Thu, August 9, 2012
Sobfest 2012
Earlier this year, I read a book called The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas. It made me want to talk about one thing right away:
How I spent the entire book SOBBING LIKE A BABY.
In The Survival Kit, the main character finds a “survival kit” made by her mom on the day of her funeral – a brown paper bag filled with random objects that she uses, bit by bit, to find a way to get through her debilitating grief.
I mean, if that stuff doesn’t make you cry, I don’t know what will.
Despite being a HUGE crier in my own life (I’m sensitive, whatever), I hardly ever cry in books. But when I do, I sort of love it. It means a book really took me on an emotional journey, really broke through and touched me. Here’s a few recent books I remember sobbing at:
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (if you’ve read it, you know why)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (any of the death scenes)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (you know what part!)
Where She Went by Gayle Forman (bridge scene)
Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (another sobby bridge scene)
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready (I’m a Zachary fan, but it’s Logan who made me cry)
So. Guys. For the next time I’m in the mood for a good ole sobfest, what are your recommendations? What book just got the tears flowing for you? Please share in the comments!
PS: Seriously. That Taylor Swift gif? Totally how I cry.
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About Me
I read. A lot. Mostly whatever YA novels the library has on hold for me that week. Sometimes grown-up books if my book club makes me.
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Steph @ the Caffeinated Reader said:
I agree! It’s rare for a book to make me cry, so it’s extra meaninful when I find a book that does. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson was my most recent tear jerk. I also cried while reading If I Stay. I think the only other book that’s made me cry was Saving June – a family member committed suicide while I was reading this book about suicide, so of course I related strongly.
Steph @ the Caffeinated Reader recently posted..Recommend A…(1)
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Nina Reads said:
I actually cry very easily from books, but some that have made me cry more than others are The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (the audiobook is amazing!), The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, and, like Steph said, Saving June by Hannah Harrington.
Nina Reads recently posted..Waiting on Wednesday: Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Lori said:
I love books that make me cry! I’m happy I’m not the only one. The Time Traveler’s Wife is a sob fest. I ugly cried for the last 100 pages of it. I loved every second of it too. I also cried during Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma, Before I Fall, Delirium, and Hold Still by Nina LaCour (just watching the trailer for that one makes me cry). I’m listening to Dairy Queen on audio right now (and OMG it’s so good!) and it had me teary within the first chapter.
Lori recently posted..Review: The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Carla said:
THE BOOK THIEF.
THE END.
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Jennifer aka YA Book Nerd said:
Keep Holding On is last book that made me cry
Jennifer aka YA Book Nerd recently posted..What’s on My Hold’s List (20)
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Carla said:
also, read the chaos walking books RIGHT NOW. I cried so much reading book three that I legit was boking all over. I had to hide it under my bed for MONTHS because i vommed from crying too hard. SO GOOD ANNA. better than the hunger games for realsies.
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Tara @ Hobbitsies said:
UH THE LOST GIRL. I read that the night before last and was up until like 2am just sobbing.
Tara @ Hobbitsies recently posted..The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Rebecca said:
I love sobby books, too! I love, sobbed my eyes out and completely recommend: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson and Something Like Normal by Trish Doller.
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Ashlee said:
I completely agree with The Book Thief and Second Chance Summer. I was crying the last third of SCS.
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Kristilyn (Reading in Winter) said:
Sometimes you just need a book that makes you cry and feel ALL THE EMOTIONS! I think the last one for me was Second Chance Summer, by Morgan Matson. I BAWLED while reading that one and I never seem to cry while reading — I’ll tear up, but never a full-blown cry. Definitely recommended!
Kristilyn (Reading in Winter) recently posted..DISCUSSION: Doing It Dirty – Should We Feel Embarrassed About Our Reads?
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Ginger @ GReads! said:
I know you’ve read all of these, but here’s my sobfest list:
- Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
- Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
- Saving June by Hannah Harrington
- The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle
- Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta
- Where She Went by Gayle Forman
- It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
- The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
- Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
- Speak by Laurie Halse-Anderson
umm apparently I’m a big cryer in books, too – ha!
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Sash from Sash and Em said:
bridge scene in Where She Went. I DIED. LITERALLY DIED.
i have a shelf on GoodReads called Heartwrenching.
-The Piper’s Son
-JELLICOE ROAD (OMG.)
-The Book Thief
<3 you.
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Kailia Reply:
August 11th, 2012 at 9:28 am
YES!!! I CRIED SO HARD WHEN I FINISHED JELLICOE ROAD!!!!
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Kayla @ Bengal Reads said:
I rarely cry while reading a book but here are some books that made me cry:
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, The Catastrophic History of You & Me (I CRIED like a baby), and I think that is it. Those are the only two books that have ever made me cry and they were both phenomenal!
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Joy @ Book Lagniappe said:
The Fault in Our Stars…cried sooo much! I think you know going in you are going to, but you still read it, I’m mean, it’s John Green!
Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic. This one hit me the same way as FiOS did. Sad but with meaning.
Joy @ Book Lagniappe recently posted..Wake Trailer
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Kathryn @ Clean Teen Fiction said:
I definitely cry during books, and I love it too. You’re right! It means I’ve connected to the characters in the best way. I totally bawl during Harry Potter 7 too.
