Happy Tuesday! This week’s topic is books I don’t talk about enough or books I haven’t talked about recently. Since I have so many books I read before I started blogging, I decided to focus on those. So, here are the 10 books I love that I read before I started blogging.
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
So, I love this series even though I felt that by the end, it wasn’t as great. However, this book, book 1 in the series, still stands as one of my favorite books. It was so different. I love Harris’ writing style and pacing. I love the world she created in Bon Temps and I really love the characters (and there are a BUNCH).
Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz
Blue Bloods is another book I enjoyed because of its really unique twist on a popular trope. Vampires were all the rage when this book was published (Twilight) and De La Cruz brought something totally new to the trope. Her world was fascinating and engaging. If you want a vampire story with a twist, these books are great and totally YA appropriate.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
So, I have to include a classic on this list. My students read this each year and it is one of my favorites for so many reasons. First, the obvious fight against discrimination is always powerful. Its more than just fighting racism; Scout and Jem are fighting societal norms about those who are different from expected (Boo Radley). Lee’s writing style is beautiful as well. She uses words perfectly to both get her point across and to keep the book feeling!
The Ghost Bird Series by CL Stone
So, this series is one I grabbed because book 1 was free. And its another book that is just unique. Its YA but its a reverse harem story. So, 1 girl and multiple guys. Because its YA, nothing overly sexy has happened and we are nearly 10 books in. And its not about multiple partners. Its about 1 girl in love with multiple boys who are willing to share her. Plus there is the mystery aspect of what is going on in this town!
Providence by Jamie McGuire
Another unique story! I am beginning to see that some of the books I loved that led me to blogging are all books that I felt were really distinguished from what was flooding the market at the time. I was really digging fallen angel books when I read this and Hush, Hush. Providence was mysterious, compelling, and totally sucked me in. It was my gateway Jamie McGuire book!
Unloveable by Sherry Gammon
I love books with characters who have survived abuse. I have no idea why I love such a dark topic, but I totally do. Unloveable does this trope beautifully! I loved the characters and the twists! Its just really well written and that isn’t always easy to do when the subject matter is so dark.
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Sigh…Patch. These books really got me hooked on the fallen angel thing. I love Fitzpatrick’s writing style and her characters are always really well written in my opinion.
Mind Speak Heather Sunseri
I grabbed this as a freebie and devoured it. A school for students with special gifts? Its a little bit X men and a little bit YA romance. I just really enjoyed it!
All Lined Up by Cora Carmack
This was the book that got me hooked into sports romance. I love Cora’s characters. She always writes characters that I feel I ‘get’. And her heroes are super swoon-worthy. Seriously-Cora Carmack is my go to author when I want the swoon factor!
Rule by Jay Crownover
Oh Rule! Man, I hated him when I started this book. However, that is what made this book so memorable for me. Rule is one of those characters that you just HATE then suddenly, you realize you don’t hate him any more and you aren’t sure exactly when that happened. I love Jay’s writing as well. I think she gives you detail without slowing the pace, and her characters are always so well developed.
Okay, thats my list! These books are all ones I read before I started blogging so I didn’t get to brag about them anywhere but goodreads. Looking back on these, they are the reason I started thinking about blogging because I wanted to shout to the world how amazing the book was! Have you read any of these? Share your thoughts in the comments!

I’ve only read All Lined Up from your list and I adored that book! Rule is on my TBR though. I did try the Charlaine Harris books but couldn’t get into them. My list would be never ending I think! 😀
I love the whole Rusk Series but All Lined Up is just great. And the Harris books got worse as the series went on so if you didn’t like the first few, you really won’t like the last few!!!
OHHHH I loved Rule!!!! My Secret Sister from last round sent it to me as a kindle book and I devoured it! I really want to read Providence as well!
Its great!! I read it on Oyster and fell in love with Jay’s writing! Providence was amazing!!! It was so unique and really well written!
Oh To Kill a Mockingbird…I haven’t read you since high school, but I loved you so much then.
I also really enjoyed Unlovable, but have yet to read any more in that series. I have All Lined Up on my TBR and really need to get to it. And everyone I know has loved Rule, so I should probably add that to my list as well…
My TTT.
I really enjoyed the Southern Vampire Mysteries! But I agree with you, it definitely declined over time
Right?!? I mean by the end I was reading the books because I felt like I couldn’t give up at the point. And I kept hoping she would recapture the magic of the earlier books. Sadly, I was disappointed. But, I still love the first few in the series!
What a great list! All Lined Up is great as is the Blue Blood series (though I still have to read the last book!)
Hush Hush is one of my all time favourites so I’m glad to see it here. And Rule really surprised me–I thought it was going to be one way but it really surprised me in a totally fabulous way and now Jay Crownover is one of my favourite authors 🙂
Yes-Jay Crownover is one of my automatic 1 click authors! I still need to read the last Blue Bloods book as well! I’m usually really good about finishing series but this one kind of slipped past me!
I loved Rule and All Lined Up. Both I read when I had my first book blog.
The Sookie books I read before book blogging and I love them! I actually reread the first 3 earlier this year and it was a joy.
Hush Hush I own but haven’t ever read… In fact, I own all four ?. I’ll get to them eventually! Glad to know they’re something worth looking forward to!
I also read Hush Hush before I started blogging! I read the first three books, but I still haven’t read the last one, I guess that I just lost interest in the series. Great list! 🙂
The last book in the series was good-but it didn’t capture the magic that made me love Hush Hush to begin with. Thanks for stopping by!
I never read HUsh Hush. I always wanted to when the hype was big, but never got around to it. I worry now that I wouldn’t like it as much as I might have at one point. Great list this week!
I loved, loved, loved Rule! He was the perfect combo of infuriating sexiness! Rule and Asa were definitely my favorites from that series. Oh, I”m so glad you mentioned Hush, Hush because I really don’t see that around that much anymore. I have the first book on my Kindle, and I keep forgetting about it. Definitely won’t now. 🙂