters so much. VA just explains why Adrian is so heartbroken in the beginning and how Sydney and Rose met etc. I think someone once said that they didn’t read VA and still understood everything in Bloodlines.

    1. I totally relate to your feelings about The Name of the Wind! I own it, multiple people have recommended it to me, I’m 99.9% sure I’m going to love it… but I’ve built it up so much in my mind that I’m scared to read it! (And the wait for the third book is going to kill me.)

    1. Hyped books scare me so much. The Name of the Wind has been on my shelf for a while (it’s full of dust) because I feel I won’t love it because my expectations are to high. Maybe when the third book comes out, I’ll be brave enough to pick it up.
      Happy readings! 😉
      Tânia @MyLovelySecret

      1. Hahahaha I actually laughed out loud at this comment because there are so many books like that for me, where they have all of the ingredients I usually hate but somehow it just… works?!

    1. I absolutely hate the hype around books, sometimes I wish to remove all people from my friendslist on goodreads just to not knowing what’s popular these days. but i dont know what i’d do without my amazing GR friends!
      i am absolutely scared to read Throne of Glass series, like terrified! My mother bought me the whole series and now it’s sitting on my shelf and I cannot bring myself to start reading them. I am so scared i’ll be so disappointed and my mum wasted so much money on books i dont like.
      I’ve read All the Light We Cannot See and it was beautiful but underwhelming at the same time..

      1. Haha oh noooo! Sometimes I will stay off of Goodreads for the most part, for a week or two here and there, just because the hype starts to wear at me for whatever is the current “hot release”. You know how it is! I always feel a little bit better after taking a break of sorts.
        The Throne of Glass series has been soooo good so far, but I know what you mean, I was really scared of the hype on that one, too, especially since I loved the ACOTAR series so much already!

        1. that’s actually a great idea, to stay off of GR! I am on the website practically non-stop, it would be nice to take a break.

    1. I love the twist you did on the topic this week. I would recommend not reading the selection, by the time I finished the series, I felt like it was a waste of my time.

      1. Thank you! Ouch, I’m sorry you felt that way about The Selection. 🙁 I honestly don’t know why I don’t just unhaul it because I don’t think I’ll like it and I don’t want to read the whole series. I guess it’s just because I already own it and feel like it’s so popular that I “should” give it a try? I don’t know if I ever will, though!

    1. Please don’t get scared to read both The Secret History or Station Eleven, they are two of my favorite books EVER. Sometimes you need to listen to the hype!

    1. Awards winners (Pulitzer/ NBA/ etc.)…. And you’re reading them and the whole time thinking: THIS won an award?!?!?!

      1. Isn’t that the worst feeling?! That happened to me a lot with my summer class’s reading list this year. They were children’s and YA books so they were smaller-scale awards, but still, some of them had me amazed that they won out over books from the same year that I felt like were so much better.

        1. Totally agree!
          I just read Less by Andrew Sean Greer. Really liked the writing, but found some faults… was I looking for them a little too hard? Ugh!!!

    1. I love The Book Thief, it’s one of my favourite books, but I was blissfully unaware of the hype when I read it, so that made going into it less nerve wracking-I have definitely put off books because of the hype before-The Hate U Give is probably the most notable one from the past year, I will finally be reading it after my current read and I’m super nervous because I feel like the entire blogging community will give me some serious side eye if I hate it.
      My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2018/09/11/top-ten-tuesday-176/

      1. I can see how not knowing about the hype would help going into such a popular book! Oh man, I am so excited to hear your thoughts on The Hate U Give. That is one of my all time favorite contemporary stories! I hope you love it. 🙂

    1. I totally understand the feeling of being scared of hating a beloved book! I read the Selection a while back and it wasn’t *awful*. Then again, I read it when I was new to the YA genre, and read the sequel earlier this year and thought it was pretty laughable. Lol.
      The Book Thief, on the other hand, is my favorite novel ever written. I hope you decide to pick it up one day, love! <3

      1. Hahaha oh noooo! I’m honestly not expecting much from The Selection. I feel like it’s one of those things I probably would have liked more when it was new than I will now, if that makes sense?
        I’m so glad you loved The Book Thief so much, though! That makes me eager to pick it up. <3

