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 a throwback freebie, so I picked Top Ten Books I Read and Loved While at High School/Uni.
It was in high school, after reading Twilight, that I rediscovered my love of reading and grabbed all the young adult books I could get my hands on. Since then my reading tastes have changed a lot and some books I read back then, like Twilight, I know I wouldn’t enjoy as much if I picked them up again today. My picks for this week are all books I read while I was in high school or university, that I enjoyed but haven’t re-read since.
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
The first Sarah Dessen book I picked up was actually Just Listen, and that one remains my favourite to this day as well, but it’s one I’ve re-read recently. The Truth About Forever is my second favourite, and I know if I re-read it again today I’d love it just as much. Sarah Dessen is an incredible writer and there hasn’t been one of her books that I haven’t enjoyed.
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
My friend recommended this book to me, and I ended up picking it up around the time the first film was released. I loved this series all those years ago, and with the first book in the Book of Dust trilogy being released soon it’s one I really need to re-read. I can’t remember anything much about what happened, except that the ending broke my heart.
Night World by L.J. Smith
I discovered these books before I was in high school but I fell in love with them. This was actually one of my all-time favourite series when I was on a teenager, think the Shades of Magic books for the nine year old me. However the last book, that was supposed to be released in 1999, still hasn’t been, and I’ve been left without an ending for one of my childhood favourite series.
Sea Change by Kate Cann
This book was one brought for me by a friend, rather than recommended to me, but it was one I really enjoyed when I was in high school. A fluffy contemporary story with a cute romance, set in a seaside vacation town. It’s a good book, but nothing special so I probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much the second time around as I did when I was in high school.
Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
I’ve read some of Rachel Caine’s other series, and as much as I enjoyed the Morganville Vampires books when I read them the first time around I don’t think I’d like them nearly as much as I did if I picked them up today. This would mainly be because of the cliff-hangers that were at the end of every single book and the fact that the series went on for so long.
The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
The first three books in this series were great, and if I picked them up today I reckon I’d still love them, but with the fourth book (and all the ones after that, I stopped reading after book four) the storyline just got too ridiculous for me.
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Looking back, I don’t think I ever finished this series, and now I probably won’t ever finish this series. Again it was a favourite of mine while I was in high school/university, but it’s just not something I’m interested in anymore.
Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
The first book was good, and so was the second though not as good. Then with the third and every book I read after that (which I think was only books four and five) the story just went downhill. Add to that the fact that I couldn’t stand the main character and this series was no longer for me.
Intertwined by Gena Showalter
Of all the books I’ve featured this week this one, and the series it’s a part of, was the latest one I discovered. It was one of my favourites though, and I know if I still read it today I’d still really enjoy it because it’s an incredible concept. However, like Night World this is one I am still waiting for the last book of and at the moment I don’t think the author even plans to write one.
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Like the Night World books A Great and Terrible Beauty was a series that was an all-time favourite of mine, the Shades of Magic series for the sixteen year old me, and like with A Conjuring of Light the last book in the Gemma Doyle trilogy was one I could hardly wait for. One day I’ll try and re-read this trilogy, and hopefully I’ll enjoy it the same amount as I did back then.
So what do you think? Did you take part in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, if so let me know what you picked for this week’s themed free-for-all, or what books you read and loved while you were in high school or university.
