Apparently lots of stress is kind of bad and can kill you, which is why we love stressful books.
It honestly makes sense why most people in history are DEAD right now and also why dragons are much less likely to be spotted burning the southern isles and stealing sheep, fair children, and that super epic box of glitter you’ve been keeping for a special occasion because stress is wiping them out. Obviously there’s such a thing as “good stress” because if you were too chill all the time you’d fall asleep and never wake up. This is what happened to Sleeping Beauty. Then she got kissed — BOOM, STRESSFUL LIFE IS BACK.
But with all the stresses of everyday life * does it make sense why we bookworms do so love a good super-anxious-inducing-stressful book???? No, sir, no it does not make sense.
And don’t come @ me with “oh it’s CONTROLLED stress, Cait!” because heck no it’s not controlled by us in books. Just go park yourself in Game of Thrones or pick up an Adam Silvera book or take a stroll through VE Schwab’s novels — THERE’S NOTHING CONTROLLED ABOUT IT. THEY’RE HERE TO MAKE YOU SUFFER.
But here’s the thing:
GOOD BOOKS = UNKIND ON OUR NERVES.
It’s the rules. And we love it. I love it! You love it! I can see it in your dead eyes!
Today I want to write a list of 10 books I’ve found monstrously stressful and how great that is — but before we get there…here is a concise but knowledgeable list on WHY we love books that will end with us having nervous breakdowns:
* Examples include: dealing with humans, managing money, trying to exist when the earth is slowly dying, surveying American politics, trying to figure out how many cupcakes you can eat in a day before you die, and trying not to fall in the void while you scream into it.
- Because being too stressed can kill you, and LET’S LIVE ON THE DANGEROUS SIDE WOOOO.
- It’s also exciting, a kind of adrenaline boost.
- Even though a good book will seem super real, you know that if it gets TOO stressful you can always beat it with a small teaspoon and send it to time out and therefore regain your chill and control of the situation.
- We like stressful books because we’re stupid.
- We’re REALLY STUPID.
- Why be in pain once because your toast is burnt? Read The Book Thief too.
- Books that stress you out ALSO equal books that have given you feelings and emotions. Good or bad, that’s still really cool to know a dead tree covered in
kraken bloodink has moved you. - Things are boring when they’re too easy.
- Plus real life is stressful and while we look to books for an escape, most of us don’t want unrealistic fluff. (Thought that’s totally okay to read too.)
- We are also stupid.
Now ONWARDS to 10 examples of books I’ve found super stressful.
Some for have reasonable explanations. Some are because I’m a fragile pineapple frond and honestly need to be protected. And also I totally recommend finding a nice book to shoot through your nerves, turn your hair grey prematurely, and drive you to eating more chocolate to recover.
As they say in Harry Potter: IF YOU’VE GONE THROUGH A TRAUMA, HAVE SOME CHOCOLATE.
1. THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END BY ADAM SILVERA
Now this is technically EVIL to be posting about since it doesn’t come out till September. But (1) you need to add it to your TBR, wishlist, grocery list, and also in that letter to your true love you’re currently writing, and (2) HEY IT STRESSED ME OUT AND I NEED TO ADD IT HERE.
No spoilers! Don’t worry! I may be evil, but I’m the kind of evil that will steal your chocolate, not spoil your book.
Basically the entire PREMISE of the book is two boys, Rufus and Mateo, are destined to die today. Everyone gets a phone call on the day they’ll die (which is enough freaking reason to die already ughhhhhh I hate phones) and so dear Rufus and Mateo get to go through the whole. horrible. day wondering when/if it’s going to happen.
I was stressed okay? I was so so so stressed.
2. A CONJURING OF LIGHT (#3) BY VE SCHWAB
I mean, of COURSE it was stressful. Epic series finales should be stressful. But it was made 10000 x worse by the fact I hadn’t read a Schwab finale before and I cared WAY TOO FREAKING MUCH for the cinnamon brothers that are Kell and Rhy.
Me, sitting there, clutching my hardcover long into the night on the very day it arrived in the mail: PLEASE DON’T HURT THE MAGICAL CINNAMON SONS HELP HELP HELP HELP HELP.
After finishing this tome, I found my first grey hair and realise I’d taken 17 years off my life.
3. LADY MIDNIGHT & LORD OF SHADOWS BY CASSANDRA CLARE
Introducing Julian Blackthorne, who will do LITERALLY ANYTHING to protect / save / keep his little siblings together. Holy yes and no, Julian, YOU ARE LITERALLY KILLING ME ONE PAGE AT A TIME with your wily decisions that are going to catch up and destroy everything I love. Someone please protect my Mark. I adore Mark. MARRRRRK.
The stakes are just SO HIGH in this series the entire time that you feel your heart slowly leave your chest. But that’s ok. We didn’t need heartbeats anyway.
I swear, I am way too invested in this series.
Sometimes I think about actually getting a life and then??? Eh, no. Let me just reread these painful books.
4. ALLEGEDLY BY TIFFANY D. JACKSON
This book is actually ridiculously underrated and I wish to PROTEST LOUDLY. Maybe even protest loudly twice. Because it’s so good. So so so so good. It’s actually quite slow paced but it’s about this girl who, when she was 9, allegedly murdered a baby. She’s now 16 and out of jail and living in this mOST HORRIBLE HORRIBLE group home where everyone is cruel to her. And then she gets pregnant. And just there’s this agony on every single page over whether someone is going to (a) try to kill her and her baby, (b) take her baby away because she’s an “alleged” murder, and (c) wonder if she will get EXONERATED.
People just try to destroy her life at every turn and I cannnnnn’t even.
Every time a character breathed, I needed to lie down.
THE GIRL IN THIS PICTURE PRETTY MUCH HAS NO CHILL WITH THAT STAFF AND THAT FIRE AND ALL. LET’S SUMMON SAURON WHILE YOU’RE AT IT, LADY.
5. THE PROVIDENCE OF FIRE (#2) BY BRIAN STAVELEY
Okay so I am a YA blog and I’ve already cheated twice on this list with adult books but they have young protagonists, okay!??? So they’re like cross-overs. Kind of like how my eyes cross-over as they lay me upon the soft bed of dirt in mY GRAVE because I’m so so soooo freaking sTRESSED over these darn books.
