(Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish.)
I went through my “I’d jump off a bridge if everyone else did” reading phase as a kid, and have experienced as many disappointments as successes with popular authors’ works. Here’s just a few that I’ve never read, or really intend to.
- George R.R. Martin – Crazy fantasy settings, strong female characters, and general badassery. You’d think it’d be right up my alley. Too bad the violence and political machinations are a total turnoff.
- James Patterson – Not totally sure what genre Patterson counts as. Is his stuff anything like Clive Cussler’s? If so I’d read the shit out of it.
- John Green – I just realized today that the author of the insanely popular The Fault in Our Stars is the same guy who vlogs for MentalFloss, one of my favorite online sources of random info. I think I’ll stick with the videos.
- Nicholas Sparks – I have several friends who are obsessed with this guy; I just can’t get into an author who insists on killing off one half of “the perfect couple” in horrifyingly heart-wrenching ways in every one of his novels.
- Beatrix Potter – I had a collection of these stories when I was little, and remember looking at and loving the illustrations. But I don’t think I’ve actually read any of them.
- Suzanne Collins – I’ve avoided Collins because her most popular series is dystopian times a thousand, but I recently discovered that she has a highly-acclaimed fantasy series into which I feel obliged to look.
Do you think I’m crazy, not reading these folks? Which authors are on your “never read” list?
I definitely don’t think you’re crazy! I enjoy George R.R. Martin in small doses, but I get what you’re saying- his books are like the epitome of violence.
I can’t believe you haven’t read Suzanne Collins! I actually avoided The Hunger Games when it first came out, but then after Mockingjay was released I binge read the whole series in only a couple days and loved it.
I’ve never been much for violence, particularly against women, and I gather there’s a good amount of that in Martin’s series.
I might be the only person who hasn’t read The Hunger Games, but I’m going to keep holding out. I despise dystopian literature, no matter who wrote it, and there are too many other good books to read anyway. 🙂
I haven’t gotten into George R.R. Martin either. I got burned out on epic fantasy ago and find I just can’t get myself interested.
I only recently put together the connection to Gregor the Overlander myself. I started reading a bit of it in the bookstore when my son was picking out a new book and this was one of the contenders. He didn’t end up getting it but I that will probably show up in our house at some point.
I think the last truly epic fantasy I read was Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind. I need to get back to that, now that there’s another one out.
I think my local library has at least the first in Collins’ fantasy series. I’ll have to double-check next time I’m there. Thanks for stopping by!
I read Martin just to see what all the hype was about. It wasn’t my sort of fantasy, and I didn’t like a few things he did with his world, BUT I can definitely say he knows how to create characters, build worlds, and make the reader feel a part of it. He’s an excellent writer. Just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Collins has a great fantasy series! They’re marketed for MG readers, but it’s still wonderful.
I enjoy the Sparks movies…but like you, I can’t really get into his books. They don’t sound too interesting — and definitely formulaic. But the movies? Oddly enough, yes please.
I watched John Green’s videos (his vlogbrothers videos, long before he went into Mental Floss and other channels) before reading his books, and I have to say — if you like his humor and his intelligence, you really will enjoy his books. The synopsis on the book jackets don’t give him justice.
Writers that can do what you describe Martin as doing are my favorites; I love character-based novels. But like you, I just don’t think his series would be fun for me.
Glad to know someone who’s read something other than Collins’ best-known works. 🙂 I’ll have to find that MG series somewhere.
Ugh, even the Sparks films are too much. They’re so sappy and saccharine and ultimately end in someone dying tragically at the height of their happiness. It’s like a modern Romeo and Juliet — another piece of writing I didn’t enjoy.
I do love Green’s humor, but The Fault in Our Stars doesn’t seem to me like it could have a happy ending. For better or worse, I like my reading a little on the lighter side (for the most part).
Thanks for stopping by!
If you don’t like tons of violence, I would continue to stay clear of George R.R. Martin. Of the other authors you mention, I’ve only read Beatrix Potter and Suzanne Collins, both of which I enjoyed, but wouldn’t claim are essential reading.
That’s the general consensus about Martin’s series, I think. I’ll definitely be avoiding it.
I’ve been looking at Potter’s illustrations again, and I really like them. Never thought I’d say this, but who needs the stories? 🙂