The Golden Compass! I plan on picking that book up some day just to check it off my reading bucket list hahah
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Well The Book of Dust series is going to be released soon, may be the perfect excuse to pick up The Golden Compass trilogy! 😀
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How come I did not know you read The Golden Compass series, Beth?! Or maybe I just didn’t remember ahah, in that case, I AM ASHAMED AND SORRY haha. This is one of my favorite series of all times, I’m so eager for The Book of Dust to be released. I love this world so, so much, and the end of the series made me cry. I loved it so, so much ❤ ❤ Great picks! 🙂
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I don’t know if I have actually mentioned it before. When it comes to throwback books I normally focus on recent years, since I started blogging, or way back when I discovered Harry Potter and the joys of reading. The Golden Compass is a series in the middle. 🙂
It’s a brilliant series, and yes I am so beyond excited for The Book of Dust. Not long to go now. I have my copy pre-ordered and can’t wait for it to arrive. 😀
It made me cry as well, the last book broke my heart in so many pieces. 🙂 ❤
Thanks so much Marie! 😀
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I still need to pre-order the book, I somehow forgot to, but I can’t WAIT. ❤ ❤
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Well you still have a little while before it is released, plenty of time still to pre-order it! 🙂 ❤
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I’ve read so many books in the years I’ve been at school and Uni, it’s hard to remember all of them! This week I did Books That Shaped Me over the past 21 years in celebration of my birthday yesterday.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/12/top-ten-tuesday-124/
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Oh I read so many books in high school and uni as well If I’d featured them all this could have easily been a Top Hundred Tuesday instead of Top Ten! 😀
Thanks for the link, I’ll definitely check out your TTT. 🙂
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Ha ha same! No problem 🙂
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I love a lot of the Sarah Dessen books! Lock and Key is my favourite (I take it to uni with my every year) but I also love Just Listen! The Truth About Forever is also special (1) because it’s my big sister’s favourite and she got me into Sarah Dessen (2) not long after I met my best friend at uni we were in her bedroom and I noticed that she had The Truth About Forever on her bookshelf…we found it so cool that we had both brought our favourite Sarah Dessen book with us to uni! 🙂
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I only read Lock and Key recently but oh it reminded me of how much I love Sarah Dessen’s books. Just Listen is my all-time favourite by her with The Truth About Forever a very close second. Oh that’s a really cute story about The Truth About Forever for you, seems like a really special book to you and your sister for more than one reason. 😀
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Yeah they are really great books 😊😊 there are few that i haven’t read yet so hopefully i can get around to them sometimes soon!!
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There are quite a few I haven’t read as well. The most recent of her releases I’ve gotten around to is Along for the Ride, anything published after that one is a book I still need to read. 🙂
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I think I’ve read up to What Happened to Goodbye and then I haven’t read some of her really early ones either so they’re on the TBR! 😊😊
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Guess we’re doing things the opposite way around. I have her newer releases still to read and you have her older ones. 🙂
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I remember loving A Great and Terrible Beauty when I was younger but now I can’t remember anything so maybe it’s time for a re-read 😅.
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No neither can I. I just remember that it was a series I loved and that the third book broke my heart. Definitely time for a re-read for me too. 🙂
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I always wanted to start Golden Compass series! Glad you liked it 😍
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I’d definitely recommend picking it up, especially with The Book of Dust being released soon. 🙂 I’d be interested in hearing what you think of it Trang if you do pick it up. 😀
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I hope you enjoy A Great and Terrible Beauty when you reread it – I reread it a couple of years ago and found it really enjoyable!
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Thanks so much. 😀 Honestly talking about it in this post and in the comments with people have made me want to get started on it right away. Unfortunately I have too many new releases to get through before I can. 🙂
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hahah I know the feeling!!!
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I love The Truth About Forever! It is one of my favourites. 😊
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It’s definitely one of my favourites, though my favourite book by Dessen remains Just Listen! 😀
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Dessen is always a winner for me. Love her! I am a VA fan (though I liked Bloodlines a little more), and I started both the Intertwined series and Gemma Doyle series. I hope to finish them someday.
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Same here, I fell in love with the first book by her I picked up and afterwards binge read my way through all her releases. 🙂 One day I’ll finish the VA series, and read Bloodlines as well, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed both, and I hope you managed to finish Intertwined and the Gemma Doyle trilogy. 🙂
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Sarah Dessen was an author I didn’t expect to like as much as I did. I remember reading one of her books while I was having serious anxiety issues in Las Vegas. It definitely helped. A Great and Terrible Beauty I loved because in some ways it reminded me of the movie The Craft, which I loved as a teen.
