As always, Top Ten Tuesday resides over at my other blog – The Broke and the Bookish – where you can make your own post, link up and check out everybody elses lists!
Endings…oh endings. My love and hate for various endings has no rhyme or reason. Sometimes I appreciate a cliffhanger and sometimes I think it is a cop-out. Sometimes an ending will be so unsatisfying thus leaving my mouth wide open like, “THAT IS ALL?! You have got to be kidding me?” Sometimes they blow my mind by the revelations that happen at the end whether it be plot related or just a beautiful message that weaved through the novel and the last page somehow just brings a strong sense of closure. Sometimes I like happy endings where things are all tied up in a pretty bow and sometimes I’m glad that an ending was messy because that’s freaking how real life is. I can’t figure out what makes a good ending for a book clearly. Regardless, here are 10 books that made my mouth hang wide open:
And I’ll let you know up front…NO SPOILERS UP IN HURR…I promise I didn’t!
1. Delirum by Lauren Oliver – I found myself just flying through that final scene and was stopped dead in my tracks and something that happened and then OH WAIT..I realize it’s DONE even though it looked like I had more pages on my Nook and now I have to wait to find out what happens. NOOOO. We’re dealing with important things HERE!
2. Fever by Lauren DeStefano — Both Wither and Fever end, in what I found to be an appropriate place in their own ways, but at a place where you seriously are like OMG….I just want to keep reading because something VERY IMPORTANT just happened!!
3. If I Stay by Gayle Forman — I finished this book with red eyes and my mouth wide open. YOU JUST RIPPED MY HEART OUT AND THEN END IT LIKE THIS?!? I loved this book to pieces and just wanted to keep reading because I was so emotionally invested that I just needed to know how it ended!!
4. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins – That book had my mouth hanging open for a good portion of the end. It was just pure epicness that left my mouth hanging wide open and well because things happen that are MAJOR setup for Mockingjay!
5. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin — I WTFed my way through most of this book and the ending was particularly WTF inducing.
6. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer — I have no words. This ending left me in pieces.
7. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk — Well…duh. I’m sure you’ve seen the movie. Major WTF ending. A brilliant one in my opinion. It was cool before the complete mindfuck was cool.
8. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneggar — I liked this book but after all that here and there and what not..I thought the ending was a bit predictable so my mouth was kinda left wide open in that REALLLYY THAT IS ALL kind of way. I wanted the ending to really blow my mind since I really liked the book and it took a lot of concentration to figure out the here and there and the time traveling.
Ok, my brain is refusing to cooperate to think of two more. Makes me realize how HORRIBLE my memory is!!
Emily @ Books and Threads says
My reaction to Time Traveller's Wife was so similar. I was so wrapped up in the book and the story and the characters and then… wow, so that was it? It's still a good book, but argh!
My Top Ten is over here if you'd like to stop by!
Michael/Bookshelf Reviewer says
Awesome List, I struggled to think of some too, I had to look at my goodreads list to finish my list. =] lol
Here is my Top Ten
http://thebookshelfreview.blogspot.com/2011/10/top-ten-tuesday1-top-ten-book-endings.html
Mrs. Ruud says
Definitely agree with Catching Fire. I was so mad I had to wait for Mockinjay!
Kathy Ann Coleman says
Definitely agree with you about Catching Fire and Wither. Those both ended in ways that had me going 'Really? Now I have to wait?" Cliffhangers can be a mixed bag for me. Sometimes I like them and sometimes I don't. These were of the less nasty variety, but they definitely had me anxiously awaiting the next book.
Alison Can Read says
I don't know that If I Stay or Time Traveler's Wife left me with mouth open, but both left me sobbing. I sobbed through much of both books. Great picks.
Must Love Books says
I guess I need to read Dellirium and Mara Dyer because I'm seeing those on a few lists. Catching Fire was definitely a mouth open ending.
Jan von Harz says
OMG I think Mara Dyer is one that not only had my jaw dropped, but my mind blown. That ending was amazing.
Jessica Lawlor says
Ahhhh, yes absolutely to DELIRIUM. I felt the same exact way…kept flipping to see if there were more pages on my iPad. And there weren't 🙁 Sad. Can't wait til PANDEMONIUM!
Trish says
I've heard that about Fight Club – I still want to read the book, though!
Sidne,the BCR says
Delirium, must add this to the list also for next year read.
Amy @ bookgoonie says
Delerium is popping up a lot. So is The Unbecoming…guess I need to get it.
Miss Tattoo says
Found you through 20sb. I'm going to have to pick up a copy of Catching Fire. Thanks for the list!
melissa @ 1lbr says
I was particularly annoyed by Delirium because I read the ARC way too early for a tour and I've been waiting for over a year now for the sequel. Good picks!
Jenny says
I couldn't come up with ten either. Stupid brain! I'm seeing The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer on a lot of people's lists…it's making me nervous.
Christa @ Hooked on Books says
The ending of Delirium killed me!! I am dying to find out what happened!
April (BooksandWine) says
I read Catching Fire really late in the game, like a few months before Mockingjay came out and was all WHA—the samhell is this—.
And Mara Dyer. Yes. Gatorgate. Blergh.
AND AND AND Delirium, but I loved that last line HARD.
Bethany (youngbooklove) says
Man, Mara is on everyone's list! I'm reading it right now, and aside from the scene where the sixteen year olds go to a bar dressed in slutty costumes (is that NORMAL?!) I'm really liking it.
Jaskirat@SeeitORreadit says
sigh…I still need to read Mara. I've heard great things about it…it feels like I'm the only one who still needs to read it.
Great picks!
Check out my first Top Ten Tuesday:
http://seeitorreadit.blogspot.com/2011/10/top-ten-tuesday-1.html#more
lisa :) says
Great choice with Fight Club – I wish I had read the book before seeing the movie but even knowing the end, it was still enjoyable to read.
Jenni Elyse says
Such a great way to describe the ending for The Time Traveler's Wife. I felt the same way. I was so disappointed in the end. It actually ruined the book for me. The ending in the movie is so much better!
Alexa says
Catching Fire was a shock to my system when I reached the end. And then I HAD to go straight into reading Mockingjay!
Jenny says
I LOVED LOVED EL&IC… but I can't remember how it ended, LOL! I'm going to re-read it soon though before I see the movie. I'm curious now haha.