For the most part, lots of hype around a book is much more likely to turn me off reading than running to the store to buy it. Often this works out well and I find later that I really don’t enjoy the book and am glad I got a copy from the library. But sometimes I find out about ten years later that the books are amazing (Harry Potter).
This was a tough one, I don’t often read new releases and I may have had to google if my selections were actually hyped books. Oh well, here are five books that are worth the hype and one that was a bit meh:
1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.
Not really likeable female protagonist, train commute, mystery and suspense, London, multiple perspectives, voyeurism. This book is also a wonderful choice for audiobook. I think the genre has been called Chick Noir.
2. Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson.
Lumberjanes has everything! Amazing girls, summer camp with a twist, epic friendship, better Indiana Jones than Indiana Jones, dinosaurs, DINOSAURS!
3. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell.
Damnit, Rowell tells a good story with great characters and lots of snark. This was my first of her books! Are you jealous or what, I ignored the hype and now get to read them all for the first time (it’s Harry Potter all over again…it actually is Harry Potter all over again!) 🙂
4. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
This book had two strikes against it: YA fiction and romance. But: It is why I am now no longer extremely skeptical about YA literature. Sáenz gives us the beautiful friendship of two teenaged Mexican-American boys that’s also one of the best romance reads. I’m kinda allergic to romance, so this is high praise.
5. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.
This is the one that was over-hyped but I found a bit meh. Lockhart did much more with the bored, rich, white kids thing than I expected so kudos. But the twist wasn’t very twisty and the characters were like empty vessels. But I loved her Frankie Landau-Banks, so I’ll definitely try more by her.
How do you deal with hyped books? And which books did you think were worth the hype?
If You Can Read This 
Great picks! Rowell is always (ok, almost always), a hit for me! I still have Attachments and Carry On to read. I’ll be sad when I’m out of her books, but at least she writes quickly!
Thanks for stopping by, Andi! Enjoy your last two Rowell books, I’m looking forward to reading more by her.
The only books I know of are We Were Liars and of course Girl on The Train.
Thanks for sharing.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My A Month of Faves
Wow. Bina, I love this list. I haven’t read any of this. I am adding these to my 2016-TBR’s.
And, perhaps, I was the last one on the planet to read ‘Harry Potter’ series. I read it this January. 😉 After I finished all the seven, I almost felt like I lost my purpose in life. 😉
Haha happy to add to your tbr for once, mine is filled with lots of your recs 🙂
Heh, look at the bright side, so waiting for the sequels! If you want something a bit along Harry Potter but more for adults with lots of snark, check out Carry On.
Haha! Bina, I love your recommendations.
I want to try Rowell’s work soon. I shall start with ‘Carry On’.
I read The Girl on theTrain and probably should have included it on my list. Really enjoyed We Were Liars last year – read it by the pool on a beautiful summer weekend. Maybe that’s part of the reason I liked it so much, lol! Everyone seems to love Lumberjanes and I plan to give it a try. Great list!
Thanks for stopping by! Haha, I should’ve read it by the pool as well, that would’ve gone a long way to a better impression 🙂 Yes, Lumberjanes is fantastic, enjiy!
I like that you included one anti in here….I did the same thing (kind of) with my list! And – I loved We Were Liars when I first read it (right when it came out), but then read Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore right after it and it’s so similar, but SO much better!
Thanks fir stopping by, Sarah! Heh, I couldn’t think of a 5th hyped book I loved. Now I’m very curious about Bittersweet, thanks for telling me about it!
Lumberjanes made my list too! Worth the hype
The Girl on the Train seems to be on many lists! Maybe it’s time I read it!
Heh yes, it really is worth the hype. Some people require likeable protagonists, but everyone else should give the book a try 🙂
I don’t tend to read hyped books either. I always find that they have to be so much better to live up to the hype. Like you I tend to read them a year or so later. I did find out that The Hunger Games totally lived up to their hype!
I just finished the second volume of Lumberjanes last week. What a great comic! And the best part is that is was interesting enough that my 11 year old son picked it up too when I left it around. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Kristen! How wonderful your son is reading it, too! Lumberjanes are just brilliant, I’m up to issue 5 and now have to slow down 🙂
Hi Bina,
We’re both allergic to YA. 🙂 I was recently surprised to discover The Book Thief was labelled as YA so now I’m not so sure anymore. I loved the book.
I stayed away from The Help for a long time because of the hype but then I ended up liking it a lot.
I usually wait for the hype to go away and either buy the book or somebody from my book club would have it and I would borrow it. Somehow all the books I want to read find me sooner or later.
Heh good to know I’m not the only one 🙂 That’s really how it works out, isn’t it? Somehow I really do end up reading some hyped books way after the hype has died down and enjoy them. I just got The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo from the library 😀
Aw, how fun to have Rainbow Rowell’s oeuvre in front of you. I rank them: Attachments, Landline, Carry On, Eleanor and Park, Fangirl, and that is my official ranking of all her books from worst to best. That would be a good order for you to read them in. I HOPE YOU LOVE THEM ALL. (I only love three of her five.)
Haha, thanks! You have shown me the light, I won’t dare read them in another order 😀