I am a total sucker for books that make me cry. If a book makes me sob, all the better – it’s done it’s job well!! On my birthday, did I choose to read a cheery, happy book? Oh no. I spent the night of my birthday sobbing while reading All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. And I loved it!
There is just something about reading a book that can make me feel so deeply – it’s cathartic. Pain can be therapeutic in a lot of ways – especially when you can live through it vicariously through the lives of fictional characters.
I love to be bowled over by a book and then stomped on a few times. Masochistic? Yeah, probably. But in all the best ways!
I cry while reading A LOT. But, here are a few books that stand out to me because I remember that they made me a blubbery mess (linked to my reviews – or to Goodreads if I haven’t written a review yet):
Forbidden wins, hands down, as the book that made me cry the hardest. Seriously, I was a mess when I read that book.
So, what about you? Do you like a book that makes you break down and cry or do you prefer dry-eyed reads. Are you one of those people who actually has control over your emotions and you never cry when you read? I want to know!
I’m not much of a crier, but I’ve been getting way more emotional as I read lately. I think you’re right – it’s therapeutic to just let go and immerse yourself entirely in the world of your characters, even if that means bawling on the couch. The most recent books I cried for are Heir of Fire and Challenger Deep. Both of them were FANTASTIC, so if you haven’t read them yet, I highly recommend!
I have Challenger Deep – Now I REALLY want to read it! Guess that one will be my next read!
It’s amazing! It’s one of the most honest and respectful portrayals of people who have mental illnesses I have ever read.
I like books that make me cry because I like books that make me “feel”, I want to feel for the characters and it is almost always the books that left me sobbing, with a lump in my throat, an aching heart and in tears that stays with me the longest. I think I am searching for that kind of books but I have to admit that sometimes I am so emotionally drained that I must pick up something light and funny just because I am tired of turning into an emotional wreck…
Here are 3 books that have made me cry: The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis, Bright Side by Kim Holden and The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen
I’ve been meaning to read Coincidence for a while now because I’ve loved Sorenson’s Nova series so much. Guess I need to get to that one sooner rather than later. And I’ll have to check out the other two too – I hadn’t heard of those!
One that had me sobbing was There Will Come a Time by Carrie Arcos – SO heartbreaking! And fabulous, of course 😀
Oooh – I’ve heard of this one, but didn’t pay as much attention to it as I apparently should have. Thanks for putting it on my radar!
When I saw the headline I immediately thought of Forbidden. I don’t think I’ve ever before cried as hard as I did when I read that.
Glad I’m not the only one. That book wrecked me in all sorts of ways!!
O I know what you mean. I horrified to find myself hoping they get a hea. That was 2 characters I will never forget.
I will tear up at the least provocation — not necessarily at sad moments, but just because I become really emotionally involved with the characters. To me, that’s the mark of a good book!
Yes, me too! I cry really easily any time I connect to the characters!
I have to admit, I love a book that makes me cry! Honestly, if I don’t feel emotion during a book (some kind, doesn’t have to be tears, but something strong), then the book probably wasn’t a 5 star for me. In fact, I can’t think of any favorite that didn’t have me in some kind of tears! I just saw that one of your commenters cried during Challenger Deep, and my goodness I adore Neal Shusterman so… can’t wait to read that one! And Forbidden, that has to be up soon on my TBR. And Things We Know by Heart… well, I have a lot of crying to do, I guess!
A lot of books made me cry, so this is hard to narrow down. I think of all time, TFIOS made me cry the most frequently. And Mockingjay, even on my ninth reread, had me sobbing.
Get ready to cry!
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I’m all for a good book that makes me cry as long as it DOESN’T involve animals, specifically dogs. My heart can’t take it. LOL I’m a big wuss when it comes to books with animals in it. Can’t do it.
Ha! Funny! I haven’t read any animal books recently that made me cry, but I do remember crying over Watership Down back in the day.
You’re right – there is something about books that make me cry that I can’t really help but love. Forbidden kind of destroyed my heart and then trampled it. It takes a good book to make someone feel that much so yes, our pain is a sign of amazing writing in a way. I guess that is why I keep doing this to myself over and over. I can’t say no to the pain if it means skipping out on an amazing book.
Definitely – the more pain, the more amazing the writing, in my opinion. 🙂
I don’t cry while reading often, but it has definitely happened before! Forbidden… Seriously, that book just broke me at the end. SO SAD. Sometimes, I really love books that make me cry. At other times though, all I want to read is either a happy romance or most often, an awesome fantasy. I have to be really in the mood for books like Forbidden.
So, a recommendation! I cried while reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Even though I knew the myth of Achilles so well before I started reading, it still managed to surprise me, captivate me and reduce me to a sobbing mess.
I hadn’t heard of that one. I will definitely have to check it out!!
I love reading a book that makes me feel all my emotions. I will laugh out loud, yell at the character if they are doing something stupid, embarrassing, dangerous, etc., hyperventilate when it is really scarey or intense and go thru boxes of tissues crying. My husband just shakes his head at me. haha A couple books that made me ugly cry are Fault in Our Stars, The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski, and Making Faces by by Amy Harmon. Thanks for the post!
I have The Edge of Never on my bookshelf – now I need to read it SOON!!
I definitely love a book that makes me cry because it doesn’t happen often! If I’m left in tears, it means the book has done its job 🙂 I’m trying to remember the last book that made me cry but only the books im writing stand out and that doesn’t count. Lol. Oh! I cried reading the last book in Marie Lu’s Legend series and in Jodi Meadows’s Incarnate series. I really need to read for pleasure more often.
