Top 5: Books I Feel I Should Read

Some books are so hyped-up, even if I have zero interest in the plot, I feel like I should give them a go to see what everyone else is on about. This sometimes works in my favour and the book lives up to the hype (as in the cases of Anna and The French Kiss, If I Stay and The Hunger Games), while other times I still don't get the fuss (like with City of Bones, The Secret History and The Da Vinci Code). Here are five books that are currently on my TBR list purely because of the hype...

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson. I feel like everyone in the world has read this book except for me. Even my fiance, who isn't a big reader, has read this series. It's currently sitting on my bookshelf, demanding I read it before seeing the movie. I haven't picked it up yet because, well, it's so massive, and I've also heard it's hard to get into at first. I worry that I'll be too impatient to persist - though if my fiance, owner of the shortest attention span in the house, can do it, surely I can. I'll get there... eventually.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. OK, so this one isn't on my list just because of the hype. It's also on there because Perkins' first book, Anna and the French Kiss, was one of my favourite reads of the year (if not ever). So I have extremely high hopes of Lola. There's been a helluva lot of hype around it, but from what I hear, it lives up to it.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. This is another book sitting on my shelf because my fiance has read it and I'm avoiding it because of its size. Once again, if he, as someone who reads about four books a year, can get through it (and even enjoy it), then I feel like I should be able to. I just need to work up the courage/strength to pick up the brick.

Fallen by Lauren Kate. As I've mentioned before, from the small amount of experience I've had with them, I'm not a fan of angel books. But so many people seem to love this one I feel like I should give it a try. I've even got the whole series on my shelf, so there's no reason for me not to read it. Except that I'm not convinced I'll like it.

One Day by David Nicholls. I had three people in the space of one week tell me I MUST read this. So I ordered it, planning to read it before I watched the movie. Then a friend invited me to a preview screening of the flick at the last minute, and I didn't get a chance to read it first. And the movie depressed the hell out of me. Now I'm too scared to pick up the book. I still feel like I should. I will. One day (badum tish).

Do you buy into hype? What books have you read (or want to read) because of the hype?