    1. Oh, aerm… you shouldn’t be scared to read The Selection, that series has SO many mixed reviews, I know so many people hating it ?? I thought it was a fun and entertaining read though. I hope you’ll enjoy all of these books 🙂

      1. Hahaha you know it’s really funny, because I felt like everyone loved it, and then I’m going through these comments and most of them are people saying they hate it! ?? I guess this is one of those cases where I noticed the positive reviews more than the negative ones! And thank you, Marie! Happy reading! <3

    1. The Book Thief and The Name of the Wind were sort of ruined for me because there was so much hype around them that although I liked them I didn’t fall head over heels in love. I found that the Mistborn series as a whole is totally worth it! If you do manage to overcome your fear and check out any of these titles, I hope you have an amazing reading experience! 🙂

      1. Oh no, I’m sorry the hype hurt your experience with those two! 🙁 That’s exactly why hype worries me, sometimes. Even if you like a book, if they’re super hyped it can feel like a disappointment if they’re not FLAWLESS. And thank you so much! <3 Happy reading!

    1. I have All the Light We Cannot See and The Name of the Wind on my bookshelf, and I’ve also put off reading it because of all the hype! XD
      My TTT post!

    1. I’ve heard epic things about Name of the Wind and Station Eleven…but I haven’t read them yet either LOL

    1. Yea… Name of the Wind was good, but indeed the wait for the third book is just too long. Also, the second book was not as good as the first, so there’s this thing: what if the 3rd one won’t worth the wait?? 😀

    1. I haven’t read any Brandon Sanderson novels either, but I have the first two in this series on my shelf just waiting for me to finally give it a go. I think the hype has scared me a little as well.

      1. Right, the hype can make it so difficult! I’ve got all 3 books of the Stormlight series as well as… I don’t remember the name, it’s some novella from the series, I think? Maybe I will try to start one of those before the year is out, before I go buying the Mistborn books!

    1. I’ve been super intimidated by Sanderson too. I just read the Final Empire and I’m on the second Mistborn book now. I wish I would have known that it was kind of slow… but aside from that it is still super enjoyable and it’s really easy to follow.

      1. I have heard that series is a bit slow! I think that’s another part of why I haven’t reached for it yet, honestly. I’m glad that it isn’t stopping you from enjoying it, though – that makes me a bit more excited about it!!

    1. Oh, I hope you read The Book Thief, it’s honestly such a wonderful, though very heartbreaking, book, and I love it.
      I relate so much to being afraid of the backlash, if I don’t like a very hyped, and well-loved book (sadly, that happens all the time, haha) – I’m really curious about The Secret History, though! 🙂

      1. Thank you, Lily! I am sure I will read it soon, I think I just have to get past the intimidation aspect lol! Plus I have to get myself a copy. The hold time at my library is always really long for it so I might just order one soon.

      1. That’s the general consensus I’m starting to see in these comments! I’m really considering just unhauling it because it sounds like it has a lot more negative reviews than I realized, and I really don’t expect myself to like it ?

    1. The Book Thief is, no lie, my number one favorite book. I remember calling people and reading them pages of it because the writing is so rich. But I know people who just couldn’t get into it, too. The Selection was not my favorite. I liked the second book better. 🙂 Here’s my TTT.

      1. Ooooh, what did you dislike about The Book Thief, if you don’t mind me asking? Honestly, the responses to The Selection being on this list are high key making me lean more and more towards unhauling it without reading it, which is something I’d been considering doing for a while, anyways. ?

    1. queen of prompt modification
      THE BOOK THIEF AND ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE ARE EXCELLENT. i know that’s not helping with the hype but like…i cannot tell a lie. they are both just so beautiful!!!
      Vampire Academy is kind of like the dumbest book on earth but also so so fun??? so low stakes. & i hated The Selection and you may also hate it and that is a-okay in my book (because i hated it so. my feelings will remain intact).
      & i also am putting off Station Eleven!!! i’ve owned it for so long and i’ve just never picked it up. fear…so powerful.

