Finding new favourite books has been hard for me lately, so when I love a book…I really really love it.
It’s like my brain has bypasses “ooh this book was fun we should like it” and just goes to “THIS BOOK WILL DEVOUR A PIECE OF YOUR SOUL AND LIVE THERE INSTEAD.” All casually stuff. I like to be lowkey, not dramatic, in everything I do.
So this year I’ve liked quite a few books (though not as many as I hoped?!) but I’ve gotten seriously obsessed with some and am still thinking about them. Bookhangovers? I’ve been having them. ๐ Either I feel nothing or everything.
[Top Ten Tuesday | The Last Ten Books That Gave Me a Book Hangover]
- You can’t stop thinking about the book.
- You don’t want to read a new book because you cAn’T focus on it.
- Several times in your day, you suddenly look up from your task at hand, your eyes glaze over, and you say, “BOOK” in a way similar to a chicken.
- You want to read the book you’re obsessing over again, for the first time.
- Or you feel like the book is one room in a huge house and you would like to see into the other 57 rooms — oh did you say FANFIC, WELL OKAY THEN–
- You’re trying to decide if you want everyone to read it. Or do you want to protect it? It is yours. It belongs only to you.
- The next book you read tastes of ash.๐ช
It’s all very dramatic and sad and difficult to live like this but you press on like a true and valiant warrior.
So let me tell you about the last 10 books I’ve read that have given me book hangovers.
also I want to admit that a book doesn’t have to be perfect for me to be obsessed with it. It just has to click with something deep deep in my soul. I don’t even know what that thing is!!! Just SOME specific thing!!
1. The Ruin of Kings
I’ve been talking about this one a lot recently, so you know!! The obsession is strong!!! My favourite part of my sudden intense love for this is…I wasn’t sure I was deeply in love with it to start with?! I was a bit “eh I love it but it could be better.” But now I find myself just obsessing about the world and characters and “what if this” and “what if that” — my eyeballs GLOW into LOVE HEARTS with how much I enjoyed this book.
2. The King’s Men
I sneakily put this on here because while this list is supposed to be about recent reads (and I read this for the first time in 2018), I just reread the trilogy in January, 2020. Which COUNTS as a recent obsession. I’m still so wholly obsessed. ๐ฅบIt’s the characters for me here. The plot? The sports? Eh. Sometimes I think about sports and also sometimes I think about near death experiences. Same difference. But these broken, messy, adorable dumbasses!? I just love them. I love how Neil went from being so abused he couldn’t look at people, to nesting in burrito blanket pile with his team because they are there for each other. ๐ฅบ๐๐๐
3. One Of Us Is Next
Okay, admittedly, I didn’t even think I’d like this because I didn’t love the first book. And then — ooomf — there I went, slightly obsessing and also deciding I desperately need to write a thriller?! I think that’s why this one lit up my eyes. It inspired me for writing! And I just really liked the characters and how real they felt. I keep thinking about it!! Especially those last pages!! OH. THAT. TWIST.
4.ย Only Mostly Devastated
This is part romcom, part family drama. And it managed to make me laugh and get all squashed and choked up at the same time. You know that moment when a book winds up and punches you in the throat and while you’re gasping on the ground for air, it tells a lot of cute jokes to make up for it?? THIS ONE. I loved it. ๐ I also felt it dealt well with the way people can be problematic when they’re hiding themselves, how fear is valid, how being closeted is so awful for your mental health, how no one deserves to be hurt for love. gAH FEELS.
5. Gideon The Ninth
This one is also odd, because I spent so long, so so lost. After about 100pgs, I was sure all my intelligence had just fallen out my ears and pooled muddily on the ground because I DIDN’T GET IT. But that’s the beauty of a lot of this book? It doesn’t guide you through the world. You get hurled in and you keep up or die. Plus it is scifi and full of lesbians and murder and necromancy and complex history that is interwoven to bring out deliciously dark reveals at the end. Good stuff. I can’t stop thinking about it.
6. Queen of Nothing
I mean HELLOOOOOO OF COURSE!!!! Gah, I was so so freaking out about this book. I was in the bookstore at 9am, scouring the shelves, having a silent meltdown once I had it in my clammy paws. Iย devoured it. And it was so so good. It was fast-paced, taunt, emotional and vulnerable, as well as full of tricky twists that made my heart leap. It was JUST what I wanted!!!! (And okay, small rant moment: I don’t get why so many people hate it and call it disappointing or reads like fanfic or whatnot or wasn’t sexy enough. I mean!! Hello it’s actually YA! It’s not an SJM book. It was backstabby but hopeful and I think more books should be like that.)
7. Call Down The Hawk
Oh you know. YOU KNOW how much I love Stiefvater books. 2019 was basically me counting down till November so I could have this precious novel I’d ached over for so so long. ๐ญIt was perfect: complex, peculiar, aching, vulnerable and dangerous. I hold so much awe for Maggie Stiefvater’s prose too?! Sometimes you feel caught in a loop of lucid mad dreaming — and the next you’re laughing softly at the everyday domestic shenanigans. I just !!!! Love it so much. It took me AGES to stop thinking about it.
