Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'm on the Fence About


Today's Topic is the top ten books I'm on the fence about reading. A lot of these books are books I have seen around a lot and have heard a lot about but for various reasons I'm still unsure about them. If you have read any of these and think I should read them now, or never read them, let me know!

 

1. Where She Went, Gayle Forman I just recently finished If I stay and felt pretty neutral about it, so I'm unsure if I want to read the sequel or not. I have heard some people say the sequel was better than the first, and others say they didn't like the sequel at all. 

2. The Vampire Academy Series, Richelle Mead This series and the spin-off series Bloodlines gets talked about a lot. But I'm not sure if I want to commit to a six book series and then another six book spin off. I'm leaning towards not reading this series, and just concentrating on newer realizes.  

3. The Goldfinch, Donna Tart This book looks gorgeous and sounds so in depth and captivating, but I have never read any Donna Tart, and I don't know if this is the best book to start with. All her books are a little intimidating and are rather large commitments, both because of the size and in depth plots of her books, but I pick this book up longingly every trip to the book store. 

 

4. A Girl is A Half Formed Thing, by Eimear McBride This book has won tons of awards in the UK including the Bailey's Women's prize. I have heard that the writing style in this book is totally unique and hard to read at times, which is what puts me on the fence. Well that and the fact that this book isn't released in the US yet. But I think I will give this one a go when it's released, I'm eager to experience this writing style. 

5. The Selection, Kiera Cass I always debate on purchasing this book on my nook when it is $2.99 but I never do. It sounds like a fun quick read. Should I read this one?

6. The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton I always pick this one up at the book store too. I absolutely love Wharton's short novel, Ethan Frome, so much so that I don't see how I could love her longer fiction any more than I love Ethan Frome. I know there is zero logic in that statement, and I will pick up something else by her someday. 

 

7. Annexed, Sharon Dogar This book sounds beautiful and heartbreaking, and the heartbreaking is what has kept me from picking this one up. This is about Peter, the boy who hid with and loved Anne Frank. I just don't know if I can handle this book. I always had a soft spot for Peter when reading or seeing adaptations of Anne Frank's Diary and reading his story will be difficult.

8. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis I want to experience this book, but I'm not sure if I can handle it. I own it and have for while. This book is about a serial killer, so as you can imagine, it contains disturbing content. Have you read this? Did you make it through without going crazy? 

9.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathon Safran Foer  I bought this book super cheap from my local goodwill where you can get four books for 99 cents. I had three so I just grabbed this to make four. I'm not real interested in this from reading the synopsis, and I think the past hype is putting me off. 

 

10. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce I picked this up used for very cheap a couple of years back, but haven'd made a move to read it yet. I haven't read much by Joyce, but I'm not sure he's my style. 

11. Shatter Me Trilogy, Tahereh Mafi Soooo much hype! Almost too much, is it worth the hype?

Let me know which ones I should read and which ones I should skip on this list! 
  

28 comments:

  1. I listened to the audiobook version of EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE. It was a moving experience.

    I, too, wonder if I should The GOLDFINCH but I don't own it so I didn't list it.

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    1. Oh! maybe I will try the audio book version then!
      thanks for stopping by!

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  2. I'm a big fan of the Vampire Academy series. 6 books may seem like a lot but they are easy reads so they don't take long to get through. Though, I am still debating starting the spinoff or not.
    I haven't read the American Psycho book but I have seen the movie and it was trippy. I can only imagine what the book would be like. I've read a lot of reviews that claim it has some very intense and incredibly gruesome scenes, so I'm not sure I'd have the guts to read it!

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    1. I haven't seen American Psycho yet, but Christian Bale as a psycho does intrigue me. Maybe I will watch the movie first and see if I can handle the watered down version of the story before attempting the book.
      thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Haha, Shatter Me has soooo much hype! I read it a long while back, before the hype took off. I liked it, but I was in a very different state of mind than I was today.

    I also was fairly ambivalent about If I Stay, and thought Where She Went was less good. It's 80% flashbacks, which kind of negates the purpose of a story for me.

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    1. Eh, I'm thinking I'm going to skip Where She Went. The amount of hype Shatter Me received was crazy!
      thanks for stopping by!

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  4. I love Vampire Academy and Bloodlines so I'm not exactly biased when it comes to them. I think if you don't want to commit just read the first book in either series. There are some spoilers in the Bloodlines series to big events in VA but I think half the fun is in how it happens not necessarily what happens.

    I've read the Selection trilogy and it was an entertaining read but not quite as fun as I was expecting. And Shatter Me - I think hype ruined it for me. I had heard it was one of the best series ever written but when it came down to it, I was looking for why everyone loved it but never really found it.

