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Top Ten Books I'll Never Read

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie, so I picked an easy one for me.

1. Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy by E.L. James

I work in a bookstore and it almost makes me cry how many women buy this. I've read a page and just had to laugh at the awful writing. As for the subject matter, I'm not really sure what this means for society-are we more liberated because we can talk about this openly or more constrained because this aggressively enforces traditional gender roles? Anyway, just say no.

2. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I read Angels and Demons. Never again.

3. The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

Sorry, Pynchon fans out there. I'm not doing this to myself.

4. Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce

I may actually get to Ulysses. But I will not go this far.

5. The Twilight books

I read the first chapter of the first book. Thanks to friends, students, and reviews, I know basically everything that happens and I don't need to suffer through it to make fun of it.

6. The Pretty Little Liars series

7. Anything by James Patterson

8. Why Men Love Bitches, Why Men Marry Bitches, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, He's Just Not That Into You, Men Are from Mars, Women Are From Venus and any other self-improvement book that enforces gender stereotypes

9. One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

My mom read it recently and thought it was awful.

10. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

I'm just never going to finish it. I've accepted that.

*Disclaimer* I am a book snob. I admit it. I recognize that some of these books are fun and enjoyable reads for people who don't want to have to work at their reading. I do get that and I'm not judging you (too much). On the flip side, some of these are for people who like to work at their reading far more than I do. I may be a snob, but I am not up to the more esoteric offerings of twentieth century modernism. Don't judge me (too much)!

Really though, especially in terms of reading, I believe this:

To each, their own.

Comments

Fifty shades of gray: totally agree with you. I kind of laugh at people who read them and love them *ssssht, don't tell :p* because I can't see them as a real book..

Dan Brown is actually a writer I do like, but I guess that's just personal taste :) And Twilight is bad indeed.. still trying to get through Eclipse, but I'm having a hard time.

http://thedailyprophecy.blogspot.nl/2012/07/top-10-tuesday-14-freebie.html
Stephen said…
People are very candid about sexuality in general these days, and I find myself repeating your question -- is it a good or bad thing that we're so comfortable chattering about something so intimate?

I read Angels and Demons, and -- yeah, I'm not surprised you'd want to give Dan Brown a wide berth after that. I remember faintly enjoying DaVinci Code, but Angels and Demons...let's just say it's one of the few books I've ever given a negative review. Most of the time if I don't like a book, I'm just unenthusiastic about it. That one I ripped into for fun.
Belle said…
Love your list! I have avoided 50 Shades too but lately have been tempted to read it purely to see what all the fuss is about.
Claudia said…
Oh, that's a fun topic.

I admit that I am addicted to snarky reviews for books I wouldn't otherwise read. Fifty Shades and Twilight are prime material for that. I didn't have to read Twilight, because I read the hilarious reviews of Mark for it. (I did end up reading the first book after that, because I was always arguing how toxic it was and it felt dishonest not to read it. But yeah, I *can't* read the rest.)

And Finnegans Wake. I want to read it, but realistically it's probably never going to happen.
Bibliophile said…
Great list!

I agree with you on numbers 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10. Never heard of no. 9, but am willing to accept your mom's word for it being awful.

Too late for 3 - found it interesting but not all that great and was very annoyed at the I-have-written-myself-into-a-corner-and-don't-know-how-to-proceed ending.
No. 4 - already read Twilight, will not be reading the others.
Does reading the first and last chapters of Fifty Shades count as actually reading it?! I borrowed it from the local library and was so so SO glad I hadn't wasted money buying it.

Great topic and list! Though I have to admit I have read a couple on it.
Milka said…
Haha, funny list. I must admit I have read quite many of these books from the list, mainly out of curiosity - The Fifty Shades of Gray, the Twilight books and The Da Vinci Code on my teens. But then I had more time - now I am more cautious about what I read since I do not have that much time on my hands.

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