top ten; books i picked up on a whim

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday category was pretty interesting. I don’t usually buy books ‘on a whim’, if I’m honest. When I buy books, I have a clear idea what I’m heading out to pick up. I usually save up for books, and then buy the books I’ve been wanting to read for a while.

But when it comes to the library? Erm, I’ve lost count of the times I’ve gone in for one book and come out with something else entirely. Usually because the book I wanted wasn’t in stock, but sometimes with the book I wanted, and a whole bunch of other books that just seemed interesting.

It’s a thing. I’m working on it. (Not really.)

Books I Own

There have been occasions when I’ve walked into a bookstore for something and walked out with something else. Or simply planned to browse and walked out with a book that seemed interesting. It does not happen often, but – it has happened.

I can’t say I regret these times.

• I don’t remember when I picked Entwined up, but I remember being attracted to the cover. It was SO PRETTY OMG, still one of my favourite book covers ever. On top of that, it was a fairytale reimagining? I ADORE FAIRYTALE REIMAGININGS. Pretty much every other story I pick up these days are fairytale reimaginings.
• Okay, this one is a little bit of a cheat because I picked the first book of the Spellcaster series from the library. It was there, it seemed interesting, it had a pretty cover – I loved it so much I tracked it down in bookstores and bought the whole series.
• The covers for Tales Of Beauty And Madness were so pretty? I loved the way they looked, the throwbacks to the fairytales they were based on. Every time I walked into the bookstore, I would wind up in front of them until I finally gave in and bought them. Worst impulse control ever. (Totally worth it!)
• Okay, so technically The Zoya Factor was a recommendation. But considering the fact that it was the bookstore owner’s recommendation while I was at his stall buying something else, I think it fits this list. He told me it was a favourite with his customers, and he totally talked me into it. (It completely helped that books in India are relatively cheap. I was hard pressed not to come home with an entire bag full of just books.)
• Teardrop had a very pretty cover. The synopsis was also interesting, so it was a complete impulse buy. (It was an okay read, but I never picked up book two…)

Books I Borrowed

The library is a magical place. That is honestly all.

• The amount of times I picked Seraphina off the shelves and then put it back because hmm, is it really my thing? I wasn’t gonna but then I did because DRAGONS AND MUSIC AND I really need to get my hands on book two.
• The cover for Plus One was so different and interesting that I could not resist. Really, resistance was completely futile so I didn’t even bother trying.
• The synopsis for The Sweetest Spell mentioned chocolate. I was sold immediately.
• Does the fact that I have loved the author’s other books invalidate my picking up the Skylark series on a whim? Because I definitely walked into the library for something else and walked out with the first book of this series… It’s all a blur.
• It was a while ago, but when I came across a book with a title like The Unbearable Book Club For Unsinkable Girls, how could I really not have picked it up? And I’m glad I did, because this book? The reason I got back into reading again, the first book I reviewed when I started my tumblr book blog – really, without me picking up this book, this blog probably would never have existed!

So there you have it! Ten times my impulse overrode my common sense. Not that I regret any of it. Because I don’t. At all. I mean, why would I ever regret books?

What are some books you picked up on a whim? (I won’t even ask if you’ve done that because, pfft, point me towards a bookworm that hasn’t and I’ll call them a liar. Probably. Okay, maybe not to their face. I’m generally a nice person. I’ll probably just not believe you…) Link me to your lists! Or if you don’t have one, write out your lists below?