Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “(First Ten) Books I Reviewed.” Eek. I have a personal policy that I don’t read reviews I wrote at the beginning of my book blogging journey. There is so much cringe. That being said, it was interesting to look back at what my first reviews on the blog were and try to remember how I felt about them. These are all books I read about 5 years ago, so the mind forgets…a lot. Covers are linked to Goodreads.
1. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund – This one remains one of my favorite Jane Austen retellings. If you are looking for a Persuasion retelling with a science-fiction flare, you need to check this one out. I still own this one and will likely keep it until the bitter end. Rating: 5/5
2. Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter – I have yet to come across an Alice in Wonderland retelling that I like. I remember wanting to like this one because hello, zombies, but I hated this one so much. Rating: 1/5
3. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater – I’ve always been impressed with Stiefvater’s characters in her Raven Cycle series. I have fond memories of reading this one and one that I know if I ever reread, I’d be lost to a state of nostalgia. Rating: 5/5
4. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore – This was one of the first YA fantasy series I really got into. I still think Graceling is the best, but this is my second favorite despite the fact that it is rather slow. I will also probably get rid of these books at some point though. Rating: 4/5
5. Gravity by Melissa West – I remember loving this first book in the series, but being completely let down by the second. I donate this book and its sequel to my library years ago. Rating 4/5
6. Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund – This is the companion novel to For Darkness Shows the Stars. It’s a retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel and I really enjoyed it. This along with Sharon Cameron’s Rook are my favorite The Scarlet Pimpernel retellings. Rating: 4/5
7. All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrell – This one used to be one of my favorites and I’m so sad it never got a sequel. I still have my copy of this one, but so many years have past, I will probably give it away. Rating 5/5
8. More Than This by Patrick Ness – I still love Ness’s Chaos Walking Trilogy, but I just could not connect with this one. I also vaguely remember this one feeling way too long. Rating: 2/5
9. In the After by Demitria Lunetta – I don’t remember much beyond really enjoying this one and feeling meh about its sequel. Rating: 4/5
10. Inhuman by Kat Falls – I don’t remember a thing about this one, but apparently I hated it. Rating: 1/5
Have you read any of these? Do you give away books even if you enjoyed them? How do you decide when it’s time? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.
A Kernel of Nonsense 
I’ve been meaning to read Diana’s re-tellings as they sound SO unique. Haven’t gotten to either one yet (despite the beautiful covers), but I’m glad to know you enjoyed them! “Rook” is another one I’d like to read especially since I love this story from its film adaptations. 🙂
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They are such fabulous retellings! Talking about them makes me want to do a reread.
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I remember All Our Yesterdays getting so much hype back then and then I rarely saw any reviews for it. It was kind of weird.
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I wasn’t on any social media at the time, so didn’t see a lot of hype. Kind of wondering where I heard of it first…
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Ah I remember seeing a lot of Cashore around when I started blogging! Same with All OUr Yesterdays- I remember that book seemed to be EVERYWHERE haha!
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Cashore used to be the queen of YA fantasy.
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I loved All Our Yesterdays! I’m sad it didn’t get a sequel.
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I think it would have stuck around the blogosphere longer if it had.
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This is one diverse list of books you reviewed.
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It includes some genres like dystopias that I rarely touch now.
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Dystopia is a genre even I rarely touch these days,
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Fun post! I also hated Alice in Zombieland, and I agree that we need more GOOD Alice retellings!
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Oh good, I know I couldn’t have been the only one. I really want to check out A Blade So Black.
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I just looked that one up and it sounds so good! Added it to my TBR! 😃
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great post! I hated Alice in Zombieland with a passion, mostly because it was false advertising and had nothing to do with Wonderland. Oh, and the writing was awful lol I enjoyed Heartless but that is a Queen of Hearts origins story. Like you, I can never find any Alice ones I like.
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I hated Alice in Zombieland so much. Ugh. We need more Alice!
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I was a fan of both the Graceling and Raven Cycle books. I find Ness an acquired taste. I enjoyed the books of his, that I have read, but I found them something I had to get into.
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I should really try more of Ness’s books. I haven’t picked him up in a while.
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Great list! I must admit I hear so many bad things about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland retellings that I think that’s why I don’t tend to pick them up – I think I might give A Blade So Black a try, though. 🙂 I remember seeing really positive things about All Our Yesterdays!
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I want to try A Blade So Black as well. Hope we both enjoy!
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Of these, I’ve only read The Dream Thieves, and it’s one I’ve been wanting to reread for a while – it would be such a nostalgic experience for me, too.
And I do give away books I’ve liked if I think I wouldn’t like them anymore and realize I have no desire to ever reread them. I started reviewing at 15, I don’t like the exact same things that I liked then, and that’s… normal, I think.
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I think it’s perfectly normal at any age for your reading tastes to change. I wonder if it in part has to do with how much so many of us read. You kind of have so seek out new things for them to stay fresh.
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Ah I read The Dream Thieves just before I started blogging, I have reviews for Blue Lily, Lily Blue and The Raven King though.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/top-ten-tuesday-208/
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It’s one of the series where I have all reviews on my blog.
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Lucky, I wish I did, but the first two books missed out by just a couple of years.
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It’s too bad you didn’t like Alice in Zombieland. That sounds like such a creative premise.
