10 Books The Whole World Loves But Didn’t Do It For Me
You know that thing where you read a book and think “This is garbage” and then go to Goodreads or Amazon to look at other reviews and realize, “Oh, apparently I’m on my own here.”
Or the extremely awkward thing where someone recommends a book that is the best book ever and so you read it and you think it is really awful but. . . you have to pretend it was great (or possibly avoid that friend for the rest of your life).
Anyway, here are ten of those books for me, where everyone is constantly recommending them to me and I have to either smile and nod or admit that I couldn’t even make it through the whole book.
And they are probably your favorite books in the whole world, so you are welcome to tell me that I am a complete idiot.
Books That Are Not for Me
- 50 Shades of Gray. Okay, this one is a joke. I haven’t read any of this book (although I laughed my head off at Dave Barry’s take on the book – warning that there is some slightly sexual content in his essay, which is to be expected considering the subject matter). I promise the next ten books I’ve actually read or attempted to read.
- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (the Flavia de Luce series). I know! Everyone loves these books so so much. And I didn’t hate it. I just had zero desire to read any after the first one. And it took me about 10 years to get through the first one (in all fairness, I was listening to it, and the problem could have been the narrator).
- Out of the Dust. My mom bought this for me right when it won the Newbery and I could barely make it through – the whole thing freaked me out so much. Five years later, someone did a piece from it at a speech and debate tournament, and I almost couldn’t even sit through it. It’s just too much, too graphic for me.
- Jacob Have I Loved. I absolutely love Bridge to Terabithia, so I was super excited about this one. And then it wandered on for ages. I liked the premise, just not the actual book. Too bad.
- Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children. I don’t even have really bad things to say about this book; I just couldn’t get into it and eventually gave it up.
- The Night Circus. This book is approximately ten thousand CDs long. Even Jim Dale narrating couldn’t save it for me. I got to the end and wasn’t entirely sure what had even happened or, frankly, if there had even been a plot.
- The Maze Runner. I always hear this one recommended as a great, fun read. But I felt like absolutely nothing happened in the entire book. I don’t get the appeal at ALL.
- Eat Pray Love. This one is probably in the top spot for bestselling books I could not stand. I wrote more about my distaste for this book here.
- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. I get that it’s supposed to be heart-warming and beautiful. But by the end of the book I couldn’t stand any of the characters, and I was just relieved it was over.
- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I just went back and re-read the review I wrote of this back in 2009 and it enraged me all over again how STUPID this book is. I don’t feel only apathy toward this book, I feel actual rage over how bad it is. Even after five years.
- We Were Liars. I wanted to love this one. I love The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks more than is normal, and I was thrilled to see another book from her, but. . .this was not the book I was hoping for. I never got into it, and it was one step above a slog for me. (By the way, lots of people who didn’t like this book disliked it because they guessed the twist. I did not guess the twist, and I still thought it was lame).
I also hate Nutella (I know. It’s practically a crime, but I try it about once a year to see if I’ve changed my mind and every time it basically burns my mouth with its chemically taste), so feel free to think I have the worst taste in everything ever.
If you’d like a printable copy of this list of books that weren’t for me that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
And of course, feel free to tell me about the popular or beloved books you couldn’t handle – we can all enjoy our bad taste in books together.
I detest Elegance of a Hedgehog. Worst book ever. I never got into, yet every celebrity was telling the world how amazing it was. It wasn't amazing, there wasn't a plot, there wasn't a point. And the abrupt end to the plot made me happy because there was no chance for reviving the plot line for a sequel.
Eat, Pray, Love should be called, Me, Me, Me.
The Uglies series– just awful
I thought I enjoyed Flavia, but then when I think about getting the next, my heart tells me no every time.
People rave about Cinder…and it seems so incredibly stupid I refuse to try.
Also you should read my recent best books post and validate me…or smile and nod and avoid me forever.
Julieandbrandon.blogspot.com
After I wrote it I wanted to write 10 worst books blog..maybe I'll just link your blog instead.
Well I'm sure out of it…I've only read one of those books, Maze Runner. I actually liked it and read the entire series – as happens many times, the first was the best in my opinion. I give your Mom The Maze Runner, along with another book, for her birthday last year (so I guess I did like it!), she never said anything so my guess is that she shares your opinion! I don't like pumpkin pie, so what that says about my taste in things I hate to think. Really enjoying sharing your trip through FB posts!
Some of these I haven't read, some I agree with, and the only two that I disagree with you on are The Night Circus (not my favorite of all time but I liked it quite a bit) and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (definitely one of my faves).
I haven't read any of those, and now I'm in no hurry!
I didn't love Fablehaven. I have no desire to read any of the other books in the series. I feel bad. Oh well.
And this isn't necessarily a not like, but I can't get through 1984. I've tried two or three times. But I think I've only listened to the audio. Maybe I could skim the sex stuff if I read it? I just couldn't handle it! Obviously I'm a prude :).
I read Flavia this past summer. I liked the beginning, then it went on and on and on about stamps and I lost interest. Didn't hate the book, but I won't read any more.
The first two books that came to mind (since I read them this past summer, too):
The Fault in Our Stars. Ugh. So pretentious. I got through 70 pages and called it quits. When I tell people I didn't like it, they look at me like I don't have a soul.
