Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Series I’ve Given Up On/Don’t Plan to Finish

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.


1. Maximum Ride by James Patterson: Honestly 1/3 of this list could comprise series by James Patterson but I'm limiting myself to one. One of the first reviews I ever posted on this blog was actually of the last Maximum Ride book I ever read (back when I did more of a book-talk-y style and there were spoilers) (it is terrible). It was also weirdly popular though like I think it's the most views I've ever gotten on a review... which is kind of sad now that I think about it. ANYWAY. I actually got all the way to the second-to-last book before finally accepting that these books were leading nowhere I was interested in going and that I didn't actually get anything out of reading them. Looking back even the early books weren't great, but they definitely got worse once the series past it's logical endpoint (book 3, or at very most book 5).

2. Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa: this is kind of a weird one because I WILL occasionally go back and reread bits and pieces of the first 4 books in the series, I really like a lot of the concept that Kagawa was working with... I just have no interest in the new characters in the next arc(s?)

3. Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire: I've only read Every Heart a Doorway and I think it was... mostly just not what I was hoping it would be, in a lot of ways. I didn't love the writing style and, while I did like the idea, I wasn't crazy about this particular take on it. There were a couple personal buttons that it pushed that were more "me" things than things that were necessarily bad about the book itself too.

4. Razorland by Ann Aguirre: I read the first trilogy for this and I think I mostly just... found my enjoyment declining as the series continued on. Coupled with my disastrous attempt at reading Mortal Danger, when the second leg of the Razorland series was announced I'd lost interest in both the story and Ann Aguirre's writing style.

5. Monsters of Verity by Victoria Schwab: Probably the weirdest addition to this list. I really enjoyed This Savage Song but I spoiled myself on a couple big things in Our Dark Duet and then automatically went "if I don't read it then it didn't happen" because that's logical. Also I know this is a duology but... it fits in all other respects.


6. The 100 by Kass Morgan: I really enjoyed reading the first book but I just wasn't able to recapture that feeling when I tried to pick up the second... and I watched some of the show as well and now my wires are all crossed and I can't totally recall what happened in which and it's a whole mess.

7. The Diviners by Libba Bray: I want to love it I want to love it I want to... but I just don't.

8. The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan: Possibly a little bit entirely because I audiobooked the first two books and there doesn't seem to be an audiobook available for the third. Also as a side note I dislike the covers of these books SO MUCH that I didn't want to put it in the graphic but.

9. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas: I have done my due diligence with this one. I read the first book and the second book and most of the third one (twice. I tried to get through A Court of Wings and Ruin twice) but I just... don't get the appeal, I guess. I think I'll just rely on friends whom this series does work for to give me a rundown of what Nesta is up to in all the consecutive books that's really what I need to know.

10. The Reckoners by Brandon Sanderson: I didn't mind Steelheart but as the story continued my interested waned. I've not had much luck with my forays into Brandon Sanderson's work although, granted, I haven't read Mistborn yet, which I've been repeatedly told is his best so we shall see...

16 comments :

  1. I love all things Schwab, but otherwise I'm with you on any of these I've attempted to get into.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The thing is that it isn't really for lack of love it's just... I and denying the reality of what happens in Our Dark Duet and also avoiding it. It's a super mature approach, I know.

      Delete
  2. I've heard Julie's books are good reads, but I've never picked them up. Perhaps someday I still will. I've not tried any of Sarah's books, but because of various reading and spoiler reviews, I've decided her books just aren't for me.

    Happy Top Ten Tuesday, Kelly. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have mixed feelings on Julie Kagawa's books but I still do really like the concept of the iron fey series (partly because I have a weakness for anyone messing around with fae folklore).

      Sarah J. Maas's books seem to be an "either you love them or you really, really don't" situation and I'm... closer to the "really, really don't" end of the scale. (I'm just... weirdly attached to a couple side characters that are towing me through Throne of Glass at this point...)

      Delete
  3. I have grown out of love with Sarah J Maas' writing. I don't think I'll read her books anymore. Great list! My TTT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think there ARE strengths to Sarah J Maas's work and I have, like, an entire essay I could write about how she doesn't seem to play to them? And also how much I don't like a lot of the tropes she favours and some of the things about her writing style just don't work for me. (A lot of things. Actually. I have a complicated relationship with S.J. Maas books.)

      I'm pretty sure that I've totally dropped ACoTaR (unless enough SUPER TRUSTED people tell me that the second leg of the series is SUPER FANTASTIC)... I'll probably hang in there for ToG...

      Overall though if her work isn't working for you, dropping it is probably a good call... as far as I can tell her style hasn't lost any of the things that are kind of irritating (and in some cases they've gotten more intense)...

      Delete
  4. I haven't read any of these books yet. I like your "if I don't read it then it didn't happen" quote. I'm one of those "If I don't like it I'll fix it with fanfiction" types myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think an interesting thing for me about making this post (I really like TTT for this, oftentimes it really makes me think about my reading habits...) was that the series I've dropped aren't necessarily books that were BAD (I mean. Some were. And some were just bad for me, in particular) so I don't think you should necessarily be discouraged from reading anything on this list if you want to!

      I don't read much fanfic but I'm also just a big fan of a) fanfic as a concept and b) fix-it fanfic especially.

      Delete
  5. I've seen ACOTAR on a lot of people's posts this week - so you're not alone. Great list!!

    My TTT: https://rockyreads.wordpress.com/2018/06/26/top-ten-tuesday-13/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I think the whole series was hit-and-miss for people? And it was definitely more of miss for me.

      Delete
  6. I had the same reaction to The 100. Did you watch/are you watching the TV show based on it?

    Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm kind of watching it? I'm not not watching it? The span of my interest for most TV shows (besides Brooklyn 99) is about 2 seasons so I think I stalled out around that point? I will pick it up again at some point but not, I think, until the final season (whenever that winds up being) wraps up.

      Delete
  7. love so many of these series but I totally understand! I really enjoyed The Iron Fey series up until book four then I got pretty bored with it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The thing is that I don't think all of these series are necessarily BAD... just that they aren't for me for any number of reasons... which was an interesting discovery this week.

      Delete
  8. My heart... The Iron Fey series is one of my all-time favorites! Which new characters are you referring to? After which book? I loved the Ash, Puck, Meghan trio! <3

    L @ Do You Dog-ear?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was mostly referring to the spin-off that I think stars Meghan's human brother? I think I read the first chapter or two and wasn't super enthralled by them. I enjoyed the first 4 books! (Iron Daughter- Iron Knight era, I guess?)

      Delete