Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’m Avoiding Reading

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl since January of 2018. Jana writes, “it was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.” In that spirit, link up with your list at That Artsy Reader Girl and comment with your list, link, or thoughts below.

Multitudes of books exist which I’m avoiding for one reason or another, mostly because I don’t think they’ll interest me. For simplicity’s sake, I’m focusing on those I’m actively avoiding. These are the books I sneak quickly by, eyes averted, hands to the sides of my face to create tunnel vision. I even own most of them, yet they sit on my shelf neglected and forlorn.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea- The story about this book is when I received my first Ipod Touch ages ago, it came preloaded with a bookshelf of free classics. On a whim, I started Twenty Thousand Leagues during a long car trip. I wouldn’t say I was sucked in, but it had it’s charms. I continued to open the app during trips and got about 40% before stalling. There’s a slim chance I will revisit, but it’s more likely Dr. Aronnax and Captain Nemo will forever be roaming the bottom of the sea in the epic underwater walkabout chapter where I left them.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child-It’s too soon. I left the wizarding world for the final time less than two years ago and I’m not ready to pick it up by jumping ahead decades into the future, and probably never will be.

1776-still “reading” this one too actually, but the pace is slow going. Demoted from a proud position on the nightstand to lowly basket by the bed a few years back. Current dust collector.

The much-beloved Outlander series. I know it’s quality and I heartily enjoy the Starz adaptation, however there are 9 or 10? jillion long books in this series and I suck at finishing series. Gotta pass for now, but never say never.

Speaking of the tv series, I’ve just started Season 4 and I’m actually shook.

Les Miserables, 730 pages in anddddddd 733 more to go. Been on my nightstand for 5 years. That’s a long time. I blame Marius.

More or less a list of books I’m avoiding finishing. I could add all of the series I’ve yet to complete too, but that’s a post for another day. Do we share any avoided titles? What books are collecting dust on your shelves?

20 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’m Avoiding Reading”

    1. Lol, I mean theres no sense pretending I will finish these doorstop size books. However, that’s good to know about McCullough. It’s funny but just thinking about 1776, made me interested in it again.

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  4. I was so excited when Harry Potter and The Cursed Child came out and I wanted to read it, but I heard mixed things about it and I don’t think I’m going to like it based on what I have heard.
    My TTT

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    1. I share those same mixed feelings and at this point, I think I’ll just let it be. I’m satisfied with the ending and don’t need to revisit. I’ll check out your list:)

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Never read any of these myself. I debated about the Harry Potter play, but then I thought it’s a play. It’s not a format I really enjoy reading personally.

    I hope you will read and love all of these someday soon though!

    Thanks for visiting my TTT post!

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    1. I enjoy plays to an extent, Shakespeare, Twelve Angry Men, etc. But I’m finding I’m just not pulled toward that world with those characters anymore. As much as I cherish the original stories.

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    1. Aha, that is good to know. I just can’t commit to the series, but the show is crack tv for certain. I’m on episode 7 and it’s quite good, insanely bonkers, of course, but in the most compelling way.

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    1. Looking forward to hearing about HP from you when you finish. It should be a good experience to bounce off another person while reading. I’ll visit your list!

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  8. Russian novels – particularly Tolstoy! Also I have ‘A Little Life’ by Hanya Yanagihara waiting for the day I am in the right mood to read it – which may be never!

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    1. Yes, Mari, I can totally relate. My dad has Russian heritage and I always feel I should read those authors-but they don’t seem remotely my style. I do find the Romanav history interesting, I may have to accept that’s as far as I can delve into Russian life/works.
      I am totally avoiding A Little Life as well. I don’t own it and from the reviews I’ve read, it’s powerful but such an emotional experience/catharsis, I may never be ready either. Oh well, we can’t read every book we’re supposed to, right?

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  9. PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN, YOU WILL NEVER GET ME!!!!!!!! I didn’t actively avoid that one across three different university courses just to reach my dottering years and get slapped in the face with it all over again. I will go down FIGHTING over that one! Also Heart of Darkness. Ugh, sweaty jungle insanity. I’ll just go watch Apocalypse Now. Or not (pretty sure I’ve never seen Apocalypse Now.)

    Oh, Les Mis – better on the stage. And even then, just for, like, two songs. Viva la revolucion! Oh, wait, wrong revolution. 😉 I thought the movie version with Hugh Jackman of a few years back was GODAWFUL. I cringed through the entire thing, and I rather like musical theatre. Could. not. hack.

    I’m curious to know what you think about J.K. Rowling’s post-Potter Potter activities, in light of your comments on The Cursed Child. I haven’t read it myself, and actually, now that I think about it, I know quite a few Potterheads, and none of them have read it either. I think you’re right, it’s just too soon. And I think Rowling’s really muddied the waters of her own creation with all the after-the-fact amendments and whatnot she’s put out since the books and movies wrapped. It seemed to dilute the world quite a bit. I wish she had just sort of gone fallow on Potter for a number of years, let people just live with the ending. Like, it’s all well and fine to say you regret offing George, but what’s done is done. Just leave ‘er be.

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    1. James Joyce is a lifelong avoidance here, too. No need, really. I attempted a listen of Heart of Darkness with Shel on a car trip once, took a nice long nap, zzz.

      Gasp! I’m shocked at your cruel analysis of Les Mis, the Musical. I remember the first time I heard the soundtrack…I fell pretty hard and as you know, seeing it live last year was a check off my bucket list.
      The only numbers I could do w/o is Empty Chairs and Empty Tables and Bring him Back, but that’s cause I’m not Marius’s biggest fan. Listen to On My Own again sometime, so yearning and beautiful, a smile through tears unconventional style ballad.

      Re:Rowling-I say preach. It’s pointless to include after-the-fact plotlines (it was Fred who was offed though, right? He was my fave Weasley):'(
      She seemed to not tune out the fandom or let the characters go in a healthy, natural goodbye, which makes things rather messy at this point.

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      1. I’m sorry, I forgot you were ride or die for Les Mis. I don’t really object to the play itself, although it does drag on a bit – it was really the movie version with Hugh Jackman. For some reason, the director made the very odd decision to mic them way up close, I guess to get more intimate performances out of the actors. But so much of the power of that show is derived from the performers just BELTING those songs, and listening to Anne Hathaway whisper her way through I Dreamed a Dream was painful. Russell Crowe, too, who CANNOT sing. He can’t. I don’t know why he was in that movie at all.

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      2. Also, you are correct, it was Fred. Fred, George – it was ALL OFFSIDE, ROWLING!!! Take Percy, for heaven’s sake, just leave the twins alone! Bill, too, ’cause he’s a rock star.

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