    I think you should read which ever appeal to you. Whether it be all or none - there are so many great books out there :)

    Kate @ Fictional Thoughts

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    1. I can totally see why the hype would ruin Shatter Me for you. If the mood strikes me, maybe I will pick up some of these books, but who knows!
      thanks for stopping by!

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  5. I liked Shatter Me. Don't think it was worth ALL the hype, but it kept me interested enough that I will be getting the rest of them.

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    1. Good to hear! I think it sounds like a really fast paced read. It might be good to pick up during school.
      thanks for stopping by!

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  6. The rest of The Vampire Diaries is on my list as well. I have all of Donna Tartt's books here at home but still haven't read any. I guess I'm in the same boat as you. If you're interested here is my list: http://bookworm-meags222.blogspot.ca/2014/08/top-ten-tuesday-do-i-really-want-to.html
    Happy Reading!

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    1. I would love to read something by Donna Tart soon, I'm just not sure where to start! Maybe I'll start with her first published book.
      thanks for stopping by!

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  7. The House of Mirth is one of my favorite novels. I hope you'll give it a chance on day. Wharton is brilliant. :)

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  8. I've not read any of these so I can't advise you. Good luck. Fun topic today. kelley—the road goes ever ever on

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  9. I'm actually reading the Vampire Academy books right now. Books 1-3 flew by, but number 4 is taking a bit longer. I'm really enjoying them though. However, I can see why you might be hesitant about them. I don't really consider them to be so much of a time issue, but I can see where it might be for other people.

    I actually read The House of Mirth for class. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but I'm thinking of rereading it. Generally, I find it harder to enjoy a book when it's an assignment, so I want to give it another chance. Also, thanks for mentioning Wharton's short story. I wasn't aware of it and I'll pick it up for a try!

    I think I got about halfway through The Selection and haven't continued further with it. I'm not one to leave a book unfinished even if I don't like it, so I'm sure I'll eventually get back to this book. However, there isn't much peaking my interest towards it in the meantime.

    Thanks for your list! Great post :)

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    1. I think the biggest issue with the VA series is having to obtain all six books.
      I agree reading a book in a classroom setting where you over analyze it can ruin a book for you. But yes, please do read Ethan Frome, it's so great.
      I'm thinking of skipping The Selection, unless I'm in the mood for a fluffy quick read.
      thanks for stopping by!

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  10. What a pretty blog! Anyhey I share your sentiment on the Vampire Academy series and the movie that they released does not help to build a fan base, I am afraid.

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    1. Thank You :)
      Haha yes, I have heard the movie was pretty eh!
      thanks for stopping by!

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  11. I actually liked Where She Went better than If I Stay. As for Shatter Me, I liked the first one, but LOVED the next two (the books definitely improved with each one!). As for The Selection, I caught it on a deal too, and I haven't read it yet, but I do own it/plan to read it. I hear so many mixed things about it, I kind of want to know for myself!

    -Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

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    1. Maybe I will read Where She Went if they turn it into a movie, that might motivate me. I'm still on the fence about Shatter Me... I might pick it up eventually.
      thanks for stopping by!

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  12. I wasn't blown away by the first Vampire Academy book, so it's also on my list this week with a 'I'm not sure if I need to continue' question. And yes, I have the same with Shatter me!

    Mel@thedailyprophecy

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    1. I heard that VA gets better with every book.
      thanks for stopping by!

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  13. I love the Selection Books! While the characters drove me crazy at times, it's so nice to see a love triangle done well. The third book in the trilogy is definitely the best.

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    1. Oooh good to hear that the love triangle is good! I might have to pick up this trilogy!
      thanks for stopping by!

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  14. Ethan Frome is a masterpiece of American literature, no doubt. I loved it so much when I first encountered it years ago. It's earthy, heartbreaking and tragic. The House of Mirth is also beautiful, but in a different way. It's about the upper crust of society, for one, not poor farmers (so sympathies might dip). Do you like Henry James? The House of Mirth is very reminiscent of his novels. I love James, in particular his novel The Portrait of a Lady. If you do like James, you will like The House of Mirth, I promise. Another reason to read it is that it deals with a woman's predicament in society at that time. The main character is not wealthy, but likes to hang with the wealthy. Her choices lead to tragedy, and mainly because of her gender. Another idea would be to watch the movie first, and if you like it, you'll probably love the book. The movie is great, I think. Have you read her Age of Innocence? Again, maybe watch the movie first. Yay for Edith Wharton being discussed on book blogs in 2014!!!!

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    1. Haha I love your enthusiasm for Wharton!
      I haven't read much by Henry James but I have enjoyed what I have read. The Age of Innocence is on my TBR list along with The House of Mirth. I love classics with strong female leads, which I hear is the case with The House of Mirth, so I hope to get to it soon.
      Thanks for stopping by and sharing your Wharton love!

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