"I was cryin’ when I met you, now I’m tryin’ to forget you…"
Alright y’all, lets talk books that make you cry. Do you cry a lot…or is it just the rare book that affects you on that level?
Maybe it has to do with your reading habits: do you either seek out or avoid books you know have sad or bittersweet plot lines or endings? I think I’m definitely guilty of the latter – I usually bypass books if I know they don’t end well.
Even though I try to steer clear, there are still several books that have definitely made me cry, here are the top four:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
I know, I know…me and everyone else in the world. This book isn’t just the end of a war…it is the end of a series I spent many years being involved with. So, beyond all the pain and death is the fact that it is the end.
2. The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
There is a specific character in this book that I completely fell for, and his (or her!) story really got to me. I vividly remember reading this – I literally had to set the book down so I could sob. I have talked to other people that have read this that didn’t cry at all…so it is definitely not something that affects everyone…just me, personally. (Who else has read this? I’d love to know your thoughts!)
3. Don’t Tell by Karen Rose
This is a romantic suspense book with a very chilling villian. Definitely not the usual genre for crying. However, the MC was the victim of an abusive husband, and watching her come back to herself and grow as a character over the course of the book is something I will never forget reading. Absolutely brilliant characterization.
4. Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
This is the last of the eight book Anne of Green Gables series, which are all among my favorite books of all time. This one takes place during WWI, and there are two specific events that really kill me.
The funny thing is that even though I always say I don’t enjoy books with a side of kleenex, all four of those books are high on my favorites list!
So…what about you? What books have you read that have made you cry? Do you enjoy reading them?
9 Comments
13 Reasons Why- Jay Asher made me ball like a baby. I get pretty emotional when I read books, but usually it's just kind of a tear or two. But 13R.W. just made me sob.
If I Stay by Gayle Forman made me cry a lot. It was such a good read! I usually only tear up when reading, but that one really got to me. Definitely an amazing book.
Aw, The Tea Rose that death was so heartbreaking. Yeah, I cried.
I'm one of those who cries easily… but the one that really made me actually break down full on sob fest was The Book Thief! Just thinking about the story and "the kiss" especially is so sad.
Books make me cry. A lot actually. I get really attached to my book characters and I cry, all the time.
It would take me FOREVER to list all the books that made me cry, because I'm one of those that kind of likes to seek them out. For some reason, those painful, pulls at your heart books really get to me, and I love them.
But my top three, right off hand? If I Stay by Gayle Forman- I had an almost steady stream of tears the entire book. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult- My roommate in college came into my room right after I finished reading this book. I was sitting on my bed, sobbing (not those quiet, almost pretty tears, but the heaving, gulping sobs) She panicked, trying to figure out what was wrong, and gave me the weirdest look when I tried to explain that it was my book. And then, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. I've read this book somewhere around 50 times (I used to read it back to back to back to… in elementary school) and it makes me sob every time. It's gotten to the point where I know what sentence I need to stop at if I'm reading in public.
And, all three of those are firmly on my favorites list too!!
"The Girl Who Fell from the Sky". It was really touching.
I don't actively seek out books that may be tear-jerkers nor do I avoid them. The ones that made me cry are:
. SUZANNE'S DIARY FOR NICHOLAS — I was completely unprepared for my emotional reaction to this book but it ranks in my all-time favorites.
. THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY — Another favorite. I've also seen the movie twice and enjoyed it both times.
. MY SISTER'S KEEPER — Although not one of my favorites by Jodie Picoult. I have yet to see the movie.
. THE LONG ROAD HOME– My favorite by Danielle Steel
I am a HUGE crier so there is no way I can pick the books that made me cry the most LOL I could go by length: The Stand, A Discovery of Witches, Deathly Hallows, Outlander, Pillars of the Earth….
Really I cry happy and sad tears, which is kind of embarrassing if you are on an airplane (yep I have done that)!
I don't usually cry for books, movies, shows, etc. There are only 2 books that have ever made me shed a tear or two: The Outsiders and The Book Thief. I don't cry often while reading and when I do, the book becomes very near and dear to my heart!
Pretty much every HP Book made me cry, but I was a hot mess through entire 7th book. Let's see.. what else has made me bawl like a baby… I can't think of many because, like you, I try to avoid them. But how about The Painted Veil? Or Delirium.. I didn't bawl, but I did get misty-eyed. Oh and Siren by Tricia Rayburn – that got me in like the first chapter lol
This was a great post Allison
Sarah
That Bookish Girl