Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a new topic for bloggers to choose and list their top ten. This week’s theme is Top Ten of the Most Unique Books I’ve Read.
For me, what makes a book unique is when it goes in a completely different direction to what I assumed it would when I read the blurb. We’ve all had books like that; where the blurb only reveals a small part of the plot, smaller than it normally would, so you go in with few expectations only for them to be blown out of the water by the story the author has written instead.
Half Bad by Sally Green
The blurb for Half Bad does give you a good idea of what the story is and where it goes in this first book, however it’s the journey the author takes us into Nathan’s character that made this such a unique read. Half the book was spend watching him grow up in a world that despised him, and it gave us a much greater insight into his character that we would have never had otherwise.
The Next Together by Lauren James
Again this is a book where the blurb gives you a good idea of where the story goes. What made it unique for me was the way it was written and all the questions that were raised. The characters were never sure what was happening to them, and as the reader I wasn’t either. It’s only in the second book that we get the answers we need for this story to make sense.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet focuses on the characters more than the plot, and that’s what makes this book stand out from every other sci-fi release I’ve picked up so far. The development of the characters was perfect; they all had their own voices, their own personalities and their own conflicts they needed to work past.
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
When I first read the blurb I thought this would be a light-hearted (ish) fantasy story about the children who come back home from their dream worlds. What I got was a horror story, in more ways than one. Even in terms of fantasy books Every Heart a Doorway is a unique book, but add the horror storyline and it was like nothing I’ve ever read before.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Laini Taylor is an author who’s stories you can never really predict. Strange the Dreamer has a long blurb which, at first glance, appears to give you more information on the book than you could possibly need. Instead it’s more of a smoke screen, and the second Lazlo steps foot into Weep the story and the characters move to places you never could have expected.
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Patrick Ness is an author who seems to excel at writing unique stories, something you can likely tell given there are three of his books on my list this week. The Knife of Never Letting Go is my favourite of all his releases, and the blurb gives absolutely nothing away so I found myself constantly surprised at where this story went.
More Than This by Patrick Ness
I’ll admit when I first saw this book on Goodreads I wasn’t all that interested. Like with The Knife of Never Letting Go the blurb gives nothing away and when I first read it I wondered how Ness could have filled a 300/400 page book with a story based on it. However when I picked this book up on a recommendation it ended up surprising me in the best way possible.
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
I could fill this list with magical realism books, simply because it’s in their nature to be unique; to create magic in the world and make it real for the readers. Bone Gap is the first magical realism book I read and in terms of unique books it’s still at the very top of my favourites list.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
If you’ve read this book you likely already know what made me pick it for this list this week. The twist at the end was something I’d heard a lot about before picking up We Were Liars, but despite my best guesses, and even the fact that I thought I could see it coming a mile away, I was still left stunned when the twist was revealed.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Having already seen the trailer for the film by the time I finally got around to this book, I knew what to expect. The blurb and trailer were a pretty good indication for what this book would be like, but what makes A Monster Calls unique is pretty much everything. Even though you know where this story will go it is still one that you’ll quickly fall in love with.
So what do you think? Did you take part in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, if so let me know what some of the most unique books you’ve read are.
Ahah I loved this! I haven’t read a lot of these, though some of them are already on my TBR, I need to add some more haha. More Than This surprised me so much??? In a good way, but like, I don’t remember what I was expecting, but it was just so uncommon and unexpected haha. Such a unique read! And I still haven’t gotten around to Strange the Dreamer, super excited for that one. 😍
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Well here’s hoping you manage to get around to some of them soon, especially if they’re currently waiting on your to-read list! 🙂
I’m not sure what I expected from More Than This, but it wasn’t what I ended up getting, in the end the book was better than I could have ever expected so that was great! Oh Strange the Dreamer is amazing, I’m sure it’ll be a book you end up loving Analee! 😀 ❤
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Yes, for sure! Ahah I know right, it was so different than what I expected in the best way possible! I can’t wait to read it, I have no doubt I will love it haha. ❤
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Safe to say Patrick Ness is pretty unique huh? 😀 😀 I feel like giving Every Heart a Doorway. It really sounds like it might manage to surprise me, in a good way. Great list, Beth!
