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TTT: Ten books I feel like everyone has read but me

Lori

This week was a freebie, so I reached all the way back to 2010 for this topic.

I tell folks all the time that I like researching books and reading about books almost as much as I like reading books. For that reason, I am usually pretty up on the trendy books, the ones that are seen peeking out of backpacks on the subway, the ones that are being talked about at parties. And a lot of the time, I read those books, because I don’t want to miss out on what the zeitgeist tells me is important.

But there are some bandwagons that I was never on, sometimes for a good reason, and sometimes…well, sometimes I’m not sure why.

Pride and Prejudice

I know. I know. I can’t either with me.

Twilight

So, I was a Buffy girl. And when confronted with these kinder, gentler, totally misunderstood vampires, vampires that sparkle no less, well…I was left hoping that Angel would just snap Edward’s neck.

Sorry, Sparkly-Vampire Fans.

50 Shades of Grey

If I’m not reading twilight, I’m certainly not reading Twilight-porn fanfic.

Me Before You

I don’t do sad books. My life is sad enough. I read books to escape, and escaping into something this tragic…hard pass.

The Night Circus

I still haven’t given up on this one…but I started it, and it didn’t grab me and at that time, on that day, I wasn’t feeling like pushing through to get to what I am sure is a very charming story. Maybe someday.

Outlander

I get that I am taking my life in my own hands with this one. I saw someone on the Internet recently make what I thought was a very valid criticism of this book, and they were eviscerated. And I don’t want to be eviscerated, so I’ll just say that the first book was a little too rapey for me. I got about 50 pages in and I was done.

The Hobbit

At 146 million copies sold, this is, by a fairly-wide margin, the most popular book in the history of all the books. And not only have I never read it, I’ve never even considered reading it. My late husband told me that Tolkien was a great storyteller but a terrible writer, and that was enough for me.

The DaVinci Code

Bought it. Started it. Found it incomprehensible. Still have no idea what happens, or how it ends. I doubt I made it more than 50 pages (seems to be a theme) before I gave up.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

This one is weird, because mystery/thriller is my favorite genre, or was for years and years. But this one just never interested me.

Eragon

There was a minute when everyone was reading this, and it was in every bookstore window, you know, everywhere. And I read the blurb, and it kind of left me cold. If I should go back and reconsider, let me know.

So that’s my list. Where have I erred, dear reader? What should I go back and reconsider (or even consider?). I’ll hear your arguments in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

48 thoughts on “TTT: Ten books I feel like everyone has read but me”

  1. For what it’s worth I’ve only read 4 of those:
    The Hobbit
    Pride and Prejudice
    Outlander
    Eragon

    Of those the only one I really really liked was The Hobbit. Tolkien is wordy, and some of his background stuff (Silmarillion or various Lost Tales) isn’t great — but background stuff largely published after his death without his polish; what did you expect.
    Still given your preference for urban fantasy over high fantasy it probably isn’t up your alley.

    Also I’ve had folks complain about how long the descriptions or asides about the history of Middle Earth are; and how long it took them to slog through them. But I liked those details, and it didn’t seem to take me that much time to absorb them. Still I’m a someone biased reporter as in high school, in annoyance that I couldn’t use The Hobbit for an English class assignment instead used the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy…

    And Pride and Prejudice – while I enjoyed it, and it’s nice to now have the background to understand allusions to it or stores borrowing from it, wouldn’t be on my top list of recommendations.

    I finished Outlander (in part because I have trouble abandoning a book) – and I’d agree on it being rapey; and a bit disturbing how okay the heroine is with that. I didn’t totally hate it but I certainly never had any interest in trying book 2.

    Eragon – given how the series quickly went downhill, in my opinion (having read them all), is perfectly skippable.

    As for the others on your list; they don’t call to me or I have an active disinterest in reading (50 Shades, Twilight, and Dan Brown I’m looking at you)

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  5. I haven’t read Outlander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and 50 Shades of Grey either. The only thing that sounds even remotely interesting about Outlander to me is the time travel aspect. And that is really not enough to pick up those big chunky books.

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  10. LOL, I have read every single one of these!! As a Buffy girl myself, I think the Twilight vampires are mainly ridiculous, but there’s still something compelling about the books (even though they’re pretty awful and make no sense.) Despite their popularity, I wasn’t a fan of DaVinci Code or The Night Circus. I am, though, a very devoted Outlander fan, and feel there’s so much depth to the characters and story… but I don’t believe in being a rabid, unhinged fan either. I read Eragon with my son and we liked it in that context, but it’s actually not great and I had no interest in continuing the series. On the other hand, I’d say that Pride and Prejudice and The Hobbit are both beautiful in their own, different ways, and should not be missed!

