The Hype is Real!
This week is a freebie, and I was inspired by a recent read to talk about some hyped books that I loved. It's so easy to get caught up in FOMO and jump on those hyped books. Sometimes, I end up very disappointed. Because of that, I have become a bit more discriminating when it comes to reading those mega hyped books. I would like to think that large numbers of people can't be wrong, but I also think some are easily convinced that something is good because someone else said it is.
It's funny, I consulted the Goodreads HYPED book list, and it's very YA heavy. Do you think this is more of a YA phenomena? I feel like celebrity book club books are often hyped, and those could be adult or YA. Anyhow, the books below are ones I believe were hyped, and they ended up being amazing reads for me.
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah [1.1 million ratings]
- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes [1.5 million ratings]
- People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry [910K ratings]
- A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman [932K ratings]
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins [2.8 million ratings]
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig [1.4 million ratings]
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn [2.9 million ratings]
- The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood [1.1 million ratings]
- Wonder by R.J. Palicio [1.0 million ratings]
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green [4.8 million ratings]
What hyped book did you love?
Let us know in the comments!
Let us know in the comments!
The Nightingale is 100% worth the hype! Me Before You was also great, although I can't bring myself to read the rest of the series!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I didn't think we needed books after Me Before You, but I enjoyed Lou's journey
Deletehaha yeah its VERY YA heavy! I kinda get jealous that I never had this type of YA to read when I was a teenager. The most we had back then was Meg Cabot haha it was right before the YA went into a book craze and you can blame Twilight for that. Its great for teens, I just get jealous sometimes. Some hyped books are worth the hype, but most of them aren't so its hard knowing what to pick up because I tend to get more disappointed than not. I am still on the fence on Ali Hazlewood to be honest. But I have been intrigued by Kristen Hannah over the years.
ReplyDeleteI read a lot of YA paperback romances in my youth. I think the only book I still see around is Go Ask Alice (which was a lie, we now know). With Hazelwood, if you enjoy her humor and the type of characters she writes, you will like her books. That is the only Hannah book I have read, but I am thinking about reading Firefly Lane. I haven't watched it, but it sounds like a story I would enjoy
DeleteOh, I love Me Before You. I didn't really care for The Woman on the Train as much though. I think a new hyped book that actually worked for me is Fourth Wing. I don't necessarily go for hyped books either though.
ReplyDeleteLauren @ www.shootingstarsmag.net
The Woman on the Train was like Gone Girl for me. I didn't particularly like the characters, but it was well plotted and I couldn't stop reading. Forth Wing is getting raves everywhere I look. Yarros has a strong following too.
DeleteI loved The Love Hypothesis and thanks for the reminder about The Midnight Library. I have that one on my Kindle.
ReplyDeleteKaren @For What It's Worth
Karen, The Midnight Library was so good, and it's one of those books that makes you think deeply. I was just hyping it to one of my co-workers today (she owns it unread, but she's going to read it now)
DeleteI liked the Girl on the Train. And Gone Girl, although I don't remember a lot about it, oddly.
ReplyDeleteI remember hating the characters, though, I felt some sympathy for the woman in Girl on the Train, not for anyone in Gone Girl. Very captivating stories
DeleteExactly. I had similar reactions
DeleteI think there is probably more YA hype, but there is hype in all genres.1, 8, and 10 were all books I read because of the hype and loved. I actually read 2 before it was hyped and loved it. I found #7 boring at first, but the twist got me and I ended up loving it. #5 I had mixed feelings about.
ReplyDeleteI know a lot of people struggled with the main character in Girl on the Train, but I felt bad for her. The Nightingale, You Before Me, The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, and Wonder were books I picked when checking out the eLibrary. I knew nothing about them before I read them. I was still really YA heavy at that point. I have been reading Henry since her YA debut. I was always going to read her adult books. Ove and TIFOS were read because I enjoyed other books by the authors. The Midnight Library is a book I wanted to read because I kept seeing so many great reviews. I think that is the biggest FOMO book on my list.
DeleteI probably will never read Me Before You because I know what happens, but I've heard a lot of good things. I want to read The Midnight Library. I also loved The Love Hypothesis and I gave People We Meet on Vacation 5 stars, but it was kind of an emotionally painful book to read. So much angst. Don't think I'd ever re-read.
ReplyDeleteI won't read books I have seen the adaptations for due that that very reason. There are two sequels that follow Lou after which I thought were lovely. PWMOV was angsty, I suppose, but it also had all that gooey romantic stuff I yearn for. I won't re-read anything
DeleteI've enjoyed a few of the ones on your list. A recently hyped book I enjoyed is Happy Place.
ReplyDeleteI have so much love for that book!
DeleteI have read 4 from your list and was slightly disappointed by two of them largely due to the hype. My expectations were not realistic. The other 6 books on your list are sitting on my shelf unread. I promise to get to them someday!
ReplyDeleteAwww, I am sad to hear you were let down because these were all solid hits for me.
DeleteThe Nightingale was definitely worth the hype for me. A more recent one I read that has been super hyped is Fourth Wing. I was worried because of the hype but it's currently my favorite read of the year.
ReplyDeleteI cry when I talk about The Nightingale. I have seen a lot of great reviews for Fourth Wing. Glad it lived up to the hype for you
Delete"I would like to think that large numbers of people can't be wrong, but I also think some are easily convinced that something is good because someone else said it is."
ReplyDeleteYES to that...You know how selective I am, so it's no surprise that I very rarely read hyped books. I think my only hyped ones are the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire (which turned me into a fan of hers) and the Jenna Fox Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson (though according to Goodreads, most people stopped reading at Book 1).
Even I recognized Seanan McGuire's name. Pretty popular, but still good.
DeleteI think maybe hype is a bit more prevalent among YA titles, but it's definitely strong in the romance community, too. There are books that are seemingly everywhere and that every reader is raving about. With rare exceptions, I tend to ignore/avoid the hype. I finally realized that I know what I like, I know what works for me, and I'm always the best judge of what I'll enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, The Nightingale and Me Before You were both crazy hyped books that I loved. But I had also already read and loved both authors books long before reading those two hyped ones. :)
Since I sort of stepped away from YA and social media, I am not as up on the hyped books. I think of what I see a lot on other blogs or Goodreads (which explains why many of my choices are older books). I read both those books before they were adapted which I think really propels a book into hype-mania mode. I was a few years behind though. Read Me Before You in 2015 and The Nightingale in 2016
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