The Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly challenge post previously hosted by The Broke and Bookish and now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. You can follow along for each weekly post here. This week’s post was a little open ended – books that we bought, borrowed or read because…insert something. I decided to share the books that I read because someone made me. Maybe it was a book I had no interest in reading because it wasn’t something I normally enjoy, maybe I gave it a second chance because a friend insisted, maybe it just was never on my radar until someone told me to read it.

Here we go!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – Recommended by my friend Jade 

This is easily one of my favorite series of all time – I have the molnija mark tattooed on my collarbone – and I don’t know if I would have ever read it if my best friend, Jade, hadn’t been like, READ THIS. I hated the title and the cover…but I’m eternally grateful that Jade me read this.

Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson – Recommended by my boyfriend Daniel

I’d read Sanderson before but only his YA and I truly enjoyed his books. I might have considered reading this but let’s face it, without Daniel basically begging me to read it, I probably would have never read it and I’m so so glad I did.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – Recommended by my mom when I was a teen

I read this at 13 years old for a school project in English. We had to read a “classic” and this was on the list. I don’t think my teacher expected anyone to read it but it was and remains one of my mom’s favorite books and I decided to take the plunge. I’ve read it nearly every year since then.

Legend by Marie Lu – Recommended by my friend Erin 

During the time of dystopian fever, I was already starting to get over it. I loved The Hunger Games and Divergent. My friend Erin told me about Legend and I just thought, I don’t know, could another of these series really be good and it turned out to be the best one of them all.

Captain Marvel Volume One by Kelly Sue Deconnick – Recommended by my friend Jon

I became obsessed with the movie SUPER fast but I had no interest, really, in reading the comics until my friend Jon told me to read this version of Captain Marvel and I’m so glad I did because it is BADASS.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill – Recommended by my friend Joseph, host of The Protagonist Podcast

I’ve been a guest on The Protagonist Podcast a handful of times now and I’ve either been on for Harry Potter OR I suggested my favorite Howl’s Moving Castle. Joseph, the host, asked me if I read this book and come co-host with him and I’m so glad I said yes because this book is truly amazing.

Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout – Recommended by my friend Megan

This was way back in 2013 – I actually BOUGHT the book but I kept not reading it because I just hated the cover so much. I can’t even remember why I bought it because I didn’t really plan to read it. But my friend Megan told me I HAD to read it and the rest is history – JLA is one of my favorite authors and has totally changed my life for the better.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan – Recommended by my sister Jessica

Its not that I thought anything bad about the series, I just had no interest because I thought they were books meant for little kids. And yeah, they are, but I think people of all ages can enjoy them because they are just plain good. My sister basically made me read them and this is another series that just absolutely changed my life.

The Selection by Kiera Cass – Given to Me as a Gift

I can’t remember who gave this to me – I believe it was through a bookish Secret Santa or something but I avoided reading this for awhile too because it just didn’t look good, it looked cheesy, I don’t know. But when I was given a copy as a gift, I figured I’d give it a shot and I’m so so glad I did. I adore Kiera Cass and this entire series and I’m so glad someone physically put this book in my hands to read because I don’t know if I ever would and its BRILLIANT!

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