Series I Probably Won't Finish

 

         Just because I read and even liked the first book or two in a series doesn’t mean I want to make the commitment to read the following books. Whether it was because I was no longer interested in the direction the story was heading, the plot’s progression came to a screeching stop, or because my favorite character died and I cannot bear to go on without him/her the result stays the same.

Snow Like Ashes

  I read the first book and thought it was okay, but it ended on a very different note than I was expecting. Spoilers for Snow Like Ashes ahead. I thought the entire trilogy would be about the Winter People taking back their home kingdom. Except that all occurred during the last quarter of the book. (It should not take a hundred pages to take back a country). The book also ended with what looked to be the set up for a love triangle which I have personally seen enough of, so I decided to call it quits.

Throne of Glass

  My favorite character died (won’t say who because spoilers) so I couldn’t go on without them. I wish I could say more, but there really is not much to it.

Heroes of Olympus

  I loved the Percy Jackson books in early high school. Percy’s first-person narrative was especially enjoyable including the modern take on classical mythology. After I closed the final installment in the Percy Jackson series, I jumped right into the sequel Heroes of Olympus. However, I forced myself to finish the first one, The Lost Hero.

  Now it should be noted that Percy is not a main character in that book so I assumed my lack of enjoyment was because of it. The Son of Neptune is the sequel where Percy returns as a major character. It had the same enjoyable take on classical mythology, but Percy’s first-person narration was gone, and I feel the series lost much of its charm because of this.

Legacy of the King’s Pirates

  I read this book in high school back when I was young enough to like things. (Please don’t take that too seriously as I still like things that I read and watch. It’s the things that I write that I don’t like.) However, my taste changed as I read the fourth book not realizing it was the fourth book. I found the other book in the series to not be as enjoyable and contained material that really irked me so I decided it wasn’t particularly worth it to continue if I wasn’t enjoying it.

          

A Series of Unfortunate Events

  I didn’t realize how many there were when I picked up the first book. I don’t’ not know if this says anything about me and my inability to commit. Then again, I finished all 12 volumes of the Jacky Faber series so there is that. However, I enjoyed Jacky’s voice in the narration much better than Lemony Snicket. I found him to be pretentious and talking down to the reader. Also the books kind of have the same set up. The kids move in with a new adult and everything goes wrong which some people love, but I found it to be a bit too repetitive. 

Conclusion

I want to say if I listed one of your favorite series here that does not mean I think poorly of your reading taste. The reason I do not like a story could very well be the reason someone else loves it. An example is how I listed that I decided not to read on after Snow Like Ashes because I saw a love triangle in the future, but other readers really enjoy love triangles and look for books that have them, and there is nothing wrong with this. 

What I learned from all of this is that I do not need to finish a series if I am not enjoying it anymore. When I was younger I felt I had to finish what I started no matter what and I wasn’t enjoying reading anymore. 

Popular Books I'll Probably Never Read

     I don’t have all the time in the world. I cannot read every book in existence even if a fairly large group of people are also reading it. Just because other people love it, does not mean I will love it. So here are some books/series that I have decided to pass on. 

    Just because your favorite is one this list does not mean I hate you. That would be a very silly reason to dislike a person. My friends and family have a variety of different reading taste and I love them all the same. 

Harry Potter

    Whenever someone finds out that I haven’t read Harry Potter, their first reaction is to either ask me when I will read it or tell me that I should read it. However, I don’t have nostalgia for this series as I never read it when I was a child. Although I know why people like the magic school appeal of this book, it is not exactly interesting to me anymore. (Especially after spending years of my life in academia). Stories that are set in schools simply don’t interest me and I can live with that. 

The Fault in our Stars

    I never got to this book in high school. Now that I am in my senior year of college, I don’t particularly enjoy romances between high school-aged characters anymore. 

The Shadow Hunters

     I never really understood what this series was about although I had many friends who love it. I am not a super big fan of urban fantasy, this is probably one of the reasons I don’t feel a pull to read Harry Potter. 

The Da Vinci Code

     While we Are I would like to say that I probably won’t read anything by Dan Brown as I am not a fan of Thrillers. I also do have a personal vendetta where Mr. Brown said The Da Vinci Code was heavily based in fact. This obviously wasn’t true and left a bad taste in my mouth. There is nothing wrong with fiction not being real just don’t pretend that it is. 

Anything by Stephen King

     It pains me to say that I don’t plan on ever reading anything by Stephen King as I am not a horror person. This pains me because I like to read books written by Maine authors, but I also like to sleep at night. So sorry, Stephen King (because obviously,he reads my blog) and fans, but I will have to give him a pass. 