*spoiler alert*
hedwig, dobby, Fred!! Come on!! It was so sad. The part when Neville pulled out the sword from the hat makes me tear up too. I’m a mess.
Kathryn @ Clean Teen Fiction recently posted..Young Adult Giveaway Hop
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Ginny said:
In my lifetime only a few have made me SOB (different from crying). So. In order Beauty by Bill Wallace ( I was real young when I read it). Then Forbidden by omg I’m drawing a blank on her name. Initials are S.T. Then Feed by Mira Grant this sob fest went on for a while! And lastly The Fault in our Stars by the amazing John Green. He also is on the “made me laugh so hard outloud that ppl stared at me”
Ginny recently posted..Glitch ~ Heather Anastasiu Review & Giveaway
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Jessica S. said:
I agree with you on The Hunger Games and Where She Went (also If I Stay).
Here’s a list of my other ones: Burned and Impulse by
Ellen Hopkins, Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry, and Heart On A Chain by Cindy C. Bennett.
I’m the one in the house (and of my friends) that will watch a TV show or movie and end up being the only one crying over a sad scene. I purposely don’t watch certain episodes or leave the room to keep from sobbing.
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Jamie Manning said:
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, definitely. I finished this on a plane home from NYC and actually had to stop reading because my eyes were full of tears–which made for a couple of strange looks from nearby passengers, lol!
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Rachael said:
I thought the gif of Taylor Swift actually was you when I first looked at it! Reminds me of a scene from a few days ago…
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Anna Reply:
August 9th, 2012 at 11:30 am
RIGHT? That is EXACTLY how I cry hahaha
Anna recently posted..Sobfest 2012
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Emily @ Brave New Shelf said:
I haven’t read The Fault in Our Stars but I’ve been told that’s a sobfest. I cried during Looking for Alaska, also by John Green, and I NEVER cry while reading.
Also, if you like Donna Freitas her book This Gorgeous Game isn’t much of a tear-jerker, but was great none-the-less.
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Liz said:
I’m not a sobber. You’ll get a choked sob or two out of me and a few stray tears, but that’s as emotional as I get. The last book that made me do it was THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater.
Also, Carla is totally right that you should read Chaos Walking. I have yet to read the third book but had so many feels during the first two.
Liz recently posted..Giveway: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Penelope @ The Reading Fever said:
I totally agree with you! As much as I hate being caught sobbing through some book, I love the exhilaration that comes with being on such an emotional ride.
My recommendations have already been recommended, but I’ll just second these two:
JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Kate @ Ex Libris said:
The Likeness by Tana French (not YA) and
Every Day by David Levithan made me ugly cry.
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books said:
First: I am in complete agreement about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and The Hunger Games making me cry. I cried BUCKETS.
Let’s see… books that make me cry. I read a lot of historical romances that make me cry. But other than that: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. That’s the most recent one.
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Liviania said:
See, I try to avoid sobbing. I hate it, even though I sometimes love books that make me sob.
But I always mention if a book makes me cry in my reviews.
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Christi the Teen Librarian said:
See you at Harry’s by Jo Knowles, I was sobbing like a baby. Also A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.
Christi the Teen Librarian recently posted..July 2012 in Review
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Henry Circle said:
I love this! Hilarious. I think you need to read Black Beauty if you feel like boo-hooing. Love your blog, by the way. You need to make a button so I can grab it!
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Ashley said:
Basically anything by Nicholas Sparks will make me cry!
But in general, I’m a pretty big cryer. I cry when it’s sad and sometimes I cry when it’s insanely happy.
Ashley recently posted..Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Randi M said:
Of course The Fault in Our Stars, Something Like Normal, and pretty much anything by Jodi Picoult. LOVE the gifs!
Randi M recently posted..Twice Baked Thursday (3): Jellicoe Road
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Tayiba said:
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. It speaks for itself.
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
We Heart YA said:
Lol at the gifs. Oh man… Sobbing is (weirdly enough) so good.
You’ve gotten some great reccos already, but our latest sobfest reads include…:
- THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (duh)
- THE SCORPIO RACES (towards the end)
- BEFORE I DIE
- THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Jasmine Rose said:
It’s always nice to meet another crier ;] I’m no generally too terribly sensitive, but I do tend to let the tears flow when it comes to books and shows. Heck, I rewatched the last 10 minutes of a Doctor Who episode just to have myself a good sob the other night!
A recent sobfest inducer was The Probability of Miracles. I mean, I saw it coming from a mile away, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t make me sad.
And Divergent? Don’t even get me started on that. I mean, I was sitting awake by myself at 3 in the morning having myself a cry over the end of that one.
Jasmine Rose recently posted..Series’ reviews: Another Jekyll; Hero for WondLa; Spell Bound; & Thumped
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012
Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase said:
I NEVER cry at movies/books/TV shows. My husband thinks there’s something wrong with me, because while every episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition makes him cry, I hardly ever even get teary-eyed. However, I think things are changing. I recently was obsessed with the show Dance Academy, and I BAWLED during the last few episodes of season 2. And I recently read Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta and I was sobbing throughout that whole book! Who knows, maybe I’m becoming an old softy!
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Posted on: Thu, August 9, 2012