I Didn't Like It, But ...

[stormhawk]

A post that Nora made in the currently reading thread got me thinking ...

Nora wrote: "Nora wrote: "The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult"

I didn't like it.
Now I'm reading Mercy by Jodi Picoult"

If you read a book by a particular author, and didn't like it, what makes you pick up another book by the same author?

Now, I have encountered books by beloved authors that I didn't like ... I frequently point to Robert Heinlein's Number of the Beast, or any of Frank Herbert's sequels to Dune as examples of poor books by good authors.

But if you're reading an author for the first time and you don't have a good experience, why do you go back for another try?

[Lisa]

When I (finally) picked up East of Eden by John Steinbeck I had already ready and stongly disliked (or hated) The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl. The read "East of Eden" because a friend, who's opinion in books I generally trust, insisted it was the best book she had ever read and told me that I had to read it. It's now one of my favorite books and I would recomend it to EVERYONE! It's almost made me consider re-reading "The Grapes of Wrath" - maybe I just wasn't in a place to appreciate it in high school. Maybe.

[Helen]

I wouldn't unless I'd already bought one, although that doesn't guarantee a read.

[Fani *loves angst*]

Sometimes I don't particularly like the story or a character and that certainly ruins the book for me, but I may still find the writing style intriguing. In this case, if the writing is really up my alley, I will give the author a second chance. Or as Helen says, if I already have another book of his/hers in my TBR already.

[Michelle]

I've done this before with Toni Morrison, I read Beloved for one of my high school classes and absolutely loathed it (I thought it'd be better then the movie). But instead of staying away I decided to give her another try, I felt that one miserable book wasn't enough to condemn her writing since everyone was so crazy about her. So I tried The Bluest Eye (hated it) and then Sula (didn't like it)... and finally gave up.

I don't like neglecting well sought after authors just because I disliked one book of theirs. I tried three because I figured at least one had to be different, I was wrong but I gave it a shot. She's really the only author I've done this with.

[Kerri]

It really depends on how intensely I dislike the book and for what reason. If I didn't like certain aspects of the book, but found others appealing, I might be willing to give the author another try. If I hated everything about the book, then I'll probably stay away.

[Helen]

The fantasy trilogy I read a couple of weeks ago irritated me but I read them as I had part 2 and wanted to know what happened. It was her writing style that irritated not the actual story. Plus, who writes 1800+ pages and then needs to explain the ending because they hadn't written it in the book!

[Elizabeth]

Lisa Anne wrote: "When I (finally) picked up East of Eden by John Steinbeck I had already ready and stongly disliked (or hated) The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl. Th..."

Absolutely agree with you about East of Eden. Maybe the top book I have ever read. Steinbeck was a genius with words.

[Keryl]

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman wrote some of my all time favorite books. And then they wrote some books that made me want to cry I disliked them so much. But I kept coming back because they kept going back to characters I loved. And in the four books since the pod people took over their writing style three have been sore disappointments, and one was okay, but not what I was hoping for.

But, if you write a series I like, and then some other stuff I find less appealing, or take the original series off the rails, I'll probably keep reading just to see what you do next and where the characters end up.

[Helen]

I liked their Twins books, I should re-read them.

[Jackie]

stormhawk wrote: "But if you're reading an author for the first time and you don't have a good experience, why do you go back for another try? "

I don't like to dismiss authors based on one book. I don't feel like it's fair to them. I can have a bad experience for a variety of reasons...writing style, bad timing on my part, not in the right mood, etc. So, I either try the same book or try another one and see if I like it.

I went through this with Gregory Maguire. I didn't quite like Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, although I saw it had potential so I checked out another of his other books. Again, I had mediocre results so now I know to put his books at the bottom of the pile because most likely I will have the same experience.

[Poppy]

Hated The Old Man and the Sea when we read it as a class assignment; someone gave me For Whom the Bell Tolls as a graduation gift, so I felt compelled to read it, and actually enjoyed it. Hemingway is still far from my favorite writer, but at least nothing was as dull as Old Man.

Hated Beauty the first, second, and THIRD time I read it (I picked it up the 2nd and 3rd times because it looked like the kind of book I'd enjoy, started reading it and realized (a) I'd read it before and (b) hated it). Then, I challenged myself to read through a list of top SciFi books, which included The Gate to Women's Country and LOVED it.

