The Next Best Book Club discussion
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Top Ten Books to Avoid
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Jamie
(last edited Nov 15, 2008 06:29AM)
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Nov 15, 2008 06:27AM
Ofmatt - That's what I'm saying, though. I felt the same way - and I'm not one to read something just because of the hype. Strangely enough, I actually decided to read it only after hearing the song "River Flows in You" by Yiruma, which is the lullaby everyone imagines Edward wrote for Bella :) (it's amazing). If I hadn't heard it, I would have sworn I'd never read it, but I'm SO glad I did. I don't know if I'll be able to say that I'll refuse to read anything again, since I think there's really no way to know that you absolutely won't like it.
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It makes me curious when someone really hates a book!!!Fiona, you did it again: bought a book when the oter one is said to be better, bought a book while it is of a serie and you didn't get the first one....
GO Girl!
@Dylan: Haha, that'd be funny. Shakespeare plays bore the hell out of me.@Petra X: Eh, that's why plays aren't that popular anymore. There's a reason why we have movies today. Better technology. Ha.
@Darla: I agree but then again, I really disliked both the movies on Romeo & Juliet. The older version is slightly better than the modern take on it. In the newer one, Juliet sounded like a pig when she cried. It's totally hilarious and it destroys the mood of the whole Romeo-dying-for-Juliet scene.
@Ofmatt: Actually, my comment had to do with the thread because your name comes from a BOOK, not a fruit. =P
I know you don't like to read books that are popular. That's why, like I said, you have an aversion to books such as Twilight. You might not hate the books, but it's enough to infer that you tend to dislike the popularity and the hype. I'm just trying to make a point that there's a reason why some things are popular. And that you shouldn't not read it just because everybody's talking about it and you want to be unique.
@Abigail: The Handmaid's Tale is actually alright, but that doesn't mean I like it. The main character is so promiscuous, doing things with another guy instead of her husband. And I'm sure the world would never succumb to that kind of dystopia. I mean, I understand the whole thing with the overriding the constitution and freezing the credit cards, but the idea is way too bizarre and hilarious (old man having sex with a middle-aged woman in red held by another old woman). I do sympathize with her in the end though. The book is alright enough for me to finish reading it.
I had the same idea about Frankenstein. Apparently, the media distorted the idea from the novel and made Frankenstein seem like a big, bad monster but in reality, Frankenstein is a scientist whose monster is called Monster. I actually enjoyed reading the Letters in the beginning of the book and then got bored when it actually begins. The letters told a whole different kind of journey that I imagined. Too bad the story isn't based on fantasy and the like. A (slightly) similar novel would be Of Mice and Men in my opinion. The ending was sad and made me realize, once again, that the world is unfair.
I can't really get into the things that are wildly popular, either. I always have expectations that just don't work out. The last popular book I read was Davinci Code, and as previously stated, it's on my list. I can't even rate it, I disliked it that much.Anyway, that's what makes THT such a great book. Because it is so over the top. I laughed so hard, even though it isn't all that funny, just perverse. But that is exactly how I felt about Frankenstine. I wanted gore and rampage and I just ended up feeling sorry for them all. I never had to read OMaM, but oddly enough I have heard the same complaint about it.
I always arrive much much later to read the 'popular' books...most of te time at least a year later, when it is all a bit less talked about.
It's like songs on the radio. When that's all you hear, you get tired of it. I stopped listening to the radio, because I'm tired of them ruining good songs. Now I just go by recommendations from friends and family. For music and books.
Ironically, when I introduced Twilight to my friends who claimed to never read anything popular like that book, they immediately fell into the world of Stephenie Meyer, clawing and pining for more. I like to read books regardless of their popularity.
Mod
There is also no reason to jump to conclusions when someone says that there are books out there they will not read, for WHATEVER reason they choose. Just becuase you infer something from their statement doesnt mean that is the reasoning behind it. I, too, choose never to pick up a copy of Twilight -- simply because I am not a fan of YA novels. I also choose not to read romance novels, of any kind.... just because the terminology and writing is not to my liking. That doesnt mean there is anything wrong with someone else loving them, right?