      1. Thank you thank you <3
        Lmao awww I really need to push both of those up on my list, I feel like they're so widely loved and I know they'll break my heart but most likely in a really good way? ugh.
        VA is… I am going into it with such low expectations tbh, like I don't expect to learn anything or be inspired~ or anything, I just kind of expect a cheesy veg-out session! The Selection, on the other hand, I expect nothing good from at this point and everyone is just reinforcing my negativity towards it so I'm honestly probably going to cave and just unhaul it. D:

    1. Love how you put a twist on this week’s prompt! There are so many good books on your list so I really hope you can eventually read them all without worrying about not liking a hyped book!? I’m someone who hated The Secret History haha so I would really like to see your thoughts on it when you finally do read it!

      1. Thank you Mara! Ooooh, can I ask why you hated The Secret History? I feel like her books have this weird cult following but at the same time, I’ve never heard anyone feel “meh” about them, it seems like people either hate or love them lol!

    1. Mistborn is worth it 🙂 I don’t call it slow because he is showing you how things work as the plot develops. It is, like some have said, easy to follow. Sanderson never lets you get lost 🙂 I hope you love it when you read it 😀

      1. Oooooh, that is excellent, honestly. That’s my biggest concern with big series like that, is that I worry sometimes about feeling like there’s too much going on, so it actually makes me much more excited that you said he never lets you get lost while reading it! 🙂 So thank you for mentioning that! <3

      1. Finding the time is so hard, especially when a book has already been out for a bit and we have all of these ARCs and review copies and new releases to focus on – it’s tough! I don’t blame you. Hopefully we will both find room in our respective schedules for it soon and enjoy it!

    1. Oh my goodness SO many of these! I avoided Book Thief for YEARS because I was scared of what kind of monster I’d be if I wasn’t deeply moved by it haha but it ended up being really good. And literally the entire rest of your top row I have avoided because of the hype monster! I have Station Eleven too, and want to read it, but I am actually more concerned because my Goodreads friends are VERY mixed on whether they lliked it so now I am scared I won’t! Hope these DO work for you when you finally give into the hype! Great take on the topic, too 😀

      1. Hahaha you worded that perfectly when you said you were scared of what kind of monster you’d be – that’s the biggest part of my problem! But I’m so glad it did end up being really good for you! Thank you so much and I hope they work for you, too! 😀

    1. I ADORED Name of the Wind, but yeah I do regret starting the series before the final book even had a title. So many adult fantasy series have this decades long gaps between books and I no longer want to risk getting invested in something that might not even end… (*side eyes GRRM*).

      1. Dude, GRRM… I have DNFed the first ASOIAF book three or four times now and have honestly given up much of any hope of ever finishing it because at this point I’m starting to wonder, what’s the point if he’s probably never going to finish it? UGH. I really hope Rothfuss doesn’t end up the same way. 🙁

    1. Its ok I too have not yet read the Book Thief and I own two copies of it. I am pretty sure that when I finally read it I will love it but I have yet to actually pick it up lol

    1. I’m laughing so hard with The Name of the Wind and The Book Thief.
      I haven’t read the first because of the exact same reason! With everyone anxiously waiting and waiting and waiting for the third book, I’m like.. “I’m not reading it until the third one’s here! Probably..”
      As for The Book Thief.. I simply haven’t motivated myself yet to pick it up? I’ve been planning on it, but I keep postponing. Probably because it feels like a classic to me and I automatically go “AH. HISTORY.” and that makes me grab other books all the time.. Oopsie.

      1. Right! It’s so hard to commit to knowing I’m gonna have to wait SO long to continue the series, because let’s be real, I’m probably going to adore it and want to continue it immediately.
        Oh yeah, The Book Thief always feels like a classic to me, too. Even though I know it’s not THAT old, it just feels like it’s been around for as long as I can remember. ??

        1. Yup. And then you’ll end up reading the second book and be mad at yourself for having read it because now you REALLY have to wait for the next one.. [Although, knowing us, we’d succeed at not reading the sequel for months, even over a year..]
          That’s definitely because the thing’s EVERYWHERE in posts – especially TTT’s is where it shows up all the time. ?

