Books I read without knowing anything about | Top Ten Tuesday

I was just thinking the other day that no matter the book I picked, I would have expectations, because I would have seen at least a review before getting into it. So you remember, the days when you picked any book from the library, just to read? Ah, it seems like forever ago. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, because thanks to blogging, I always have a book I want to read, which means an endless TBR pile, but who even cares? I don’t need to be scared of running out of books, which is amazing!

When I was younger/Before I read in English, I was just going to the library or the bookstore and looked at the books, because I had no idea which one to choose and I did it quite randomly. However, I almost never do that anymore, I just read what I see on other blogs, because it seems great! There is nothing wrong with that though, because I have more chances to read a book I’ll actually like!

I’m linking up with Top Ten Tuesday, the prompt for today being “Ten Books I Picked Up on A Whim”. I tried to come up my most recent ‘on a whim’ reads, but it was so hard, because I carefully pick up the books I read now. But still, I manage to do that, sometimes!

The Declaration by Gemma Malley – I think it’s the first dystopian novel I’ve ever read, before The Hunger Games, Divergent and the rest of them. I think my mom basically went to the bookstore, saying: “My daughter reads a lot I’m running out of ideas???”, and they throw this book (nicely) at her. I loved it and my love for dystopia began (now I’ve changed but still). Sometimes, I’m still teary-eyed thinking about this one.

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins – Back in the day, in the months before I had an e-reader, I was reading on the Kindle app on my computer, and I had the habit of buying cheap e-books (that’s how I discovered the Lux series) and I got this one. I didn’t like it though, because it was such a typical urban fantasy romance it was ridiculous, but at least I tried!

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins – One day, I was at the library for returning history books and I took a trip in the French YA section and the whole trilogy was there! I was like: “wait, isn’t Rachel Hawkins the author of this Rebel Belle I’m hearing so much about it???” so I took the trilogy and read it in two days. It was okay, but so much fun!

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake – Ever since I finished the Anna dressed in blood duology, this book was appearing here and there on Goodreads, but I never read the synopsis or anything. And then, Three Dark Crowns by this author was announced and I got the urge to read this whole trilogy first, even though I didn’t know what it was about (Spoiler: Greek gods dying, it’s so cool!).

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout – It was just the same thing than for Hex Hall, really, except that I was in the bookstore, and for once, they had a YA book by an author I had heard about! I didn’t know anything about this one, I just knew everyone was raving about the Lux series, so I bought it! It was such a bad decision, because it was just copying Vampire Academy, except it wasn’t about vampires, but demigods. I don’t know if it got anywhere past that, but it wasn’t for me… Vampire Academy was so much better.

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen – I won’t lie, I first heard about this book when there was a Goodreads giveaway to get early copies. I didn’t win (because I never do) but I was still interested because I loved the cover and the way the title sounded. The titles of this series are made of alliterations and it pleases my ear. I read it when I was in a reading slump last summer and loved it! I actually only saw a couple reviews of this series so far, so I’m not sure it’s super popular. I’m reading the last book in the trilogy right now!

Frostfire by Amanda Hocking – I think I saw one picture of it on Bookstagram last summer, and I wanted it, even if I had no idea what it was about, but the girl on the cover looked like a badass Red Riding Hood, it’s enough, right? RIGHT? Alas, it was a spin-off series and I found that a) I didn’t have enough details to totally understand the world and b) it was so cliché it was hurting my soul.

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White – Ooooh, a beautiful and shiny cover! What is this? I need it! ß Me when I got the e-book of this book and read it during Christmas break. Of course, I had heard about Kiersten White before, but not this book, so I didn’t even know it existed! But with And I Darken coming out in June, I was curious about this author and I was so right. It was definitely my kind of books, asgezjkf.

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris – I think I saw this one when I was rating another book on Goodreads, in the “other readers also enjoyed” section and I was like, why not? I read it buuuut… Right now, I don’t remember much about it, I think there were parallel universes? So it might be the first book I read in that subgenre? But apparently, it was pretty unmemorable, because I didn’t continue with the second book and don’t remember anything.

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine – This book is a highlight of last year, I loved it so much when I didn’t have expectations at all! It was pretty and the series was called the Great Library, I didn’t need any other reasons to get it! I think I totally devoured it, the premise was so interesting (because books!) and Gutenberg was a heretic because he wanted to improve the way we printed books? Oh gosh, it was so good, I can’t wait for the sequel to come out!

Do you still pick up books on a while? What was the last one? Did you discover any of your favourite books like that?