My TTT.
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It really did, but I’m so disappointed, even years later.
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I could only remember a couple of the first reviews I did, and I cringed a little at the writing when I went to go find the rest! But mostly, I didn’t like the formatting I was using.
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For me it’s both, the writing, the formatting, just not good.
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I’ve not read any of these but I still hope to get to The Raven Boys eventually. I hear such good things about it. Looks like you read a lot of blue books early on 🙂
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Hey, you’re right 🙂
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Yes, I do give away books that I’ve liked if it’s something that I don’t think I’ll re-read or it’s not a TOP TOP favorite. That kind of thing. I do love The Dream Thieves – that’s the only one I’ve read from your list.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
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Yeah, I feel like the best time is when you don’t have as strong feeling for a book anymore.
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I haven’t read any of these, but I like the sound of For Darkness Shows the Stars. If I really loved a book, there is no way I would part with it. However, I will part with books I liked, but aren’t destined to become a favorite or I don’t think I’ll ever re-read. Here is my Top Ten Tuesday.
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Yeah, potential for rereading is one of the things that factors in for me as well.
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You read a lot of fun books 5 years ago! I especially loved The Dream Thieves.
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Thank you!
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I loved Bitterblue!!! And giving away books? Not the ones I adored but the ones I won’t re read yes.
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Bitterblue was so good. Yes, rereading seems to be a big factor for a lot of people.
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I haven’t read any of these books, although I’m familiar with Alice in Zombieland and some of the authors. One of the interesting things about this week is seeing some of the older books that people who have been book blogging for a while (and who still have access to their earlier reviews) have read.
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Yes, it’s really interesting to see who was blogging when you were in your early days.
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Oh man I feel you on this. I decided to do the post after reading yours and I am cringing so hard thinking about past me writing those reviews. I haven’t heard of some of these books though (For Darkness Shows the Stars, Gravity, All Our Yesterdays) so I’m totally going to check them out.
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Some of them are just so bad! I have half a mind to delete them >_<
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Not going to lie, I went through the first like 25 I posted and deleted one it was so horrible.
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Great list, Alicia! This was a really interesting walk down memory lane for me. But I feel like I learned a lot over the years; this reflection put a lot in perspective for me. Do you feel like you’ve learned anything or grown in any way from reading these?
From your list, Dream Thieves is the only book I’ve read. In fact, I’m about to start The Raven King! I”m so excited. 🙂 I really love Stiefvater’s writing.
Hm. I don’t own many books, so it’s hard to say if I’d give away books that I enjoy. I dream of having a personal library someday, so probably not… Great question!
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I do think I’ve gotten better at writing reviews or at least writing ones that better represent me as a person. I’m not sure if these necessarily made me learn anything, but I definitely think that working on reviews for my blog has made me a better writer. I hope you enjoy The Raven King!
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I have not read any of these but I love Jane Austen and I have read that book! Here is my TTT https://paigesofbook.blogspot.com/2019/04/top-ten-tuesday-first-ten-books-i.html
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Oooh! What’s your favorite Austen book and/or retelling?
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Only five years of blogging. Look how far you’ve come in such a short time. I was just thinking of Bitterblue this past week. I read the first two books in the series but never read that one.
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That’s so sweet to say! Bitterblue is so lovely. I hope you get a chance to read it.
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I sometimes forget about All Our Yesterdays even though it was also a favorite of mine. I remember waiting for that sequel, which has now on a Goodreads shelf reserved for those books that don’t exist. I still need to finish the Graceling series.
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So sad that so many of our favorites will never get a sequel.
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You must have started the Raven Cycle books pretty early on! I waited a while and then wondered why I had because I loved them. 💜
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I did. I remember checking out the first from the library and then just being obsessed from that point forward.
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I’ve only read the first book in the Raven Cycle. It is one series I want to finish because I remember loving the first book so much. I’ve read a couple Alice in Wonderland retellings and I’ve never liked any but sometimes I think it is because I don’t like Alice? I don’t know!
I also have that policy not read past reviews just because WTF was I thinking. I’ve been indexing my blog and my past reviews are TERRIBLE.
Tina @ As Told By Tina
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Definitely had similar moments while reading old reviews. I’m starting to think the lack of good Alice in Wonderland retellings is because the original is so strange and unique, it’s hard to add something to an already odd world. Just a theory.
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You know what’s funny, is the very first book I ever reviewed at Grab the Lapels was a reviewer copy an author sent me, and I hated it! I ended up using it in a creative writing classroom years later to teach students how to criticize stories without hurting anyone’s feelings. I mean, at least the author got 15 book purchases out of it — and she was none the wiser.
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Well at least you got something out of it.
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Ahh, I will always have such a soft spot for The Raven Cycle, too. It’s just one of those series, right? I need to reread eventually. Also, I’m with you on not having enjoyed Alice in Zombieland. It definitely wasn’t my cup of tea and honestly you’re the first person I’ve seen who agrees with me on it.
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It was the worst! Years later, I don’t think I’ve come across any long-stanning fans.
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This is so fun! What a great look back at the beginning! I definitely give away books even if I enjoy them. I really try to only keep books that I know for sure I will reread again and again on my shelves. 🙂
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Yeah, same for me along with some that I might want to pass on to my niece or nephews some day.
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