I haven’t read either of those series yet. Darn – there are SO many good books to read!!
I just read Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, and that one actually brought on a crying headache because I had cried so much!
Darn! I had that one from the library, but never got to reading it. Guess I’ll have to get it again!
I tend to cry easily and don’t mind little cries but I do not like the bawling type of crying. I hate how wiped out I feel afterwards. One year on our beach vacation I brought the book One Day by David Nicholls. I sat there on the beach bawling through parts of this one…very emotional.
Another good one for me to check out. I kind of like books that make me bawl – the bigger the mess, the better! 🙂
I just finished reading Slow Burn by K. Bromberg. Ugly cry at least for me. Went through 1/2 a box of Puffs! It was so emotional, especially if you have a hard time with any stories that have cancer in it. It was really good, but it drained me!
Oh yes, I LOVE when a book causes so much emotion that I cry. Sometimes you just need a good cry, right? Haha And I was a sobbing mess at the end of All the bright places. I stayed up until 2 am reading it. And I was tempted to wake up my husband just to tell him I loved him. Man I was a mess.
I know – that book wrecked me! SO sad!!
I do love when books (or TV or movies) make me cry. It’s not that easy though, especially with books. I may get teary eyed, but sobbing takes a deep emotional tug. One book that did that for me was If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I was a mess with that book and even with the sequel, which is technically not as sad. I can’t think of others right now but I think if something makes me cry hard (or even a little) is almost an automatic favorite then, because it means it was really capable of wrapping me into it emotionally.
I’m a total cry-baby, so a book has to make me sob to really make an impression! 🙂
I love books that make me cry too, because it means that the book really got to me. I loved All the Bright Places, Allegiant and Things We Know by Heart as well, although I only cried in Things We Know by Heart. Happy reading! 🙂
Kim @ Divergent Gryffindor: BLOG || VLOG
Oh, wow! I can’t believe you got through All the Bright Things without crying. That is quite a feat! 🙂
Forbidden totally ruined me!Tabitha Suzuma broke my heart into shreds.
I love tearjerkers.I love those books that will leave me as an emotional wreck.Some authors just take my heart out and trample it,but I can’t help but let them do that:)
Yes, Forbidden should have a warning label on it or something!
Oh I LOVE a book that can make me cry. It is something special to feel something for the characters while reading. The author puts it out there and then it transforms me. I don’t seek out books that make me cry, but when it happens it is wonderful. Most recently, Wreckage by Emily Bleeker made me cry. 5 kisses for that one. Great topic!
I haven’t heard of Wreckage. I’ll have to check that one out!
I love books that made me cry! I am not typically a crier, so if a book pulls so much emotion out of me… BRILLIANT. Here is one – Love Always, Kate. I was a mess over this book!!
Also, I am picking up Forbidden today at the library. *EEEK*
Oh, I hope you love Forbidden!! (Now I’m all worried that I’ve set your expectations really high since I adored it so much). I’ll have to check out Love Always, Kate. I haven’t heard of that one!
I LOVE TO UGLY CRY!!!! LOL — I call myself a book masochist too!
Forbidden is a Favorite of mine for so many reasons, but yes one of them is the ugly cry. I also finished Me Before You by Jojo Moyes two weeks ago and that one KILLED ME–in the best possible way of course 😉
Looks like we were on the same page this month with posts about books that make us cry! 🙂
Oh, funny! I had already commented on your tearjerker post and somehow forgotten – I must have stored it away subliminally and decided to write this post! Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
I love a book that can make me cry. However, I feel like I’ve had such an overload of them this year that it’s turning from therapeutic into depressing. I’m hoping all of the HEAs aren’t disappearing.
Yeah – too much of a good thing (especially a depressing good thing) can definitely turn into a bad thing.
I’ll occasionally get teary eyes while reading a particularly moving scene, but outright bawling? That’s rare. I don’t actively seek out stories that promise waterworks; however any book that can get that kind of a reaction out of readers is a winner IMO.
I’m a softie, so it’s not hard to make me cry, but occasionally a book just really makes me break down – love it!
I don’t always seek them out, but every once in a while I really do enjoy reading a tear-jerker. Forbidden is one of my favorites, even though I never thought I would love it!
I know – it doesn’t seem like the type of book that you should love, right? That might be what makes it even more powerful.
[…] Let’s Discuss – Why I LOVE Books that Make Me Cry! […]
[…] Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction explains she loves books that make her cry […]
I can’t name any real crying books, Wonder got me good, but I do love books, and I do find the crying when a character dies or sacrifices themselves for the greater cause, in the mallorean, (continuum of the Belgariad by David Eddings) one of the characters dies, Toth, a huge towering mute, but you can tell at heart he’s probably one of the best people of the book, I blubbered like a walrus at his death, but that feeling after the crying, inexplicable, I’m writing a book, I just barley got past one of the saddest parts at the end, and hear I am, crying at what I wrote… Is that weird? It’s just, your writing your book, you get attached to your own characters, and, for the sake of the story, (in my case I killed the main character) you kill one of them off, and I had decided to do this long before, but I cried… Kinda the feeling I want the readers to feel, if your interested in fiction, fantasy, Dragons, and a sad ending, Keep your eye out for a book called Dusk, by Ryan S. Taylor,