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Oh definitely, I could have made this list of all Patrick Ness books if he’s written ten already! 😀
Every Heart a Doorway is definitely a unique read, and a really good book in general so if you do pick it up Lashaan I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks so much! 🙂
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The only book I’ve read on this list is We Were Liars and I enjoyed it! I do hope to read all of the other books on your list soon, though! Especially the Patrick Ness books and Strange the Dreamer!
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That’s good to hear about We Were Liars, and oh I really hope you enjoy Strange the Dreamer and whatever Patrick Ness book you decide to pick up first. Strange the Dreamer has become an all-time favourite of mine, and Patrick Ness is a beyond brilliant author. 🙂
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Strange the Dreamer, We Were Liars, Every Heart a Doorway and A Monster Calls were all so WONDERFUL and unlike anything I’ve read before. I’m currently reading Bone Gap and I love it. The rest are all on my TBR and I’m so excited to get to them 😀 especially The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet.
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Yes, they definitely were, and in my opinion we need more books just as unique as they were to be released. I couldn’t even pick which of them was my favourite because they’re all so different.
Oh that’s great to hear Lauren. I hope you continue to love it in that case, and all the others you still have on your to-read list. I’ll be looking forwards to seeing your reviews for them all! 😀
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I’ve yet to read any of these, sadly. But I definitely have a lot of them on my TBR for this year – Half Bad, Every Heart A Doorway, Strange the Dreamer, More Than This, Bone Gap, and A Monster Calls. I think I might even have We Were Liars on my list too. Either way, you’ve just made me even more curious about it and I keep hearing how everyone who has read it was completely shocked by the plot twist in it. It sounds like a book I need to read because I love when a book can throw me for a loop like that. On the note of unique books though I seriously love when I either go into them blind or when I don’t the blurb gives away so little that I’m completely surprised by the book. I remember that being the case for The Bone Season when I first picked it up and to this day that book is probably the reason I enjoy blurbs that are shorter or really vague. Great picks for this week, Beth!! 😁♥
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Well in that case hopefully you’ll be able to get around to them soon-ish. I know you talked about starting Strange the Dreamer after ACOWAR if it didn’t put you in a fantasy slump right? And hopefully you’ll get a chance to get to the others but if it’s only two I’d recommend Bone Gap and Strange the Dreamer before any others (and the Patrick Ness books on this list as well so make that top five suggestions!)
Ohh that’s great to hear. I heard a lot about the twist and I was still so so shocked when it was finally revealed. I said it in a previous comment today but there was a distraction for me in this book so I thought I saw the twist coming but I was wrong, so so wrong. It was amazing.
Going in blind always make me find books more unique as well, there’s just something about not having a clue where the story will go that makes it that way. The Bone Season was kind of like that for me. Either way I was quickly hooked and jumped right into the second! 😀
Thanks so much Melissa. 🙂 ❤
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Yep! After ACOWAR and Lord of Shadows, if neither of them put me in a fantasy slump, I plan on reading Strange the Dreamer along with two other fantasy books whose names I can’t remember at the moment. 🙈 Both ACOWAR and LoS are 700+ pages long so May and probably the beginning of June will be all about those two. But beyond Strange the Dreamer both Bone Gap and the Partick Ness books are on my TBR. I’m hoping I get to those and definitely want to at least read one of Patrick Ness’s books this year. I just need to be a faster reader so that I can get through all the books I want too lol.
When I hear people talk about the twist it always makes me want to know what it was. I saw your previous comment and I think it’s awesome that it kind of distracts you and then bam surprise! I’m really going to have to read that book. Hopefully this year if I can.
Going in blind is definitely the best and I feel like more often than not when I do that I end up finding a book I love because I had zero expectations.
You’re welcome, Beth!! 😊♥
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I hope neither of them do put you in a slump but I have to admit I feel one of them will, if not ACOWAR then Lord of Shadows, or vise versa!
