Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like MORE Than I Did (22)

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 7:00 AM
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, bloggers post Top Ten lists based on a bookish theme. This week's Top Ten Tuesday is:

Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like MORE Than I Did

Sometimes, I highly anticipate a book, only to be disappointed when I finally get to read it. I try not to get my hopes up anymore when it comes to upcoming releases, but that is nearly impossible. Here's some books I thought I would love, or at least really enjoy, but was mistaken.


1. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan - With such a unique premise and beautiful cover, I had the highest expectations for Unspoken, but I just could not connect with the characters at all. I'll probably continue the series, but I won't be in any hurry to read the sequel Untold.

2. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan - I had hoped this book would be a refreshingly new take on zombies, but it was a major letdown. In fact, this was almost a DNF. It was a slow read and I could not wrap my head around this love quadrangle.


3. Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz - I've heard such great things about Moskowitz's books, so I was eager to get my hands on Teeth. But the magical realism went too far, and I was so busy trying to understand the symbolism that I couldn't enjoy the story.

4. Mystic City by Theo Lawrence - For some reason, I was really excited to read Mystic City. I think the main reason was the stunning cover. While this book had a fascinating premise and star-crossed lovers, the plot followed a predictable route.


5. Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey - Once again, I judged a book by its cover, assuming a beautiful cover means a book worth reading. In this case, I was wrong. Dragonswood was fantasy on steroids. There were witches, dragons, fairies, and an abundance of fantastical creatures, and I felt overwhelmed. There was too much going on, and it felt like this was several books crammed into one.

6. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand - The Unearthly series seems to have attracted quite a following, but I was not impressed. The narrator was unbelievably shallow, and that was just one of several issues I had with Unearthly.



7. False Memory by Dan Krokos - I thought I'd give science fiction a chance with False Memory. While False Memory was a fast-paced, action-packed book, I was not fully invested in the story.

8. Possess by Gretchen McNeil - Possess had the creepy factor I was hoping for, but I felt no connection with the narrator. She was annoying, and despite her strong feelings for the love interest, she frequently insulted him and pushed him away. But he still kept coming back! Some of these characters were just too aggravating for me.


9. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare - I was a huge fan of the popular series The Infernal Devices, and I was highly anticipating the third book and the final installment. But Clockwork Princess was so disappointing and paled in comparison to the first two books. The ending was ridiculous and left me feeling immensely unsatisfied. Not to mention, favorite characters acted in inconceivable ways. 

10. The Archived by Victoria Schwab - With such an imaginative premise, I was looking forward to The Archived for months before its release. Unfortunately, I did not love this book as much as I predicted. I definitely liked it, but the first half was slow going and I needed more world building.

What books did you think you'd like MORE/LESS than you actually did? Let me know in the comments below!




20 comments:

  1. Oh, such a shame you didn't like The forest of hands and teeth. It's one of my favorite zombie books so far. I also liked Dragonswood. Unearthly wasn't that bad, but I absolutely hated the last book. Such a bummer.

     Mel@thedailyprophecy.

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    1. I know! I was really excited about it too! But I have heard of others who loved it. I guess it just depends. And I'm sorry you didn't like the last book in the Unearthly series. :(

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  2. Great honest list. I like Unearthly but I can see what you mean.

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    1. Yeah, I was surprised I didn't like it since it seems the majority are crazy about this series.

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  3. I've tried to get into The Forest a few times, but can never make it through. I always hear good things about it and the premise sounds interesting, but I don't think it's the book for me.
    Here's my TTT

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    1. Yeah, I completely understand, Natalie. It was really difficult to get through for me too. Like I said, it was almost a DNF but somehow I finished.

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  4. Personally, I liked The Archived and Unearthly, but they weren't as awesome as I'd expected. And for me, Dragonswood was REALLY disappointing. It seemed a lot different than what the blurb advertised, I felt. I'm sorry that Mystic City and False Memory disappointed you, though—I haven't read them yet but I've heard good things about them as a whole.

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    1. Me too! I was really looking forward to all of these and I hate when my expectations aren't met. It's a huge letdown, but oh well. I'm glad you liked Unearthly. I liked The Archived too, but i didn't love it as much as I had anticipated.

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  5. YES to Clockwork Princess, Unearthly, and Forest of Hands and Teeth (hated this for some reason!), but I did wind up LOVING Teeth and Unspoken and really enjoyed False Memory. Sorry those didn't work out for you, Courtney! I also decided not to read The Archived after all because of mixed reviews...maybe if the rest of the trilogy plays out well I'll pick it up. We'll see.

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    1. I'm glad we're on the same page for the first three. I seriously felt like I was the only one who didn't like Unearthly, but thank goodness I'm not alone! That is a huge relief. :D

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  6. I've only read one of these -- THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH -- and I loved it. I haven't read the rest of the series, though. I need to get on that.

    Happy TTT!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it, even if I didn't feel the same. I was hoping I'd love it because that title is fantastic. I think it was the love quadrangle more than anything else that bugged me. Oh well.

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  7. Oh this makes me worried for Clockwork Princess now!!!.....

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    1. Don't worry, fellow Courtney! A lot of people have loved it. I think it just depends on how you handle the romantic developments. I can't say much more without revealing any spoilers. I hope you like it!

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  8. It sucks when a book doesn't live up to the hype :-( And I plan on reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth - so thanks for the heads up. I won't go into it with my expectations too high.

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

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    1. Maybe that's it. I think I went into it with high expectations, and I should have been neutral. I hope you enjoy it though, Tanya!

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  9. I love how you went solely with the negatives for this post. ;P I feel the need to congratulate myself in that I haven't read ONE of those books you mentioned. And I probably will not ever end up reading any of them now. (Well, okay, Clockwork Princess. But that's it!)

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    1. Yeah, I don't really pick up books that I think I won't like so I can't say that I've picked up a book I thought I'd like less and loved it. lol And I cannot wait to read your thoughts on Clockwork Princess!

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  10. Sad you didn't like Clockwork Princess. I loved it although it did drag at points. I liked the ending but I know you're not alone

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    1. Yes, I know. The beginning did start off a little slow. I was really bummed that I didn't love this more, especially after devouring the first two books. But I'm glad you loved it!

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