I agree, that when reading this thread, the heat seemed to be turned up a knob, and I want to thank you all for not allowing it to escalate and get ugly.
I like the way we all can throw things our opinions out there, without fear of being jumped on or attacked. One big happy family eh?
I'm sorry Lori but it's hard to refrain from saying "Stupid and Retarded" when they're my trademark words. And I'm not trying to cause an argument. I was just pointing out the fact that just because a book is popular, doesn't mean it's not worth reading. I guess any sort of heated discussion would be labeled as argument.
I'm sorry, but I find your use of the term retarded to be pretty offensive. I suggest coming up with a new trademark.
Too bad I can't do what you want me to.
What is that, a cyber-neener-neener ha-ha? I would think that on a site devoted to a love of books that we would be able to conduct ourselves with a quality of discourse somewhat above mere petulance.
LOL, Logan! :-) One would assume...and we know what assuming leads to.
I have been silent on this site for quite some time, and I hate that I am feeling the pull to respond to this. However, Kiwi, I think your response to Charity's very clear and inoffensive comment about the offensiveness of the terms "stupid and retarded" are quite telling.No one's preference in reading material is "stupid" and no one is "retarded" because they don't agree with you. Their work is not "retarded or stupid" simply because you don't like it.
It is fine that you don't like everything and it is fine if you don't get everything an author is writing about, but please try to have better reasons than simply going with your "trademark". I would think that someone who is a part of a reading group would have more words in her vocabulary with which to review books.
It was so hard to come up with 5 favorite books for the other list on TNBBC that I don't think I would tackle books to avoid! Some of my choices would be what others list as favorites...which seems to cause friction, or maybe it's just that if you enjoy a book so much it's hard to understand how someone else couldn't like it. Human nature I guess! :)
lmao. Way to go Lori, Logan, and Stacie!!!! This is merely the 2nd person I've run into with this sort of ambiance about them. Really, for having over 1500 people in this group, that is statistically very good. Hopefully the saying will be wrong and 'one bad apple' won't 'ruin the lot'.
Mod
If you cannot handle yourself in a mature manner, I will have to ask that you reconsider your membership to this group.
Snide remarks, such as the one you made to Charity will also not be tolerated.
This is why lori is our undisputed queen!!
Thanks for stepping in there, Lori. It's nice to know you have our backs!My 6 books that are rated as 1 star:
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson--It was so boring I couldn't finish it.
Tess of the d'Urbervilles--Depressing. And I rarely liked books I had to read for school.
The Nanny Diaries--I had such an emotional response to these terrible parents that I depised them and ended up despising the book because of it.
Lake Wobegone Days by Garrison Keillor--I know plenty of people like this guy, but my sense of humor and his sense of humor have very little, if anything, in common. I couldn't make it past about 50 pages.
Lord of the Flies
McTeague by Frank Norris--Both of these were supposed to show the human condition of something, but I think we're capable of great beauty as well as great cruelty. Showing one side of that is not representative of us. I guess what I'm trying to say is that these don't reflect my optimistic, and I'll admit sometimes naive, point of view. Plus we're back to the not-liking-books-I-had-to-read thing.
Fiona,I read Twilight years ago (before it became a craze) and absolutely loved it for the shear value of the amazing love story between the two main characters. At the same time I read the second book.
However, I recently read the third and fourth books in the series and was HIGHLY disappointed. Maybe it was more maturity on my part or maybe the fame got to the authors head and she had to hurry and make deadlines.
I was also very disappointed in the publisher and the editing process because each book is riddled with misspellings and grammatical errors.