Honestly I’m a mess. There’s still a finale to this trilogy but I. AM. SO. FREAKED. OUT that I haven’t even touched it yet. The writer part of my soul is cheering, because I’m this mean to my characters too and I feel kinship with Brian Staveley. However. The reader part of me?
Yeah. That’s me on the floor. The puddle? Hmm, yes, that’s me.
I CAN’T SAY MUCH FOR FEAR OF SPOILERS: but basically it’s about 3 royal siblings who have no chill and are figuring out how to get/keep the emperor’s throne + torture + super darkness + everything going wrong + pain.
ALSO WHOEVER PUT THAT STICKER THERE NEEDS TO BE SHOT.
6. HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE BY JENNIFER NIVEN
Okay this is a silly one!! This book is NOT stressful. It’s emotional, but overall quite nice actually…so why were you freaking out, Cait?
Well. Have you read All The Bright Places? Hmm?
BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE THEN YOU UNDERSTAND.
So the thing is, bookworms are twice traumatised and cursed: firstly, because authors like to damage them on occasion, but secondly, because authors don’t damage them every time…so your reading life is a perpetual POND OF TEARS not knowing if this book is going to rip your heart out or not.
Thaaaaanks.
THE #1 PROBLEM HE FACES IN THIS BOOK IS FIGURING OUT WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON WITH HIS FACE.
7. HERE LIES DANIEL TATE BY CRISTIN TERRILL
So this is about a boy who steals the identity of a “missing boy” and ends up impersonating him while trying to have a chill life with this random rich family. EXCEPT IT ALL GOES VERY BADLY. And he discovers there’s a big chance this family are hiding like skeletons and, um, maybe even BODIES in the closet. Say hi to rich messed-up American families.
And okay, wow, no, I didn’t put the book down ever. I even had to go sort out an uprising amongst my dark forces, but I kept reading while I did it.
When the con artist (so arguably the villain) is the protagonist and HE is the one in danger????? Then I’m just going to worry and perhaps, I don’t know…
….is screaming too much?
(ALSO THAT ENDING, HOLY CAKE. PEOPLES. THIS BOOK. THAT ENDING. GO NOW.)
8. GOODBYE DAYS BY JEFF ZENTNER
This will teach me for complaining that contemporaries aren’t “exciting enough” because this was hECKIN’ STRESSFUL, OKAY. The entire premise is a boy sent a text to his friends who were driving and — they died in an accident. ALL HIS FRIENDS. And the book is the aftermath, so not only (a) is it so so so so sad and Carver is like falling apart with anxiety and grief, but (b) one of the dead-friend’s parents wants CARVER IN JAIL FOR IT AND HE’S LITERALLY WAITING TO SEE IF HE’LL GO TO JAIL AND I JUST —
I JUST —
Everything is unfair and stressful and I think the moon just fell on me and now I am squashed and upset.
THEY DO LOOK LIKE THEY’RE FIGHTING OVER THIS STRAWBERRY TART WHICH IS, QUITE FRANKLY, RELATABLE.
9. THE WINNER’S CURSE SERIES BY MARIE RUTKOSKI
Since this has some lovely star-crossed lovers who’s people will literally kILL THEM ALL of they find out they have a thing…I’m just going to state the obvious: it was anxiety inducing. And especially when Arin and Kestrel’s #1 strength is “COMMUNICATE INEFFICIENTLY YES!” I honestly just wanted to bake them both into a pie and be very very put out.
Look would you two just talk??? Instead of chasing each other around and making bad decisions and making me eat my paperbacks because I’m so freaked out??
I love them too much for this. HELP.
10. ILLUMINAE AND GEMINA BY JAY KRISTOFF & AMIE KAUFMAN
I mean…OBVIOUSLY. This is so painfully obvious we’re probably all just laughing quietly to ourselves and then crying. These authors like to kill things and then kill them twice. And then they like to explode planets and infect everyone with horrible diseases inside spaceships and then have a cool, calm, and collected AI murder everyone else.
Nice.
ILLUMINAE: Here are characters you will love.
ILLUMINAE: Everyone will probably die.
ME: Haha aw that’s cute that you’re threatening to–
ILLUMINAE: *EXPLODES PLANETS*
ME: wait–
ILLUMINAE: *EXPLODES SPACESHIPS*
ME: okAY can we talk about this before–
ILLUMINAE: *EXPLODES YOUR FEELS*
ME: just stahppph STAHPPPH *SCREAMING* STAHHHHP
We all love it.
And if you haven’t seen the black masterpiece that is Obsidio (the finale’s) cover then yOU NEED TO GO DO THAT. It is the kind of cover that says: “HEY. EVERYTHING YOU LOVE IS ABOUT TO DIE.”
Nice.
I absolutely ADORE and CAN’T live without stressful books. Nope. Not me. I have problems. Seriously problems. If someone just hints about a little angst in a book, here I rush to grab it.
Things that already happened:
– me phoning my sister at 3 in the morning sobbing that I will never buy another book in that series because of feelings
– my sister knocking on my door saying “stop reading that book, you’re crying so hard you’re going to have an headache!!!”. (I didn’t. And I did)
– me staring into the space because brain and heart just exploded and I just… what happened? wait.. what?
– me fighting with my fingers not to rush to goodreads and add all books in this list to my TBR (and failing)
– me trying not to get broke by buying all said books… (holding on… sort of… not sure for how long)
I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. I mean why would we ever want happiness? *laughs at the silliness of the suggestion*
That’s why I join 2 libraries, and buys all the books I want second hand and cheap. So I won’t get more heartbroken crying over books =d
@Ailyn: Joining libraries and buying second hand is definitely a great idea for saving money!
Second hand books are SOOO cheap, you can buy so much before feeling guilty when looking at your bank account haahah. Also, spreading the word that you like “older” books can be great (I receive free books from many older adults/family member). Recently I received 50 books from my boyfriend’s grandmother (she can’t read because of Alzheimer disease) and I can’t wait to read them all !!!!
They Both Die At The End was sooo stressful ;_; it made me feel so bad about life in so many places I’m afraid I won’t be giving it more than 3 stars. It was so stressful it wasn’t even enjoyable anymore :/
But I just finished The Subtle Knife, the second book in His Dark Materials, and it was JUST like this, the good kind of stressful and #feels-y. Gosh. That was just not right what they did by the ending. Pullman is a very evil writer! (Which implies he is very good too xD)
Illuminae and Gemina was also very stressful! But in the good way (as opposed to They Both Die At The End..) can’t wait for Obsidio!!
