Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Book Series I’ve Decided to Quit
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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is Books I’ve Decided I’m No Longer Interested In Reading. I tweaked this topic a bit because even after I made a list of ten books I was pretty sure I no longer wanted to read, I still kept rethinking my decision. (In case you haven’t heard, we Libras can be an indecisive bunch, haha!). I could, however, pretty easily come up with 10 series that I’m not interested in continuing (or in some cases, even starting) at this point.
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Top Ten Book Series I’ve Decided to Quit
- FIFTY SHADES by E.L. James – In this case, it’s not so much quitting a series as it is deciding not to even start it. I bought a copy of the first book back in my pre-blogging days when the hype was so high for this series. Everyone I knew was telling me I needed to read it. The more I heard about it, the less interested I was until I finally sold the book the last time we had a yard sale, lol.
- OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon – I liked the first book in this series well enough, but I started reading the series right about the time I got completely burnt out on reading romance so the chrmistry of Claire and Jamie just didn’t do much for me. I do keep this one in the back of my mind in case I ever do get solidly back into reading romance.
- THE NEOPOLITAN NOVELS by Elena Ferrante – My Brilliant Friend, the first book in this series, was actually one of my most anticipated reads for 2016. With its post-war Italian setting and its focus on the friendship of two school-age girls, I thought it just sounded like such a wonderful read. Unfortunately, it took me nearly 3 weeks to slog through the first 40% of the book and I completely lost interest in finishing it or in continuing the series.
- STEPHANIE PLUM by Janet Evanovich – I think with this series, it’s a case of too much of a good thing. I actually really love the series and all of the characters, but I got as far as book 12 and just had no interest in continuing because at a certain point, the books all start to sound the same. I could see myself revisiting this at some point, but for now, we’re on a break.
- SOOKIE STACKHOUSE by Charlaine Harris – Another good series that I just lost interest in because it started to get too predictable. I noticed that I was starting to rate each book lower and lower so I decided it was time to stop reading.
- THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner – Up until recently, I was pretty excited about starting this series sometime soon, but now I’m just not feeling it.
- THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS by Maggie Stiefvater – I’m not entirely sure why this series is no longer of interest. I think maybe because I had such a mixed reaction to All the Crooked Saints, which was my first Stiefvater read. I’m still interested in reading The Raven Cycle so maybe if I like that one, I’ll reconsider this one, but for now, it’s coming off my list.
- RED QUEEN by Victoria Aveyard – I spent so much time yelling at Mare when I read the first two books of this series. I know I’m the unpopular opinion when it comes to this series, but I just don’t think I can take a third book of her trying to decide what’s more important, boys or saving her people…
- MISS PEREGRINE’S PECULIAR CHILDREN – I read the first book and thought it was pretty good, but then just lost interest in continuing with the second book. My sister read the second book recently and said she thought it was a disappointing read even though she loved the first book. She and I have similar taste so my gut says not to continue.
- GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson and now David Lagercrantz – I read and loved all of the books in this series that were written by the original author, Stieg Larsson. When he passed away and David Lagercrantz took over the writing duties, I decided I wasn’t interested in continuing the series. It just didn’t feel right to have a different author at the helm of Lisbeth’s story.
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So many names here I know and always meant to get to, but never did. One thing about this week’s TTT it’s kind of made me feel better about not having tried a couple of famous authors — it kind of felt like I was the only one sometimes, but I really wasn’t lol
Right? Looking around at other people’s lists, I see a lot of other books that I’ve lost interest in are on their lists as well. Makes me feel better too, lol.
You are right about all of these. Stick with your gut feeling, I think.
Here’s my list: https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2018/02/books-ill-never-read-plus-couple-of.html
Good to know 🙂
I think you are right with all of these. I rated the second maze runner book 1 star and dnf-ed the last book. I should have stopped after the first. 😉 I also stopped Miss Peregrine. The first book was just average for me so…
Thanks! Glad I’m not off base in giving up on these.
This is also what I need to do – decide which series I’m not going to complete.
And, yes, I won’t be continuing with Lisbeth’s story told by a different author. It just doesn’t work for me somehow.
Lynn 😀
Yes, at first I thought it might still work for me just because I loved Lisbeth’s character so much, but I think in my mind, I’ll just leave it as a trilogy by Larsson.
Yes to quitting the Red Queen series! The first book was ok, but the second had too much of Mare’s obnoxious thoughts – you’re not alone, I couldn’t take it anymore! I read the first Fifty Shades book, purely out of curiosity for the hype, and won’t be continuing. I will probably be starting a couple of these series this year, though!
LOL! I’m so glad I’m not alone on Red Queen. I really wanted to love it too. But it’s hard to continue when the character you like the least is the protagonist.
I quit Sookie Stackhouse as well. They didn’t grab me. Peregrine’s Children didn’t grab me either. I did really love the 2nd and the third Dragon Tattoo book and I’m still reading Outlander. But i’m waiting for her to finish the series so I can just read all of them in one go. I did see the Maze Runner to the end but in hindsight I shouldn’t have! Great list!
