In January of this year, I was at the very very beginning of getting back into reading and I picked up Secret History. It had been on my shelf for years and I had gotten it out of a neighborhood free library/exchange. Having not been in bookish communities much, I’d never heard of it–I just liked the blurb on the back. I was blown away and when I was telling my friend, an avid reader and lit major, about it, she told me about how it was very well-known as a really good book lol. Now that I’ve built out my own reading habits and book-loving community, I hear about it so often and it makes me chuckle every time.
Have you ever had an experience like this? Picked up a book blind or without knowing much about it, and then found out that it was really popular or loved?
All the time. I usually shop by “similar books” and stash them for later reading. When I finally read it, I’ve usually forgotten what it was supposed to be about and am always pleasantly surprised when it’s super great. And even more surprised when I check other reviews after I’ve read it 💖