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  11. I have read all of these but Outlander, The Hobbit, and Eragon. I feel like Twilight and 50 Shades get a bad rap. They may not be the most well written books, but they are addictive and got many people reading. Even my non-reading friends and some of their husbands read both. They’re gateway books, I guess. The first 2/3 of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was slow, but once it got going it was explosive. The next 2 books in the series were amazing.

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    1. Don’t misunderstand—I don’t judge anyone for reading either! I read my fair share of erotic romance, so this is a judgement-free zone. For me, it really was that I was a little vampired-out…and I felt like I’d be cheating on Angel and Spike!

      I have heard similar things about the rest of the Dragon Tattoo series…but I don’t know if I can get past the first 70% of the first book…maybe someday. 🙂

      Thanks for stopping in. 🙂

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  16. Thanks for sharing! I have books like that also! Four Winds is a recent example! It’s too sad and depressing and the author manipulates readers to ugly cry in my unpopular opinion. So I’m careful when choosing to read her. I DNF Outlander book one because of condoned violence toward women. I understand it was part of the culture back then, but she’s a modern woman and should not have been ok with the beatings, etc. Me Before You is ok until the very end which might suggest that suicide is preferable to living with a disability.

    I think it’s a cause for celebration that you know your reading tastes so well! It makes for a satisfying reading life when you know what works and doesn’t work for you! I know I avoid thrillers and true crime and crime fiction and paranormal because they trigger nightmares. I also avoid erotica.

    Great post!

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    1. Yeah, I’ve been doing this for, um, 51 years! Mostly my big thing is no books that are designed to make me cry. And no books where violence toward women is glorified. I mean, I know it happens…Pillars of the Earth is one of my favorite books, and there is a rape scene in it. But it was the casual acceptance that got to me.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  18. I am not sure if I read Pride and Prejudice, probably in high school, but do plan to read it. I LOVED Twilight but never read Buffy, I was never into the vampire thing anyway, but a friend bought me Twilight and I felt like I HAD to read it, then I devoured the series. None of the other books ever interested me. My husband loves The Hobbit but it’s not a genre I am interested in. https://cindysbookcorner.blogspot.com/2021/12/top-ten-tuesday-free-little-library.html

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  20. I’ve also never read The Night Circus and it’s never really called to me. Pride and Prejudice is one of the most readable classics I’ve ever read and I grew up reading and loving Eragon and the rest of the books in the series, whether they’d hold up now I’m an adult I’m not so sure.

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  23. I was a Buffy & Angel girl myself and could never get into the Twilight books either. Sparkly vamps just don’t work for me. (I also avoided 50 shades of whatever for obvious reasons.) Fun list. 😀

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  26. You’re not alone in not having read some of these! I’ve only read half of them (and most long enough ago that I can’t remember what happened so I can’t discuss them, so might as well have not read them when they come up in conversation!)

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  28. I only read Twilight out of morbid curiosity. It didn’t really do much for me since I had already read so many amazing vampire books in the YA genre. I think I started the series right before the final book came out, so it was an almost binge read. Lol. But yeah, definitely didn’t join the bandwagon as you said! Also didn’t read any of the rest of these!

    Thanks for visiting my TTT!

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  30. The Night Circus… I just read The Starless Sea by her and while in some wys it was a fabulous read, it wasn’t really for me. Which got me thinking because I’d been mulling Circus for a while…

    Same w/ vamps.

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  32. This was such a clever idea for TTT! I love it. I have read four books on your list. I couldn’t come up with anything to list this week. I am not super creative when it comes to stuff like that.

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  34. Okay, a lot of these are “meh” and you’re not missing much! Pride & Prejudice is great but you need to be in a mood. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is excellent but you have to really get past the first 150 pages in the first book. Outlander is amazing! I’ve been in the middle of book 4, for about 3 years. hahaha

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  36. I think I’ve read maybe three here? It’s funny but when a book is so popular it sort of looses interest to me, half the time you get a pretty good idea of the plot just through media osmosis.

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  39. Hey! A fellow reader who hasn’t read “Pride & Prejudice.” Love the adaptation though! Don’t ever plan to read Twilight and CERTAINLY NOT 50 Shades. Um, nope. Not my kind of read. Thanks so much for visiting Finding Wonderland. 🙂

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