Top Ten Tuesday: Series I Haven’t Finished

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/meme brought to you by the folks over at The Broke and the Bookish (the button also belongs to them).  This week’s theme is the Top Ten Series I Haven’t Finished.

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry– I read this one when I was an adult, so I can’t use the excuse that the sequels didn’t exist when I read it.  I just don’t think this needs a sequel.  I like to pretend that Jonas made it to a good place.

2. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare– I was pretty disappointed when I read it as it did not live up to the hype I’d heard about it… and honestly, I really didn’t care what happened to the characters, so no point in finishing out the series!

3. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery– I want to read the sequels, but they never seem to make their way into my life.  I started the second book on audiobook and I think it expired before I could finish it!

4. Matched by Ally Condie– I really enjoyed Matched, but heard nothing but meh about Crossed, so decided to just leave the series alone until the final book comes out.  If it gets better reviews, I may finish the series.

5. The Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty– I’ve read all but Perfect Fifths and just haven’t been motivated to pick it up.  I love Jessica Darling, but her early 20s were wearing me out!

6. Soulless by Gail Carriger– What a fun book!  It takes me a little convincing to get into steampunk (I get a little irritated with the portrayal of the Victorian era… just because people were supposed to be straight-laced, doesn’t mean they were in actuality), though, and while I started the second book, I had to return it to the library before I finished it.  Some day, maybe, but I think I have to be in exactly the right mood to appreciate these.

7. Hard and Fast by Erin McCarthy– I LOVE this series of romances centered around NASCAR drivers, but haven’t been able to get a hold of all the books/have been trying to read more variety.  I will finish this series, it’s just a matter of time!

8. Divergent by Veronica Roth– Ok, this is sort of cheating as I have read both books that are currently published in this trilogy, but I promise you I will not be reading the third.  Insurgent just… argh, frustrated me and made me believe that everything I loved about Divergent was imagined.  I will save myself the frustration and avoid concluding this series.

9. Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery– The Fool’s Gold series features romances set in the quirky small town of Fool’s Gold, California.  The first book made me so angry that I punched the book.  I’m just pretty sure this is not the series for me.

10. If I Stay by Gayle Forman– I know, I know, how did I not race out and read Where She Went immediately after finishing this?  I don’t know.  I liked the book, thought it was quite beautiful, but as for what happens to Adam and Mia down the road?  I just don’t feel that impatient to find out.  I mean, clearly things weren’t going to be easy, but I like to think that their love could get them through the tough spots.  I don’t want to know if I’m wrong.  That story is too sad to not have a happy-ish ending.

Apparently I am very non-committal because this list was easy-peasy to put together!  What series have you not finished?  Why?  What am I missing out by not finishing these series?

The DNF Files: Shatter Me and the Purple Prose

It has been a while since I D(id) N(ot) F(inish) a book, but in light of all the Top Ten Tuesday advice I read about cutting yourself a break and not reading things that don’t make you happy, I decided it was time to cut a few books loose.  Shatter Me is one book that I decided I really didn’t want to finish.

A lot of people loved this book and if you are looking for a real review of the whole book, I suggest you check out Lucy’s review.

I was unable to get past page 32 of this book because of the language.  To me this is a perfect example of purple prose.  I know that some people would find this writing style beautiful, but it made me roll my eyes.  Let me provide a brief example.  If this is something you dig, read this book.  If it is something that makes you gag, skip this book.

“The moon is a loyal companion.

It never leaves.  It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do.  Every day it’s a different version of itself.  Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light.  The moon understands what it means to be human.

Uncertain.  Alone.  Cratered by imperfections.” (page 26)

I stopped at this metaphor and thought, wow, that’s provocative, but somehow it is just too flowery and too angsty for my tastes.  I don’t think I could read this paragraph out loud without affecting a soap opera voice.  Ultimately, as much as I was interested in this story, I couldn’t get past the purple prose.

Does language ever make you put a book down?  Bonus points if you share your favorite example of purple prose.

The DNF Files: Middlesex- Jeffrey Eugenides

Picture courtesy of goodreads.com

I know I’ve complained about this book already, but here I am making it official.  I will not be finishing Middlesex.  In fact, I will even be paying my library 50 cents in overdue fees because I sort of forgot I’d had it sitting around so long.

What can I say about this book?  I don’t think I made it more than 50 pages in.  I should have read more reviews before I started it, I guess.  Many of the reviews over on Goodreads mentioned that it is a loooooong, slow start about family history/secrets/mistakes before Eugenides actually gets to the boy-raised-as-a girl, gender-fun part of the story.  I was so unimpressed by the family saga stuff, though, that I did not want to slog through another 400 pages of it.  Also, I might mention that incest is big in this book.  I didn’t realize how uncomfortable that would make me, but it was disgusting to read about the growing attraction between a brother and sister.  I guess that family sagas like this are just not my thing.

Sad to say (since so many people I respect have enjoyed him), I don’t think Eugenides is my cup of tea.  The Virgin Suicides was decent, but not near as intriguing or beautiful as I’d been led to believe.  I am left in total confusion here as to why people are so into this guy’s writing.

Clearly, if I can’t finish the book, I can’t recommend it.  Read at your own peril/pleasure.

When do you give up on a book?  What helps you decide to put a book down or to plow through it?

The DNF Files: Angelica by Arthur Phillips

I hate not finishing a book.  Even more, perhaps, I hate trying to slog through something when there are many good books out there waiting for me to pick them up.  So, I try to cut my losses.  Especially when the book is from the library and therefore cost nothing and has a due date.

My latest failed attempt to finish a book was Angelica by Arthur Phillips.  The interwebz tell me that this is a ghost story set in Victorian England and told from three perspectives.  That sounds fascinating, no?  Except I couldn’t even make it through the first character’s perspective.  The first point of view is that of Constance who is obsessed with her uterus.  The fact that a real live child issued from that uterus, the fact that her uterus can’t handle any more bebes, the fact that sex with her husband could kill her, the fact she fails as a woman because she can’t have bebes or pleasure her husband.  She was absolutely insufferable.  I don’t want to negate the trials of living with infertility or of living in a society where womanhood is defined by motherhood and sexual submission to one’s husband, but I also don’t want to read about a character who has nothing in her life or brain except her uterus.

Whether the ghost story/three points of view redeemed this book… I have no idea.  Perhaps they did.  This book gets really mixed reviews on the amazon, so I suppose it is a love it or hate it sort of book.  I will leave the loving vs. hating up to you, since I can’t trouble myself to finish this one.