8. Sick Kids In Love
So I knew I’d love this one because I really liked Moskowitz’s other books — but GAH this one was so amazing?! Like I still think about it now and smile sappily.๐๐ฅฐIt BROKE ME in the best possible way. And the dialogue was just perfect? I wanted to be absorbed into this book forever and not let go. And tbh, it just raised the bar for contemporaries so high. I need more books like this!!!!
9. Can You See Me
I loved this one so so much I even got my mum to read it!!! Which is such a score for me because she usually only reads historical romances — my recommendation skills are unstoppable. ๐This is a middle-grade novel about autism, but it’s written so accurately that I ached while I read. It’s relatable but also explains things really well from an autistic perspective. (As an autistic, I found myself going: “ohhh sot hat’s why I do that.”) READ IT. I still think about it.
10. Wayward Son
I am hungover from this one because of that cliffhanger!!!! YOU KNOW THE ONE. Omg. Rainbow Rowell likes to gently torture us all forever. But this whole book wasย soft. It really captured how hard it is to be mentally ill but unwilling to tell anyone what’s going on with you. I just wanted the boys to TALK and work things out but, gah, they are self-sabotaging hard. But all the domestic scenes made my day, so basically 10/10, the worst part of this book was that it ended and I didn’t have anymore pages.
what was the last book you were super obsessed with?! and do you get book hangovers often?
My worst was Grisha-verse of Leigh Bardugo. Grisha-trilogy was awesome. But Six of Crows duology killed me. Both books were perfection, the ending of the duology was pure perfection. Like, fried gold perfection. I couldn’t read anything else for a while. I also bought Ninth House and King of Scars afterwards. I will read Ninth House but I’m so afraid of reading King of Scars because I know that I will have to wait.
I bought Wayward Son last week and it is now with me. I already read Carry On last year and your review makes me want to read Wayward Soon immediately and not wait at least for a while. LOL
Omg Crooked Kingdom was NOT KIND on the feels. ๐ญ still not over it. (And I don’t think the sequel to KOS is coming out till 2021 so I don’t blame you for waiting!)
That ending was so satisfactory yet so saddening. Like, kudos to you Bardugo for breaking my heart into thousand pieces. I’d like it more.
The last book I read that made me feel like this was Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo. My year 6 class were studying it so I did a preread. It made me feel all the emotions! I read it in the beginning of January and still can’t stop thinking about it now!
Oh I’m glad you totally loved it!! Finding these sorts of special books is indescribably good.
The last book that I was super obsessed about would be The Queen of nothing. I mean you know why.
I get bool hangovers all the time. Like ALL THE TIME.
right?!? ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ what wizardry was it to be so good and leave us so broken and yet grateful.
The last book I was super obsessed with was Vengeful, I read that back in August last year and haven’t found anything I’ve obsessed over as much since. I’ve got a lot of great sounding books to read this year though, so hopefully I will find a new obsession soon! I don’t get book hangovers massively often, but when I get them, I get them bad!
I hope you find a really epic new favourite soon too!! (Vicious and Vengeful are downright amazing.)
The last book that gave me a hangover was actually just last month and it was A Gathering of Shadows. Part of me wanted to start A Conjuring of Light immediately the other part is still screaming and worried about my babies which so far is the part that has won ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ
I always procrastinate books I know I want to read too ๐ like the Ruin of Kings sequel is RIGHT THERE. Have I started it yet? No. (ACOL is simply excellent though.)
I’m desperate to read SICK KIDS IN LOVE as it sounds like something I’ll love. I’m also interested to see how the author handles chronic illness.
It’s #ownvoices too! and the writing and story is INCREDIBLE and you can feel the author’s love/pain on every page.
I really want to read Wayward Son so I can have a book hangover too! Iโm nervous to order it because Amazon/Post Office lost the last box of books I ordered.
How dare Amazon lose your books!! Ugh that’s awful!
I havenโt read any of this book yet, but the last book that gave me book hangover was A Conjuring of Light by V.E Schwab. In fact, I don’t think I’m over it yet! ๐ญ I don’t think about it 24/7, but when I do get reminded of the book, I can still feel the ending ๐ญ
omggg that one too. Never over it. ๐ That entire series just totally devoured me.
Call Down the Hawk was the same for me! I’ll be reading Gideon the Ninth soon and I can’t wait. ๐
I’m so glad we feel the same about Call Down The Hawk ๐๐๐
C. Glasgow “Girl in pieces”, it was so emotional and i finished it in a day. It was a while ago and i still remember it which says a lot, cause i don’t remember anything ever. Among these “One of us is lying” for sure. I was soo hooked. So well written and interesting!
