TOP TEN TUESDAY: Ten books I read on a whim and LOVED

(Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish!)

I am a very calculating reader. I will see a book announcement, and I will follow it through cover reveals, chapter samplers, blog tours... All the way up to release date. I either do that, or I get recommendations from friends or other bloggers about what to read. There aren't many books that I spontaneously grab and end up really enjoying.
However, these ten books are ones that I picked up with no prior knowledge - either due to the covers or the interesting blurbs - and I don't regret a single one of them.

10) 'The Last Leaves Falling' by Fox Benwell

9) 'Eve' by Anne Carey

I can't really remember the Eve trilogy, so I am planning on rereading it fairly soon, but I remember really liking this one when I was in my dystopian craze. Looking back it probably won't be that good - I was a lot younger when I first read it! 

8) 'The War of the Worlds' by H. G. Wells

When I entered sixth form, I made a pledge to myself that I would read more classics to accompany my English Literature and Language course. One of the first ones I picked up was 'The War of the Worlds' - purely because it was on shelf in the library and I didn't know what else to choose - and I was certain that I was going to hate it. Who'd have thought that it would be one of the first books in years that I finished within a couple of days. This book is definitely partly to blame for dragging me out of my reading slump. 

7) 'Entangled' by Cat Clarke

The contrast between the white and the bright red of the hair caught my eye when I decided to read this novel, and I fell head over heels in love with Cat Clarke's writing - 'Entangled' is still one of my favourite books of all time, even though I'm too nervous to re-read it in case it's not as good second time around!

6) 'Black Orchid' by Neil Gaiman

I was only just getting into graphic novels when I picked up this title, which was a bit of a risk, but the unusual art style, beautiful colouring and captivating story cemented my growing love for a different genre. It helps that Neil Gaiman wrote it, but I didn't pick it up for him - I picked it up because the cover was so gorgeous. 

5) 'Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl' by Carrie Brownstein

I don't listen to Sleater-Kinney, so reading the autobiography of one of their vocalists was a bit of a random choice. The title grabbed my attention first of all, and being a huge fan of music (particularly heavier music) it was a very interesting look into touring and the life, demise and revival of an iconic feminist band. 

4) 'Sweet Damage' by Rebecca James

It's been quite a while since I read 'Sweet Damage', but thinking about it still sends shivers down my spine. I picked this one up from the very small local library - there weren't many books that I'd heard of and was interested in at the time, so this one made its way into my pile.

3) 'True Born' by L. E. Sterling

I am so excited about the second book in the 'True Born' series being released, despite the fact that this first installment has been out for less than two weeks. It's brilliant, breathing life back into the dystopian genre. I only requested it because the antlers were so stark and beautiful, and utterly intriguing - I knew they'd relate to the story somehow, but without that image it would have seemed like another stereotypical dystopian. 

2) 'Born Wicked' by Jessica Spotswood

I adored the first two books in the Cahill Witch Chronicles, but I picked them up purely based off of their beautiful cover design. I haven't read the last book in the trilogy yet, because I'm so nervous about what's going to happen, but I really want to!

1) 'Golden Boy' by Abigail Tarttelin

As soon as I saw this week's topic, there was no doubt in my mind that 'Golden Boy' would be taking the top spot. It was undoubtedly a five star book, and one of the only portrayals of intersex that I've encountered. It's heartbreaking and will definitely make you want to cry, but it's so human. I only found this one because we had a duplicate copy on shelf in the library where I work, and I pulled it off and was instantly intrigued.

I hope you enjoyed this Top Ten Tuesday! Do you have a favourite book that you discovered completely by chance?