There are many books that have stayed with me over the years for different reasons. One of those reasons are because that book broke my heart in the best way. This list is for those books that I will never regret reading even if there were tears involved.
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hover
Going into this book, I had no idea how much emotion it would pull out of me. I didn’t know a book could hurt so much. You see, I was raised in a home where every single type of abuse lived. That abuse was deep and powerful. There was nothing anyone could do to stop the pain, no one could make the pain go away. That abuse and that pain grew over the years until we were all trapped inside of it. Even as an adult that pain still lives within me and will never go away.
Reading It Ends With Us, proved what I always knew – that broken little girl inside of me was never leaving.
My Jonah. I miss him everyday. I will never stop missing him. After I read, Full Tilt by Emma Scott, I didn’t pick up another book for ten days. I cried my ass off. I laid in my bed crying into my pillow. My poor husband was scared I needed professional help. At first he thought my reactions funny until he realized I was so serious. Poor thing is clueless, but I love him anyways.
Just an Illusion EP by D. Kelly
For some crazy reason, I decided to start reading this book while at Sky Zone with the family. That was one of the dumbest things I have ever done in my life. I couldn’t make it through the first five pages before I lost my shit. I’m sitting on the couch crying like a damn baby. The other parents were looking at me spilling my tears everywhere, then my husband because he’s laughing at me, looking so insensitive. It probably looked like my husband was beating me or something.
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
My stupid ass sister wanted me to read this book. I don’t know why on God’s green earth did she think this was a good idea. It was heartbreaking. Just the thought of losing my sister cuts my heart in half because without her, there is no me. I will never forgive her for making me read this book.
This one gutted me, it literally gutted me. This book was so emotional and captivating. I felt as though I was the outsider, looking in on something I wasn’t supposed to see. I have never read another that compares to the love story and characters of Jamie and Claire. It is the end of the story that broke me. It was reading about Jamie being so broken that rips my heart right out of my chest.
If anyone feels compelled to read a few highly emotional books that will stay with you forever, I recommend every single one on this list.
I’ve only read My Sister’s Keeper, which was great. As good as your recommendations are, they also scare me. I don’t wanna bust out in tears in public, but I’ll try one of them…soon.
If you like My Sister’s Keeper, you will enjoy Full Tilt the most. As long as you don’t make my silly mistake and read it in public 😂
I get laughs and incredulous stares when reading and crying as well. Or when I’m reading and start laughing. People don’t seem to get that books really make you feel.
I’m with you there. My husband will often ask, “Why do you read a book that makes you cry?” I try to explain to him as best as I can that it’s because the book is so good. Reading is one of my greatest joys and I love to “feel” them.
I absolutely agree with you.
I listen to Audible on my way to and from work. One day I was sitting in the garage after I got home from work and one of my children came out to see why I hadn’t come in yet. She saw me crying and immediately started asking what’s wrong, is everything okay, etc. Trough my tears I explained it was caused by the awesome book I had been listening to. She went in the house and told the family I was okay, just having an emotional breakdown over a book.
I know it seems depressing to some people, but I love the books that make you really feel. The best books are the ones that months after you read them, you can think of the characters and still hurt for them. Or you just miss them and wonder what they are doing now. 🙂
You explained that perfectly. Other people do not understand what it’s like. I’m secretly happy that I’m not the only one who still thinks about the characters and wonder how they are doing.
I know! I feel like they are my friends sometimes. It’s crazy. Lol
Reblogged this on Angie Dokos.
I liked the Colleen Hoover and
Diana Gabaldon too
They are brilliant writers!
Ok. I’ve just bought Full Tilt. I hope its as good as you say. I love angst so please keep the recommendations coming. Jodi Picoult leaves me feel ethically unsatisfied. Her endings are never clean cut. They are jagged scars
If you love angst you will fall in love with the Just an Illusion Series. They are all amazing but book 3 is the one that brings it home and the writing is spot on.
I didn’t buy Just an illusion series because it’s not on audio. I would have bought it if I saw it
Oh, that’s right, I remember now. I hope she makes it audio soon, it would grow her audience.
Let me know if you notice it
I will!
I went ahead and bought book 1 on kindle. We are flying to Raleigh North Carolina for our family reunion this Labor Day. I’ll get it for the plane
Have fun and happy reading!
If Outlander made you cry just keep reading the series. Crying, laughing and every other emotion under the sun will have you worn completely out, but they’re well worth it.
And there are more books on the way.
I read up to book 3, I haven’t gone further yet. I need to. How far have you gotten?
I haven’t read any of them , though I have seen my sisters keeper’s movies . but after reading your blog , and checking them out on goodreads I guess I am going to read all of them. because I guess they look worth the time. thanku 🙂
I will warn you that Outlander is about 1000 pages 🙂 You should start with a different one! LOL! Just an Illusion EP is the 3rd in the series, all of them are good but EP brings it all together.
Oh Thanku.I will take you up on that ! I have already found it ends with us .
After reading about Just An Illusion on your blog about 6 months ago I read those books. They broke me. I read the Outlander (well, I read the first 4 and after that the plot just got lost in my opinion) and that was nothing, nothing compared to the Just an Illusion series. I have actually become friends with Dee as well, and she is an amazing lady.
Keep the recommendations coming!
Just An Illusion will forever be in my heart. Dee is one of the sweetest ppl I’ve ever met! I’m always going to be #TeamNoah but I adore Sawyer too. It was written so beautifully. It gutted me to my core. It’s funny you say that you stopped at book 4 with Outlander because I did too. I’ve been trying to find it in me to read book 5 but I just don’t have the urge. I hear they get better but a part of me is okay with where things are so I don’t have a boring desire to keep reading.
Do you have anything new that you can recommend? I am struggling lately to find books that would tug at my heart strings, everything seems quite predictable. I read the Fish Tales – loved those too!
Have you read The Idea Of You by Robinne Lee? I really enjoyed that one. Verity by Colleen Hoover was really good too!
Hi I ran across your review of Heartbreak Warfare and it led me to your blog and I love it. The Illusion series is one of my favorite series and I just cried and cried so I know where you are coming from. The last book…wasn’t what I expected I wanted more, but I loved that series. I was #teamsawyer because they were explosive out the gate and he was secretly a sweetheart. I’m going to check out some of these other books, not the sister one because I just cannot. I have 4 sisters and nope just no.
I completely understand with the My Sister’s Keeper was a difficult on to finish for me. After I read finished book 4 I was 59.2% #TeamSawyer because I realized it was always Sawyer and Mel’s story. I’ll never forget Noah.