I don't read much that I don't like.
That doesn't mean I like everything.
I simply don't pick up much I don't THINK I'll like.
As I approach the big 5-0, I find this to be even truer of myself.
Still, I don't think I've met a book I regret reading...even the ones I didn't like taught me something about myself.
**Warning, this post is a little snarky***
**Warning, this post is a little snarky***
Books I Picked Up Because I Thought I'd Like Them Or Because Everybody Was Reading Them...But Then Hated and Didn't Even Feel Guilty.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
After I turned the final page of Gone Girl, I threw it against the wall...literally.
Really.
Not even kidding.
These two people deserve each other.
These two people deserve each other.
Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
Couldn't do it.
Tried multiple times.
Too much hype. Won't get tricked again.
Tried multiple times.
Too much hype. Won't get tricked again.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
This one I WANT to read so badly...still...right now...have y'all seen how big this is?
Again, started many times...tried audio and a couple of readalongs too.
Not ready for this kind of commitment ;)
Not ready for this kind of commitment ;)
Everybody's Got Something by Robin Roberts
I feel mean for adding this one on my list :(
I just...
I don't know.
Too much smiling.
I just...
I don't know.
Too much smiling.
Marley and Me by John Grogan
Uh-uh.
No way.
Dog dies.
I'm out.
I wanted to be a big girl.
I really did.
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
My brain is wired similar to Sedaris I think...I couldn't keep up...I kept finding myself thinking of other things...and then I'd have to back up and re-read.
Finally gave up.
I Still Dream about You by Fannie Flag
I wanted to like this one soooooo much.
I loved Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe...LOVED.
And I love Birmingham...but I just couldn't stomach this one...beauty queens, high school ridiculousness...blech.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Blind Side on steroids.
Nope.
Yes, I am from Mississippi.
Nope. Still couldn't.
Tired of the surface level stereotypes...and the so-called "heroes" of the South.
Tired of the surface level stereotypes...and the so-called "heroes" of the South.
Taltos by Anne Rice
I LOVED The Witches...LOVED!
But, I hurt myself rolling my eyes as I struggled to get through with Taltos...yeesh.
Taltos...what the?
Even my monsters need to be believable.
Even my monsters need to be believable.
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Another one that I truly WANTED to like.
There was so much about 30 Rock that I felt left out.
Thanks, Tina, for inviting me to the party...where I sat in the corner feeling very alone.
Thanks, Tina, for inviting me to the party...where I sat in the corner feeling very alone.
And there you have it.
I didn't like these but don't regret giving them a shot.
Till next week :)
Sounds like for most of them, you did not end up reading them or gave up midway through. I did not like Gone Girl AT ALL and it started a trend which meant that every book that came after it was compared to it. Which made it very easy for me to pass them up.
ReplyDeleteI read Ulysses which was a beast. I appreciated it in the end and I don't regret reading it but it was work. I want to read War and Peace because it was mentioned in the last two books I've read. I feel like maybe it's time.
I'm right with you, Ti! I didn't touch the books compared to Gone Girl. Sadly, the only three books on this list I made it all the way to the end are Gone Girl, Taltos, and Bossypants. I pushed as hard as I could on the others but just could not force myself...almost like stifling a gag reflex ;)
DeleteI know I would be so proud of myself if I could just force myself to deal with War and Peace. Les Miserables is another one I've started many times...it's not that I didn't like it; I just need outside accountability to push through. I might could try those again for readalongs during the summer when I have more personal reading time.
Have you tried Anna Karenina? It's also long but there aren't quite as many characters and it doesn't feel as unwieldy. I read that Tolstoy before I tried War and Peace and got more used to his style. W&P is a monster though. It's really good but sooooo long
ReplyDeleteI really need to buckle down and chip away at some of these chunksters I've missed along the way just bc they scare me ;)
DeleteI'll take a look at Anna Karenina. Maybe there's a really pretty version out there waiting for me!
I loved your commentary on all of these!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/15/top-ten-tuesday-159/
Thanks!
DeleteI don't think I've ever considered reading anything that J.K. Rowling has written outside of Harry Potter... none of the other things she's released sound that appealing to me
ReplyDeleteI really gave into peer pressure on Casual Vacancy...I should know better.
DeleteHaha, your comment about the characters in Gone Girl made me laugh!
ReplyDelete