[Relatively] short comment post from vacation land 😀
Aww noooo, I’m sad!! I actually found it to be like tHE BEST. I nearly gave it 5 stars. 😂 I’m just too picky hahah and the ending wasn’t perfect for me. (I mean it WAS just HOW it happened I have some disagreements with.😂)
Ajdks I need to read The Subtle Knife. Yet another book I own and am ashamed I haven’t read yet.😂
I’m going to be freaking out in Obsidio, I JUST KNOW IT.
Have you read The Northern Lights (AKA The Golden Compass?) Or do you mean like you need to read the whole series, not just The Subtle Knife? Cause you totally do xD I would LOOOOVE to hear your opinion. And I think you’d like the books. They have loads of adventure, smart kids and are very dark and stabby.
Now I’m wondering about disgreements 😀 actually, the ending of TBDATE was the thing that saved it for me. Did not want them killed :/ well, at least by angry people. The ending seemed realistic… And sadly inevitable.
I have read The Golden Compass!! Just not the rest because I am soooo slack.😭😂😂
Sometimes…LIKE SOMETIMEs…I’m in the mood for a calm book…BUT REALLY I WANT TO BE STRESSED. LIKE ACOL. Rhy and Kell…RHYYYYY and KELLL and of course Lila. AND ALUCARRRDDD. Books that had ME in a ball of nerves would be…I HAVE NO IDEA. Um…well…LET’s SEEE
– Flight of A Starling
-The Midnight Star (I know you didn’t find Adelina that dark in The Young Elites BUT OMG PLLEEASEEEE read the rest of the series. she gets more dark and complex and the story is fantastic and PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSE)
And chocolate is proven to be the cure FOR EVERYTHING. Including stress. 537q5876% accurate
YES THIS EXACTLY. I mean nice calm and quiet books are good on occasion…but heck, hand us books like ACOL please and thank you. I was so sure Rhy and Kell were going to be splattered all over the pavement honestly. *SCREAMS*
I kind of do want to finish The Young Elite series?! Maybe someday. 🙈🙊
It’s so funny and relatable when you mentioned ‘Holding up the Universe’ because every page I read I was at the edge of my seat just waiting for the author to stomp on my heart again:'(
P.S. Awesome post<33
YES YES YOU GET ME!!! I was a mess reading that and then it … was all for nothing.😂😂
I think I prefer calm books but I mostly read stressful, full on books because apparently I like to torture myself. I think series finales in general just freak me out. They take me forever to read because I have to keep putting the book down and just remember to breathe. Crooked Kingdom and The Raven King come to mind when I think of stress inducing books. It’s so much worse when you are totally attached to the characters but you know one of them is going to die. Great post Cait!
It is like the BOOKWORM LIFE to torture ourselves to be honest. :’) What is wrong with us. Who can know. Eeep.
OMG CROOKED KINGDOM WAS SO STRESSFUL. And I was seriously worried about The Raven King but I had a feeling it’d turn out okay so it wasn’t too bad. 😂😂
All the stressful books, please. What’s the point of reading it if it’s not going to make me feel anything? Half Lost stressed me out more than any other book I’ve ever read. 🙁
Obviously chocolate cures stress (and, even if it doesn’t, it tastes good).
Omggg WHY didn’t I put the Half Lost series on this list. I should have. They destroyed me. *sobs*
STRESSFUL BOOKS ARE MY LIFE. Like, book that start out innocent or even silly and we grow attached to the characters because duh, who wouldn’t get attached to characters who act silly and / or make us laugh ? If we feel strongly about a character or situation, we’ll care about them and to me the best way when we don’t know them yet is to have us discover them at their best. Strong emotion at this point = making me laugh or smile. No problem ! Yeah okay we have a feeling there’s something a bit darker going on but hey, it can’t be so bad.
*book manages to beat out every single characters, some of them die, some of them have moral conflict over what they need to do esp. if they have to choose between two important part of themselves, everyone is sad, world is threatened, many things are lost, so much darkness*
My heart. You broke it. I TRUSTED YOU BOOK, YOU CAME TO ME SAYING “IT WON’T BE SO BAD” HOW DARE YOOOOU
(actually I knew it. Like, I knew something big would happen but I was holding on onto the happy moments. book pls stop killing me)
(what is great when a book starts of by being silly is that we’re like “lol look everything’s possible !” and when it goes dark we’re like “oh shit… everything’s truly possible. THIS IS STRESSFUL)
THIS IS SO RELATABLE IT HURTS. *cries with you* I mean, I want to be hurt but then I complain when I am??? Books should know this and like cater to my fickle mind or something. *HOWLS*
hahaha this post made me laugh so hard! I have a love/hate relationship with stressful books. They give me crazy anxiety but they are usually soooo good! I haven’t actually gotten to read any of the ones on your list yet but I will definitely keep in mind that I may lose my mind while reading them…or have many mini heart attacks. lol! Great post!
I’M SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT!!😂😂 It’s always nice to have a mini-heart attack while reading an excellent book. #bookwormlogic
Love this post! I love stress-inducing books as well as they get me to keep turning the pages!
Your photos are beautiful, by the way. It is creative that you take photos of the book covers on your phone. Would you mind if I use that idea for some of my bookstagrams as well? That would be a good way to take photos for ebooks and audiobooks 🙂
Ahh I’m so glad you enjoyed it! THANKS, SOPHIE. And definitely stress = turning pages. Which is exactly what we want from a good book, right?!?
Oh and of course, that’s totally fine! I actually did a tutorial on how to photo-manipulate photos onto your phone to get the colour popping and everything.😂 It’s REALLY handy if you don’t own a book but want to talk about it on instagram.😂😂 And all these books on my iPod are basically ones I don’t own haha.
That is one of the reasons why I LOVED the prisoner of askaban. because LOOK MOM HARRY POTTER SAYS SO CAN I HAVE MORE CHOCOLATE IN MY LIFE??? why am i so hungry.
