Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is an audiobook freebie, but I chose to keep it simple:
The First Ten Books I Reviewed
I thought it might be fun to do a little reminiscing with this post!
I started blogging in February of 2013. As a baby blogger I was pretty much just groping around in the dark with no concept of how to run a blog (or how to write a review, really). If you’re adventurous, you can click on the links and see how bad those original reviews really were (including their ugly formatting).
Hmmm… Lots of big faces on these covers. Was that a trend back then or did I just happen to review a bunch of books with that type of cover?
Anyway, on to the list:
- So, my very first review posted here was Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead. Yep, I started my blog by randomly reviewing the third book in a six book series. And it wasn’t even a new release. Why did I do this? Because it was the book I happened to be reading at the time and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I mean, I guess it could have been worse–at least it was a popular series.
- Next was UnWholly by Neal Shusterman. Again, the second book in a series. Since this is my favorite series of all-time, and this book hadn’t been out for that long when I reviewed it (less than six months), I’ll give myself a pass. (Though I should have just reviewed the first book too!)
- Blood Promise by Richelle Mead. A continuation of the series (see book one). So, a bit of logic, I guess.
- Boundless by Cynthia Hand. The third book in a trilogy, BUT it was a new release. This one actually makes sense. Was I already starting to figure out this blogging thing? (I remember not being crazy about the way this series ended, but I guess I gave the book 3.5 stars–not too bad.)
- Requiem by Lauren Oliver. Again, third book in a trilogy, new release. (I remember really liking the end to this series–I gave it 4 stars, only .5 stars above Boundless. Isn’t it funny how memory works?)
- The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord. A random standalone that I found at the library (a relatively recent release). I actually didn’t remember this one at all, but apparently I liked it?
- Splintered by AG Howard. This is the first book that I specifically remember reading because I saw it on other blogs!! (I never did read the final book in the series though–this is one of those cases where I think I was afraid I wasn’t going to like how it ended.)
- The Secret Circle Series by LJ Smith. This was a very old series, but at least I reviewed the whole thing.
- Pivot Point by Kasie West. I LOVED this book!! (My first Kasie West.)
- Poison Princess by Kresley Cole. Never finished this series either. Guess I’d better get on that…
What were the first books you ever reviewed? I want to know!
You’re brave to link to your old reviews. My first ones are so bad!
I only did it because I was fairly certain no one would actually bother reading them. The formatting on those old posts is HORRIBLE because when I switched from Blogger to WordPress a lot of the formatting didn’t transfer over right. I went back and edited the more recent posts, but I never did go back and do them all.
Oh wow, I’m going to look back at my oldest reviews now and see what I can dredge up! I love that most of your earliest reviews are random mid-series books – that’s my kind of reading!!
I remember wondering if I should start there with the blog and just deciding that I wanted to get some posts up, and that’s what I was reading at the time. (I don’t know why I didn’t just start with the first two books, though.) In the end, it probably didn’t matter because no one was reading my blog back then. LOL!
I still haven’t read Requieum. I loved Delirium and Pandemonium though. Great list!
Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian
You should definitely read Requiem! I’m not one to talk, though. There are tons of series I’ve started and haven’t finished.
I think one of my first reviews was for Allegiant and it is completely cringe worthy. I never include spoilers in my reviews but there was a spoiler in that one! At least I had the wisdom to warn readers before they got to that part though. But I cringe at it! I love that you have a book you remember getting from blogging in your first ten!!
At least you warned people!!
Did you ever read (or review?) the rest of the books in the Shadow Kiss series?
My TTT.
I never went back and reviewed the first two (though I think I might have posted those on Goodreads?). But I did finish the series and I reviewed all of the rest of them here on the blog. Very random, I know. 🙂
OMG I loved Pivot Point too!! Funny how Kasie West completely changed her style after that. I wonder if she’ll ever do other genres again…
Yes, I fell in love with Kasie West because of this book, and I think it’s still my favorite. Guess I’ll always be a fantasy/paranormal fan at heart. 🙂
That is funny with the covers! Loved ]Pivot Point too!
Yeah, apparently I was drawn to those close-ups of faces on covers. LOL!
OMG with those big faces!!!! So glad that trend died. Also, that is so funny how you started your blog on the third book in a series 🙂 I love how us baby bloggers were just doing whatev. All my early reviews make me CRINGE to no end.
