We all know that feeling when you have just finished a great book and you don’t know how to get on with you life. Yes, I am talking about having a book hangover. In this post I will talk about the five books that gave me such a hangover.
But first let’s look at the definition or meaning of a book hangover. EpicReads.com define a book hangover as:
My favourite definition of a book hangover is however “The struggle of trying to reconnect to reality after finishing a really amazing book”
I only get a book hangover from reading a great book. And typically it is because I can’t grasp what happened, or how some people were or are treated, or maybe I am just simply sad. And these feelings affect me so much I can’t just start with another book. Usually when I finish a book I get on to the next one right away. But there are some books that just need more time to digest.
We have looked at the definition. So let’s take at look at the five books that gave me a book hangover:
When I made this list it came to my attention that all five of them have a girl as the main character and that this girl is struggling in some way. Maybe it was obvious or a bit predictable, but I would still had thought that at least one fantasy book had given me a hangover, but nope, only contemporary books.
‘Only Ever Yours’ by Louise O’Neill isn’t exactly a contemporary like the rest of them. But it addresses important themes and issues that are going on in todays society. You can read more in my review of ‘Only Ever Yours’ here. This book gave me such a hangover that it took me three months to write this review. I just didn’t know how to get my thoughts down on paper.
Another book by Louise O’Neill made my list, that is ‘Asking For It’. I actually read this book before ‘Only Ever Yours’. ‘Asking For It’ is just as “horrible” as ‘Only Ever Yours’ if not wore. However it invites to a discussion about today’s rape culture and consent. This book left me so angry and in despair. I don’t know how, but I managed to write a review. Read it here.
I am an emotionally person and the last two books ‘Me Before You’ by Jojo Moyes and ‘We Were Liars’ by E. Lockhart really hit me hard. They practically destroyed me. The latter left me in a state of depression for almost two weeks and the first left me crying so hard my mum got worried. She wouldn’t believe that it was the book and not something else that had me crying like a baby.
I would definitely recommend all five books! They are all four or five stars reads and addresses really interesting and important themes in our society. Just have in mind that they are dealing with tough things and might no be suitable for all. Anyhow I hope you will look you into them.
Best,
Nicoline
What book gave you the biggest book hangover? How do you define a book hangover?
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week there is a new topic for bloggers to choose and list their top ten. This week’s theme is The Last Ten Books That Gave Me a Book Hangover.
I thought Only Ever Yours was really interesting. Your review of it was well done, too!
My TTT .
Nice to know they affected you. https://pmprescott.blogspot.com/2020/02/ttt-021820.html
Now I’m wondering if I can come up with some that’s left me with a book hangover. Great post!
Haha I did the same at first. Thank you!
ooooh I really like your definition of book hangover, it’s definitely super relatable haha.
honestly I don’t even remember the plot of Girl in Pieces, but I remember it making a really strong emotional impact on me too. and oh my gosh, We Were Liars is SUCH an intense read.
I don’t know about my *biggest* book hangover, but In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan melted me into a puddle of messy feels because it was so brilliantly constructed and I absolutely adored the bi rep (and it’s a YA fantasy!) 💕
Me neither. 😉 I just remember the felling I had when reading and the feeling it left me with after.
Yeah I just couldn’t and would’t accept the truth, it was to hard hahah.
Uhh nice. I have to check that one out! Thanks <3
i watched the movie of me before you and i cried and was hung up on it for weeks. i haven’t read the other books either, but i’m glad they made you feel this way.
I both love and hate them XD my book hangovers are mostly for contemporary romance.. im just soo caught into the fluffiness or how rough the ending was.. but then I get a little too obsessed, you know ahah
I believe girl in pieces is on my virtual wanna read, but I haven’t read the others. Not sure i’d be up for only ever yours or asking for it though ..
Haha yeah I get it. 😉
Girls in pieces is great. I don’t remember that much from it but I remember the feeling af pure rawness and flaws. It is really beautiful in that way.
The other two books are also raw but they are quite graphical which kind of makes them “worse”. I don’t wanna scare you off, they are all great pieces of literature :)))
Ooh, I love your definition of ‘book hangover’ so much more!
The only one I read form your list is “We Were Liars”, and I remember it being preeeetty good!
Yeah We Were Liars is pretty good read! 😉 Thanks for stopping by :))
I’ve been thinking about listening to We Were Liars on audiobook recently cuz everyone seems to love it, but the blurb is so vague and nobody really talks about what it’s actually ABOUT so I’ve been putting it off cuz idk if I’d like it. And now this has me even more worried. XD Is it really that good though?????
You should definitely do that! The second time I read it I also listened to it as an audiobook and it was really great. Hahahha yeah I guess people can be a bit secretive about it but it is for your own good 😉 It actually says in the book “Need to talk about it? Dont reveal the secret, just lie”. There is major plot twist and if you figure it out it is not gonna be the same I think. But it is basically about a rich family who spend every summer on their private island and some accident have taken place. I don’t think that is too revealing. I hope you’ll give it a try :))
We Were Liars and Me Before You gave me huge book hangovers! Both books left me feeling so emotionally devastated (especially Me Before You). It definitely had me ugly crying 😂 I have the others on my TBR. I’ve only read one book by O’Neill but I’ve heard really great things about both of the books on here. I’m looking forward to it! Great list 🙂
Ugh yeah they are awfully good.
Nice which book? I want to explore her other books more 😉
Thank you! <3
It was The Surface Breaks, a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Talk about dark (I haven’t read the original though) but a great empowering read!
Oh that sounds so interesting! I have to read that!
I haven’t read any of these, but I came so close to picking up We Were Liars the other day. Unfortunately the book was damaged, but I’ve been seeing it around a lot lately and really want to give it a read!
You definitely should. I only have good things to say about it. Apart from the risk of getting a book hangover 😉
Oh, yes to We Were Liars! I read that one while on vacation at the beach and it has stuck with me for a long time. Loved it! 🙂
My Top Ten Tuesday
I FEEL YOU on having trouble connecting with reality after a good book, and I think a lot of my slumps are a result of my forcing myself to process, review, and move onto another book too fast. I haven’t read any of these books, but they sound interesting.
Yeah that is true. Sometimes one should just take the time it takes to process a great book. But there are so many other great books out there and other bookish things do 😉