OH GIRL IN PIECES. Omg that was definitely dark and emotional and moving ๐ญ๐
when i read Deeplight by Frances Hardinge. It was awesome. ๐๐๐.I was super obsessed with Deeplight .
Oh I want to try that one! The cover is DIVINE.
I recently read Only Mostly Devastated and it’s SO GOOD! Yes, I laughed a ton and then cried and just fell in love with this story so much.
And Wayward Son, soooooooooo, soooooooo good! waiting very impatiently for Any Way the Wind Blows.
Also, my hold on Queen of Nothing at the library means I’ll get it soon and yay!!!
Right?! It was adorable and heartbreaking ๐ฅบ๐๐ I want a hundred moooore by that author. (And omg why can’t we have the next Wayward Son scheduled so we know when it’s coming?! If he takes another 4 years I’ll CRY.)
I haven’t had any book hangovers in quite some time. And, I believe I’m in the minority here, but I did not like Holly Black’s trilogy. Maybe it’s because I’m in my late 30s and starting to get really tired of the YA genre. I need more heat in my books so I guess New Adult is more my style. ACOTR was so much better in my opinion. :/
And it’s fine to prefer one book over another…but I don’t really get it when someone is excited for a series that other people feel the need to squash that happiness.
I feel like its getting harder and harder for me to become obsessed with a book but I absolutely loved Kate Forsyth’s new book, The Blue Rose. It was more romancey than I’d usually read but I adored it anyway and I’ve been getting her back list of books from the library ever since then ๐
The Ruin of Kings looks amazing!
I get that too! I haven’t had any like…all-time-life-and-soul-favourites for a while, but it’s amazing when you find them!
See, these were all books (except Sick Kids, which AGREED) that I was like “hmm I should read these probably some day” and NOW, now apparently I have to read them all immediately, how very rude! (Well- I had not heard of Can You See Me but clearly I need to read it!) Well- I possess Gideon and the first Foxhole book so I should likely start with one of those, eh? Also I am FULLY on board with you penning a thriller. Immediately, please and thank you.
Sick Kids was just !!! so good!!! I want every Moskowitz book ever now ๐ญ๐ญ And I always warn people the Foxhole court series is a bit trash but in a good way ๐ Everyone seems to love it or hate it.
My life is a book hangover! I have finally recovered from Queen of Nothing but I have a new queen to obsess over, Grace & Fury and Queen of Ruin. I also have a ton of … hangunders(???) so many books I can’t wait to read and know I will obsess over but can’t get round to starting.
Oh I get that too! sometimes you put off reading something because you know the hangover will be bad ๐
I absolutely loved Queen of Nothing, although loads of people I know didn’t. Thrilled to see it on your list!
“you say, โBOOKโ in a way similar to a chicken.”. this made me laugh SO DAMN HARD ahah, Cait you’re killing me. I love this post SO much and I clearly have some books I need to read as soon as possible now! I so agree with you about Only Mostly Devastated, I loved this book so much, it was wonderful and it made me laugh and emotional and I really really liked it, as well. and aaaaaaaaah I NEED Sick Kids In Love, this book sounds FANTASTIC and I’ve heard SO much about it. I can’t wait to read it ๐
The Ruin of Kings is one of my favorite last week I bought the book and I love it.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed Gideon the Ninth cause I tried reading it some time ago but, like you, I was LOST! I’ve been wanting to pick it up again tbh. After how many pages does it make a wee bit of sense?????
I don’t get book hangovers very often! The last book that really struck me is The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. I’m currently working my way through The Wheel of Time series and omg every book is killing me….if it wasn’t for “responsibilities” I’d be a puddle.
the queen of nothing rant iS ME!! it wouldn’t say it was disappointing overall because i literally devoured the book in one sitting and was enticed at every moment but there were a few plot points from previous books that weren’t like dealt with properly? but like jude and cardan!! did not disappoint. neither did the plot or the stabbiness of things and im still SO sad this series is over like pls?? i need more?? and i still havent read call down the hawk but i really want to!! i just have not had any time and want to properly invest my time into the thicc glorious book that it is going to be!!
This is a great list. ๐
I’m really glad you loved The Ruin of Kings, that was one I was really excited for last year but it made me so mad while I read it that I had to DNF at page 100. I’m finding it really difficult to let go of the book still though because I was so excited about it.
This list of book is not actually obsessing they are super addicting , highly recommended for everyone.
I feel like I only casually obsess over new favorites, and I haven’t had that many in recent months. But of the few that I’ve had, I was relating hard to the signs of a bookhangover! One of my most recent obsessions was also Sick Kids in Love and I had that feeling of EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS RIGHT NOW while at the same time I was really nervous to recommend it to people because I needed them to love it as much as I did!
And it’s funny because there’s a book that I started in 2019 that I had to return to the library before I had a chance to finish it. And even having only read 150 pages, I destined in as anew favorite and have been recommending it to people. I can’t wait to finish it so I can finally introduce my obsession to the masses without feeling guilty that I’m basing my obsession on just a fraction of a book!