"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly book blogger meme hosted by
This week's list topic is...
TOP
TEN BOOKS I'LL NEVER READ
1. Twilight
(Twilight, #1) by
Stephenie Meyer
This list asks for it, so I'm going
to have to be honest and say that I did actually start this book, but
I just couldn't finish it. This was a few years back when my
sister-in-law couldn't stop raving about it, so I took her word and
decided to read it. Once I got a little way in, I really couldn't
understand WHY she liked this book. It completely fell flat for me.
Plus, scores of other people were obsessing over it and I felt like I
missed something. I had to drop it because it bored me to death and
Bella seemed about as emotionally mature as a baby monkey. Edward was
in no way attractive to me. I needed things to happen, but nothing
happened, so I just gave up. I still don't understand all the raving
reviews from people I know are not idiots. What gives, people?
*Note: I'm just being facetious, so
please don't take offense to my silly tone here!
2. New
Moon (Twilight, #2) by
Stephenie Meyer
Well, Twilight failed
miserably to impress, so naturally, I will never read the second
book.
3. Eclipse
(Twilight, #3) by
Stephenie Meyer
Nor the third one.
4. Breaking
Dawn (Twilight, #4) by
Stephenie Meyer
And,
definitely not the fourth one. (I even heard Twilight
fans dumped the series because they hated this one, in record
numbers.)
5. The
Tale of Genji by Murasaki
Shikibu
This
is one I started last year, but just couldn't finish it. What. The.
Hell. I only wish I could gab to other bloggers about this one
because it will blow your mind by how completely NUTS it is! I think
it's too hard for me, a 21st
century American female to get where this author was coming from, it
being about 11th
century Japanese royalty. Was this author from another planet?
Seriously, this book is about a man who isn't allowed to inherit his
emperor father's throne, so he goes around and casually falls in love
with and rapes, yes rapes,
everything in a skirt! Not. Joking. She could be married, she could
even be a young boy (at least it seemed like he raped a young boy). I
had to stop reading this piece of utter weirdness because you simply
cannot bemoan your crappy life, as Genji did, and not see that you've
caused it all by raping everything in sight!
6. Evermore
(The Immortals, #1) by
Alyson Noel
I've
heard too many negative reviews from people about this series, that
it's too much like Twilight,
or that it simply sucks, so I figure I don't really need to read it.
I'm not all that interested in it, and too many people have said to
just not read it. Fine by me.
7. Hush,
Hush (Hush, Hush, #1) by
Becca Fitzpatrick
I heard that the main male character
is pretty awful in this series, so I'm not wanting to take a chance
on this one. Again, a lot of negative attention has steered me away
from this series, and my intuition does not beckon me to it, else I'd
ignore all the negative attention.
8. Halo
(Halo, #1) by Alexandra
Adornetto
Another one with lots of bad
publicity, and a child writer, at that. People have said this one was
just plain silly and fail, so I'm not interested in it.
9. Ulysses
by James Joyce
This is one that got mocked quite a
bit in my English classes back in my college days, so I've learned
it's one that defies comprehension even amongst PhD-level literary
folks. Needless to say, I won't be getting my hands on this one
anytime ever.
10. Lolita
by Vladimir Nabokov
Here's one I don't even think I
could stomach because of the highly inappropriate relationship that
makes up the main plot: a grown man has an on-going illicit affair
with a 12-year-old girl. And, I'm even more horrified that the girl
is supposedly super manipulative towards the man. It sounds like a
way to offset the blame where it clearly deserves to be pointed.
Sorry—I'm just not interested in this one, either.
And,
there you have it, folks. I've probably offended at least half of you, right? I'm sorry about that. What books do you absolutely
refuse to ever read?
Ohmygosh! *blushes* I have read several of those books! But I totally get it. Twilight is not for everyone. I read Evermore and a few others in that series, but I had to give up on them. The Tale of Genji sounds horrid. And so does Lolita.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Cathy!
@Andrea: LOL! That's okay. I knew this list was going to have books that a lot of people have read and enjoyed already. But, I still had fun making it anyway.
DeleteI agree with you on the 'Twilight' series. Back before the movies came out, I heard about it and decided to pick up the first book, because my friends were raving about it. I had gotten about 7 chapters into the book, and I just didn't get it. I didn't understand what was so darn special about Edward Cullen.
ReplyDeleteI tried to read further, but it was painful. It also didn't help the Stephanie Meyer, in my opinion, can't really write coherent sentences.
I also feel like the way Bella was written, was a huge step back on the feminism movement. She pretty much spent her days waiting for Edward, claiming he was the "one", and I was like, "Girl, go out and get yourself a real man who won't verbally abuse you!".
Eh, I don't know. My opinion, which is very unpopular. :\
Bookish Books
@Brittany: I totally get you because I feel the same exact way about Twilight. Not really a good book, in my opinion, which is not always welcome. But, I don't push that opinion on people. People can like it if they want to.
DeleteI am also someone who will never read the Twilight series. There are so many great books out there, and I know that I just won't relate to Bella. Did anyone catch the Bella versus Hermione versus Princess Leia picture that went around back in December? Hysterical!