I know, right? I had no idea what I was doing. I basically just wanted to get some content on the blog and that’s what I was reading at the time so I just went with it. In the grand scheme of things, it probably made no difference since I had no followers to read those first few reviews. LOL!
Ooh nice! Despite loving L.J.’s books I never did read that series of hers. I still need to read her Night World books and Dark Visions. Those are buried in my TBR trunk! I actually know where they are!! Lol. And ooh Poison Princess! Though I did struggle a bit with that first one, I basically fell in love with book 2 and thereafter! It’s an amazing series and I’m dying waiting for word of the final book! It was to be released earlier this year and now in August, but there’s no concrete date and I am fretting!!!
Here’s my Tuesday Post
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
I actually thought that The Arcane Chronicles was done–I bought a box set from Book Outlet figuring I’d finish up the series one of these days, but I didn’t realize there was still another book coming!
Oh yeah there’s more! I’m guessing sales weren’t adequate bc the publisher only bought 3 books but Kresley went with a small press for 3 books and a novella. The 6th and final book should hopefully release in August but there’s no set date yet.
The series gets reallllly intense by the third book!! And the cliffhangers, good lord you’re better off waiting to have all 5 lined up! 😉
Ha! Yes, I think it’s probably good that I waited.
Pivot Point looks good, I remember that one being everywhere, but I never did read it! And wow you’re right about the faces. 🙂
I know, right–either face close-ups were a big trend when I started blogging or I just REALLY loved those types of covers.
I’ve actually wondered about if I’d feel comfortable reviewing a book in the middle of a series without having reviewed the first few books. I’ve done it for companion series, but not for series that require you to read all the books in a precise order. I think that it’s fine to post a review for any book in a popular series because enough people have continued on with the series to want to read your review.
Wow! That was a side note that went on for longer than expected! I’ve had such fun looking at these top ten lists because it’s really helped me see how reading tastes have changed! It’s also reminded me of some great books that I read years ago, like when you mentioned the Vampire Academy series!
I agree. In the beginning, I was honestly just trying to get some content on my blog before I went off to try and make blogger friends, and that’s what I was reading at the time, so that’s what I reviewed. It all worked out, I suppose, even if I was pretty clueless! 🙂
I bought Pivot Point by Kasie West forever ago, I need to bump that up my tbr. Than you so much for the reminder. And the final book to Poison Princess by Kresley Cole is supposed to release sometime this year. One of my friends is obsessed with this series and wants me to buddy read with her right before #6 comes out. Here’s hoping we both love that ending to the series.
Oh, funny—I actually thought the Poison Princess Series was done! I only read the first two books and then started to get wary of the love triangle. But then I still bought the boxed set on Book Outlet later thinking I’d finish the series–I didn’t realize I didn’t have all the books yet.
It’s fun to see how you started, isn’t it? The only one I’ve read from your list is Splintered. I read the first two but not the third. I liked them, but they weren’t my favorite.
-Lauren
That’s exactly what I did. I never read the third book, even though I own it. I was a bit scared about how the love triangle was going to go, I think. But those covers are SO gorgeous that I don’t regret owning the books! 🙂
Faces on covers was definitely a trend for a while! Ahh, so many throwbacks!!!
Yeah, I apparently started blogging right during the height of that trend. (I think I was drawn to those covers too, so I guess the trend worked for me.)
It’s so much fun to look back and see what we were reading when we first blogged! I first started blogging around the same time these books were big. I’m pretty sure I reviewed quite a few Vampire Academy / Bloodlines books early on.
I loved the Bloodlines Series—brings back good memories!
It’s fun looking back on older reviews and posts. I have a few Lauren Oliver books on my shelves for a while that I still haven’t gotten to.
Those older reviews can be both scary and fun to look at. 🙂
This was such a neat topic! I wish I’d had time to participate on this one this week. I may go back and do it again. Splintered is one of my all time favorite books! I liked the first two books in the Unwind series, but need to finish the series.
Sometimes I do a topic I missed later when there’s another topic I’m not crazy about. Why not?
I can’t even remember the first book I ever reviewed but I do know that those reviews are nothing compared to what I write now. And I didn’t care that you would have to have read the book to understand the review. Oh when we were ignorant! HAhaha. I’ll check out one of your oldies Nicole. 😉
Yeah, I had no idea what I was doing back then, but that’s okay. We all have to start somewhere!