The topic for this Wednesday revolves around books that you read and felt differently about a little while after reading them, whether you liked them at first and then realized you actually hated them, or disliked at first and realized you actually loved them! This topic is great for me because I find myself in this exact situation a lot, although it's usually me realizing later that I didn't like a book as much as I initially did.
By the way, these are in no particular order.
5) Twilight
I think this is a book that will be featured a lot in lists this Wednesday. Twilight is one of those lightning-in-a-bottle books, that took the world by storm and then gradually faded away. I started reading it in middle school after having it recommended to me by people who usually didn't read at all. I do have to admit that it's one of the books that really got me into reading - it captivated me and I tore through it in a few days.
At first, I was totally in love with the series. I talked about it with all my friends who also read it and argued about whether we were Team Edward or Team Jacob. (I was Team Jacob.) But of course, after a while, I started to see all the flaws of the series: the gaping plot holes, the fucked up relationship between Edward and Bella, and the tediousness of the next few books. Then, Breaking Dawn came out and I fell out of love in a snap. It was so bad, and thus I realized that I thought the whole series was bad, like a bucket of cold water thrown on me.
4) House of Night series
I honestly can't explain why I ever thought these books were good. my only excuse was that I was young and I couldn't recognize the difference between good and bad writing. And the writing in these is bad. It's also one of those books where the main character has an absurd amount of love interests - I think that she had four at one time, which is hilarious to me, because honestly what real-life teenage girl can even handle two guys being interested in her at one time? The magic system made no sense, and the main character was bland and boring. I shudder to think back on the time when I spent actual money on these.
I think I might have one or two of the books still in my closet. I gotta get rid of those suckers.
3) Gone series
Admittedly, I was never a huge fan of this series. The writing wasn't great and the characters weren't likable at all. But, it was one of the big YA series at the time and I was pretty neutral about the books. But now with clearer eyes, I can declare how utterly boring they are. I'm glad I only read three.
2) Maximum Ride series
Oh, Maximum Ride. What a let down you are. You started off so well, why did you have to take a turn for the ridiculous?!
James Patterson is one of my mom's favorite authors but I can't see why. Maybe when I was younger and more naive I could agree but as I've grown older and wiser, his writing seems more and more formulaic and stale.
The first book in the series really sold me on the series and so I blindly read book after book, even after they became campy and, frankly, stupid. Reading them were sort of like watching a slow plane crash. By the fifth, I had to give up, for my own sanity. I still don't know how the books went so wrong. What happened, Mr. Patterson?
1) Cirque du Freak series
Probably one of my biggest regrets as a reader. These books are classic middle-school-boy bait. I guess people think that that demographic isn't catered to enough (which I would have to disagree with) and is the reason why so many of them don't read. (If a kid doesn't want to read, don't force them. They'll only end up hating books!)
I can't honestly tell you what the plot was of the first three books I read; maybe I'm blocking out the memory because they were so bad. All I know is that thinking about them makes me want to roll my eyes, hard.
Maybe I shouldn't regret so many of younger me's reading choices. I really do wish I had developed a better taste in books sooner. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20!
No comments:
Post a Comment