All in all, I would suggest you read the first book if any. I am the type of person who believes that in order to be well versed in contemporary literature it is my duty to read the popular books. Especially since I refused to read HP for a very long time and then loved them once I did. I think these feelings of needing to read the popular books comes from working in a major book store for 8 years. I needed to be able to talk to my customers about all manner of books.
Fiona - I'd say there's a good chance you'll end up liking Twilight, considering your last post. It definitely wouldn't hurt to try it. For me, I wasn't expecting great literature - just something fun. It fit the bill as far as that goes, but I also found the story very touching. I didn't read HP - or Twilight - until all the books were out already (I didn't buy all the hype and thought I'd never enjoy them at first), but it was nice to be able to read a story straight through. While suspense is a good thing sometimes, I thought that not having to wait for the next book to come out was also a nice perk.
Fiona,I actually had my husband watch my daughter all weekend just so I could read the last book! I picked it up Saturday morning and finished it Sunday evening. I had ignored my family (including phone calls) all weekend because I was so enthralled in the book! It's amazing how books can suck you in!
Fiona - That's true. In a way, I do feel like I missed out by not reading it as each book came out, but I'm not very patient so I guess it worked out for me! I read the Stephanie Plum series, but it's definitely not the same thing because there's no suspense like there is with HP. When I'm done with a Plum book, I'm fine with waiting another year for another book. :)
I tried reading HP once and it just didn't hold my interest much. I didn't even get through the first book. And I was still in high school when those started coming out. So I was pretty much in the suggested age bracket. I'm just not much into fantasy as a reading genre. I liked the movies well enough. So I can't say I hate the series. *shrugs*
Abigail,It took me about three tries with the first book to actually get into HP. I still don't really care for the second book either...but I did end up really loving them. At least you tried and you enjoy the movies. :-)
ok, so I just traded my twilight series for HP series (I've never read them) with my best friend. I just bought like 30 freakin' books, and now I have all this HP laying around. I'm starting to irritate myself.... So much to read, so little time....
Darla - Time flies when you're reading Harry Potter, though!!
The eye of Fiona commands!!
Fiona, for what it's worth, the Harry Potter books first became popular after I had graduated high school (specifically, the first was released a month after I'd graduated high school). I didn't read any of them until I was about 22 and the first movie was released. I only went to see the movie because a friend of mine had no one else to go with him (he was a huge fan). I totally fell in love with the story and immediately fell in love with the books, dragging several of my fellow Harry Potter-resistant friends with me. So I think it's entirely possible that you'd still have the same love for the books. I'm a huge literary snob (English major), and I was bouncing up and down like a child on Christmas morning when the new books would arrive from Amazon. Having said that, I won't be reading the Twilight series. A friend of mine, with whom I share an almost identical taste in books, honestly threw the first book out of her bedroom window out of frustration over the writing style. I have no desire to do that. Also, I'm an old school horror fan, and the idea of vampires that sparkle makes me want to poke my eyes out with a spork. But I know people who have read them and loved them, and I certainly have no problem with their love for the books. I just don't think that I can ever reconcile my view of how vampires ought to be with the Twilight idea of vampires. It's the same part of me that gets ticked off whenever someone refers to the infected from the 28 Days movies as "zombies". I could write a dissertation on how much that annoys me.
Lol, agreed Jill. Thats' exactly how I felt about it.
lmao... I will probably read the HP books next. I have all of them, and they are 'borrowed', so I'm thinking I'll have to put of East of Eden until after.
Darla,Definitely read the HP! And keep us posted on your progress and thoughts.
Fiona,
I do think of the Twilight series as mainly a love story with some fantasy aspects thrown in...
I started HP today. East of Eden is laying next to my book case glaring at me....
OMG, Darla, let us know what you think! Seriously, HP got me through some of my depression in High School. Anyway, I have book number 9 to add to my avoid list... The Luxe by Anna Godberen (sp?). Anyway, I detest that book. In part because I am a history fanatic and when the main characters are acting like characters from another time period, I get annoyed. Seriously, one of the worst books I have read this year!
