I used to participate in Top Ten Tuesday when I first started blogging and it was a wonderful way to meet fellow bloggers! I thought with coming back from a hiatus, and a bit of a lack of inspiration on my part, participating again would be a great idea. So, every Tuesday (if the topic interests me) I’ll be sharing a Top Ten Tuesday post. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl! Make sure to check out her page explaining everything you need to know, including future topics.
Alright, are you guys ready for this weeks topic? I feel like I might upset some of you (especially with one book in particular), but here we go. Today’s topic is about books you would gladly throw in the ocean. So, I contemplated. I didn’t want to include books I just didn’t enjoy…I wanted to include books that made me roll my eyes, want to throw it at a wall, and complain to my husband while I was reading them. Well, I came up with a few (not a full 10, but do I ever for TTT?) So, here we go, 6 books that I would gladly chuck into the dark abyss never to be seen again.
UNDER THE DOME by Stephen King
Goodreads
I picked up this book several years ago thinking it was going to be the perfect book for me. Yes, it’s chunky, but I was willing to do it. I got about 200 pages in and was so freaking bored. I didn’t understand the direction it was going. So, I gave up, Googled the plot, and boy am I glad I didn’t continue reading the other 800 pages of this. What. A. Stupid. Premise. Ugh. Chuck it, get rid of it, throw it into space, even.
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WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE by Shirley Jackson
Goodreads
What even was this waste of time. Look, my review says 3/5 stars but I think I was feeling nice when I wrote that review. Because whenever I think of this, which is never, I don’t have good opinions. The plot is slow, the motives are unclear, everything is very mundane and nonchalant. The only saving grace was Uncle Julian – but sorry, Julian, you’re not enough to not make me want to throw this in the ocean.
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THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson
Goodreads
If you go into this thinking it’s going to be great because you liked the Netflix show, you’re going to be disappointed. This is nothing like the show. They basically created an entirely new story for the show (which totally makes sense). I wrote a review for it, which once again, I think I was being nice with a 2/5 star rating because really…there was no redeeming factors for me. No Uncle Julian this time.
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STATION ELEVEN by Emily St. John Mandel
Goodreads
This was unbelievably boring. I wrote a ranty review of it so if you want my full thoughts, check that out. Otherwise, here’s a quick summary: it had potential but needed to be an entirely different book. Yeah, totally rewritten. It follows bland characters, with a plot that was underwhelming with so much unnecessary detail.
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ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes
Goodreads
Bruh. What. Why was this book even a thing? I wrote a review for it (but please forgive me for any mistakes because it is a very old review). Quick thoughts… Louisa is probably in my top 5 most annoying characters in existence. Her entitlement and arrogance got to me. The message about disability is terrible. The representation felt so wrong. It’s just a horrible book.
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THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by TJ Klune
Goodreads
Now this one some of you are probably mad at me for and I’m sorry (sort of) but I just did not like this book. I was really hoping to love this. Everyone seems to love it. But this book is a character driven story and I didn’t like the characters. I didn’t find them charming (the dialogue was rather repetitive to me). And Klune’s writing was just…trying too hard. I felt like every page had some sort of attempt at a profound statement or lesson about the world. So rather than show the message of the story through the story, Klune told you what you should be taking away from the story by regurgitating it in dialogue. I wrote a mini review that basically says the same thing.
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So, there you have it, 6 books that I wish were at the bottom of the ocean being eaten by the little sea floor creatures. Do you agree, disagree, or have any books you would gladly throw into the ocean?
38 Comments
I really enjoyed Me Before You. Well, enjoyed probably isn’t the right word since it crushed me, but I really did like it. I can’t wait to see the comments you get about the Klune book. LOL I’ve not read it but that’s one well-loved book. 🙂
HAHA oh gosh, yeah I haven’t seen anyone who doesn’t like Klune’s book. I was like visibly annoyed while reading that my husband kept asking me what was wrong hahahah oops.
I had the same reaction to the book version of The Haunting of Hill House. They changed so many things for the show that it’s like they weren’t even the same story.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-id-gladly-throw-into-the-ocean/
I feel like they had to do that because there was so little happening in the book lol It made me appreciate the show more (which I actually didn’t like the first time I watched it).
Haha! I’ve read 5 of these (all except Me Before You), really enjoyed 4 of them, and mostly liked the fifth (Under the Dome)! I thought Under the Dome was good until the last couple of chapters. If you didn’t like the book, don’t even attempt the TV show. It went off the rails. I don’t even know what I watched. Oh well. Life would be boring if we all loved the same books!
I did attempt the TV show once. I got about 2 episodes in and was already over it hahah. It’s a premise that I really think is cool, but the execution was lacking.
