Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. This week’s prompt is The Last Ten Books I Abandoned (this could be books you DNFed, books you decided you were no longer interested in, etc.) (submitted by Claire @ Book Lovers Pizza)
Hello Readers! I hope you’re all well and safe. And if you celebrate, I hope you had a relaxing Mother’s Day weekend. Today we’re talking about abandoned books. I’m a guilty reader, meaning if someone allows me to read an advance copy of their book, I feel like I should finish it. I’ve only ever DNF’d 4 books. BUT I did recently do a thorough “spring cleaning” of my bookshelves and removed about 50 books, so I’ll be listing ten of those here. (In no particular order.)
(Link to Goodreads synopsis through book title.)
1
Atlantia by Ally Condie
When I go through my books, I decide what to remove by checking the current Goodreads reviews and reading the first few pages or sometimes even the first chapter. If I have no desire to keep reading, I get rid of it. I really wanted Atlantia to be good because just look at that cover!! But the reviews didn’t wow me and neither did the first chapter. I did, however, enjoy the Matched series by the same author.
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.41
2
A World Without You by Beth Revis
A World Without You actually has a pretty good rating on Goodreads, but after I read the entire first chapter, I had no desire to keep reading. I do love the author, Beth Revis, despite never reading any of her work. I discovered her on Instagram and I receive her newsletter. And I also own her other novel, Across the Universe, which I hope to read someday.
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.72
3
You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan
You Know Me Well was a hard one to get rid of. Ratings by my friends on Goodreads were equally mixed–some people liked it, some people said is was just okay. I read the first chapter (I think I may have even read more than the first chapter) and I wasn’t hooked, so I decided to toss it. I do, however, want to read Nina LaCour’s We Are Okay, and I was a fan of Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary.
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.75
4
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
I really wanted to keep Fates and Furies for the cover alone. If the cover is gorgeous, the book should be good, right?? And I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you tell me I made a mistake getting rid of this one, but so many reviewers said it was a disappointment, I decided to pass it on. I do still have Groff’s Florida on my TBR, however.
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.57
5
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Red Rising is the book on this list I had the hardest time getting rid of. Especially because I owned the second book in the series, Golden Son, as well. This series has great reviews–for the most part. However, a few of my friends didn’t love it. I think this may also be a situation where the time has passed for a book series; it was popular when it came out in 2014, but it no longer holds up?? Did I make a mistake getting rid of this one?
Current Goodreads Rating: 4.27
6
The Deep by Nick Cutter
Nick Cutter’s The Deep (why are there sooooo many books with this title??) sounds intriguing. The cover even has a misleading blurb of support by Stephen King for Cutter’s OTHER book, The Troop. But the ratings on this thriller are on the lower side and reviews are mixed. I read the first few pages and decided I wasn’t interested anymore.
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.37
7
Passenger by Alexander Bracken
Passenger was a very much hyped book that sat on my shelf for a long time. The rating for this one isn’t bad, but most of my friends said it was just okay. When I read the first chapter and wasn’t wowed, I decided to get rid of it. I do still own Bracken’s The Darkest Mind, which I also debated on removing from my shelves, but decided to keep.
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.78
8
And the Sea Will Tell by Vincent Bugliosi
None of my fellow Goodreads friends have read And the Sea Will Tell, so I had to take a deep dive into the Goodreads’ Community reviews. Almost all the reviewers said Bugliosi was indulgent and egotistical in this true account of the harrowing murder and trial. I read the first few pages and decided to pass it on… for now. I may pick it up again someday.
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.97
9
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
This is one of my most recent acquisitions, but after taking a closer look at the reviews and the book, I decided to abandon it. I’m not big on self-help books, and this one felt more like she was preaching at me. Thanks, but no thanks.
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.74
10
The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg
I picked up The Middlesteins at a used book sale just from reading the blurb on the back. It sounded like something I would enjoy, but I decided to get rid of it after taking a closer look at the reviews and reading the first chapter. It may be one I pick back up again someday, though.
Current Goodreads Rating: 3.44
Have you read any of these books? Are they sitting on your bookshelf? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
I’ve also been holding out on Red Rising for that reason. I might read it one year.
Right?? I’m not saying I’ll never pick it up again. 😉
I’m pretty sure I put Ally’s in my to-unhaul box last time I went through my books. It sounds interesting, but just doesn’t seem like something I’ll read in the near future.
Yeah, it’s one of those books that sounds great when it first goes on sale, but not so great years later. 😉
I haven’t read any of these, although I did read a Beth Revis book that was just okay for me. She seems really nice though.
Yeah, it’s hard when the authors are so nice and lovely on social media, but I don’t love their books.
😀 I just added Fates and Furies to my TBR due to the challenge I’ll be attempting in the next 12 months. Lol
I really hope to love it!
I also want to read the Red Rising series one day… and I own the Passenger duolody, but after reading the Darkest Minds by the same author, I’m not so keen on it anymore.