It sounds like you have a lot of fantasy reads to get through then, and wow +700 each! That is a lot of pages and yeah it will likely take me a long while to get through both as well, either way its going to take me a long time to actually get around to Lord of Shadows but you know.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed you do manage to get through at least one Patrick Ness book this year then, you probably have some amazing ones to choose between now.
Oh it really did, and if you plan to start that book don’t go into it knowing the twist, the same with AGOS and that cliffhanger let this book surprise you because it is a big and epic surprise and you likely won’t see it coming at all.
That’s always been the same with me, and with low expectations as well because then the only place to really go is up! 😀 ❤
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I really hope they don’t either but same. I just have this bad feeling it’ll be ACOWAR and that I’ll be able to still read LoS but after that I be slump central. That’s what happened with Six of Crows! I got through one other great book after that before the slump won. 😣 But, yeah, I have a lot of fantasy novels I want to get through this year. At least once you get around to Lord of Shadows you either won’t have long to wait until the last in the trilogy or it’ll already be out. I have a feeling the wait for the last book will be torture, knowing Cassandra Clare.
I definitely won’t go into it knowing this twist whenever I do read it. I want to be surprised.
Mostly. There are those rare times when even with low expectations they can go down hill more if the book is bad enough. 😂🙈
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I feel like I’m due for a fantasy slump soon. I though TSR or ACOL would do it but as neither did it’s got to be ACOWAR. Well if it does just go for another genre until it’s over, slumps never last too long do they?
Maybe if I stretch these books out enough I can last until closer to the release of the last book. I feel like LoS will end on a cliffhanger or something as well. Not sure if I’ll survive the wait! 🙂
Then I reckon you’ll be really surprised by it! 😀
Yeah I’ve had a few books like that as well. Always a shame isn’t it when a book is that bad. 🙂
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True and I do have quite a few contemporaries on my list if a fantasy slump does happen. 😊
You could! And the more I think about the more I’m sure LoS will end in a cliffhanger. Especially with how the trilogy has gone so far. It’s definitely going to be a long wait for me.
It really is.
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Same here, mainly because I’ve been in a contemporary slump ever since the release of ACOL! 🙂
In that case I’m going to have to stretch out my reading of these books so by the time I finish LoS the next one is close to being released! 😀
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Fantastic choices, Beth, I love all of your picks for this. Patrick Ness’ books are perfect under the “unique books” category for sure, he never fails to surprise me, I love it so much. We were liars is such a great choice as well, and The Next Together was definitely one-of-a-kind, I loved the concept of it so much.
I want to read Strange The Dreamer so badly now 🙂
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Thanks so much Marie. Yeah I tried narrowing it down to only one or two Patrick Ness books but I just couldn’t because they’re so unique they all deserved a place on this list. I can’t wait for his next release, Release. Both of those books ended up surprising me and there’s not really anything else like them currently out there, certainly nothing with a twist that surprising me the way We Were Liars did.
Oh Strange the Dreamer is a book I’d highly recommend, and I hope you love it as much as I did Marie! 😀 ❤
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We Were Liars is a good one for this list! I read it before knowing anything about it and was totally shocked by the twist. I’ve tried to get into the Knife of Letting Go a few times but haven’t been gripped. Maybe I need to try again – as I know everyone who’s read it loves it.
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Yeah the twist at the end does make it stand out from all the other books out there doesn’t it? I was completely shocked by the ending as well, I thought I knew what was coming but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I’ll admit to took me a little while to get into The Knife of Never Letting Go, but it’s one of those books that once it has you hooked it keeps you hooked until the very end. I hope you end up enjoying it if you give it another go. 🙂
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Bone Gap and Half-Bad have been on my TBR forever! I’ve been hesitant about whether or not I should pick up We Were Liars; do you recommend it overall? Made You Up by Francesca Zappia, Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, and The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig are a few of the most unique books I’ve read.
Ellie | On the Other Side of Reality
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They’re both amazing books so I hope you manage to get around to them soon, and yeah I’d recommend We Were Liars overall. It’s another amazing book with a brilliantly written twist you won’t see coming.
