Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs (a book with alliteration in the title)
Reichs' writing is riveting and vivid, but this book was just so disturbing, violent and visceral I couldn't enjoy it. It left me feeling sick, and not even in a "Wow, I've learned something that I didn't like" sort of way.
When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park (a book set in a country that fascinates you)
I don't know much about U.S. history, much less international history, so learning about Korean lives during WWII was interesting and eye-opening.
Young Goodman Brown and Other Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne (an allegory)
I've honestly always assumed I would hate Hawthorne's books. I mean, they're not really my type, but he has such interesting, relatable themes in his stories. I found myself enjoying his stories so much more than I'd expected.
Storm Front by Jim Butcher (a book with a weather element in the title)
Eh, it was OK. Had potential, but I felt like it kept on talking about things I wasn't interested in.
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (a childhood classic you've never read)
This book would have bored me so much when I was a kid, so I guess it's a good thing I'm reading it now. Honestly, it's still pretty boring, but I think I can appreciate the themes a little more.
Also read, but not for the challenge:
Persuasion by Jane Austen