I don’t know if i like stressful books. maybe???? yes. I think I do. *screams* *starts listing books* fablehaven, keeper of the lost cities, maybe Eragon, my diary from the edge of the world……
BUT SERIOUSLY, MY DAIRY FROM THE EDGE OF THE WORLD IS SO STRESSFUL. its like, they basicly spend the whole book running from this cloud of death because they’re scared for their little boy AND THEN THE PLOT TWIST, OMYGOSH.
and then there are dragons who burn down fast food places so thats cool. 😛
Most crazily, ~Olive
I know right?! I felt so good after reading that part in Harry Potter. Like YAY I’m finally living my life as wizards intended.😂😂
I usually love stressful books. Usually. If I’m stressed out, then it means that I care about the characters. Almost all of the books in this post are on my TBR list. WHY CAN’T I READ FASTER?
We just need to figure out how to ABSORB BOOKS, that will help so much.😂😂
Over here laughing because your summary of Illuminae and Gemina is way too accurate for words. THEY ARE THE RUDEST BOOKS OF EVER. Which is obviously why I love them and I MUST HAVE OBSIDIO IMMEDIATELY.
AND ACOL COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE STRESSFUL???? I was tearing up ever two pages and she had me at it in the first chapter. Such a mad genius that woman.
I actually haven’t read the rest of the books HAHAHAH but the whole TMI series is on its way to me and I have Lady Midnight on my shelf so…YAY!
I HATE ILLUMIANE AND GEMINA SO MUCH THEY ARE RUINING MY LIFE AND YES PLEASE WHY CAN THERE BE 398 MORE BOOKS IN THE SERIES THIS IS GREAT. And aCOL was just rude. It needed time out like 83 times. I was not ready to handle that. 😭😭
In some ways I like stressful books because it’s proof that I’m invested. But then, reading is supposed to be relaxing so *shrugs* I am a big fan of the very very stressful Curseworkers books by Holly Black and The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness and The Circle books by Sara Elfgren and Mats Strandberg (actually the first book sucked but the others were excellent). A Conjuring of Light is wicked stressful, I’m so with you. I think I would rather be unravelled by a book than real life, so yes.
Omg the Curseworkers books belong on this list for sure. I actually super feel like rereading them right now. :’) And ACOL was just mean. It was mean the whole time and I think I lost 8 years off my life.
Hey Cait, you know what other books are stressful? *nudges* *forces you to guess* THAT’S RIGHT THE OLD KINGDOM BOOKS BY GARTH NIX STARTING WITH SABRIEL.
IT’S LIKE I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO SAY THIS.
I used to like until I saw that you own a copy of “They Both Die At The End”. How dare you?:)) Adam Silvera`s books leave me a mess. Apparently when Bukowski said “Find what you love and let it kill you” he was referring to emotional books that take away your happiness. Sort of like Dementors.
Mwahhaah…I’m SORRY.😂 I’m super cruel to talk about it, but hey ONLY A MONTH TO GO!!! And it’s SO GOOD.
I’m getting the impression that you have zero chill, Cait. Maybe you should work on that :’-D
I haven’t read most of these books or series and I feel like I need to remedy that, I’ve read Lady Midnight and have Lord of Shadows on my shelf waiting until I get up the courage to read it (also after reading Tales of the Shadowhunter Academy, which I just bought). I am so desperate to read all the Schwab and Silvera, and also terrified. Give me strength ‘:-/
WHAT???? WHAAAAAT!??!? I HAVE PLENTY OF CHILL. *shrieks like a wild banshee and runs to the fridge* I LEFT CHILL IN HERE, I’LL PROVE IT TO YOU AND —
ok maybe I see your point.
I actually have to put books down and emotionally disengage if the books become too stressful. I just can’t handle the stress!
The stress can be sooo hard sometimes. There are some books I felt like I needed to seriously CALM DOWN afterwards.
I HIGHLY advise against surveying American politics. It will make you cry and curl up in a little ball. I know that’s what it does to me.
On a scale from 1 to 1 billion, how stressed out were you by the time you finished writing this post?
(I added Allegedly to my TBR. BECAUSE OMG WHAT HAPPENS IN THE END?!)
Every time someone says “America” and “politics” I basically want to run away and scream. WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING OVER THERE. STAHP.
Allegedly is SO SO GOOD.
TBH most of us are falling on our knees and screaming NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO to the heavens as well. *weeps*
Alternative titles for this post: Books That Made Me Need therapy, books to eat chocolate with, i have a million nerves and these books FRAYED EVERY SINGLE ONE
also I read the serpent king upon your rec, cait, and it was so stressful my god
Omg your titles there are spot on.😭😂😂 I need chocolate and these characters need therapy and these authors need to be asked WHY DO THEY DELIGHT IN HURTING US.
AHHH SO MUCH SERPENT KING APPRECIATION!!! You have to read Goodbye Days too then!!
Your description for Illuminae was 100% correct XD I read both of those book in about 2 days each while on vacation and WOW they were tense!
SO TENSE AND TORTUROUS. I DIDN’T WANT CALMNESS ANYWAY OBVIOUSLY.😭
I DIDN’T NEED MY SANITY ANYWAY! (Well not that I was sane to begin with…) But there was one part at the end of Gemina where I thought I would throw the book across the room… but then things turned out okay. Honestly, that describes me reading 90% of Gemina
That describes me reading 100% of Gemina. And Illuminae. And probably Obsidio.😂😂
Love your posts, as always! Supernatural GIFs!!
Oh, yeah… American politics are hella real-life stressful right now. Gods help us all.
I think readers are geared to enjoy stressful books more. We live a thousand lives vicariously, and really, there can be no growth of any kind without destruction. Destruction tends to be stressful >_<
I added a few books to my 'never gonna finish this list', also known as my TBR list.
Game of Thrones is prolly number one in my stressful reads list. Anyone could die at any time. Or be maimed horribly. Or turned into a zombie. And really, GRR…. Release the next frakkin book!!! Talk about stressful.
AWW, thank you!! And omg yes those Americans and their politics. I can’t even. It stresses me out so much and I’m not even American.😭😭
And that’s true, like our lives aren’t nearly as stressful as getting eaten by zombies, SO. That makes books really exciting.
And Game of Thrones was SO stressful.😭 I nearly put it on my list but I’m pushing it with two adult books already haha. THE FACT THAT IT TAKES HIM 12 YEARS TO WRITE A BOOK IS SUPER STRESSFUL ALONE.
