This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is “Top Ten Books I’m Not Sure I Want To Read”, which is an interesting one. Here goes…
- The Firebrand, Marion Zimmer Bradley. I’m fairly sure I don’t want to read this anymore, with all the stuff that’s come out about Bradley’s child abuse, enabling of paedophilia, etc. And I know I loathed The Mists of Avalon. But it’s Cassandra of Troy, and that gives me this tiny spark of hope, because I haven’t read enough about her… but yeah, probably a bad idea.
- So You Want to Be a Wizard, Diane Duane. For no big reason, it’s just — they’ve been on my to read list for so long, and have never yet caught my attention and said “read me, now”.
- The Angel’s Game, Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I know I’ve read books of his before, but the ones in this series haven’t really stuck in my mind, and I’m not sure I have the interest anymore.
- The Body at the Tower, Y.S. Lee. I read the first book ages ago and thought it was okay, but… the fact that I never went on to the second or third books, and I mean not even within two or three years, doesn’t really encourage me to go back and try them.
- Snobbery with Violence, M.C. Beaton. Did noooot get on with her Agatha Raisin books.
- Avempartha, Michael J. Sullivan. I liked the first book well enough, but it’s another where I just didn’t pick up the next.
- Empress, Karen Miller. I loved what she did with characters in the Innocent Mage duology, but some of the plot was just… argh, cartoon villains and such slow development of events. And other people have said they didn’t think she did a good job with the characters here.
- The Many-Coloured Land, Julian May. I tried these when I was younger and never got into them… Sorry Mum.
- The Better Angels of Our Nature, Steven Pinker. Mostly just because it’s so dauntingly long.
- Lord Foul’s Bane, Stephen Donaldson. Sorry again, Mum! This is just one that’s never appealed to me that much, especially because of the way the character behaves very early on. (The description of his leprosy, etc, didn’t bother me at all; while others think that’s a slow beginning, I liked the way it set him up. But his behaviour? Ughh.)
So, what about everyone else? And if you tell me The Lord of the Rings, we need to have words. (You are allowed not to like it, I swear.)
I read Duane’s series back in school (way back, pre revamp) and I remember liking them enough that I picked up the first book of the series from the bargain bin. It was okay? But not enough that I’m wanting to go through a reread.
Zafón’s Marina is one of my current reads and is also okay? Not sure if I want to pick more of his books up though, unless you have suggestions.
I guess I’ll have to just try the first one and see…
Eh, I’m not overwhelmed with anything of his? I actually liked his YA mystery stuff better than the main series he’s known for, enough that I’d pick more of those up from the library.
I remember being really sad that Y.S. Lee’s series had so little female interaction and friendship. Like, it’s a series about a female spy agency. Can I please get some ladies being friends or God forbid ladies kissing each other? Which is to say that I doubt I’ll be reading the third book and I suggest the second is not that good either.
Hmmm, that’s good to know. Given the size of my TBR stack… *quietly crosses them off*
I’ve never heard of any of these books. Considering my TBR list is too long as it is…that’s probably a good thing!
TTT
Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know
Haha, yeah, I know that feeling.
I must admit, I don’t know a lot about these. But, I know I wouldn’t be able to read The Firebrand if the author had done such things. I know some readers can separate, and I can to an extent, but not something that severe.
I think I feel the same, but it’s about Cassandra… *sigh*