I’m quite late on The Book Chat today, but the topic of the week is just too good not to write SOMETHING. Link up with Jessica on Sweet Green Tangerine and her co-host for the day, Lindsey from Lounging With Lindsey!
Today’s Topic: Abandoning Books
I’ve never considered myself to be a picky reader; I don’t judge a book by its cover, and I am ALWAYS accepting recommendations (which I read). But if I start reading a book and it doesn’t get me in the first 75 pages? I have to put it down.
There was one summer, I think it was 4 years ago, I had a very unlucky streak of picking up two books in a row on vacation that I could NOT finish:
- Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
–> All signs pointed to me loving this book. EVERYONE loves this book. But it loses me every time I try to get into it!
- La Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
–> I was certain I’d love this after reading ‘Sarah’s Key’ by Tatianna De Rosnay. But this book lost me too. Maybe because it’s a translation? I don’t know. I could barely get through 50 pages of it. Too bad.
There are some books that I really, REALLY wanted to love, but simply could not finish. This past Christmas I had another unlucky streak where I tried two books that I was certain I’d love, and I couldn’t even finish them:
- The Kill Order by James Dashner
–> I have loved EVERY book this author wrote. The prequel to one of my absolute favorite dystopian series? I couldn’t even finish it. I’m so disappointed.
- Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn
–> I saved this book for an entire year, waiting for the holidays to enjoy it. I disliked it so very much, and finally decided that it was time to put it away for good. I did the same thing with ‘Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist’, also written by these two. Maybe it’s their writing together? I love the premise for both novels!
I can’t say it’s happened much more often than that, that I’ve abandoned a book. I’m lucky to know the kinds of books I will enjoy, but every once in a while, a book disappoints. Like the time I read ‘Insurgent’ by Veronica Roth after enjoying her debut novel ‘Divergent’ so much… I finished Insurgent, but BARELY. That was one of my least favorite sequels I have ever read. A series with such potential, but that book was just so poorly edited. I know not many people agree with me, and that’s when I realized that my book standards are significantly higher than I realized!
And of course, there are some books that I really debated NOT ever picking up, but am so happy I did!
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer
- Wither by Lauren DeStefano
- Graceling by Kristin Cashore
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
(Turns out I really love dystopian and fantasy?! I should stop doubting that I’ll love them. Clearly I will!)
… Actually, this list is significantly longer. I have a habit of doubting a great book because the premise seems SO strange. Those are always my favorites, as proved by this list. Definitely the strangest series I have ever read, but in the best, most enchanting way possible.
What books have you abandoned? Which have you read that you SHOULD have abandoned? And finally, which are you happy you picked up?!
I wish I could abandon books more often. But I just HAVE to know! I’m getting ready to write my post write now.
Aww…I’m bummed you didn’t enjoy Dash & Lily as much as I did. Oh well, it happens.
One of the things that has hung me up on Divergent is your poor opinion of Insurgent…I know I’ll pick it up at some point.
Ah, we have similar reading taste, apparently! Love Daughter of Smoke and Bone, The Hunger Games, andCinder(one of my favorites ever), though I enjoyed Insurgent more than Divergent. I couldn’t get into Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares either, but I’m hoping it was because I was reading it in February instead of the Holiday season. I’m going to try again at Christmas, I think.
The only book on either of your lists I’ve read is Hunger Games. I definitely recommend picking up Barbara Kingsolver (from your comment on my post)! I love all her books but Poisonwood Bible the most!
I love good quotes about books and reading. I hope that in our next house I’ll have a craft/reading room and I can stencil the ones I love on the walls.
I never knew I loved dystopian books until Jessica introduced me to them. Now I can’t get enough!
I want to read more dystopian/fantasy since I loved the Hunger Games but I never get around to it. I’ll have to pick up one of the book you liked
I am not afraid to abandon books at all! Unless I’m reading it for book club or for a review, I have no qualms abandoning a book because life is too short to read books that don’t grip you! I know, for sure, I would have abandon The Casual Vacancy if I didn’t have to read it for book club. I’ve abandoned some Jennifer Weiner books (I’m not sure, but I just don’t enjoy her writing as much as most people do!) and then tons of cheesy romance novels. I love me a good romance novel, but keep the cheese to a minimum, please and thank you!
I think there are a lot of books I’m glad I read and they’re mostly book club books I would have never tried on my own, like A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Marriage Plot. Also, Eat, Pray, Love. I heard so many mixed reviews that I didn’t want to read it. I’m glad I did, because it was a really, really amazing book!
The first book I ever abandoned was 100 Years of Solitude, it was so freeing! Life is too short to not enjoy reading.
See, I could never get into the Hunger Games! I did see the movie though. Great soundtrack. My favourite this year: The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas. Do it!!
I have had such a hard time getting into The Hunger Games which is crazy because I just bought the trilogy when Amazon had it on sale this weekend. I always try to give a book a few chapters before I make up my mind too. Sometimes the author just has to “set the stage” to me.
I can’t think of what books I have abandoned, but I have definitely given up on books. I will only do it with books from the library, though. If i bought it, I will stick with it!