ReplyDeleteI will definitely stay away from The Tale of Genji and Lolita. Ugh!
@Jean: No, I never saw that meme! I need to find it. It sounds really funny. And, you don't have to read Twilight. I feel like starting a support group for people who are brave enough to admit that they don't want to read it in the first place. You can read whatever you want!! Stand strong!
DeleteOops. Forgot to put my name on that last comment.
ReplyDeleteJean
Tale of Genji is not one I've read. I saw a 1920s printed version of Lolita that was pretty and hand illustrated so I bought it, but I don't want to read it ever. I think I have a problem. Plus it was only a dollar and I didn't know what it was about.
ReplyDeleteGreat list though. http://danicapage.blogspot.com/2012/01/teaser-tuesday-14-and-top-ten-books-i.html
I tried reading Halo and it just bored me to death. I mean the idea for the story was a good one but I felt in no way connected to the book or the characters. Halo definitely fell flat for me.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you on Halo. I bought it and read it, and it was dirt. I hated it. My review is on my blog, if you're interested. And you can definitely go your entire life without reading Hush, Hush. I read it, and own the next one... but I dread reading it. Great list!
ReplyDelete- Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl (and The Broke and the Bookish)
Kudos to you for stepping out and saying your mind on some very popular books. I have read Twilight and while I do enjoy them I am over them. I will eventually read the Halo and Hush series. I still need to finish the Evermore series.
ReplyDeleteWhat I refuse to read are any more of those stupid high school required books (so thankful I'm past those days). I hated things like To Kill a Mockingbird, Great Gatsby and those classics. I'm just not in to those at all and I will never read another one of those books ever again!
http://kristina-worldofbooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/top-10-tuesdays-8.html
@Kristina: Thanks so much! I just don't always like what everyone seems to like, sometimes. And, I should be able to say why I don't want to read something that's so popular. A lot of it just doesn't interest me in particular.
DeleteAnd, if you want to avoid certain classic literature, then do it. No one can force you nowadays.
Exactly we all are entitled to our opinion, negative or positive. I'm having a hard time with The Hunger Games Trilogy I read it and I have to say I was really really disappointed with the ending, I understand why it had to end that way, but I don't like it one bit. Now I can't really decide if I like the series overall or not. I liked the 1st one a lot, the 2nd was the pivoting book that took it in the direction I didn't like and the last book made me unhappy. I still read each book in a day and I couldn't put it down, I think I might have to try it again in a few years when I have accepted the ending.
DeleteThat is why I love being out of school, no more required reads. It is all about what I want to read.
Hahahaha. Your list is so funny. I will never pick up The Tale of Genji now. Good idea about Hush Hush, def stay away from it. Patch is only a step above Edward. Don't get me started on Evermore.
ReplyDelete@Lan: Thank you! Yeah, don't worry about Tale of Genji, lol. If Patch is only one step above Edward, then I consider him The Plague. You've read Evermore? What is it really like?
DeleteWell, I can't join you on Twilight. I'm a huge fan. But I recognize its flaws and realize it's not for everyone. My relationship with it is quite irrational. For many reasons I shouldn't like it, but I overlook all the things the bother me and love it unconditionally.
ReplyDeleteI loved Evermore, but I haven't been able to finish any of the other books in the series. The first book was good b/c the main character's little sister was in the book as a ghost and I loved their relationship.
I wasn't a huge fan of Hush Hush. I thought Patch was much meaner and ruder than Edward.
@Alison: Hey, we all have irrational love affairs with things that make other people look at us cross-eyed, so it's understandable. And, if you didn't like Patch, then something must have been completely wrong with him, lol.
DeleteI had a similar response to Twilight. I tried to read it, but just couldn't finish it. I always figured that I had read too many paranormal romances and just couldn't deal with the lack of a kickass heroine or a hero that actually seemed worth all the trouble. Despite my personal opinion of it, I can appreciate what Twilight did for young adult literature and love how it turned its fans into readers of other, much better, books.
ReplyDeleteI have Hush, Hush in my TBR tower, but have never found the urge to pick it up. Oh well!
Jennifer
http://feministfairytalereviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/top-ten-tuesday-secondary-romances.html
lol, love your list. I really liked reading Twilight, but now that I'm older and finished the whole series I'm like WTF!. Pretty bad & the movies even badder. ;)
ReplyDeleteHalo, yeah, I really want to give it a try, but then a lot of people seem to hate it...
We're like bookish soulmates, Cathy. LOL I'm nodding and agreeing all the way through your list!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it fantastic to live in this day and age, where we have SO MANY choices? We're so lucky.
@BJ: We must be! Yeah, it is great to have a lot books, and books that people just publish themselves, to have to choose from. In fact, there are so many, it makes my head spin. Certainly don't have to read what everyone else is if I don't want to.
DeleteFun list! I won't apologize for loving Twilight, just like I won't apologize for HATING Shiver and Linger and therefore refusing to pick up Forever by Maggie Stiefvater. I also tried and could not get into All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin. Morganville Vampires? Nope, not for me. House of Night? One was too much for me. To each their own, right?
ReplyDelete