Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Lainey from Gingerreadslainey & is now moderated by Sam from Thoughts On Tomes. Each week there’s a different bookish related topic (this varies & isn’t always strictly books) & you get to list your top 5 books or bookish answers related to the topic. This week’s topic is Favorite Books Outside Your Comfort Zone:
1. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Although I love Fantasy, I’ve mostly read Young Adult Fantasy. This was my first “Adult” Fantasy read & it was not an easy one to really get into. The characters in this trilogy are all shades of effed up (especially our Protagonist lol) and it is super slow to begin with but ultimately I ended up falling in love with the world, characters, and story.
2. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
My first Magical Realism read & I had no clue what MR was until I read A Monster Calls. This book broke my heart into a million little pieces. A Monster Calls is sad & beautiful but the Magical Realism aspects MADE this story for me. I’m now always on the lookout for a good MR read. I read The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton, another Magical Realism story & loved it.
3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This book was definitely out of my comfort zone because I REALLY disliked Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (another circus themed book). It has been years since I read Water for Elephants that I totally forgot I DNF’d 80% in. I was weary of picking up The Night Circus but I’m so glad that I did. Erin Morgenstern made the circus come to life with lush details & oddball characters. The writing alone made this book one of my ALL time favorites.
4. Why Not Me? By Mindy Khaling
Books by comedians. I’d rather listen than read the works of some of my favorite funny people but I made an exception for Mindy Khaling since she is a Godess in my eyes lol (totally obsessed with The Mindy Project, can we discuss that finale?!?!). No regrets here, she actually still comes off funny on paper. I enjoyed Why Not Me? More than other similar books I’ve read by famous comedians. I’m even looking forward to *crosses fingers* Amy Schumer’s new book The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo later this this year.
5. Burying Water series by K.A. Tucker
New Adult. I’m a newbie to this genre & I have Gretchen over @Chicnerdreads to thank for my newfound addiction. I can’t say much about this new genre (yes, I’m calling it a genre) other than what I’ve read, I have really enjoyed. This is a series that I’ve been reading in btwn my other books & it keeps me from falling into a reading slump. It also doesn’t hurt that K.A. Tucker can write a hell of a character! I have gone through it with these books lol but she is a now a favorite of mine.
LairOfBooks 
I feel like the book community considers New Adult a genre and eventually, in the future, I hope that bookstores also consider it a genre. I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed the books. I have like a little list for when you want another New Adult what to pick up next lol. I might pick up Night Circus sooner than I thought. It’s like itching for me to pick it up.
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I hope that it’s sooner rather than later because finding NA in the sea that is Fiction is a real pain! Lol I hope you do get to The Night Circus soon, it really was an experience to read & listen to on audible. I’m def coming to you for my next NA reads 🙂🙃🙂
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Yes I’m all for it!!!
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I gave the Magicians a three star rating on Goodreads. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. I especially couldn’t stand Quentin.
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I think that’s the popular opinion, he isn’t a likable character. I finished the trilogy and am halfway through with the tv show. He is def much less harsh on the show than in the books. As the series progressed, I was hooked. It was like a grown up version of Narnia 🙃🙂🙃
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I didn’t like it enough to continue with the series.
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I read a lot of magic realism in my college Spanish Literature class. Gabriel García Márquez is one prominent author I remember from that class, along with Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.
Here’s my list! https://bookfreakout.wordpress.com/2016/07/06/t5w-a-lack-of-comforts/#more-5045
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OOoO Spanish Lit!!! Already caught my interest, checking out your list now, thank you😊💕
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I really really loved The Night Circus as well. I think it’s a book which is kind of on the border of my go-to genre but it’s become one of my favourites and I re-read it at least once a year! Also I need to get around to more of Patrick Ness’s books. A Monster Calls is on my to-read list but I need to read More Than This first!
Great picks for this week! 😀
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A Monster Calls was my first Patrick Ness, I’ll have to look into More Than This. I’m definitely going to re-read The Night Circus 🙂
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I’ve heard a lot of great things about all his books, and plenty of people have recommended More Than This to me so I feel I need to start that one first! 🙂
It’s a book that’s always worth a re-read I think, I always love it every time I pick it up again!
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I didn’t even know that A Monster Calls was a special sort of genre. Never heard of MR before so I’m glad to know :-). I loved that book btw! The only other book I read (and also loved) on your list was Burying Water. I really need to continue this series soon because it was very good, thanks for reminding me I still have some reading to do.
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A Monster Calls has elements of Magical Realism, I definitely wouldn’t group this as YA even though our protagonist is of that age, it transcends that. The story is about so much more that age really is irrelevant. It’s a story about loss & acceptance w/out angst or all of the well known YA elements. I am currently on book 3 of the Burying Water Series & each book has only gotten better. Hope you enjoy these books 😊💕
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Oh! I’m sorry u read A Monster Calls lol I’m glad u enjoyed it! I hope u enjoy the rest of the BW series 🙂
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