Top 10 Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in 2010. It combines what I love most in this world into one—lists, books, and blogging. It couldn’t be any better suited for me! Today I’m talking to you guys about the books you want to read when you’re in the mood to cry. Let’s get started…

1. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
This story begins with a car crash, and it only gets sadder from there. Despite it’s sad nature, it really is an amazing book with a heart-wrenching story. Forman is an amazing writer that brings this interesting world to life and drives readers to tears.

2. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Niven really knows how to hit a reader when they are down. She gives you so much hope throughout the entire novel, and then crushes you at the end. Another truly amazing and inspiring story that I think many people need to read.

3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
I know a lot of people didn’t like Allegiant but I found it to be a really interesting satisfying ending to the series. It wrapped things up in a neat, yet unexpected way that left me, as well as other readers I’m sure, grabbing for the tissue box.

4. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
This is my go to book whenever I’m at the beach and just want to get lost in a story. It has the saddest tale, but the best ending. And honestly, when is a Nicholas Sparks’ novel not going to break your heart.

5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Fun fact: I didn’t cry the first time I read this, but I bawled the second time. Dumbledore’s death really gets to you when you let it sync in.

6. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I’m pretty sure I tweeted the moment I finished this book because it absolutely shattered my heart. It’s an amazing story about a young girl growing up during World War II and how the occurrences during the time effected her development. It really brought me in to the war from a little girl’s perspective and taught me how fortunate I am to have grown up in the world I did.

7. Looking for Alaska by John Green
I’m pretty sure this is the only John Green book that made me cry, and I don’t even think I cried that much. If you don’t already know, this is a story about finding adventure and what to do when you lose it. One of Green’s most inspiring novels in my opinion, and one of the saddest.

8. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
There’s something about the end of a series, tying up ends, and breaking reader’s hearts. I won’t ruin the ending, but Collins quite blatantly destroys readers at a young age (considering these books are written on a fourth grade level) and shows them the true horrors of what the world can become and what it means to be “fair”.

9. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
I feel like I read this when I was much too young, and it really taught me the meaning of moving on when it’s the hardest thing to do, but the right thing to do. It’s all about a man who falls in love with a young girl but time travel keeps them apart, even when they are together. It’s an intriguing and heartbreaking story.

10. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
It’s a story from a dog’s perspective about a man who is his best friend. It’s a powerful story all the way through about the friends we take for granted with a massive punch at the end that shows us that sometimes friends to come to us in the least expected way.

What are your favorite sad books? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy reading,
Kimberly