I’m reading The Raven King right now, and it’s stressing me out so much! And I NEED to know what happens… but I’m not sure I want to find out… So I’m procrastinating on the computer instead of reading…
Yes, obviously chocolate cures stress. Chocolate cures everything.
SO MUCH STRESS, IRIS. SOOOO MUCH. Go read it though. Gooooo. IT’S SO GOOD.
I knooowwww it is soooooooo gooooooood! I’m loving it so far! I still need to finish though… I got distracted by the computer again. Oops.
YES, chocolate makes everything better.
The last 50 pages of Illuminae were the worst!!! I barely had any functioning nerves by the end when we realized both Kady and Ezra were still alive. To this day I have not picked up Gemina because I’d like to get some sleep in the next few months!!
Pffft WHO NEEDS SLEEP. If yo udon’t sleep, you can turn out like ME!!! (Wait…okay I see your point. Get some sleep. Avoid Gemina.😂😂😂)
I like stressful books I guess….except the stress has to be legitimate. For example, I haven’t read Goodbye Days, but how does threatening to put Carver in jail become stressful? Like as far as I know there’s no law against sending a text. So I see no way in any realm of fire or earth why that would be a legitimate threat. It’s not like he was the one who answered the text while he was driving…
The rest of the anxiety and depression, I see that. But the jail thing would just make me roll my eyes…because I am heartless and I don’t think it’s a legit threat.
Obviously I haven’t read it and you’re not going to spoil it for me because you’re not that kind of evil. 🙂 But I am curious how it added to the stress? Other than the fact that your friend’s parent wants you incarcerated which is pretty stressful?
That’s how I felt when I was reading Goodbye Days! I was like “THIS ISN’T A REAL LAW”…but apparently it is. I can’t remember the technical term for it, but if you knowingly engage in behaviour that could harm others, you can actually be taken to court for it. And Carver knew they were driving when he sent the text. But like I don’t want to give spoilers soooooo GO READ IT. So I was really ragey because I didn’t think it was a legit threat, but it is.
I mean…it was stressful because the whole book was so unfair???
Ah, I see. I don’t know if I could take that….I like stress as in “I don’t know if you’re gonna die” stress, but the minute it turns into “this is so unfair” stress, I just kinda throw the book across the room and storm around and occasionally ragequit. I’m surprised I made it through The Little Princess, tbh. Or Matilda. (I can do it if the rest of the book is goofy enough, aka why I can actually enjoy Roald Dahl.) And it’s also partly why I haven’t reread Harry Potter or even finished the series….and why I haven’t read Allegedly…
See, there’s a chance that if I read these books my eyes and hands and mouth will explode into flame, I will grow 400 feet, and ravage the planet until nothing is left but dust and ash and the centuries of injustice have been avenged by the sweet kiss of death. And that would mess up my nice bedroom and probably my credit score. So I’m avoiding that.
I LOOOOOOOOOOVE stressful books! If a book does not murder my heart and soul then WHAT IS THE POINT IN READING IT, SIR??
That being said… *quickly smushes entire list of book on TBR’s face*
I’ve never read any of these, so obviously I MUST READ THEM ALL.
YES EXACTLY. Like why would we read for fun??? IDK. We want to be hurt. Come on, book, stab my feels…I can take it.
*sobs dramatically for a week*
*sobs alongside you*
CAIT!
*Runs in slow motion* I have MISSED YOU AND YOUR BLOG! What a great post. How are you so brilliant, jeez! Teach me your ways.
Ahem.
I GOT MY FIRST ADAM SILVERA BOOK yesterday. Haven’t read it yet, I am kind of terrified. More Happy Than Not. I will then proceed to History is All You Left Me next month. Then, kick myself in the face by getting They Both Die At The End.. SO MUCH EXCITE. Bring on the pain.
…What? ILLUMINAE AND GEMINA HURT? I thought they were cute books, like “hahahah” cute, not explode-y books. *Moves them up higher on TBR pile*
DUDE, Conjuring of Light was the SCARIEST MOST STRESSFUL BOOK EVER. So good.
HI DINA!! *gives you welcome back cake* And also omgggg you are in for a GOOD TIME with the Silvera books!! And by “good” I mean thoroughly stressful. Have fun. 🎉🎉 I’m here if you need to scream.
Haha YES OF COURSE…Illuminae was the cutest lightest fluffiest thing…
Stressful books are the best kind there is! The most stressful ones I can think of are anything James Dashner, Ender’s Game and the Hunger Games.
And yesssss! Chocolate cures everything. Please don’t steal mine D:
omg YES to The Hunger Games too. That was so stressful. 😭
The only one i’ve read is Illuminae (and I have Gemina but haven’t read it yet…and I read Illuminae back in November..I know I am horrible and I loved Illuminae! I hope to get to Gemina before Obsidio comes out.
Clam or stressful book? Depends on how i’m feeling but normally stressful. I want those feels and to cry. I have no idea why. I say I read to escape the stress of life but I just add more stress with the reading but I love it soooo <3
Bookworms…we are a weird bunch. But I mean that in a good way! 😀
I totally procrastinated Gemina too so don’t worry.😂 And plus if you wait till closer to Obsidio you’re probably being WISE because Gemina has a wicked cliffhanger.😂
Allegedly’s ending ruined the story for me. I won’t spoil the book, but consider me not a fan, despite running along the journey with the protagonist. Ugh. Madness I tell ya.
Omg I LOVED it.😂😂 I felt so betrayed at the end and I think it was soooo well done.
The ending to the Emily of New Moon trilogy. I keep rereading it. And it tears me up, every. Single. Time. Even though I remember how it ends!!!! It still hurts to see her making the wrong decisions. Again. And again.
YES! Rereading can be super stressful too still. 😭😭
I STARTED READING CONJURING OF LIGHT TODAY DO NOT TALK TO ME ABOUT STRESS I CAME HERE FOR A BREAK.
Sorry for yelling at you.
I think we really like to care deeply about things? Which is maybe another way of restating your point about people being stupid.
THERE IS SO MUCH STRESS, WENDY. SO SO MUCH. LET’S JUST STRESS TOGETHER. I EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AND I’M STILL STRESSED ABOUT IT AND I REA DIT BACK IN FEBRUARY.