I find it completely fascinating when people hate books others love. And that’s why we have a lot of books to choose from.
Yes! I love that we’re all so different in our reading tastes!
Heh, goes to show we all love different things – I loved Station Eleven, although I didn’t love The Haunting of Hill House – it had me right up until the final act, but I found the ending incredibly frustrating!
There were some good parts of Station Eleven but overall I didn’t love it. I think it could have been really good. I think I had a similar reaction to Hill House as you (it’s been a minute since I read it). But I remember always having this “ok this is when something spooky is going to happen” feeling lol
Haha, I’m one of those House in the Cerulean Sea fans, but I do get where you’re coming from. I loved it a lot, but thankfully we’re not all the same 😀 And just because a lot of people like something doesn’t mean you can’t say if you didn’t like it!
haha I wish I liked it! It’s definitely a cute premise. I just don’t think I’m a fan of Klune’s writing. Though, I’ve never read anything else by him so I think I’ll give him one more try lol
Awww I really enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea! But you are entitled to your opinion! 😉 I haven’t read the others, and I’m probably not going to. Great list!
I really wish I liked it! It started off good but I just got annoyed the more I read lol
Having read Hill House ages ago, it was fun to watch people pick it up after the show!
The one instance where the show was better lol
True!
I’ve never read Under the Dome but it seems like I’ve heard similar things a few times. Plus it’s chunkster, so nope. Station Eleven I’ve almost tried a few times but something always holds me back. Maybe it just SOUNDS boring? I think I made the right decision. 🙂
It’s huge and a huge waste of time lol Just google the plot. People really love Station Eleven but it’s not what I expected and yes…its so boring lol There’s a few good parts, but overall, I didn’t like it.
I have only read Me Before You and I loved Lou. I was excited that she got more books,
I didn’t continue with the books so maybe she gets a little less annoying in the other ones >.< hahah
I liked Me Before You! But I can understand how some might not. And I haven’t read The House on the Cerulean Sea yet but it’s high on my wishlist and everything I’ve read about it is highly positive, so I’m interested now there’s a dissenting view!
haha yeah…I don’t think I’ve seen any negative reviews for The House on the Cerulean Sea…oops. I hope you like it more than I did!
I loved Me Before You! Haven’t read the Klune book, though, and don’t plan on it – doesn’t look like my kind of read!
Ah, if it’s not for you then I say skip (obviously lol). I only read it because it was a book club read >.<
Luckily I read Hill House before I watched the Netflix show because yep, it’s pretty boring for such a short book 😬. It definitely doesn’t deliver on the creepiness as much as it promises to!
YES no creepiness at all. I actually didn’t like the show that much at first but after reading the book, I understood more of the story because they really had very little to work with hahah
I’ve only read Me Before You, and I really loved it. And I must say I rarely have a book I would like to put on the bottom of the ocean. LOL!! Maybe Beauty’s Kingdom by Anne Rice. I got it for free to review.. but I hated it.
hahahhah it was actually hard to come up with books I disliked that much! (hence only having 6 on this list) I’ve never read Beauty’s Kingdom. I’ve never even heard of it so I just googled it and um….”Prince awakens Beauty, not with a kiss, but with sexual initiation” I think I’ll pass lol
I knew there’d be some book we could agree about. I didn’t mention “Me Before You” on my list because I already had ten and could have listed at least a dozen more. I totally agree with your description.
Thanks for visiting my TTT earlier.
Lots of people have disagreed with me on that one…funny thing is I watched the movie and did enjoy that but the book just made her such an unlikable character for me lol.
WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT Under the Dome is 1000 pages?!!!??!! Geezus, no wonder they made it a TV show (I’m pretty sure that lasted a couple of seasons?). I remember liking the show but uh… definitely not memorable at all.
I’m half wondering if the show changed everything because they felt the same about the book version of The Haunting of Hill House lol
YES IT IS. Isn’t that ridiculous?! hahaha I tried the show but I never got into it. I think it’s because I already knew the ending from googling and I just didn’t care lol And yeah…The Haunting of Hill House was way better as a tv show. They HAD to make changes to make it interesting lol
I totally understand we all read things differently and have different thoughts about books but my jaw dropped when I saw Cerulean! hahaha. I can see that though. I think that last year was sooo hard and the uplifting aspect really helped us out! 🙂 I did like Me Before You too.. but not any of the books after that one!
HAHAHA I really wanted to like that one! EVERYONE loves it. I just could not with Klune’s writing. It drove me nuts lol
LOL! I can imagine since it was such a hyped book! It’s fair though- we are all different and read differently 🙂
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