[Rachel Alice]

I loved reading James Patterson's YA books originally, the first three Maxmium Rides are pretty good, but since then they've really gone downhill. The Gift was positively bad. Don't think I'll be reading anymore of that series, but I'll read the eighth and final Maximum Ride when it comes out just to find out what happens.

[Rachel Alice]

Madalyn wrote: "I can't wait untill the last maximum ride comes out but The Final Warning was the worst book in the max ride series"

I agree that Final Warning was the worst, but these days they seem awfully rushed. FW and MAX didn't really have a unifying plot, and then suddenly Fang and Angel did, but it was a bit strange and had altogether too much Twilightesque drama in them and not enough action and character development. James Patterson seems to be one of those authors who is more concerned with making money than writing great books, which is a shame, because he writes very well when he tries.

[Nora aka Diva]

stormhawk wrote:A post that Nora made in the currently reading thread got me thinking ...
Nora wrote: "Nora wrote: "The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult"
I didn't like it. Now I'm reading Mercy by Jodi Picoult"

If you read a book by a particular author, and didn't like it, what makes you pick up another book by the same author? ..."

Well for me it's the fact that my sister dropped of a bag full of Jodi Picoult novels. So I figured that since I have them, I might as well read them. Plus I had read several before that one that I really did like. Honestly I have liked more of them then I have disliked. I can't say Picoult is my favorite auther but she's alright.

I read the first in a series by a new(at the time) author and hated the book so much that I will never read anything he ever writes again, seriously.

[J.D.]

I read a historical romance by Kay Hooper and thought it was horrible. However, she had another series that was more of a mystery with supernatural twists. Since the two were so different, I gave her a chance.

[Elvia]

J.D. wrote: "I read a historical romance by Kay Hooper and thought it was horrible. However, she had another series that was more of a mystery with supernatural twists. Since the two were so different, I gave h..."
I love Kay Hooper's Bishop series...I searched through her books to find something else when I finished the last Bishop book. All I saw was romance so I didn't even bother. lol

[Janet]

I also tend to finish a series to the end if I liked how it started, even if it's ending with a whimper. For new authors, I'll try them again if they're I didn't like the first book I read of theirs because of particular choices they made, and it looks like they're doing something different this time around. For example, I didn't like Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones because I thought having a happy heaven with no mention of God or gods was a weak choice. Otherwise she was a good writer, though, and I'd try her again. Also I'm usually willing to try an author again when they're trying a new genre or concept. I thought Kate Elliot's Crown of Stars series was just ok, but was interested in the concept of her Spirit Gate series and ended up loving that trilogy (the Crossroads trilogy).

[Danna]

Jan wrote: "I also tend to finish a series to the end if I liked how it started, even if it's ending with a whimper. For new authors, I'll try them again if they're I didn't like the first book I read of their..."

Really? I think that the Godless (Godfree?) heaven is beautiful. I hate God, I love her as well but she thinks she can rule the world and tell humans what to do - even though they were the ones to create her!!!

and yes, if God - then it's a female! DAMN YOU GOD HATE Y';ALL

[J.D.]

Elvia wrote: "J.D. wrote: "I read a historical romance by Kay Hooper and thought it was horrible. However, she had another series that was more of a mystery with supernatural twists. Since the two were so differ..."

lol Yeah, don't bother wit the romance novels by her. They are HORRIBLE. It's so strange because the Bishop series is one of my favs!

[stormhawk]

I'm actually doing this now ... I have now read three books by Iain M. Banks.

I had his first novel recommended to me as "being really weird, but really good" and wow, did The Wasp Factory deliver on that promise.

Then I read his first science fiction novel, Consider Phlebas. I love science fiction and because of how his first book was written, I figured it would be chock full of awesomeness.

Yeah. Well, not so much. I never really connected with the characters or situations, and thought it was okay, but not all that great. Several people urged me to continue.

So I did ... The Player of Games was one of coolest books I've read ... took the story and concept in directions that I absolutely did not expect. So, in this case, perseverance worked out. I doubt, though, that I would have tried to continue his science fiction novels if I hadn't liked Player. I would have given his straight novels another shot, though.