Happy reading,
eli @ the (book) supplier
My TTT
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I wasn’t sure I really had expectations before picking up my first Sarah Dessen book, but after I read it I binge read all of her releases I could get my hands on. 🙂 I’m glad her books help you when you were in Vegas, it’s great when we finds books that can do that for us. 🙂
Oh I haven’t seen The Craft, but I do love A Great and Terrible Beauty so maybe it’s a film I should check out.
Thanks for the link, I’ll definitely check out your TTT! 😀
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I really enjoyed the first Max Ride books, but I agree, they got weird. I checked out the very last book from the library to read the end, and wasn’t happy with it, either. My TTT
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When it comes to the Max Ride series I tend to pretend they ended with three books. That way I don’t feel too bad about dropping the series after I read book four! 🙂
Thanks for the link, I’ll definitely check out your TTT! 😀
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Haha the summer after my last year of uni, I binge-read Vampire Academy 🙂 Great list! Definitely brings back memories 🙂
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One day I’d actually like to finish the Vampire Academy series, I’ve read books one to three but not four to six. Like I said though, one day.
Thanks so much, and I’m glad you enjoyed this list as well. 🙂
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I enjoyed the series, but to be honest, I don’t remember much about it! I do recall speeding through it very very quickly though 🙂 I also don’t know if I will enjoy this book as much if I read it now, compared to before haha..
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It’s not at the top of my list to be honest, like you I kind of wonder if I’d still enjoy them given I first loved the series back when I was in high school. 🙂
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I loved the Northern Lights when I read it, but I never finished the trilogy sadly. Also, I’ve heard good things about A Great and Terrible Beauty, sounds it’s worth a read? Great post Beth!
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Oh that’s a shame, but hopefully you’ll pick up the others in the series you still have to read one day. Did you read book two or did you just read The Northern Lights? Personally I think the series got a lot better with the second book. 🙂
I’d recommend A Great and Terrible Beauty based on my teenage memories of it. I don’t remember much in the way of plot but I do remember it being an amazing series. 🙂
Thanks so much Kate! 😀
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I think I may have started book two, but I certainly didn’t get passed the first few chapters. I was a lot less persistent with books when I was younger than I am now – I’m much more likely to stick with a book now, even if it’s not very exciting. Thanks for the rec, I’ll have to check it out at some point! 🙂
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I know what you mean. I rarely DNF books, even when I was younger I rarely DNF-ed books, but I wasn’t persistent when it came to series. There are so many I started that I still haven’t finished.
That’s all right, I really hope you enjoy it. 🙂 ❤
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I’ve read and loved A Great Terrible Beauty and loved it but I haven’t read the rest of the books!
Thanks for sharing! Great books!
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It was a brilliant first book in the series. Do you think you’ll get around to the other two one day? I hope you manage to, I don’t remember much about the plot but I do remember the third book being incredible.
Thanks so much! 😀
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I love historical fiction so they are definitely on my list! I think it is the size of the books that makes me not want to pick them up!
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I’m not usually a fan of historical fiction but I loved this series which should tell you something. 🙂 But yeah they’re not light books are they? Hopefully you’ll think they’re well worth it when you do get around to them. 🙂
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Great picks Beth! Gosh all these books remind me of my teenage years; I read a lot of them then. I really wish we’d get an ending to Night World, that would make me happy! I miss the Morganville Vampire series, that was so good! 🙂
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Thanks so much Meghan. 🙂 Yeah I had to go back a long way to find these books, and I was surprised by some of my old favourites I discovered because wow it’s been ages since I picked them up.
Same here, but I kind of feel after this long we may never get an ending. I’m glad you enjoyed the Morganville Vampire series, after a while I just felt that went on for too long you know? 🙂
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You’re welcome! 🙂 Right! It’s been a while since I’ve heard them mentioned! 😛
It’s too bad that we probably won’t get an ending 😐
I agree, but they were really good books! 🙂
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Well at least we still have books one to nine, and you never know maybe one day we’ll have an ending. Never give up hoping right? 🙂
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Nope! Never give up hoping! 🙂
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