Day 9 - A Book You Thought You Wouldn't Like But Ended Up Loving

These past few days of the challenge have been really difficult ones to pin down, I'm pleased to say that tomorrow's is soooo much easier!
I do tend to read in my comfort zone and so if I think I'll hate a book, I tend to not read it.  As it's very rare for me to give up on a book once I've started it, I don't set myself up for books that I don't expect to enjoy.  So after a bit of reflection, I've come up with the following suggestions for today's challenge.

The Hobbit - I was given this as a child by a friend of my mum's who knew I was "bookish" and so thought it'd be ideal.  I didn't know anything about it, (I am very old and this was way before Peter Jackson had probably even thought about making the films!) and I hated it!  Actually that's a bit unfair as I didn't get very far, got bored and gave up.  Maybe I was too young or it just wasn't the right time.  However, when I did go back a couple of years later, I loved it.

Little Women - was given to me at school (probably by a frustrated teacher when I was moaning that I'd read everything else!) and it had a nasty twee cover, which if not exactly the one I've included was pretty close.  With blushing girls with fussy ringlets and prissy dresses on it, I loathed it on sight.  It didn't help that I wasn't very keen on that particular teacher, either.  But as we had regular silent reading sessions and with nothing else to do, I gritted my teeth and read it.  Although I didn't understand what calf's foot jelly was all about, I did love it and wanted to be Jo, just like every other girl forced to do something they didn't want to.



Twilight - I know it's sad and as I said earlier, the whole series didn't stand a re-read but I adored Twilight for the sheer romance of it.  I only bought it as I was fed up of all the hype (again, pre-films) and wanted to hate it particularly as Bella is such a pain and Edward is controlling, but it's a bit of a guilty pleasure.