Top 5… books that drained my emotions
Today’s Top 5 Tuesday is ‘books that drained my emotions’. Top 5 Tuesday is hosted by the super lovely Shanah over at the Bionic Bookworm. You can visit her here, and join in for Top 5 Tuesday by checking out all the amazing topics we have coming up!
98% of the time I am happy to be in Australia. However, because I am so far in front of everyone in terms of time zones, it makes it so hard to write these posts sometimes because I’m usually one of the first to post! I mean, I want to steal some of your inspiration occasionally… books that drained my emotions… hmmm… ok. For lack of not knowing what else to put, I’m providing a list of books that gave me ALL. OF. THE. FEELS. Like, so many feels that I was just mush at the end of the books.
I really can’t go past Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff for number one. Because I had heard very mean things about cliffhangers (and believed them because I had read Jay’s books before), I did not pick up Illuminae until I had Obsidio in my hands. However, books one and three had nothing, and I mean NOTHING on the absolute emotional wreck that Gemina left me in. I have always considered myself a book lover, and I would never do anything intentional to hurt a book (except when I was young and dog-eared pages). That all went out the window when I read this book though, as I literally threw it not once, but twice, while reading it. If you’ve read it, you probably know the two scenes I’m talking about – and let me tell you, I was not prepared for the feels this book not only gave me, but then ripped from me. TWICE. I’ve never cursed authors like I did Amie and Jay while reading this. I LOVED IT.
You know, I try very hard to not list Harry Potter books in these prompts, but Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is my favourite book of the series. I know this is a very unpopular opinion, as most people see this one as the saddest, but that’s probably why I like it the most. Sirius dies! And, I don’t mean that in a “yay! Sirius is dead!” way at all. Sirius’ death was a turning point for me. He was one of the first fictional characters who I truly mourned. I was gutted. I think I cried for about 3 days. For Harry to be given so much hope – Sirius had been cleared of charges, everyone realised Harry had been telling the truth about Voldemort returning, Harry was going to get to live in a real home, cared for by someone who truly loved him – all wiped out with a simple step through a curtain. The unjustness of it all! And it’s not my favourite because Harry was so destroyed either. I just liked.
Another unpopular opinion – Empire of Storms is my favourite book in the Throne of Glass series. Yes, I have finished them all. Kingdom of Ash was amazing, don’t get me wrong, I really liked the ending to it. But this one? It makes me cry just thinking about it. It’s hard to explain without giving away the plot (it’s far less likely you guys don’t know what happened in HPatOotP). But, all this stuff was set up and no one knew, and then the thing at the end happened, and it was just like it was all done for nothing – none of it mattered! And then things started to fall apart and it was JUST. SO. SAD. So many emotions! I had so many emotions.
SURPRISE! That’s right, my friends. It’s not a real Top 5 Tuesday if I haven’t listed The Nevernight Chronicle by Jay Kristoff. If you’ve read these books, then you probably understand where I’m coming from. And to be perfectly honest, some of my ‘WTF’ moments in these books come from the absolutely brutal cliffhanger endings. However, the rest of them come from the total soul-destroying experience that reading these books can leave you in. Also, sorry for doubling up authors!! Kristoff is just really good at making me cry…
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OK, so you may have noticed my lack of contemporary fiction thus far. It’s because I’m having a hard time picking just one. You see, the contemporary novels that I tend to read are the ones that intentionally make you cry, They give you delightful little feelings, and then when you’re feeling full of sunshine, they distract you with a rainbow, shove a dagger in between your ribs, and then rip your soul out of your chest cavity leaving you feeling rather dead inside. Then they often take your poor soul, smash it onto the ground and stomp it into the gutter with dead leaves and drain water. Occasionally they give it back to you, and then you (stupidly) buy another book by the same author only to repeat this process.
If, like me, you enjoy this happening to you (I’m kind of a reading-sadist…?), then I’m going to give you a top 5 contemporary books to read. You’re welcome.
- A Thousand Perfect Notes by C. G. Drews
- The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
- The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
- They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
- Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
It feels weird ending this post on my usual ‘Happy reading’ line, as these are books that absolutely destroyed me… so, bye! (Thanks Shanah – I’m off to cry again now you’ve reminded me of all these things)
17 Comments
Kacey Lewis
Order of the Phoenix absolutely destroyed me too. Especially when Dumbledore explains the nature of the prophecy to Harry at the end, and everything falls into place and he realizes the very nature of civilization probably falls on his shoulders as a TEENAGER, yeah, heavy stuff.
Also agree with you on Empire of Storms. What. A. Book! I was going to do a re-read of the series before KoA came out, but then I realized I would have had to re-read that book, and no thanks. ONCE is enough for a while 😉
Meeghan reads
Haha, I know exactly how you feel!! I kind of skim read/flicked through them a couple of months ago, but I also hoped that Maas was going to remind us of what had happened. And she kind of did? I didn’t feel lost anyway!!
Kacey Lewis
I forgot some of the secondary characters we met in Empire of Storms, but other than that I’m not lost!
may
ahhhh OKAY seriously i dont know WHY empire of storm isn’t loved more IT WAS SUCH A GOOD BOOK and i sobbed so hard when i finished it like its really one of the top ones for me
and totally relate with gemina, i love that book so much even tho it destroyed me.
love the answers!!
Meeghan reads
Thanks May!! The more a book destroys me, the more I seem to love it!! Glad to see I’m not the only one!! ?
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Shanah - Bionic Book Worm
YES! All of these – yes! The Order of the Phoenix seems to be most peoples least favourite, but it’s one of my favourites for sure! And I was going to add Nevernight to my list – that book was an emotional rollercoaster! Added you to the list 🙂
Meeghan reads
Ahhh, Nevernight… I am equally ecstatic and terrified for Darkdawn!! It’s going to be a bloodbath, there is no doubt about that one!
I’m glad other people love HPatOotP! I always get side eye when I tell people it’s my fave!!
lilisblissfulpages
Except HP, I haven’t read the books in your list but they’re in my TBR. 🙂 And Hp is on my list too, though I chose the last book in the series. 🙂
Here’s mine: https://lilisblissfulpages.wordpress.com/2018/11/21/top-5-books-that-drained-my-emotions/
Meeghan reads
You had such a great list too Lili!
lilisblissfulpages
Thanks Meghan. 🙂
Beware Of The Reader
Hahaha yes you always open the ball and I am one of the last to post LOL Obsidio and co are on my list for BlackFriday!!!
Meeghan reads
But Sophie your posts are always worth it!!
Marti (Bookish Treats)
Gemina and HP were definitely heart-draining. I haven’t read Nevernight yet, but I really want to get to it soon.
Meeghan reads
I loved it, I hope you do too!
Kee the Reader
Totally agree with Nevernight Chronicles! The first book killed me. One of m favourite books that my last tattoo was a quote from it. I haven’t read Godsgrave yet because I don’t think I could wait much for Darkdawn, but I can’t wait to jump back into this world.
Meeghan reads
Don’t read it until we’re closer to Darkdawn! I got an ARC of Godsgrave so I feel like I’ve been waiting longer than everyone else and IT IS KILLING ME.