"Top Ten Tuesday" is an original feature/weekly meme created on the blog "The Broke and the Bookish". This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at "The Broke and the Bookish". Since I am just as fond of them as they are, I jump at the chance to share my lists with them! Have a look at their page, there are lots of other bloggers who share their lists here.
May 13: Ten Books I Almost Put Down But Didn't
This prompt should be called "Bottom Ten" but since we're staying with the theme ...
I could have added at least another twenty to that list. If I choose a book for myself, I usually don't have a problem putting it down if I really don't like it, although that rarely happens. I know by now which book I might like and which one I won't.
But it's different when it's a book club book. I noticed after putting together the list that all of the books I really disliked and still finished were book club books. Why members have to choose chick lit to read with a book club is beyond me. I can understand if we have different opinions about a good book but most of the books on this list are just rubbish.
Fuller, Alexandra "Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight" - 2002
A British family lives in Africa in total misery and danger of their life. Why they don't return to their home country is beyond me.
Gibbons, Stella "Cold Comfort Farm" - 1932
This is supposed to be funny to hilarious but I found it rather boring.
Gruen, Sara "Water for Elephants" - 2006
Another totally boring story about the circus which doesn't interest me at all.
Krasnow, Iris "The Surrendering to Motherhood: Losing Your Mind, Finding Your Soul" - 1997
A spoiled brat tries to write about how great motherhood is, how every woman has a choice to work or not to work. As if!
Landvik, Lorna "Welcome to The Great Mysterious" - 2000
Chick lit trying to disguise as a "problem novel".
McEwan, Ian "Atonement" - 2001
This novel bored me to death.
Niffenegger, Audrey "The Time Traveler’s Wife" - 2003
One of the most horrible books I have ever read, full of contradictions. Even if time travel was possible, the facts change from one page to the next.
Pearson, Allison "I Don’t Know How She Does It: The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mother" (Working Mum) - 2002
Another spoiled brat who just wants to start a war between "working" and "non-working" mothers.
Picoult, Jodi "My Sister’s Keeper" - 2004
Another chick lit trying to disguise as a "problem novel".
Wisner, Franz "How the World Makes Love: And What It Taught a Jilted Groom" - 2009
Not only is this guy completely self-absorbed (Me! Me! Meeee!), this book is also full of plagiarism. Totally annoying.
And yes, why did I finish them? Because they were book club books.
Ha! I loved Water for Elephants because I found the setting so intriguing. And, it was a rare book that my brother and I both read (again, for the setting), so that made me love it more.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the Time Traveler's Wife, but I suspect that, too, had to do with the people around me at the time. All the librarians were reading it, because of the profession of one of the main characters, so that made it fun.
I gave up on Cold Comfort Farm and Atonement and watched the movies instead.
Joy's Book Blog
The ending of My Sister's Keeper was so shocking. Understand why they changed it for the movie. My TTT
ReplyDeleteI liked Water for Elephants, Atonement, Cold Comfort Farm (the movie was funnier) and the Time Traveler's Wife, hate Jodie Picoult, hated I Don't Know How She Does it--I'm with you, what a spoiled brat--, may I add Eat, Love, Pray, I finished it, but I definitely wanted to slap the author what a self involved piece of work
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your comments. Isn't it interesting how we all like or dislike a certain book for different reasons. I think my major complaint about most of these books is that they wanted to tackle a difficult problem but ended up being cheap chick lit, well, in my opinion. Maybe if I had enjoyed the topic, I might not have minded but this way I did.
ReplyDeleteI have not watched "My Sister's Keeper" (or any of the movies that have been made from any of these books) but I was shocked when I heard how they had changed the ending. The twist was the best part of the book, I thought.
I have "Eat, Pray, Love" on my TBR pile (a gift from a friend who sorted out her library before moving), I doubt that I will ever touch it.
Hope we will find many more books to talk about.
Have a great weekend, everyone,
Marianne