Ok.... so I just got to Diagon Alley....lmao... I am enjoying it so far, but I think that I will enjoy the others a little more, simply because (While I've seen all the movies) I've seen the first movie a gazillion times.... I used to babysit for a friend of mine whose son was a HP addict... :)
so harry potter crazys?whats your favorite book? mine is the prisioner of azkabam. I love sirius.
I like The Goblet of Fire. Prisoner of Azkaban is probably my second favorite.
You will get a post in some years time telling me about Twillight probably...I guess I am never ready yet to do what a lot of people do and arrive later doing it too! So, I am coming Twillight!!!!!
I can only come up with three. Just a note: I do actually understand why some people actually love these books (apparently, they were rather useful in our exams hmp...) but for me, these just gives me a negative connotation :p1) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
2) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
3) Kallocain by Karin Boye
On the subject of 'avoid', I myself avoid A Clockwork Orange at all cost because I saw the first say 20 min of the film and that was enough to leave me psychological scarred.
Aww...I don't know if you really have to avoid the book Leila. A lot of the action is masked by the "slang" Burgess creates/assimilates. Because it is pretty horrifying. Maybe it's the visualization that really is a problem. I never thought about that before. After a certain age, nothing that I saw or read really bothered me anymore. Guess you can't take my word for it >.<
semi spoiler:
Ashley wrote (eons ago): 8. Angels and Demons : Dan Brown
I wasn't really liking it much, but was pushing on becasue I needed a fast fun read, but when the young, hip, athletic pope flew his own plane (or was it a helicopter) above vatican city and the hero ended up falling from that plane into the Tiber (which is a little trickle of a river, really, not like the Sienne (sp?) or the Thames even, I just lost it... I was laughing so hard I could hardly finish the book.
Ashley wrote (eons ago): 8. Angels and Demons : Dan Brown
I wasn't really liking it much, but was pushing on becasue I needed a fast fun read, but when the young, hip, athletic pope flew his own plane (or was it a helicopter) above vatican city and the hero ended up falling from that plane into the Tiber (which is a little trickle of a river, really, not like the Sienne (sp?) or the Thames even, I just lost it... I was laughing so hard I could hardly finish the book.
Hayes - I felt the same way about Angels and Demons. I really can't understand how some people liked it more than The Da Vinci Code. Although I enjoyed TDVC, I don't think any of his other books are very well written. They're all way too far fetched for me.
My secret theory is that Dan Brown didn't write TDVC at all, he just gave his name. It's more carefully thought out and the writing style is better than in his other books.
I LOVED Angels & Demons :P Even more than the Da Vinci Code. I understood that so many things were unrealistic and just plain weird but I was still looking for something exciting. Like an action movie (Bond etc). The simple writing style made things better as well :)
Oh don't hate me for this I know these books are very popular with many but I really don't like them. That is probably too nice I really "hate them"....1) The Road - Nothing redeeming IMO
2) The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Pretensious beyond belief
3) Wicked - if You like thet Musical you'll hate the book!
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Wife of fantasy author: Michael J. Sullivan
The Crown Conspiracy (Oct 2008)
Avempartha (April 2009)
Leila, that's what makes reading so great! Everybody gets a different take on the same stuff... I read it and had a good time reading it for the same reasons you said, something fun and action packed, but I felt it should have been labeled sci-fi, cause it was so far off the reality scale. It just made me laugh and kind of ruined the whole thing, even though I knew it would be a romp.
1. The Road2. The Road
3. Did I mention the Road......(Sorry Lori)
4. Wicked
5. Might be Twilight but I have to finsih first
Mod
hee hee
To Jane: High five !!To Lori: Here is a hankerchief to press against the wound.
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Wife of fantasy author: Michael J. Sullivan
The Crown Conspiracy (Oct 2008) - Fantasy Book Critic Review
Avempartha (April 2009)
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