Sunday, March 13, 2016

SFF: The 5 Books That Had You at "Hello"

Sunday Fun Five #49:


#48: The 5 Paper Books You Treasure Most
#49: The 5 Books That Had You at "Hello"
For the 27th of March: #50: The 5 Résumé-Worthy Talents of the Average Book Blogger

A Countdown of

The 5 Books That Had You at "Hello"

Seldom do I sit down and start reading a book until I have to sleep/eat/do human things, but with these books, well... they were very hard for me to put down once I polished off the first chapter.



5. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Usually, longer books don't hold my attention too well with their beginnings because I know I'm in for a long read, but this one was different. Maybe it was the setting or the mythology, but something about it was just magical- it had me hooked.


4. Vicious (Vicious #1) by V.E. Schwab 
I had been anticipating reading this book for what seemed like ages until I was able to get it for a decent price. Generally, that means my expectations are too high to be met, but not with this book. Maybe because I'm a supervillain at heart?


3. The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter (The Fall of the Gas-lit Empire #1) by Rod Duncan
My favorite alternate history/steampunk crossdresser, Elizabeth Barnabus, had me salivating over her adventures from the start. I hadn't known what to expect going in to read this book, and that's likely why I liked it so much and why it was so addictive. It was very much my cup of coffee.


2. My Man Jeeves (Jeeves #1) by P.G. Wodehouse
This one is unusually well-paced for a classic, perhaps because it is 1) a comedy, 2) short stories, and 3) delightfully zany. It is also a relatively short read, so if it ends up it isn't your thing, you haven't wasted too much time. I was surprised how quickly I gobbled it up- usually, even with books I love, they take a while for me to read.


1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy #1) by Stieg Larsson
This one could almost go into the category of macabre thrills like watching a car accident. You can't help but look/read on after a few chapters, wondering what might happen next. When something happens, you think, "No, that couldn't have happened- this has to get happier," a sentiment which continues throughout the book. This one is definitely not for the faint of heart- I felt it the level of content was "worse" than A Game of Thrones... and yet I still enjoyed it.

What are some books that you couldn't stop reading from the first chapter? What was it about them that had you hooked?

6 comments:

  1. Oo, great question! The book that I remember most recently feeling this way about was Claire North's Touch -- the premise was so crazy and the narrative voice so captivating that I knew I was in from the jump.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll have to check that one out! I love it when it doesn't take much effort to slip into a new book- sometimes when a book is boring me to start with, I feel like a little less of a super-reader.
      Thanks for stopping by and sharing, Jenny! :)
      ~Litha Nelle

      Delete
  2. Ooo... I have The Golem and the Jinni on my Kindle! The last book I couldn't put down was The Serpent King (after I got past the first 20%, ha ha). Someday I will get to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I saw a self-pub in the Goodreads giveaways titled The Girl With the Turtle Tattoo. I was cracking up. XD

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Girl With the Turtle Tattoo? Sounds too hardcore for me... ;)
      I'll keep an eye out for the Serpent King- I generally don't read contemporary, but it's hard to know what I'll like or dislike.
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, La La!
      ~Litha Nelle

      Delete
  3. I love it when a book grabs me and holds on like that. :-) I haven't read any of the books you list other than The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but a few are on my TBR pile or wish list, especially The Golem and the Jinni .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I love that feeling too! If only it happened with every book I read...
      The Golem and the Jinni reminds me of an atmospheric historical fiction with magical beings as protagonists- but it read faster than most historical fictions. I love the way it portrayed New York.
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Wendy!
      ~Litha Nelle

      Delete

Feel Free to Express Yourself:
Agree? Disagree? Have something to add?

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...