Top Ten Books That Broke Your Heart A Little

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovelies at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's Top Ten theme is: Top Ten Books That Broke Your Heart A Little

This week's topic is a little difficult to post about as I really don't want to post any spoilers. Theredore, I've decided to just post a sentence or two about each. I'll do my VERY best not to give anything away!

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

This is the third book in the His Dark Materials trilogy. I wept like a baby at the end and every time I read it I wish and wish for... well, I suppose I can't say, can I? Go read the trilogu for yourself and find out what I mean. 

Before I Die by Jenny Downham 

You know from the beginning of this book what's coming, and still it breaks your heart. This is beautifully written book which is completely, agonisingly wonderful. 

Watership Down by Richard Adams

You wouldn't think a book about bunnies could be so compelling, but this one really is. It's charming and lovely and sad. If you're looking for another powerful tale of hard-done-by rabbits, try The Book Of Bunny Suicides, by Andy Riley.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

This is another beautifully-written, tragic book that broke my heart repeatedly. Sebold's imagery is vibrant and her narrative is driven by excellently created characters. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Death himself narrates this book and he warns you, he bloody-well-warns you what's going to happen. And you think maybe he's trying to fool you...

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

This is a trilogy I can't recommend highly enough. While it mdoesn't seem to be as well known or as widely lauded as some series, I honestly think it's one of the best out there. Comparable even to HIs Dark Materials.

Romeo and Juliet - Shakespeare

Okay, okay, so it's a bit obvious. But I don't care! I've read this play a bazillion times and taught it a bazillion more. And every single time I wish that things could've turned out a little better for the poor, eponymous characters. 

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne

This is another book I've had to teach several times and which has stood the test of teaching. Who can fail to be moved by the tragedy of this tale, and of the truth that inspired it?

The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks

You won't hear my say this very often at all. Such incidences are so rare as to be almost non existent. Here goes: "I preferred the film." 

*awaits a tumult of abuse* 

I'm sure plenty of you will disagree with me and I'm not trying to deride the book in any way, it's on the list isn't it? I just think that the chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in the film, really added something. That's not to say that I didn't bawl my eyes out when I read the book, just like I did when I watched the film, though!

Entangled - Cat Clarke

This is one of those books that I finished with my mouth agape and an expression of indignant horror on my face. How could an author be so cruel?! How could Cat Clarke perpetrate such evils?! She broke my heart with this one...and ensured that I'll buy pretty much everything else she ever writes. 

So there you have it. The top ten books which broke my heart a little. I think it's worth adding at this point that I was tempted to put Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling on this list. They, however, broke my heart for different reasons. That was the heartbreak one feels when something they've loved for so long finally ends. Even happy ending can be heartbreaking.

Let me know your thoughts!

Lx