2. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - This is another book that I'm not sure I would have stuck with if not for the audio. I loved Wil Wheaton's narration! I loved the parts about the quest but when I got too real world (at least for the first half) I found myself wanting to put it down for awhile.
3. Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty - I actually think the audio on this one made me like this one less. I usually love Cassandra Campbell's narration but something about her voice didn't mesh well with the story for me. I didn't think I liked the book at all until about 2/3 of the way through but the more I've thought about it the more the book has stuck with me and I'm looking forward to reading the 2nd book.
4. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley - I really enjoyed this book which was a little strange because I typically don't enjoy disaster books. However, about halfway through there came a point where I was just done with all the speculation and my heart was breaking for the little boy and it was all I could do not to put this one down. I'm glad I didn't because I really enjoyed it!
6. Attachements by Rainbow Rowell - This book is told through emails for the bulk of the book and for the first third or so I was completely lost. I couldn't keep track of who was who and I just didn't get it. And then it clicked and I loved it!
7. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin - I think my problem with this book was my expectations going in. I think I was expecting a light memoir when instead this book is far more like a self help book. Once I got past that I ended up really enjoying this book and really got a lot out of it.
8. Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - I like Susan Elizabeth Phillips' romances for the most part but in the first part of this one everyone was just so mean to the heroine that I was seriously annoyed with it! It got better and I ended up really enjoying the romance but I still didn't like most of the side characters.
9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - This was really the first dystopian type book I ever read (It's still not really my genre) and while I really enjoyed the writing style I struggled with the aspects of the book but ended up really liking it.
10. The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah - This was the first Hercule Poirot book that Hannah wrote and I really struggled with the first half of it because it was close this was not Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and I got really caught up in the comparison. Once I was able to let that go I did enjoy it and I really liked the 2nd book. And I've just reminded myself I need to go check and see if there's a 3rd book!
What books did you struggle with but end up loving?
This is why I don't make the decision to DNF a book lightly. Sometimes they turn into real winners. I'm glad you are loving the second book in Thomas's series. It's why I try not to judge a series too harsh by the first book. Same here with Ready Player One. I loved the audio, but am not sure I would have enjoyed the print version.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful rest of the week, Katherine! Thank you for sharing!
I am glad you wound up loving Attachments! One of my favorites. I still have to get to Before the Fall. Great list!
ReplyDeleteAll these books are new to me. It is good that you stuck it out,as you would never have realised how good they were. It is for reasons like this I rarely DNF.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the Happiness Project and expected to loathe it, lol. I've tried and given up on trying again The Hunger Games. Not my thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad A Study in Scarlet Women turned out to be a good book! I really like the premise, I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT
I agree with you about "Ready Player One". I loved it, but don't know if I would have struggled thru if not for audio.
ReplyDeleteI had trouble with Ready Player One at times too. Attachments I'd kinda like to read... and I still have never read The Hunger Games.
ReplyDeleteI still want to read both Attachments and Fangirl.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to my TTT post this week:
https://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2017/09/top-ten-tuesday-ten-books-that-were.html
I'm glad you liked The Hunger Games in the end!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/top-ten-tuesday-123/
Love your list, and yes I find audio helps me through some books. I heard Sherry Thomas talking about her second book on the podcast and enjoyed that. Not sure its for me though. I loved Call Me Irresistible, just took a peek on GR and saw all the stars or lack of them from people I follow! Interesting.
ReplyDeleteI had a hard time with the format in Attachments...not a fan of books in letters or e-mail when it is the primary style. It is easy to get confused...and I struggled, too.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read most of the books on your list. I did really enjoy The Hunger Games and Before the Fall. Attachments was just okay for me so maybe it didn't really click with me either.
ReplyDeleteI've only read Attachments, but I definitely liked it. It's been ages though. I have been curious about Call Me Irresistible, but I think I might struggle with it, too, if everyone is nasty to the heroine.
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating that so many on this list I felt the complete opposite about. I love Agatha Raisin, for instance, and I loved Hunger Games from page one. I wasn't a real fan of Attachments or Ready Player One.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for the sequel to A Study in Scarlet Women! :)
ReplyDeleteLauren @ Always Me
I think you're awesome. I never struggle through and end up liking. I do struggle through bad books because I hate not finishing things.
ReplyDeleteI loved Ready Player One. I also listened to the audio and Wil Wheaton is the perfect narrator for it. I've only read a few Agatha Raisin books, Hamish Macbeth is my MC Beaton go-to, but I did just get the audio book for The Blood of an Englishman from the library. And Attachments has been on my TBR forever. I love Rainbow Rowell! I've read three of her books and they are all so different. Great list!
ReplyDeleteI really liked The Hunger Games at the time. It's one of those books that I wonder if it ages well or not. I don't enjoy dystopian novels as much anymore, so I wonder if this would affect the way I read it. Great list!
ReplyDeleteDitto on 6 & 7. I never did warm up to Ready Player One but I was reading, not listening. I hear the audio is great and I always wonder of I would have ended up liking it if I'd listened.
ReplyDelete