Another week, another Top Ten Tuesday, a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. This time the topic is books I feel differently about after time has passed, like loving them less, liking them more, having mixed feelings or being indifferent about them. I’m constantly rethinking my ratings, so I’m glad to have a list to sort some of the books out! Check out my picks:
1. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
I picked up this book because of the musical and I was really disappointed at how different it was, it was much darker. The real problem was my unfair assumption that it would be the same as the Broadway musical. Now I see that they have to be different and I appreciate its themes more. I would love to reread it because I think I would enjoy it and maybe I’d continue with the rest of the series.
2. Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
I read this in college to write a paper on it and, at that moment, I despised it. When I think about why I hated it, I honestly have no clue because it has some of the best magical realism I’ve ever read! I had a drastic change of heart about his one for sure.
3. The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
I got all the Narnia books one Christmas and I thought they were really fun and easy to read, a very simple fantasy series. I picked up that Aslan was God but didn’t put a lot of thought into it. It was only with time passing that I got the religious subtext and how much I disagreed with a lot of it.
4. His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman
This one comes hand in hand with The Chronicles of Narnia, as it’s Philip Pullman’s response to it. I devoured these books and loved the worlds, characters, and adventures in it. My main problem was that, again, I missed the subtext and main themes so I was very confused by some things. Now I think I love them, but I need a reread of the series to fully understand and appreciate them more.
5. Legend series by Marie Lu
This was a recommendation that I went wary into, but ended up loving! Sadly, I’ve read more dystopian fiction and learned more about tropes, which has made me realize these books are filled with them and many are ones that I dislike. Still, it’s a fun trilogy, so I don’t regret reading it.
6. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
I think this has happened to many of us. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was the first proper novel that I read by myself. I was seven when I started the series and I was mesmerized by it. With each book I became more of a fan and ate the books up. Now, I still love it, but I’m definitely more critical of it.
Have you felt the same about these books? Have you had a major change of heart for any?
Chapter Adventures 
Great list! I think I am actually one of the few people who never liked the Legend series
I can’t even put it into words, but I just couldn’t get into it at all.
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Well, I get it now hahaha It’s nothing special and the main characters’ voices were indistinguishable really.
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That already makes me feel less alone 🙂
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I’m with you on Harry Potter. I used to absolutely love this series. And then… one day I re-read it again and it was just… not as I remembered. Everything was the same (plot, characters) but I noticed myself having more critical thoughts than before (like how annoying Harry can be sometimes). I still love these books, but it’s not the same anymore.
Same for Twilight. Yep, I was such a big fan of this series. As in, there was a time I used to read it again and again and again repearedly. When I attempted to read it again a year ago… couldn’t get beyond the first few chapters. Like with Harry, everything was the same but not the same.
I don’t think you can completely grow out of certain books but your passion for some can lessen. I just hope it will never happen to me with TMI and Percy Jackson.
So that’s the very long comment of what I think ^__^
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Right? Harry could be so reckless sometimes, but that’s something I notice now. And as for Twilight, well, now I think the writing is terrible, which I didn’t notice when I first read it and liked it.
I read Percy Jackson this year, so my opinion is unchanged. It’s such a fun series, the last books improved so much.
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His Dark Materials is one of my all time favourite series, but I read it before The Chronicles of Narnia. That might indeed make a difference. Some books require an open mind. I have Wicked, but haven’t picked it up yet. Somehow I’m afraid it will taint my Wizard of Oz experience. I’ve read all the books and loved them so much. Maybe in a few years… Great post!
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Thanks! I think Wicked does change how you see Oz, but I love getting to know more about that world even if it’s a different author and perspective. Waiting might be the best in your case 😛
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I can absolutely relate with you on Like Water For Chocolate. I read it for pleasure and highly enjoyed it, but I had many books in high school and college literature courses that seemed grueling at the time, but are now some of my favorite books (The Price of Salt, Stiff, A Long Way Gone, etc.) I also have to agree with what you said on my post — you should definitely add The Night Circus to your TBR. It’s been my favorite for years and I have yet to discover a book that will take over the top spot in my heart. 🙂
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Ohh, I also love The Price of Salt. I’ll be sure to check The Night Circus then 😀
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The only one of these I’ve read is Harry Potter and I think I will always be biased towards that series and just refuse to personally criticise it 😅! Although, of course, that’s not to say others who do are wrong. I am just completely blinded by it because of how much it means to me.
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It’s nice to have that kind of books, though, right? Ones that we are stubborn for. It shows how much they’ve meant to us in the past and right now 🙂
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Yes, exactly! I’m super grateful for it 😊
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Great list. I’ve not read the Legend series but I’m told it’s enjoyable. I agree about the tropes and I think that’s why I’ve grown distant from dystopian series because all seem to follow the same pattern.
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Yeah, I think they are bound to fall into a pattern sometimes, but there are many that are enjoyable and with great characters.
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I actually DNF-ed Wicked. I hadn’t seen the musical and didn’t really know much about it, but I just didn’t like the book!
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I totally get it. I also think that my English wasn’t good enough for that book back then because I didn’t understand parts of the plots. I was just left confused in the end.
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