Between Odyssey and my own blog, I write a lot about the books I have read and books I want to read. But I don’t talk about books I won’t read.
Every reader has his or her preferences to what they want to read. Some people will only read classics or Pulitzer Prize winners. Some are drawn to romance novels with sculpted male abs and half-dressed women on the covers. And they aren’t interested in venturing into anything beyond their comfort zone.
Regarding myself, I like a variety of different genres and I am willing to step out of my reading comfort zone once in a while. But, like most people, I draw the line at reading certain things.
The books on this list are on here for various reasons. Some are for specific reasons, some because I am not interested in the plot, or simply because there are other books on my TBR pile that I just want to read more.
1. "A Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R.R. Martin.
In case you were unaware, "Game of Thrones" is based off a series of very long books, between 800 to 1,000 pages each, called "A Song of Ice and Fire." Big books do not always intimidate me, but I have gone back and forth on reading them. I just lost interest. Plus, I lack motivation to watch the show, giving me all the more reason not to bother.
2. "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien.
"Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit" is so prominent in popular culture, I feel like I already know the story.
3. "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy by E.L. James.
Let me start off by saying, by no means am I not reading "Fifty Shades of Grey" because I am a prude. I appreciate good smut. I’ve seen the movie adaption of the first book and even enjoyed it. But from what I have heard about the books is that the writing is awful. I don’t mind sexy times, only not when the writing is bad.
4. "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess.
Aside from the well-known brutal content and graphic depictions of rape, the story of "A Clockwork Orange" just does not appeal to me.
5. "The Time-Traveler’s Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger.
I don’t usually gravitate towards novels heavy with romance, though I did when I was younger.
6. "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller.
Compared to some of the other books on this list, I do not often hear about "Catch-22," despite it being a modern classic. Reading the plot on Goodreads, I don’t understand it at all. And I don’t care enough to want to.
7. "Holes" by Louis Sachar.
I know! Many people I know read "Holes" when they were younger and watched the movie. Despite all the good things I have heard about it, I just don’t have any interest, especially with all the newer books floating around.
8. "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams.
"The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" is a favorite book of "The Big Bang Theory." This is another one I know I will likely never read. I like science fiction, but with more fantastical elements than science; the more technical stuff goes right over my head.
9. "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley.
You would think, because the plot sounds so similar to "1984 "by George Orwell, I would want to read "Brave New World." But dystopians, unfortunately, are something I have lost interest in thanks to "The Hunger Games "and "Divergent."
10. "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman.
Please don’t kill me! I have seen the movie adaption of "The Princess Bride" and I liked it enough to want to check out the book. I came "this close" to buying a beautiful black-and-white edition at the Trident Bookstore in Boston, except I stopped myself. There are other books I want to read before this one. I will never say never to "The Princess Bride," but it certainly will not be soon.
11. "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I don’t read nonfiction books in general. The story behind "Eat, Pray, Love" sounds like a self-absorbed woman bored with her life, so she travels and acts like she got something more extraordinary than other people would have out of it. That is why I never bothered. But that’s just my opinion.
If anyone has read these books and think they are worth the read, feel free to convince me!