Oh I loved The Girl From Everywhere as well, and despite having read and enjoyed most of Scott Westerfeld’s books I haven’t picked up Leviathan yet. Maybe one day though! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed them.
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We Were Liars is on my wish list, I’ve heard so much about that ending!
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It’s one I’d definitely recommend Donna. I did not see the twist coming at all, despite thinking I did, so I reckon it’ll be the same for you. Either way I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
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The only one I have read of the bunch is awe Were Liars, which was quite a good read! I loved the ending!
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Oh yeah I thought that was an amazing book. I also thought I knew what the ending was but I was completely wrong about the big twist! 🙂
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OOO! If you liked We Were Liars, you need to read The Lace Reader. I have it on my list this week. 🙂 Nice choices.
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In that case I’ll definitely add it to my to-read list. Thanks for the recommendation, and thanks again! 😀
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Awesome list! Strange the Dreamer definitely deserves to be on this list! For this TTT I did Unique sounding books on my TBR, but a book I have read that was unique was The Illuminae Files, purely because of how they are written! It’s the first book like that I’ve read and it was amazing!
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Thanks so much. Yeah Strange the Dreamer was one of the first books I picked for this list simply because there’s nothing else like it out there!
I remembered about Illuminae too late to feature it on my TTT list for this week and I am kicking myself about it. Of all the books I’ve read it’s probably the most unique and it’s a favourite of mine as well. 🙂
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That is 100% true about Strange The Dreamer, it’s just gorgeous!
And Illuminae is my first thought if someones mentions the words ‘unique book’ I know there is others out there that od similar things but that format combined with an amazing Sci-Fi & awesome characters?!?! Hell yeah!
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I’m glad you agree, there just aren’t enough words to properly describe how amazing that book is in my opinion.
Yeah Illuminae was one I thought of too late to feature in this week’s TTT post and I am kicking myself for that now. Of all the books I have on my shelf it’s probably the most unique one. 🙂
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That is completely accurate. I have never read anything by Laini Taylor and I was blown away by that book.
And Illuminae is probably the most unique on my shelves too.
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Oh in that case I’d definitely recommend her first series, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, especially if you enjoyed Strange the Dreamer.
It’s just so gorgeous isn’t it, both inside and out! 😀
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It was on my TBR pile before reading Strange the Dreamer but it’s definitely higher on my TBR pile now. And I own the first book too, so I should be able to get to it soon. 😊😊
And yes it is!
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Oh that’s great to hear, and I’m sure you’ll love the series as well. It can be something to fill the long wait we likely have ahead of us. for the release of The Muse of Nightmares! 😀
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Haha. I’m considering picking it up after I finish An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night. But it will still be over in a couple weeks and then I will still have to wait for The Muse of Nightmares 😫😫 the struggles.
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I’d say the sooner you can get around to it the better! 😀 Also on a slight side note I hope you’re enjoy An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night! 😀
The wait for The Muse of Nightmares is going to be torture, even more so after that cliffhanger! 🙂
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I’m enjoying An Ember in the Ashes so far. The world it really interesting and I love that it has maps in the front covers! I love maps!
And the wait for The Muse or Nightmares and the next Rebel of the Sands book are going to be the worse! Traitor to the Throne ended on a massive cliffhanger too and I need the next book right now!! 😩
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I love maps as well, I never seem to look at them while reading the book in question though so I’m not sure how much use they are too me.
Oh god yes the next Rebel of the Sands book is one I really need as well. We don’t even have a title or cover yet and I’d settle for either of them for now! 😀
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I do at the beginning when it first mentions different places. When reading Snow Like Ashes I kept looking back at it because they are always moving around in those books.
And I know! I’m just so keen! I hope they still come out with a cover matching the original aqua and gold and the purple and gold one because they are absolutely gorgeous and they are the ones I own. Even though I do think that the new editions are a better fit for the story, those covers are still amazing!
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I always glance at them before starting the book but never flick back to them. I dunno I guess I think that’d just take me away from the story you know?