The other one was The Rosie Project. There are SO many good reviews of it and lots of recommendations, so I decided to check it out (though contemporary rom-com isn't really my genre of choice) and was totally 'meh' about it. I thought it was super-predictable and cliche (and I couldn't stand Rosie). I found myself skimming through the ending because I wanted to be done. Plus, I was surprised by the f-bombs in it. None of the reviews I read mentioned that.
I feel guilty berating authors (being an aspiring author myself, I know well the time, effort, and angst that goes into writing a novel). That said, there is something cathartic about venting about books everyone else seems to love. Great post. 🙂
Totally agree about The Night Circus, Miss Peregine's Home for Peculiar Children, and Maze Runner. I enjoyed We Were Liars more than you did, maybe because I didn't realize it was by the same author as The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and so I wasn't comparing the two.it wasn't excell but I enjoyed it and didn't guess the twist.
I love hearing that I'm not the only one!
Oh my goodness, I thought I was the only one that didn't get The Night Circus! It was just too long and not that interesting. I thought maybe I was missing something because everyone else loved it. Another book for me is City of Bones. I get the idea that a lot of people like it but I just didn't think it was a good book. I just think I didn't like Cassandra Clare's writing style that much and I didn't really care for any of the characters.
Nice to know I'm not alone with some of my thoughts. 🙂
P.S: I don't like nutella either!
I didn't even manage to finish The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, or Night Circus, or Miss Peregrine! It's good to know it isn't just me. As for others, once I read My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult and got to the end, I almost threw the book across the room. That stupid twist! I'll never read one of hers again.
i feel the same way about jacob have i loved and extremely loud and incredibly close–i couldn't even get through it! it really drove me crazy. i kind of liked miss peregrine's home for peculiar children, but mostly i just thought it was weird and probably wouldn't ever recommend it to anyone! glad you do these posts, it makes me feel better about my literary preferences 🙂
I hate nutella. Always.
And I actually liked eat pray love just because I enjoyed reading about the people and places and food, though I'm like thinking the whole time "um, self-absorbed much?"
And off subject but I just read I've got your number by Sophie kinsella b/c I remembered you talking about it once. I liked it! I was trying to look up your review but my.phone is being stupid boo.
I agree with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie – I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I won't be reading any further in the series. Gone Girl is another one I didn't like. Kudos to the author for the story twist, but it was just simply an awful story about two awful human beings. And just yesterday I finished Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I feel like I just wasted a few hours of my life that I will never get back again and I got to the end and wasn't even entirely sure what I was supposed to have gotten out of the story. And the Nutella thing – I totally get it.
My Aunt Ju introduced me to The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (we love Flavia) and we got my Mom to try it. She tried the audiobook too and didn't care for it. Too bad because for me they are fun simple reads.
I really think it might be the narrator that wasn't that great. Too bad.
Seems pretty important for audiobooks. We LOVE listening to Jim Dale reading Harry Potter. I listened to the Book Thief and it was alright. Narrators can really make or break a book. But with busy lives, listening to a book is so tempting!
Atlas Shrugged. Hated it.
Yes, completely agree about this one!
Bridge to Terabithia is one of my favorite books and I absolutely HATE Jacob Have I Loved. Phew!! Thanks for letting me get that secret out of my mind and onto the internet forever!
Water for Elephants is another one that a bunch of people have recommended and I just don't care.
Yes! I wanted to like the Flavia series SO BAD, but it took me forever to make it through the first book. And I was way too disinterested to continue.
I despised All the Light We Cannot See, which is a real bummer because the book that inspired it(And There Was Light) is my all time favorite book. I don’t understand all the rave reviews.
Also, American Nutella is nasty, but European Nutella is COMPLETELY different and is so dreamy!
Well now I know what not to put on my to-read list since I haven’t read any of these yet! And even though I like Nutella, I trust your judgement and taste. I feel like the more a person has read, the better they are at discerning good writing and giving things a fair shake. That would be you, for sure. I can’t think of any others I finished that I didn’t like. I started The Book Thief once and couldn’t get into it, but I’m going to give it another chance.
The Selection series- most of the time I can just ignore the sacrificial-lamb female antagonist and just mindlessly enjoy the redundant story line (my bar is low) but this one ended in such a way that i literally threw the book. All that build up with what could have been an interesting ending and she spends it in a closet?!??? Ugh.
I am so with you on the Nutella! I have tried it multiple times and I just don’t think I can ever get on board!
Bleck!
YES to The Goldfinch, Gone Girl, and Out of the Dust. And can we talk about Glennon Doyle Melton for a sec? If you thought Eat, Pray, Love was bad, Love Warrior was a thousand times worse, I thought. I had zero empathy for her and really could not get behind her worldview and way that she approaches solving her marital and relationship problems, and she just seemed super whiny and self-absorbed the whole time.
Also, books I really wanted to like but had a hard time making myself finish them (or didn’t finish them): Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie also, and…dare I say it? Code Name Verity. I know you loved that one though, but I just couldn’t get into it, and I tried like three times. And usually I love historical fiction! No idea what the problem is with that one for me.
Ha! We can still be friends 😉