Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Smart People Love These Books...They Bore Me (the books) a Book List Meme


Hosted by Rebecca at Lost In Books is THE BOOK LIST.



This week the topic is 3 Books I Should Love, But Actually Hate


There are more details on Rebecca's blog, but basically, this week it's to list three books that you feel like you SHOULD love, or appreciate but you don't. Then link back to Lost In Books via Linky Tools, and of course provide links on your blog to Lost In Books. Or leave a comment on Rebecca's post.


I hardly had to think about these books. My three are classics that a lot of Literary Readers, people who are smart and educated, all SAY they like, or just adore. To be fair, there are a lot of very nice people who say they love these books, I got a little snarky here. :)



  1. The Hobbitt by Tolkein. - I know, I know - high fantasy, wonderful world building, ambitious project, a genious work! Yes, I'm sure the author was very smart, (he made up a whole language for the book!) and he did come up with wonderful plots, great characters, a brilliant piece of work. But I was bored. I couldn't get past the first few chapters. Way too much descriptions and it took way to long to get to any action. I think I gave up before there was any action...No, there was a scene with goblins or dwarves (can't remember now). There was fighting, I'm sure....but it was boring. I'm way too impatient a reader for this book

  2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. sigh, YAWN! Another snoozer for me. I just am bored with this style of writing. This is another book that I could not bring myself to finish reading. To me, the characters were boring, the story as far as I read was boring. I stopped reading. I'm probably not smart enough...Okay! I'm smart! Very smart. I already knew how to read before kindergarden. I've always been good at math! I just have a LAZY BRAIN! Can't help it, I overused it when I was 11 and reading War and Peace! I'm NOT going to STRAIN my brain ever again. It's all for fun now, reading for fun, not to impress. No Way and You Can't Make Me! (been around toddlers alot)

  3. Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice - I also tried this one, and a few others by Anne Rice. Can you say "depressing"? Every single book that I've read, tried to read, by Anne Rice has been gloomy and depressing. I found that while I was attempting to read her books all the enjoyment of life had been SUCKED out of me. Life seemed just unbearable, not worth living....so I stopped reading. God, everyone was so sad, there was so much angst. I can't stand that. I want to read something that makes me laugh and enjoy life, not something that makes me feel like life isn't worth living. The world was gray, getting darker with each page. I was disappearing........

I might have had a rather strong reaction {to the third book especially}, I might have even exaggerated a bit, but that really is the impression that I was getting while reading these books - trying to read these books. I had a friend that has been battling severe depression for a while. She read these books over and over. I don't think these books were helping her mental attitude at all. No Thanks! Once again I never did finish one of the books listed. I don't believe in self torture.


Note: Who made up the word "Meme"? and why is it "M-E-M-E"? is it short for something? and if so, just exactly what words that start with an M could possibly have anything to do with Blogs (B), Writing (W), Books (B) or even Lists? (L)? How about Answers (A) or Questions (Q)?. These are words that have to do with the gist of a weekly Meme, but I can't think of any M words, or E words. Anybody know? is it ME blog today, ME make something up to do everyweek? MEME? :)

6 comments:

  1. For me:

    1) Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man-kill me if I EVER have to read that book again.

    2) Anything by Steinbeck (which might get me shot) but I just can't get into his books

    3) While I love Shakespeare's plays, I do not love his Sonnets.

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  2. I recently read Pride & Prejudice and it was a STRUGGLE! I had a hard time with the language and as you said the characters were so dull and nothing really happens in the whole book. I'm enjoying Longbourn's Unexpected Matchmaker by Emma Hox much more. She takes the same characters and really brings them to life, with so much more personality.

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  3. for me
    Joseph Campbell, HERO'S JOURNEY. I got through it but ugh. I love the books for writers based on it. Vogler and Bonnett

    The Hobbit.

    I just started the Wednesday Letters that someone recommended and I couldn't get into it.

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  4. I seond that on the The hobbitt! Well, I've never even tried to read it, but it doesn't look interesting to me.

    *gasp* Not liking Pride & Prejudice?! I really like that book (not sure if I love it though). haha it's really not that big a deal if you don't like it, I really don't like Emma by Janue Austen.

    I think meme is a sort of reminder or something you do every week. But wiat, I take that back. I'm thinking of memo! lol, I have no idea. Also apparentely it's pronounced meem, but I pronounce it mem :p

    My list would be
    1. Our Town by Thorton Wilder-so boring. and a duh revelation.
    2. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer-Bella was just an useless sap, she needed to quit moping and being obsessed!
    3. The Clique Series by Lisi Harrison (my friends were addicted to this series in middle school, I thought the girls were shallow idiots)

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  5. I am going to add one only because it is the only book that sticks in my mind as a "Classic" and since was made to read it in school did finish it of course and hated every second had to read it!!! (I cannot believe there actually was a book could say that about, I love to read any and everything)
    "To Kill a Mockingbird" I am sorry, like the movie somewhat but the book was not and will never be my cup of tea.
    I hate to admit this but bought, read and even somewhat enjoyed every book in the Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles and it did not make me depressed in the least. I liked the Witches of Mayfair series better and have since gotten rid of almost all my Rice books last few years and replaced them with new authors who are pretty much just as "dark" as she was back in the day but who somehow do not come across as "gloomy".

    jackie b central texas

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  6. I've never actually read To Kill A Mockingbird. Saw the movie though, which was good.

    Twilight - That's a modern book that I just couldn't get into either. OMG - FIFTH graders are obsessing over this series. I couldn't get past the first chapter, kind of blah...

    I've never heard of some of some of the others mentioned by everyone - like Longbourn's Unexpected Matchmaker.

    I have to admit - I haven't read anything by Steinbeck.

    See? I feel a little un-literary worthy...Not really. I like what I like, and don't like what I don't like! :)

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