[Lisa]

On the topic of series, I started with the Anita Blake series by Hamilton, & the first couple were ok. I kept reading them even when the series devolved into creature porn hoping she would redeem herself, & I'm up to the newest book now, & it's just gotten worse. I certainly won't be reading any more of them.

The Dragonlance original series was wonderful, I adored them, & yeah, they fell off the rails so I haven't read any of them in over 20 years (yes, I just dated myself, LOL).

The Xanth series by Piers Anthony was also one that was wonderful for a long time, I've read the first 17 I think, but haven't read any in years now, they got old after a while. I notice there are several more in the series now, so I'm inclined to go back & pick them up from where I left off.

Hemingway is one of my all time faves, read everything he's ever written. Loved Old Man & the Sea, but was highly disappointed in both Farewell to Arms, & Bell Tolls. The Green Hills of Africa wasn't one of my stellar picks of his either.

Haven't read East of Eden, but it's on the Banned Book list, so I plan on reading it :)

[Kerri]

Lisa wrote: "On the topic of series, I started with the Anita Blake series by Hamilton, & the first couple were ok. I kept reading them even when the series devolved into creature porn hoping she would redeem ..."

I could not agree with you more on the Anita Blake series. I think I got up to book 12 or 13 before I gave up. I couldn't stand it anymore, lol.

[Cate (The Professional Fangirl)]

Michelle wrote: "I've done this before with Toni Morrison, I read Beloved for one of my high school classes and absolutely loathed it (I thought it'd be better then the movie). But instead..."

I find Toni Morrison's books incredibly preachy. I'm not a fan although I liked "Beloved" out of all her works that I've read. (I read it because it's in Oprah's Book Club. I collected those titles in high school for some reason.)


Rita Mae Brown. Oh gahd, I got one of her cat detective books and that one with the lesbian undertones at a swap and my god... I can't.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer)]

I like Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series but I haven't like any of her other series so far. I tried the Harper Connelly one and the Allegra series and just didn't care for them. I am willing to give her other one (Shakespeare something or other) a try just because I have enjoyed one of her series. But I don't have high hopes for it.

Really if the story line captures me in the synopsis then I will give it a go unless I just don't like the author's writing style, then I pretty much won't bother trying anything else of theirs.

[Cary]

Mlpmom Charlaines best books other than Sookie are single stories about characters in the Sookie Stackhouse series. Like Pixie Dust and others.

[Nancy]

Cate wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I've done this before with Toni Morrison, I read Beloved for one of my high school classes and absolutely loathed it (I thought it'd be better then the mo..."

Well, Rita Mae Brown is a lesbian, so it's no surprise that she'd have lesbian characters in her books.

[Lisa]

Mlpmom wrote: "I like Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series but I haven't like any of her other series so far. I tried the Harper Connelly one and the Allegra series and just didn't care for them. I am willin..."

I've recently read all CH's Lily Bard books (Shakespeare) and liked them. They're a bit darker than the Stackhouse series but I fell in love with Lily and Jack. BTW, they both appear in a couple Sookie books. They're private investigators that were hired to find Debbie whats-her-name. I was disappointed when CH decided to end that series.

As for books that I didn't like, but... mine is Love in the Time of Cholera for some reason I just couldn't get into the story - I couldn't finish it and that never happens. Maybe it was the timing so will try it again later.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer)]

Lisa I didn't realize Lily and Jack were the same people that appeared in the Southern Vampire series! I think I will push the first book higher up my TBR pile now knowing that. Maybe I will actually like the series. :P

[Lisa]

Mlpmom wrote: "Lisa I didn't realize Lily and Jack were the same people that appeared in the Southern Vampire series! I think I will push the first book higher up my TBR pile now knowing that. Maybe I will actual..."

I know, I didn't either until after I read the Lily Bard series. Then I had to go back and find them in the Sookie series LOL. I remember that I didn't like them in the Sookie series because they were working for Debbie Pelt's family. When they appeared in Dead Reckoning, at Merlotte's (they're Lily & Jack Leeds) I liked them better. They're a very cool couple :)