Earl Grey Books

Happy Monday, my friends! This year I’ve really noticed how much my reading tastes have changed, which got me thinking back to those old books I used to love. So here I am today to share a couple of those with you!

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

I was completely in love with this book after reading in 2013. For a while, I considered it one of my favourite YA books. In my mind, it was just one of the greatest fantasy books ever and it led me to read seven other books from Snyder between 2013 and 2016. Unfortunately, none of the other books in this series ever lived up to my expectations after this one. While I did really enjoy some of her other books, I do consider Maria V. Snyder an author I’m no longer interested in picking anything up from again. I also get the feeling if I were to reread this one that I’d hate it this time around because my tastes as a reader are so different than they were back in 2013.

The Maximum Ride series by James Paterson

Oh boy, this takes me back. I started reading this series in about 2008 when a friend put me onto them and I read all eight books in the original series. Goodreads tells me there’s now a 9th, but ugh. I gave all the books five stars, and then the final book, Nevermore, came along. If you want to talk about disappointing endings to series, look no further. I was straight up annoyed at this final book. I said in my Goodreads review that ‘it felt like James Patterson had completely lost touch with his characters’, which from what I remember sounds pretty spot on. Since reading this, I have developed a pretty serious dislike from James Patterson…is this where it started, maybe?

Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein

Are you even an Australian if you’ve never read this? This one takes us right back to when I was in primary school, probably around the age of 8 or 9. I used to spend hours reading this and then starting it over and over again. What about it did I love so much? I honestly have no idea. I also remember they made a movie out of this with Delta Goodrem as Alison Ashley—let me tell you, she does not look like a teenager for even a millisecond of that movie. But honestly, badly cast adaptations is a whole other discussion. Back to the book, I haven’t so much of thought about this in a good couple of years, I don’t even remember anything that happens.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The truth is out, I used to be a massive Sarah J. Maas stan. I loved the first two books in this series, as well as the first in the ACOTAR series and then I just lost all enjoyment in her books. Full disclosure; I did read her newest book, and it is one of my favourite books this year. I will be continuing that series, but I still don’t see myself ever rereading these or picking up any of her other ones that are published. I think part of the reason here is because Heir of Fire took the story on such a different path to the previous two, but I had loved where it had been going. I also don’t like the way she treats her characters, in the way that she will just completely change their personalities between books and then throw them over for the shiny new thing. I want characters I can love throughout the series rather than having to constantly change my mind.

And there we are! Now it’s your turn, what books did you used to love?