Top 10 Tuesday…Books That Make You Cry

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Morning Kindle-ites! You may not know this, but I read a TON of blogs. And each week I take a particular type of pleasure in reading a particular meme called “Top Ten Tuesday.” Until today I have never participated. Mostly because I enjoy interacting on other blogs vs writing my own post. (Let’s just call it a gulity pleasure.) But today I decided to throw out my 2 cents. Why? Because I LOVE this weeks topic, and I LOVE books the evoke emotional/physcial responses in their readers. (My theory: if a book can make you cry, laugh, scream etc. It has done it’s job.) Anyways, first let me share a little bit about what TTT is about (straight from the mouth of it’s creators) and then I will get down to business.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It’s a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

 

This week’s topic…

Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry

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The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Somins

Add it to your Goodreads shelf / Amazon wishlist

The golden skies, the translucent twilight, the white nights, all hold the promise of youth, of love, of eternal renewal. The war has not yet touched this city of fallen grandeur, or the lives of two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanova, who share a single room in a cramped apartment with their brother and parents. Their world is turned upside down when Hitler’s armies attack Russia and begin their unstoppable blitz to Leningrad.

Yet there is light in the darkness. Tatiana meets Alexander, a brave young officer in the Red Army. Strong and self-confident, yet guarding a mysterious and troubled past, he is drawn to Tatiana—and she to him. Starvation, desperation, and fear soon grip their city during the terrible winter of the merciless German siege. Tatiana and Alexander’s impossible love threatens to tear the Metanova family apart and expose the dangerous secret Alexander so carefully protects—a secret as devastating as the war itself—as the lovers are swept up in the brutal tides that will change the world and their lives forever.

Oh how I hate, love, despise, adore, can’t live without you…Tatiana and Alexander. Not only does this book grace my Top Ten books of all time, it also single handedly alienated SEVERAL members of my family and approximately 10 friends. (AKA: They refuse to speak to me because apparently… I am the devil.) Want to give your insides a torturous workout? This is the book for you. Just when you think things are going to work out for this beautiful and obviously meant for each-other couple, someone ends up bleeding out on the floor. UGH! I DARE you to read this book (and the following 2) I also DARE you NOT to cry. (And also…not hate me forever for insisting you read it.)

 
 

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Saving June by Hannah Harrington

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‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going, California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

I don’t have a sister, but I have never wanted (and subsequently NOT wanted) one so bad after reading this book. Yes, this book has some sappy “guy moments” (read: I love him, I hate him, I love him, I hate him) but the piece de resistance is the inevitable breakdown (holy snot fest) June has during one of the most beautiful ashes spreading scenes I have ever read. To add additional sap, there is a playlist at the end of this book. Nothing gets you more emotionally invested than listening to a book’s soundtrack while reading it. (I’m getting teary just thinking about it.)

 
 

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The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis

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Read my REVIEW

Anna and Abel couldn’t be more different. They are both seventeen and in their last year of school, but while Anna lives in a nice old town house and comes from a well-to-do family, Abel, the school drug dealer, lives in a big, prisonlike tower block at the edge of town. Anna is afraid of him until she realizes that he is caring for his six-year-old sister on his own. Fascinated, Anna follows the two and listens as Abel tells little Micha the story of a tiny queen assailed by dark forces. It’s a beautiful fairy tale that Anna comes to see has a basis in reality. Abel is in real danger of losing Micha to their abusive father and to his own inability to make ends meet. Anna gradually falls in love with Abel, but when his “enemies” begin to turn up dead, she fears she has fallen for a murderer. Has she?

This is the only book I have ever been ban from reading. Not from my husband (as one might think) but by my daughter (who was 4 at the time.) This is one of those books that doesn’t end the way you want it to. As a matter of fact it is the COMPLETE opposite of what you want. Because of this…I was hyperventilating on my couch for the last 15 pages. At which point my daughter came to me, gently removed the book from my hands and said: “Mommy, I’m making the bad book go away now.” It’s hard to argue with her logic. This book will not require 1 box of Kleenex, it will require roughly 40. It is stunning in it’s visual aspects and absolutely devastating in its emotional ones. Read with caution. Read…but just… beware.

 
 

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The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

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Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Really? Do I need to explain this? I’m going to assume the majority of you have read this. If not…WTF are you waiting for? John Green is a genius. He is also… a total asshat! So you KNOW this book is going to end badly before you even get into it. (Hello? Have you read the synopsis?) For me? It was like cutting out my heart. Why? Because I read this book 1 week after my nephew lost HIS battle with cancer. Was that a stupid move? Actually… I don’t think so. As a matter of fact I think it helped me cope. That said, I just reread it last week to get a fresh perspective on it. The end result: It’s still freaking heartbreaking! Not as bad as it was the first time I read it, but I still look like I opened up a faucet on my face. Total blat fest.

 

 

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The Book Thief by Markus Susak

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Read my REVIEW

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

War is not pretty, but war through the eyes of a beautiful little girl who has DEATH (As in… My name is Death and I narrate this book) following her around? Devestating. This book is not always sad. At times I found myself crying over Liesel’s determination and hope (and the fact that she could even still embody some.) But it does have its heartwrenching moments. For example… the last 1/4 of the book. (At which point you won’t be able to see the pages through the waterfall on your face.) I have a feeling this book will be HS required reading sometime in the very near future. (As it should be.) It’s BREATHTAKING. (This is the point where you say: “Ok! I’m off to buy it.”)

