Books I think are worth the hype

Sarah J. Maas is one of the biggest names in the online book community, and has been for a while. With three series out, that I have all three read and can recommend to the fullest, she has recently taken the internet by storm again by announcing her two next releases. While ACOTAR is probably her most popular series, Throne of Glass is very close behind and my personal favourite. A theme with some of the book in this article is that I have read them before the got so popular, which means I read them because I liked their contents, and not just because a bunch of people online could not stop talking about them. Throne of Glass is a fantasy series about a girl who has to compete in trials to escape slavery and in stead become the king’s champion. What follows in a story that goes beyond your wildest imagination, where the stakes are high, the characters fleshed out, wonderful and brave, and where every rolling pebble eventually becomes a landslide. If there is ever a book or series where the hype is totally justified, it is this one.

This is one of the books that got popular in the beginning of books gaining a space online, which coincided with (and was probably a consequence of) the pandemic. The House Across the Lake is a thriller about a woman moving to a lake house to gain some peace and quiet in her life. Across the lake, her neighbours Tom and Katherine make for a good pastime, as Casey watches them with her binoculars. After saving Katherine from drowning, the two start up a friendship, but it quickly becomes clear that her neighbours don’t have the perfect marriage they want to let the world believe they have. The novel is full of twists and turns, with thrilling moments and secrets all around. It is the girls Riley Sager book I ever read, and now I read everything he publishes.

Julie Olivia’s book is a more recent online hit, but deserves every praise it gets. It is a small town romance that is full of depth, development and nostalgia. Set in the 1990s, Michelle moves to Vermont to temporarily take over her late mom’s bed and breakfast before her younger sister has graduated, ready to run it fulltime. Her new next-door neighbour and his two daughters are extremely helpful in finding her way around everything and make the place feel more like home. Since she is leaving in three months, friendship is all she can offer the three of them, but as that date looms closer, she has to decide if friendship is truly all she wants.

I have to preface this by saying it is definitely not a book for everyone, and I had my doubts after reading the first one, but the second book had me hooked to the series. The storyline follows a group of high society friends, with Magnolia and BJ as the main characters as they go through what I like to call ‘rich people drama’. The first book had a bit too much of just that for me, but from the second book on there was more plot added which kept me interested. There is a lot of drama and toxicity involved, but for the people who want to escape reality and get sucked into a different and entertaining world reminiscent of Gossip Girl, Magnolia Parks is the way to go.

I actually read this book about ten years ago, before it got popular online and before there even was such a big online book community as there is now. At first I was surprised to see it recommended this much online, because it is so unlike other books I saw discussed on social media, but it is a beautiful book so I have to agree with the praise. The cover perfectly portrays the devastating heartbreak that is this story about the life of four friends living in New York City and trying to find their way through life. Jude is the main focus of the story, as he is not only finding his way like his friends, but also struggling with a traumatic past that still haunts him everyday and has left him scarred. It is a tough read, as it is over 600 pages and filled with all of the emotions a human can feel, so if that does not sound like something you would enjoy, I would not recommend it. But, for people who want an emotional book filled with friendship, love, growth and heartache, it is definitely worth the hype.

Kristin Hannah is another author I got to know via social media recommendations, and The Nightingale is the first book I read by her because I saw people talking about it online. As you might know from previous articles, I have read nine of her books in total so far, two of which I have read twice, so I would encourage you to read any of her books. The Nightingale is set in WWII France and follows two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, as they take two completely different paths dealing with the German intruder. This powerful story shows how bravery can have different faces, how far we will go to protect the people we love and how each sister takes a different path fighting for freedom.

With over a million ratings on Goodreads, it is a highly popular book and has many opinions brought out. It follows a group of pretentious friends at an elite New England college. When a new student starts and slowly befriends the group, he discovers their eccentric way of thinking and living and follows along with them. When a chain of events leads to the death of a classmate, the novel deals with the consequences of pushing the boundaries of normal morality. While the story has a slower pace and is therefore not the easiest to fly through, it is filled with characters and a plot that makes you sit with your thoughts after finishing. There are layers and themes that can be analysed and discussed, so it lends itself perfectly to read as a bookclub book. I have also seen people say they think this will be a classic in years’ time, since there is much to be discussed about it.

This book I s a bit similar to the Secret History, not in the plot but in the pacing. There are slower parts where the storyline does not move along at a high speed, but that is because it is a book largely driven by characters and emotions. Addie Larue makes a deal with the devil to live forever, but because of this she is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. An indefinite life of loneliness, spanning decades, countries and cultures, spent in countless ways trying to leave her mark on the world. But then everything changes, when in a hidden bookstore, there is a young man who remembers her name. This story is so much more than meets the eye and makes you think about life in a new way. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a character driven book with magical realism and a lot of emotion.