Oh my god, some of those books look exciting, Allegedly is already downloading onto my Kindle as I type, and I am prepping myself for what I think is going to be an emotional rollercoaster, which will end with me telling my boyfriend that he “doesn’t understand”.
Thanks so much for a great post, I look forward to reading more.
FJDASLD I HOPE YOU ENJOY ALLEGEDLY!! I mean…enjoy is probably the wrong word.😂 If you need to scream in trauma at me, I will be here to pat your shoulder and send virtual cake.
Okay so I’ve only read the first Winner’s Curse book?? THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW TO EXPECT OVERWHELMING STRESS I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER NOW.
YOU’RE IN FOR SUCH A FUN TIME. BUCKLE UP AND GET READY!
Chocolate 100% cures stress. Trust me. I’m a doctor.
I love books that make me cry. I enjoy books that stress me out, in that I CAN’T PUT THEM DOWN. But I *love* books that make me cry.
Rilla of Ingleside stressed me out – I knew there was no way so many of the boys we knew could go to war and not at least ONE die. And there is this scene with a dog and just typing this has awoken my tear ducts…
I like WW I/WW II books because it is such a *real* stress, and I like when there is focus on the people left behind at home because I can’t even imagine how stressful that was – when news of the war front would be SO LONG to reach those waiting back at home. And there must be something morbidly wrong with me that I love these books? Maybe?
Life After Life is a good lowkey stress book… basically the protagonist KEEPS DIEING and starting over. But as you go along she gets further and further and you are like “WAIT NO THAT DIDN’T WORK OUT WELL LAST TIME DO NOT TALK TO THAT MAN!” and sometimes she does repeat mistakes and it hurts.
Anyway, many of these on this list were already in my TBR and you have excited me.
For me, personally, I have always felt that I like books that stress my emotions because it gives me relief. Blah blah blah will not word vomit my life story at you, but basically school stressed me out to like a physical manifestation of such. Crying over school seemed fruitless. Crying over a book accomplishes nothing, but it is a good excuse to cry and just let it out. And now as a vet I do Very Sad Things every day and am supposed to be professional about it. Books don’t care if I care and won’t complain to the registrar that I was unprofessional. More simply put, I like to feel things, and I don’t know how to feel things appropriate in real life… so I like to feel things with books. (and movies. and TV. and commercials even sometimes because when it comes to media I AM A HUGE SAP.)
I BELIEVE YOU. I mean, I believed it in Harry Potter and IDK if that’s safe or not, but medical advice from Hogwarts seems sound.
Omg war and dog centred stories are noooooot okay. I AVOID. I can’t handle that kind of terror in my life honestly. And that second book sounds like an episode of Supernatural. 😭😂
I actually think that’s a really interesting point…like letting out feelings through books. It’s kind of a release right? I actually have never fully cried over a book, but I think I get what you mean!
I thought it was funny that you included Holding Up the Universe, because when I specifically asked Niven to rate the book for tragic content on a scale of 1 to All the Bright Places. I thought it was be devastating in that way, but then it wasn’t, so I was happy. I don’t do well with tragic books, so I more often than not, avoid them.
IT WAS SO SO STRESSFUL READING THAT OMG. I’m glad I’m not the only one freaking out.😂
OMG ACOL was SOOOOOO stressful! I thought someone was going to die like every other page, you just wanted to grab everyone and shut them up somewhere so you knew they wouldn’t die before the book was over. I do like stressful books but you have to have a few happy books where you can be relatively certain the characters will survive! I can’t live with ACOL levels of stress all the time!
IT WAS SO GOOD AND SO STRESSFUL. I THINK I LOST 7 YEARS OFF MY LIFE. *cries*
YES BOOKS ARE STRESSFUL. I, personally, enjoy books that are fluffy and fun interspersed with the dang scary ones. Just to calm me down, ya know? Like chill romances or historical fiction. The Winner’s Curse series is so stressful! I just wanted to grab Arin and Kestrel, mush their faces together, then force them to talk. And the Illuminae series= be still my panicked heart. DON’T DIE, BABIES. Allegedly was terrifying! Especially the ending! I was, like, panicking internally the entire time. Also, ACOL was so bloody and just arghhgh.
Books that made me panic recently include Passenger and Wayfarer, and The Bone Season. Why must authors kill feels? How dare them.
Arin and Kestrel need to win like an award for dysfunction. I’m STILL traumatised by the scene in bk 2 where Arin is like spilling his guts and Kestrel is trying to signal him to sTOP because her dad is listening in. 😭😭😭 I LOVE THEM BUT OMG. THEY NEED TO TALK.
Allegedly was perfect and brutal and I’m betrayed.
Stressful books = THE BEST WORST THINGS THAT EVER WERE! The more stress-inducing the better because who needs to live a calm, normal and healthy life? NOT I! I love having my soul ripped to shreds by books (I’m looking at you VE Schwab) and I want to feel ALL OF THE FEELS when I’m reading. Your list has given me even more books I need to add to my tbr (as if it wasn’t already 34956453 miles long) and I am all of the excitement. GET AT ME STRESS. I really want to read Lord of Shadows and Lady Midnight but I must get through the Infernal Devices first-I plan on starting that series next week!
EXACTLY!! WE DON’T NEED HAPPINESS!! WE NEED TEARS AND STRESSFUL BOOKS!! Also Schwab 100% drinks readers’ tears for breakfast. So sure.
I completely agree with the stressfulness of all of V, E, Schwab’s books!! A Gathering of Shadows seriously stressed me out and I haven’t even read A Conjuring of Light yet so that’s going to be fun :/ (jk I love all of V’s books so of course it’ll be fun) Also, we must protect the cinnamon brothers at all costs!!
Exactly, right?! THE CINNAMON SONS ARE PRECIOUS. And also pls let us just melt into a puddle because those books. Omg. I love Schwab but I think she delights in torturing us.
Oh my god oh my god CAIT. I JUST FINISHED LORD OF SHADOWS AND I AM STILL STRESSED. Those last few chapters had me SHOOK. And that ENDING???? I’m having heart palpitations just thinking about it. And don’t even get me started on ACOL. But I was so super impressed by that ending that I can’t complain, really. I’m a naturally stressed out person, so I guess it makes sense I choose to read super stressful books but my POOR HEART.