Yes I definitely want a cover that matches the original first two! I think they’re so pretty and I’d love to have a complete set for that series with the same design. The new design is nice too but I already own the old cover designs so I’d love to see it completed in a way. 🙂
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That’s fair enough. Ima very visual person so following characters movement on the map helps me picture things better haha.
I really hope they do! It would suck if they didn’t because a majority of people would own the old edition of at least Rebel of the Sands. And they are just beautiful. I hope they release info about it soon! 😄
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Well if that works for you I guess it’s good these books feature maps then isn’t it? 🙂
I feel like they’re still releasing the old covers in the UK, because I don’t think we have the new ones yet. I’m not sure about the US but it’s possible they’ll do both as well. I really can’t say for sure but I have my fingers crossed either way.
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I’m guessing that Book depository will have both editions. I’m pretty sure it did last time I had a look. And that’s the only place I buy books. So as long as it has then I’ll be happy.
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If worst comes to worst I can always look on Book Depository then. I’ve had a few bad experiences buying from them in the past so I avoid buying there if I can.
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Oh really that’s a shame. I have never had a problem with them. The only tiny issue I’ve had is that the corner of the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was a little dinged up. But that’s Australia Posts fault, they are so careless.
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Well it’s good you haven’t had issues with them. I guess maybe I’ve just been unlucky. Either way they’ve always been great at getting everything sorted out for me quickly.
I’ve had books that turn up a little dinged. A little disappointing but sometimes expected in transit I suppose. 🙂
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That’s unfortunate. I have noticed that they use two different packages to mail their stuff. One is really good because it’s really hard for it to get beaten up and then the other the corners can get a little squished. Wish they only used the good one. But oh well.
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Oh is that how your book got damaged then, in the new packaging rather than the old one? Yeah that is a shame, but maybe they’ll go back to the old one one day you never know? 🙂
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I don’t know if it is really new and old.
I think it depends where it comes from because it’s always a mixture. And yeah that one packaging is why my books corner was damaged. But it’s pretty good considering that’s the packaging they mainly use and there’s only been 1 damaged out of all the ones I’ve received. 😊
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I guess different companies will use different packaging and so one. Also if you’ve ordered a lot from them and that’s the only book that’s been damaged that’s pretty good odds isn’t it? 🙂
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Yeah it is good and I can’t say no to free shipping.
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Ha, no neither can I! 😀
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I agree with so many of these! Strange, A Monster Calls, More Than This(I didnt love More than this but it is def unique) I have The Knife of never letting go and a Small Angry planet just sitting on my book shelf and I can’t wait to read them 😀 Great list!
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Oh that’s great to hear. These are some of my favourite books and part of the reason why is because they’re so unique. Although it’s a shame you didn’t enjoy More Than This that much. 🙂
Both TKONLG and Small Angry Planet are amazing reads, I hope you manage to get around to them soon and I hope you enjoy them as well. Thanks! 😀
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I agree with your take on We Were Liars. The huge twist in the end completely took me by surprise! Bone Gap is actually one of the books I’ve been dying to read. Need to get it like ASAP!
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Yeah the ending completely took my by surprise. I thought I knew what the twist was going to be but I was so wrong. Bone Gap is amazing, seriously there are no words for how much I loved that book, so I hope you enjoy it as well! 🙂
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I agree with When We Were Liars. Still need to read A Monster Calls.
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That’s good to hear, it was such a shocking twist wasn’t it? And I hope you enjoy A Monster Calls as well, it’s such a moving book. 🙂
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I haven’t read any of these books, I need to read all of these books the never ending tbr stricks again!
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Well they’re all amazing books (in my opinion at least) so I’m sure you’ll love them when you do get around to them.
And yeah I’m all too aware of never ending TBR issues! 😀
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I absolutely loved The Knife Of Never Letting Go!!
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Same here, it’s such an amazing book isn’t it? 🙂
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Not surprised by the Patrick Ness on the list! 😉
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Nope! He’s an amazing author who continuously surprises me with where he takes his stories! 😀
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