You are Better off not Knowing These Books Exist

While it is true that many good books remain under the radar of mainstream audiences, that does not mean all unpopular books are diamonds in the rough. Sometimes, when you are digging for hidden treasure, all you end up with is a sandy hole at the beach.  

     I know there is some irony of me drawing attention books that I personally think shouldn’t be popular, but consider this a public service announcement. If you come across any of these books, read at your own risk. You have been warned.  

The Red Keep

     I picked up this book expecting adventure. I didn’t get it. I don’t remember that much from this book, and I can live with that. I’d much remember the good books I read instead. Did I mention this book also struck me, who was thirteen years old at the time, as a bit racist with its treatment of a Jewish character?

Mechanica

     I was at my local library with a friend when we stumbled upon Mechanica. We both wanted to read it so my friend let me barrow it first and tell her how it was. She was the lucky one, because I was greatly disappointed by this book. 

     I remember reading reviews praising this book because it was considered feminist. Well just because a book has an “empowering” message, does not give it a free pass for a five-star rating. It was boring and in my opinion poorly written. 

Need

     I really wanted to like this book for two reasons. A. The book is about fairies and I went through a phase in high school where I was obsessed with the fair folk. B. The author is from Maine and I love looking for books written by fellow Maniacswho are not named Stephen King. However, I could hardly tolerate the main character, Zara. She was so self-righteous it distracted me from the mystery.  

Revolutionary     

What is it with YA dystopian trilogies being plagued by poorly written endings. Maybe it’s just my luck.  However, this final book in the Anomaly trilogy does not hold up to the other two in my opinion. The plot twist seemed only half-baked, and character development seemed to drop from the sky. It, simply, was not a natural ending to the trilogy. 

Top 5 Rainy Day Reads

   
    

Note: Tope 5 Wednesday is a group on Goodreads. If you are interested in joining you can check it out here. 

      April is a rainy month especially in the North-East. Many basements do flood during this time. That’s why I enjoy colorful books to curl up with when the world outside (and sometimes inside) is a little bit grey. 

5.  The Ordinary Princess

     I remember how much I loved this book as a child. This is such a cute story about a princess, named Amy, who is different from her sisters because a gift/curse given to her by her fairy godmother at her christening. The main focus of the story is how Amy grows up with her gift/curse.

     Sometimes on a rainy day, I just need a little magic. Every Time I read The Ordinary Princess, it still has the same magic as when I first opened it up at ten years old

4. Bloody Jack

     When there is a torrential downpour outside, I can get cabin fever within a few hours. I could go outside and have my own adventures, but I would get soaked. The solution: let Jacky Faber go on the adventure for me, and I can read about them from the comfort of my own home. 

3. Kitchen Princess

      Comfort food and a heartwarming story, what more do I need? An orphan girl dreams of becoming a professional pastry chef and finding the boy who gave her a special spoon years ago. She arrives at a school where this can come true – she just needs to jump over personal and social hurdles first. 

2.  Angel Sister

     If I am feeling grumpy about the rain and flood warnings, I can just read about people who live in Kentucky in the middle of the summer, during a heat wave and The Great Depression. Despite the dire circumstances, the town of Rosy Corner is a colorful place with unique people as well as struggling family that just wants to be happy again. 

1. Paint the Wind

     I will admit, I am a horse girl. Ever since I was a young girl, I would spend hours pretending I was a cowgirl. I have read many books about people and their loyal steads, and Paint the Wind is most definitely one of my favorites. The story of the main character getting to know her new family and environment along with the search for a missing horse, is a breeze to follow. 

Top 5 Books I can't Wait to Read

Note: Tope 5 Wednesday is a group on Goodreads. If you are interested in joining you can check it out here. 

     I suppose these are the books I am so excited about that I cannot hardly get to them fast enough. If only I could read multiple books at once *sigh*.  Once, I tried listening to an audiobook while reading a paperback at the same time. I don’t recommend it though. 

The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess Volume 5

      We got snowed in on New Year’s so I binge read my younger brother’s collection of the Twilight Princess manga. This does not even have its cover revealed yet, and I already cannot wait to get my hands on it.  I have played the game this manga is based on so I do know how it ends, but I still need to see the direction the writers take this story in. GAH!!!!!!! 

Just Ella 

     Words cannot describe how long I have been searching for this book. It wasn’t at my local library or my school library, and it is definitely not at my university’s library. I couldn’t find it at any bookstore, and I never looked for it online because I didn’t think to do so. *insert blushing emoji here* Recently, I discovered a copy of Just Ella while restocking the book shelf at a thrift store I volunteer at. Now that I have it in my hands I see it’s a relatively small book so I don’t think it would take me to long to read it. 