Ha! Well, I’ll be anxious to hear what you thought of it. It does have such a great cover!
Hmm. Yeah, I went back and forth about The Darkest Minds. I read the first chapter and I was kind of intrigued, so I decided to keep it. Who knows if I’ll ever actually pick it up, though. Lol
I rarely DNF books either. I think I’ve become good at working out what books I’m likely to enjoy and those I won’t. However, I definitely need to follow your example and have a clear out of my To Read shelf on Goodreads at some point soon!
Yes, I think I’ve become pretty good at knowing what will work for me, too. That definitely helps me to avoid DNFing. It was the best feeling to clear out my shelves. I thought I would be sad, but it was refreshing. However, it did mean I had no hesitation about picking up more books. 😉
Spring cleaning your TBR is a good idea. I should clean out mine, too!
My TTT .
I highly recommend it. I thought I would be sad, but it felt great. I still need to “spring clean” my kindle, as well. 🙂
I like how carefully you considered each of these books, and I like how you researched what others thought of each.
Ha! Thanks. I love to research things. And overthink them. 😉
I read Passenger a while ago and I have to agree with your friends. It was okay, but nothing special.
My TTT: https://www.traversingchapters.com/top-ten-tuesday-the-last-ten-books-i-abandoned/
Good to hear someone else thinks I made the right choice!
Ooh, I’ve got Fates & Furies and Red Rising on my TBR but haven’t touched either since buying them ? Fates was admittedly very much a cover buy but I’ve since heard some pretty mixed reviews about it. I think I might still give it a try though! I feel like Red Rising still has a lot of hype around it, especially last year when I kept seeing it everywhere on bookstagram ? I’m hoping I’ll enjoy it but… Kind of on the fence about it for some reason lol Great list!
Well, I would be anxious to hear what you think of them if you decide to read them! Who knows, I may want to add them back someday. Ha!
I recently Spring cleaned my TBR and got rid of so many books cause I thought that the time has passed on them.
It’s a great feeling, isn’t it?? Room for new books. 😉
I still have Red Rising on my TBR, but I’m keeping it on there because my GR friends have mostly given it good reviews. I did try reading it last year but it felt like I wasn’t in the mood for it then, so I’ll give it another try this year.
I hope you have better luck with it than I did. Maybe someday I’ll try again, too. 🙂
Girl Wash Your Face is the WORST and you truly are not missing out on anything by abandoning it. I still have to get around to finally finishing Lies of Locke Lamora, and you’re right: the intro is pretty boring!
Happy to hear you agree with me! 😉
I haven’t read the Rachel Hollis books, but from what I’ve heard about them from people who have read them, they’re high on the privileged & preachy side. You made the decision I would have on that one.
But also, I really like your idea of reading the first little bit before removing a book! I should do sample-reads more often so that I can get a better sense of whether a book will (or won’t) actually work for me.
It’s somewhat time consuming, but at least I feel a little less bad about passing them on. 😉
Red Rising is on y bookshelf and now I wonder if I will ever get to it. Maybe you are right. It WAS popular but no more? Can’t say. Haven’t read it. Books I’ve Abandoned
Someone did remind me that it had quite the resurgence on Bookstagram last year. I guess when the latest book in the series came out?? But I think that was book 5 and I don’t think I can commit to all those books when I’m not that eager to start it. 😉
I thin my last link was bad: Try this: Books I’ve Abandoned
I get what you’re saying about Girl Wash You Face. It is a little preachy. I read it, but after I had already seen her in person. In person, she wows. She has a way of putting things that really relates well.
I’ve heard that–and several of my friends liked it–but I read the first chapter and just couldn’t go on. I think it’s mostly the self-help style that I can never get into. Give me fiction! Ha!
Red Rising was a DNF for me too! And I was so sad about it because I had such high expectations!
Yes! It was so hyped. But it looks like most comments are agreeing it’s not worth the read. It’s too bad.
Passenger had so much potential but it just didn’t quite live up to the hype for me.
Lauren @ Always Me
That’s what I kept hearing. It’s too bad.
I have The Passengers on my TBR and keep thinking I will get to it, but it gets pushed aside. I will give it a try eventually, but if I DNF it, I won’t feel bad.
That’s the best way to go into all books, right? Especially ones as hyped as Passengers. I hope it works for you!
I loved the Red Rising series. I just finished it last year. It is super intense! But maybe not for everyone. I read Girl Wash Your Face for book club & I hated it! I hate self help anyway.
I started Red Rising while in a massive reading slump. Big mistake. I DNF’d it. I started to finally get into it but I just couldn’t get myself to keep reading it. If you ever do get back to it, I hope you enjoy it! I hope I can finish it some day D:
-Amber
It’s always hard to go back to books after we set them aside. Especially when they didn’t catch our attention in the first place. Hopefully we both enjoy it, if we decide to pick it up again. 🙂
I’ve read Passenger duology and it wasn’t good so good thing you abandoned it haha.
Ha! Good to hear! 😉