    1. There are at least four people in the world that haven’t read The Book Thief, because I haven’t yet, either. xD I own it. I bought it last Christmas lol. Same time I bought All The Light We Cannot See (which I also have yet to read). So I 100% am in the same boat as you there.
      I loved your take on the prompt!

          1. Yeah, I only learned about it last year! I want to say it’s January 27th, and it’s an official worldwide day recognized by the UN. This year, I wanted to read a couple of books for it, but it was so heart-breaking I only read The Dollmaker of Krakow (which I highly recommend if you enjoy middle grade historical fiction/fantasy).

            1. Ooh that’s on my TBR, too! I’m glad that you liked it. I love historical fiction of pretty much all sorts, but I tend to go through phases of reading them and then not because my poor feels. Maybe I’ll have to plan a whole week of reading in January, since I’ve got a ton of WWII era books to read (including the Night trilogy, because I’ve never read Dawn and Day!).

            1. I still want to read the Night trilogy, too! I got the first book from my library this January as one of those intended reads, but I’ll have to try again soon. 🙂

      1. Right! It’s like, if you go into a book expecting nothing and it’s a 4-star read, that’s exciting. But if you expect great things, and it’s a 4-star read, that’s a disappointment of sorts!

    1. First of all, I can’t believe I wasn’t following your blog yet!! Secondly, I haven’t read The Book Thief, All the Light We Cannot See and The Secret History yet either, even though I really want to 😮 I’m definitely intimidated by hype; the more I think I’ll love a book, the longer I seem to postpone picking it up.

    1. You are not alone!!! I have also not read The Book Thief, The Name of the Wind, Station Eleven, or The Woman in Cabin 10. I’m also terrified to read them because of the hype and it’s so hard to motivate myself to do so. I will say that I’ve read The Secret History and I don’t think it would be your kinda book, but I could also be very wrong about that!

      1. I feel better knowing I’m not the only one who hasn’t gotten around to most of these yet! And thank you for saying that about The Secret History, actually! I was considering ordering a copy but I think since you say that, I’ll just put it on hold from the library instead. 🙂

        1. That’s probably a good call! I didn’t hate it, but it was pretty dense and not quite within my genre. I don’t regret reading it, though!

    1. I am forever putting off books because of the hype!! (We have a couple in common in this list actually). From this list I’ve read: The Book Thief (loved), The Selection (give it a miss), Vampire Academy (loved). All the others on this list are ones I’ve also been too scared to pick up because of the hype!

      1. Hahaha these comments have me legit side-eyeing my copy of The Selection. I honestly had such low expectations for it to begin with that I think I’m going to take your recommendation and that of several others here and just throw it in my donation box. 😛

    1. I tend to be really out of it, so I don’t normally know when there’s a huge hype around a book. But I’ve actually been meaning to read All the Light We Cannot See for months but I’ve just never gotten around to it ?

    1. Hard same on 6 and 8. Like, I’ve been burned before so even though I know I’ll PROBABLY like them, the disappointment will be so much worse if I don’t?
      For 1… I know it’s supposed to be a good and important book (and it’s actually one of my wife’s favorites) I don’t want to cry and I’m pretty sure this book will make me.

      1. Haha exactly! It’s so frustrating because you know they’ll probably be great… but WHAT IF they aren’t?! And I love that it’s one of your wife’s faves, so I hope you’ll enjoy it if/when you do read it. I think there’s something so magical and special about reading a loved one’s favorite book and enjoying it – I don’t know why, but it always just makes my day, whether it’s Terry, or another family member, or a dear friend.

    1. I literally own every single one of these and haven’t picked up a single one of them because of the hype either ? I own two copies of The Boof Thief and the whole Selection series too so I don’t know what my real excuse is?? but i agree that the hype monster is real and definitely prevents me from picking up books too

    1. I love The Selection but is more like a cute trashy read if that makes sense. If you’re looking for something light, then I will recommend it! I haven’t read The Book Thief or Vampire Academy either because it’s so hyped

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