The Rose and Dagger

       I almost finished The Wrath and the Dawn on a long-bus trip this past summer. Being the first in a duology, the ending of The Wrath and the Dawn left me wondering what was going on more than knowing. I was unable to read The Rose and Dagger until after the fall semester passed so I am looking forward to reading this one now that I finally have time. At last, I will have my answers!!!

Heartless

     Marissa Meyer wrote The Lunar Chronicles, one of my favorite book series of all time. I would read that woman’s grocery list. Although I have not exactly heard glowing things about Heartless, I know I will at least enjoy its writing even if I get infuriated with the main character which, apparently, happened to many reviewers. However, I might end up loving the main character so I need to read Heartless to know for certain. Just because other people had problems with it, does not mean I will. 

The Return of Sir Percival

      When I was in middle school I had to read about the knights of the round table in English class. Although I was forced to read it for school, I became obsessed with the world of Camelot! I wrote fanfiction about it before I even knew what fanfiction was. However, in high school, my interest in King Arthur lulled. I blame it on most of the retellings I have read/watched as most retold the story of how Arthur became king over and over again. I eventually grew a little board with this formula. Fast forward a few years, and I discover a book titled The Return of Sir Percival, and I realize not only is this story about my favorite knight, but it also takes place after the fall of Camelot. I have never seen a retelling like this one and I am so excited to see how this book handles the King Arthur Mythos.  

Top 5 Disappointing Reads of 2018

Note: Tope 5 Wednesday is a group on Goodreads. If you are interested in joining you can check it out here. 

    I have come to accept that not every book I read will meet my expectations. Sometimes I open a book thinking it will be average or worse and be blown away at how good it turned out to be. However, the books on this list are where my expectations were at Mt. Everest on page 1 and fell to at least Death Valley by the time I reached the back cover… if I got that far. 

Red Queen

      I read this book in high school and it wasn’t my favorite, but I still liked it a lot. Personally, I enjoyed the sequel, Glass Sword,much more. This past summer I actually planned on having a month dedicated to Red Queen to celebrate the release of War Storm. I also decided to reread all the previous books before reading the final, but I didn’t get past Red Queen, and as I stated in my review, it was because I found it not to be nearly as good as I remembered. 

Sign of the Qin

        Myths fascinate me. This book, however, did not. However, I was wicked excited to read Sign of the Qin because I don’t think I have ever read a fantasy book set in China. Another reason my hopes for this one was high is The Kiss of Deception. I believe I finished reading it before I started Sign of the Qin and I didn’t particularly like The Kiss of Deception all that much and many of the books I read around that time weren’t my favorite. I was hoping Sign of the Qin would finally be the book I couldn’t put down. I got over halfway through before deciding there was no way I was going to finish this book the year ended and decided to return it to the library unfinished. 

Wonder Woman: Warbringer

        I love Wonder Woman and I have quite a bit of respect for Leigh Bardugo so I was upset with myself for not liking this book, especially considering how excited I was to finally read it. I spent over an hour searching for this book at BAM! Before realizing it wasn’t getting released until August. I finally received Warbringeras a gift on my birthday last year. I started to read it and loved the first few chapters, but after Dianna and co. left home I began to lose interest. When I got to the scene they were preparing for the obligatory ball I went “Abort, abort, book will not fulfill expectations” and didn’t finish it. I did end up asking a friend who held out until the end and she didn’t exactly like this book either. At least the two of us could be disappointed by Warbringer together. 

The Black Key

      It hurts when the last book in a trilogy I love didn’t hold up to its predecessors. I remember devouring this book on vacation and my mom remarking how quickly I finished Black Keyassuming I must have liked it. Well… the beginning was good, but around the last third everything frays in seconds. The ending wasn’t tragic – just not explained very well. I mentioned it in my review that Black Key would have been better if it was slightly longer. 

Smoke in the Sun

      “The ending of Flame in the Mist didn't leave me satisfied at all. Instead I was left demanding answers that only Smoke in the Suncan give me. I will get to it (Smoke in the Sun) soon, and I will probably cry tears of joy once I have the book in my hands.” The following quote was a comment I made on a Top 5 Wednesday post I wrote last year. I thought it was a good way to show just how much I wanted to read Smoke in the Sun. I think if it weren’t for my classes I would’ve finished that book in one sitting. However, I didn’t like the way the book was narrated and felt there wasn’t enough of Mariko and Okami, our main couple. I also hated the villains and the ending felt kind of sloppy to me.