IT’S BEEN LIKE 2 MONTHS SINCE I READ IT AND I’M STILL STRESSED. 😭😭😭And the wait for the sequel is so long??? Like what did I do to deserve this????
I haven’t even read They Both Die At The End but just the title alone gives me SO. MUCH. STRESS. Do I still want to read it? Yes rip why are we so stupid Cait
I haven’t read the others yet either, but just reading about them?? STRESSSSS I really, really want to read Illuminae though (super late to the party oh well I’ll probably get around to it once the third one is out and then I’ll be able to binge it which will hopefully mean less stress? 😂
YES YOU DO WANT TO READ IT. WE ALL DO. THE STRESS IS OURS AND WE LOVE IT. *sneaks off to have a mental breakdown*
I loooooooved Illuminae, I can’t wait to read Gemina because I’m sure I’ll love it too…and yet…I am almost putting off reading it because of the feels I know I’ll have in the process!!
SAME. SO MUCH SAME. I procrastinated Gemina for like 4 months after it came out.😂
Throughout reading your post, I was thinking, “Illuminae Illuminae Illuminae” AND THEN IT SHOWED UP AT THE END OF THE POST and all was well. But seriously??? WhAt HaPpEnEd??? I WAS SO SCARED FOR ME FOR EVERYONE FOR EVERYTHING. Like if you want a heart attack go read that book. And YES ACOL! Everything was so scary and knowing Schwab SHE’S GONNA MAKE YOU SUFFER and it was all just very stressful. And I just read More Happy Than Not and OH MY GODDDDD I’m dead. (I didn’t like HIAYLM so that was a nice surprise!) Great post! 💕
OF COURSE IT DID. IT’S LIKE THE ULTIMATE STRESSFUL BOOK. And I’m stressed waiting for Obsidio and I’m going to be super stressed reADING Obsidio so basically everything sucks and I’m dying. (Gloriously. 😂😂)
I need to read More Happy Than Not!
this is so accurate!!! also i haven’t read any of these books mentioned BUT i totally get it with “All the Bright Places”! Even rereading it was stressful.
It’s been FOREVER since I read All The Bright Place but I want to reread it again. 😭😭😭
Oh, oh – The Book Thief by Markus Zusak … it’s the only book that’s ever made me cry (or at least that I can think of, which probably means if another book has, it wasn’t as memorable). ALL THE FEELS. All of them.
Omg yes. SAME. 😭😭 I teared up so bad in the movie.
Hey hun! Great post. I’d just like to let you know that I’ve nominated you for the Liebster award. Of course, this it totally optional but I’d love it if you could participate. Just visit this link if you’re interested: https://infinitelyadaydreamer.com/2017/08/10/the-leibster-award-%F0%9F%A4%A6%F0%9F%92%9F-youre-about-to-be-swept-up-into-a-rainbow-mover-and-dumped-in-the-wonderful-world-of-me/#respond (You’ll just have to scroll up. Sorry this is so long!) x
Aww thank you so much for the nomination! I will definitely come check it out!
Stressful books, definitely. I haven’t read any of the ones on your list. I’m currently reading Donna Tartt’s first book “The Secret History “. I’m having to read it slowly but it’s had my attention since the first page. I chose to order her first two after I bought “Goldfinch ” to get an idea how she writes. Wow is all I can say. And each book is written 10 years apart but completely separate stories.
Chocolate is always a solution for stress as are books.
Oh I’ve heard of her books but not read them…the size is intimidating.😂 But so awesome you’re loving them!
Cait (or shall I say your majesty lord of darkness and cake) I was whisked away to Brazil for five months with no reading material. I mean, there were bookstores that carried all of the books I wanted to wholeheartedly consume but they were not in my language, which I found extremely rude. So all I could do was smell them and hope to absorb the story. But one of the first things I did when I got back was head over to the library to pick up A Darker Shade of Magic and I am not regretful about it at all (It’s not the last book but I’m inevitably already STRESSING over my precious, stabby characters. Do not hurt them.)
I was also so busy that I DID NOT WRITE FOR FIVE MONTHS. What a sinful creature I am. But I came back over to your blog because you are a writing machine and inevitably a source of inspiration and I picked up a WIP that I had on the back burner. It’s going splendidly so far.
So, yeah, long story short I am back and grateful that your blog is still here to help me pick my butt up when I’ve been slacking. Keep up the good work, friend.
OMGGG THIS IS A VOICE FROM THE PAST!!!! HI KATIE!!!!!! I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE NOT FALLEN OFF THE PLANET!! (Also Brazil? omg that’s amazing.) And also ADSOM is amazingly stressful but not as stressful as the finale, so basically: you are in for a good time.
I’m just glad you’re back! Will you be blogging again? 😀 I hope the writing goes well.
I know! I shut everything down before leaving because I wanted to be immersed over there, you know?
I don’t think I’ll be blogging again because I’m going to college and getting a job and it’s all so much. But I’m considering getting back on twitter because how could I resist? And because I miss all my bookish writer friends.
That’s totally understandable! Did you move for work or just to experience another country?
And omg good luck with college and a job and everything! That is a lot and I totally understand how balancing blogging would be hard. Twitter, however, is FAB….and probably less work.😂
I actually moved to learn the language (which I did okay at…) and just to visit family because part of my family is Brazilian. ^_^
Yus, Twitter is amazing. I thought i could resist the pull, but here I am again.
YES! I think people just really like to *feel things* and so stress is something that isn’t numbness and sometimes it’s fun to live in the extremes of someone else’s life. Thanks for sharing, Cait!
That is SO TRUE. We do look for emotional responses and I think it’s super special when a book can give that to us too!
Hello! I’ve been lowkey stalking your blog for a few days, thanks to finding you through writefury’s blog. I was chit-chatting back and forth with her as I strolled through your site and it was:
“oh look i found paperfury’s site”
“holy crap the pictures of bOOKS CAN I FLAIL FOREVER my color-hungry soul is finally satisfied”
“the woman deserves a medal”
I’ve been hunting through posts/pictures for book recommendations, since I’m trying to cram as many fun reads into my summer vacation as possible.
