Top Ten Books I Had Strong Emotions Over

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. You can find upcoming topics at their Top Ten Tuesday page.

1. Shadowland by Alyson Noel
I was so frustrated by the time I got to the end. I wanted to scream at Ever for being so stupid. I really wanted tear the book up but it was a library book (at least I didn't waste any money on it).

2. If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
This book was such a mind f***. It messed with my head and confused me to no end, but I loved it. It's one of my favorite reads of the year.

3. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Spoiler: The scene when the villagers are singing their made-up, creepy  nursery-type rhyme about the Blackwell murders while they vandalize and burn down Merricat and Connie's home sent shivers down my spine. One of the most haunting moments ever.

4. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
There are times when I really connect with a character and can feel all of her emotions. I connected in this way with the narrator, Mrs. de Winter. I felt for her during her embarassing moments and the times she felt so lost and out of place. The mystery of Rebecca also really took hold of me. I had never been so caught up and so invested in a mystery plot line before. I just had to know what was up with the former Mrs. de Winter.

5. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
This book had my emotions going haywire. I really felt for the characters and the hardship and tragedy they were going through, and I was so angry at the officers who were putting them through all of that.

6. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
This book was like some kind of crazy, paranormal soap opera. I was literally yelling out loud at the characters, wanting to guide them away from their misguided choices.

7. Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham
I HATED Mildred, more than any other character in all of the books I've read. She was so selfish and evil. I hated her so much that I couldn't even finish the book, despite the fact that I was reading it for a research paper in my English class. I still ended up making an A on that paper though--I just used Sparknotes to learn what happened in the last 1/4 of the book. :)

8. The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore
This book was so funny! I laughed out loud through the whole thing. I really, really love Molly. Her scenes were the best, particularly the one where she greets her husband at the door completely naked and wielding a huge sword because she thinks she's a warrior princess.

9. Viy by Nikolai Gogol
This is actually a short story in The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol. It gave me nightmares for days.

10. The Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella
I am very susceptible to a character's embarrassment and I feel just as mortified as the character when she finds herself in a humiliating situation. Well, Becky Bloomwood found herself in many, many embarrassing situations, and my face was red with empathy for her the entire time I was reading this series (at least up until book four--Shopaholic and Sister was disappointing for me and I decided that I'd had enough of Bloomwood's antics).