 

 

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The Sky Is Everywhere Jandy Nelson

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Lennie plays second clarinet in the school orchestra and has always happily been second fiddle to her charismatic older sister, Bailey. Then Bailey dies suddenly, and Lennie is left at sea without her anchor. Overcome by emotion, Lennie soon finds herself torn between two boys: Bailey’s boyfriend, Toby, and Joe, the charming and musically gifted new boy in town. While Toby can’t see her without seeing Bailey and Joe sees her only for herself, each offers Lennie something she desperately needs. But ultimately, it’s up to Lennie to find her own way toward what she really needs-without Bailey.

Oh sisters! Not again!!! (How you slay me!) Story time…I like listening to audio books on the way back and forth to book conventions. It’s a great way to make time fly by. Two years ago, I found myself in the car at 1 am trying desperately to get home from an event 4 hours away. To help me stay awake I decided to start a new book. THIS book. A few hours later, I found myself parked on the side of the road, crying uncontrollably. I couldn’t see to drive. I couldn’t breathe. I was a freaking hazard! This book is a relationship nightmare. Everyone is connected by pain, and everyone’s actions are influenced by it. To make matters worse (or better if you are going  by writing standards) this book is FULL of gut-busting poetry. Sad, beautiful, geez how can someone even think this up poetry. If you need further incentive (as in…you don’t believe ME about how amazing this book is…) Just as Tahereh Mafi or Ransom Riggs. They actively promote this book. (I even had a 10 minute conversations with Ransom about it last week.)

 

 

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Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison

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THE TRANSFORMATION

Beth has always been “The Beast”,that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.

THE LOVE AFFAIR

When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion,for music, and for Beth, leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE

When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?

THE HEARTBREAK

The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her that could shatter everything.

Ok, so there is a lot to this book that annoys me, but at the same time…I couldn’t look away. There was something so engrossing, so scintillating, so…blat worthy that I had to add it to this list. SMTS is all about secrets. Both leads in this story have them, and once they are revealed the tears will start flowing. I read this on a Sunday afternoon, on my couch, with my son handing me snot rags every 10 minutes inquiring about my stability. And like a few other books on this list…this is NOT a happily ever after type of book. Read at your own risk.

 
 

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Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

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Read my REVIEW

Orphaned, penniless, Jacob Jankowski jumps a freight train in the dark, and in that instant, transforms his future.

By morning, he’s landed a job with the Flying Squadron of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. By nightfall, he’s in love.

In an America made colourless by prohibition and the Depression, the circus is a refuge of sequins and sensuality. But behind the glamour lies a darker world, where both animals and men are dispensable. Where falling in love is the most dangerous act of all…

Again… do I really need to explain why this book brought me to my knees? Yes? Ok. Let’s just say that hope and love, and the ability to write the two in perfect harmony can knock almost any sane person on their ass. Even more…I was so taken in by EVERYONE in this story that when fate turned for even just one of them I turned into a big ol mess. BUT (do you see the size of that BUT) NOTHING made me cry harder than they way they treated their prized animal. I wanted to strangle people. STRANGLE THEM I tell you. Animal abuse. NOT COOL FOLKS!

 
 

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Sophie & Carter by Chelsea Fine

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Read my REVIEW

While other high school seniors are dreaming about their futures, Sophie and Carter are just trying to make it through each day. Carter is overwhelmed by issues at home as he struggles to support his mother. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Sophie is left to care for her three younger siblings in place of their absent and troubled mother. All that holds these two best friends together is each other, and knowing that each night they’ll sit together on Sophie’s front porch swing and escape from their troubles, if just for awhile. But as their relationship reaches a turning point and high school graduation nears, what lies ahead for Sophie and Carter?

If you think a book can’t make you cry in 150 pages, you are wrong. Sophie and Carter dives into the complexity of humanity, and how individuals deal with the hand that has been dealt them. It is a very sweet story, but it is also an eye opening one. (AKA: it makes you think.) Their relationship is not conventional, and THAT is what makes this story a sad one. You won’t want to slit your wrist as you flip to the last page (like a few I’ve mentioned.) AND I’d be willing to bet you end this read with a big ol smile on your mug, but that didn’t keep the tears from coming.

 
 

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Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

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Read my REVIEW

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

And last but certainly not least… Hopeless. The New Adult blubber book to launch all NA blubber books. I could go on and on and on about this book and why it will make any same person cry (Don’t worry, I won’t do that.) but let me just sum it up in a few simple words. Evil dad, terrifying past, letting go. There is one scene in this book that cracked me. WIDE OPEN. If you have read it, you know what I’m talking about. Suffice it to say self realization evokes some pretty intense emotions. ALL of which are spelled out in this novel. Oh Holder… *sigh*

 

 

And there you have it folks… my top ten. Though I should mention, that after I got this post together 2 other books instantly came to mind. 1 – Bruiser by Neal Shusterman and Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys. Look them up. 

 

About Misty

Your friendly neighborhood narcissist. I'm sarcastic, cynical and a bit cranky. I own a soap box so big that sometimes I have difficulty stepping down off of it, and I'm about 94% certain I have multiple personalities. I don't sleep enough, and I read more than any person should ever consider normal. I have anger management issues, especially when I'm stuck in traffic and I have an unhealthy obsession with my Kindle. I am a vampire lovin', zombie obsessed, book-in-hand, iPod freak. You either love me or hate me. You be the judge.

2 thoughts on “Top 10 Tuesday…Books That Make You Cry

  1. I love that you have Colleen Hoover on here. She quickly made her way to my list of favorite authors. Hopeless was amazing. While I kind of saw it coming, it still didn’t help anything. And there are a few on this list I will be moving to the top of my tbr list!

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