AHHH, HELLO, CASSANDRA!! *waves and welcomes you grandly to the madness* This blog is basically a rainbow explosion of sprinkles I totally admit.😂😂And definitely find something stressful to help you enjoy your summer vacation. Nothing says HOLIDAY like crying over a book.
Seriously, who doesn’t love a stressful book? Illuminae and Gemina are on my TBR list (which is about to eat my alive, BTW) and I WANT TO READ THEM SO BAD BECAUSE STRESS!! I joined two different libraries just so I have access to twice the stressful books!! I THINK I WILL NEED SOME OF YOUR TART TO KEEP ME ALIVE.
RIP YOU AND YOUR TBR. But I relate. TBRs just live to destroy us.
Also WAY TO GO for joining all the libraries!! There is nothing that makes life better than more stressful books!!
Your posts always make me laugh and smile a lot, thank you <3
Basically, everyone should be prepared that Adam Silvera will destroy all of your feelings by smashing your heart into little pieces without the decency to even put it back together after, instead he just walks all over them haha. I haven't read They Both Die at the End yet because of this xD
And about The Illuminae Flies…. you said it exactly right *sobs* Amie and Jay are just RUDE.
Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles
*twirls in happy circles* I AM SO GLAD. Honestly I just blog to hopefully make people laugh at some point. :’)
And Adam Silvera exists 90% on our TEARS I’m sure of it. Why can’t he be nice to his characters. 😭😭😭 100000% recommend They Both Die At The End though.
Amie and Jay are like just making lists of ways to torture us, I’M SURE OF IT.
Ohhhhh I feel really bad, I haven’t read ANY of these books!!!!! I am THE.WORST!!!! Allegadely looks really cool though (did I spell that correctly? Probably not) and I want to read Holding up the universe soooooo badly!!!!! Which of these books do you recommend as the best?
OF COURSE CHOCOLAT CURES STRESS!! And even if it didn’t, let’s be serious for a second, we’d eat it anyway.
I sort of like stressful and calm books, depending on my mood. Thank you thank you thank you for that great blog post, I loved it!!
Nooo don’t feel bad! There are so many books to read, we can’t read them all right?! And Allegedly is FABULOUSNESS. Total recommend, particularly when it’s so ridiculously underrated.🎉🎉And I mean, I recommend them ALL. 😂Illuminae is definitely one of my favourites though!
I JUST FINISHED HERE LIES DANIEL TATE LIKE A WEEK AGO AND IT WAS SO GOOD EEEXXXCCEEEPPTTT—
i didn’t like the ending *hides*
Like, the ending almost ruined it for me??! And I kind of called it but whhhyyyy. I think it just really grossed me out? I’m not even sure but it makes my stomach hurt. There are things I can tolerate in books, but that is not one of them and just ugh I don’t know what to think.
So, do you believe the ending? I stayed up till, like, two in the morning because I kept finding PLOT HOLES in the actual ending and it gives me hope because maybe that is not really what happens??? I would like to think so. Penny for your thoughts??
BUT I LOVED THE ENDING. IT WAS SO PERFECT AND MADDENING AND I’M STILL REELING.😂😂 I love not knowing, honestly. And I guessed the plot twist between the two older siblings like WAY earlier haha. I’m not sure about the plot holes? I mean he was freaking lying the whole time, he told us that. So what can you believe.😂
Ok that’s what I thought too! Like is even half the book the truth? 😂 NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW
I like both calm and stressful books ! BUT I avoid them during midterms and finals. I mean nursing exams + Stressful books is just TOO much craziness for me!!! Not to mention I have tachycardia so my heart already amplifies EVERYTHING emotional/stressful/surprising. I’m currently reading t Digital Fortress by Dan Brown and I LOVE it!!!
(I mean what the hell is going to happen to Becker!)
I definitely added some books you mentioned to my “English Books to Read” (my mother tongue is French)
I really LOVE your blog by the way! Sometimes I read your posts and can’t stop laughing (my bf thinks I’m crazy hahaah)
I totally get that! Like sometimes we DO need the light/fluffy books to calm us down. And omg you need to be careful. *pats your shoulder and gives you nice calm books*
(AND OMG THANK YOU <3 That honestly makes my day!!😂)
YES TO Lady Midnight and Lord of Shadows! Julian + Emma + zero communication = STRESS. And THE ENDING OF LORD OF SHADOWS!!! WHY?!?! I’m already heading into the 3rd book stressed out!
THE ENDING OF LORD OF SHADOWS HUANTS ME SO MUCH I JUST CANNOT EVEN.
I want stressful books ALL DAY, Cait. All. Day. I have only read three of these. They Both Die at the End YESSSS. So stressful. Because not only are you worried for Mateo and Rufus, but you’re thinking about “oh crap, what if it was me!?” The stress was everywhere! I also agree about Goodbye Days. Because everything about that story was just unfair and I was so KJHSUIJHD. And accurate description of Illuminae! I need Obsido NOW, not in 7 months or whatever nonsense we have to wait. Unkind, let’s be honest.
I recently read a book that had me so stressed I was going to vomit. And I loved it, so I don’t even know what that says about me as a person, but I am glad that whatever it says, we’re in it together 😀
SO SO MUCH STRESS IN SILVERA BOOKS. 😭😭 I basically think that dude lives to drink readers’ tears, lets be real here. (AND LOVE IT.) And omg Goodbye Days destroyed me. 😭 It deserved 5 stars but I was such a mESSSSSSS.
Obsidio just lives to torture us. This is so much truth.
GEMINA GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK ON EVERY PAGE. That book must have shortened my life by at least 15 years.
SAME. IT SHORTENED MY SANITY TOO.😭❤️❤️
The Illuminae series sounds like the kind of heart wrenching ball of stress I just might need in my life…..
Books that have caused me a ton of stress….the entire Mortal Instruments series, basically, especially with Jace & Clary, & the whole Jace & Clary are siblings thing…ugh don’t even get me started…The 100 series, because as if surviving on a post apocalyptic Earth isn’t stressful enough, let’s have all this drama, too….oh, and The Merciless series! The first one was ESPECIALLY stressful.
YOU DO. TRUST ME. Pain is the bookworm life and we love it. #TrueStory
omg I totally was stressed out in TMI too! Although I knew Jace/Clary weren’t siblings from sibling spoilers but like the entire series (especially the finale) is sooo stressful. Cassandra Clare LOVES TO PAIN US.