Thanks! Outlander is the one out of all of these that I could see myself reconsidering if I ever got on a romance kick. I think I just picked it up at the wrong time based on the direction my reading preferences have taken in recent years.
I stopped reading the Sookie books around like book 6, I think. I don’t remember for sure, because they started repeating the same storylines, and it sucked *haha* because they were such a fun read in the beginning.
I guess you could say I quit the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, because I bought book one like 3 years ago and it’s still on my shelf unread.
Red Queen. UGH. I loved book 1, and book 2 was okay, but book 3 — ARGH. I hated it, at least the first third I read, because after that painful third I tossed it back on my shelf where it’s still collecting dust. What a super disappointment!!
Yes, the predictability of the Sookie books was what finished me off. They really were funny in the beginning. I liked, but didn’t love, books 1 and 2 of Red Queen so it definitely sounds like I made the right call to stop when I did.
I tried to read the second Miss Peregrine book and just didn’t really get far, so it’s probably a series I won’t finish. I read the first two in the Wolves of Mercy Falls books, and I did enjoy them. I think the Raven Cycle is what I’d push you to read more though.
Yes, I definitely want to give Stiefvater another go before giving up on her completely and most of my blogger friends have highly recommended The Raven Cycle. I’m actually hoping to get a few of the books in that series read as part of our backlist challenge.
I definitely have the Millennium series on my list – I loved the original books, and did actually read the first of the David Lagercrantz ones but it was not good and I wouldn’t be interested in picking up any new ones.
Thanks for letting me know that. I had heard mixed reviews about the Lagercrantz books, so I think in my mind, this will just be a trilogy of the Larsson novels.
Great post! I completely agree about Red Queen. I was yelling at Mare too, and I only read the first book, I just couldn’t deal with her anymore, ugh.
Lol, I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one who was yelling at Mare. I made it through the first two books but I don’t think my blood pressure can handle another one.
Yep, I’ve quit a handful of series of this list. I didn’t LOVE The Red Queen series so I have no plans on reading anything, and I tried Ranson Rigg’s series but couldn’t get into it!
Yes, the Ransom Riggs series intrigued me at first because it was so different from what I usually read, but I was just kind of over it by the time I finished the first book. Then when my sister who adored the first book actually DNF’ed the second one, I knew I was done, lol.
I also decided to leave the Lisbeth books at just the original trilogy. It felt like a complete story, and while I would have read more by Larsson, I too felt like it was weird to have someone else take over.
I agree that it felt like a complete story after the first three. I had no idea that it was ever meant to be a 10-book series.
I have to say that I feel the same about every one of these (except Outlander, I’m still hoping to try that one out!). I actually DNF’d Red Queen, I don’t think I could have kept going haha. Fifty Shades is one that I don’t have any interest in either.
I made it through 2 of the Red Queen books but just got tired of yelling at Mare so I won’t go any further, lol.
I thought about starting Sookie Stackhouse, but I watched True Blood instead 😉 . I’m hesitant to finish Millennium series because of the new author, even though I do have books four and five. My niece talked me out of Outlander, she thought it had too many rape scenes. This was a great post, I need to go through all the series I still need to finish and decide if I want to finish them.
Haha, I might have to watch True Blood instead of reading the books if I ever feel the need for more Sookie.
I’ve read all the Dragon Tattoo books written by Larsson and did try the first with the new author. It was OK, but I still like the original 3 better. I was interested in the Peregrine books mostly for those weird, weird pictures. I never actually read it, just looked through it. Got through one book with Stephanie Plum – enough. Have read Outlander twice and never gone on to #2. Think that’s my answer with that series. LOL
Lol, I pretty much did the same thing with Outlander. Read it once, waited so long to move on to book 2 that I forgot everything about book 1 and had to go back. Then I just lost interest.
I’m sorely tempted to stop reading the Patrick Rothfuss series because I don’t actually like the hero at all and have spent most of the first two books alternately grinding my teeth and rolling my eyes. The only thing I actually want to know is what’s going on in the present day framing story, and… that’s a tiny fraction of the story. I should give it up, shouldn’t I? (at least it has the benefit that I’ve not been fretting about when Doors of Stone might get released)
I’m generally such a completist, I do find it hard to stop. I managed to walk away from the Terry Goodkind books (eventually. I HATED about the first 600 pages of the first one, then somehow ended up reading about 6 books. I don’t even know why) but I’m struggling to think of other series I ditched recently (although there’s several on the ‘well I might get round to reading the next one at some point’ list).
I find it so hard to stop series too. I think I still have both Patrick Rothfuss and Terry Goodkind on my TBR, lol.
Ugh, I quit reading the Maze Runner series after the second book…it was just so freaking boring that I couldn’t continue without losing my mind. I finished the 50 Shades trilogy (not a proud moment, haha), but I’m sorry to hear that you don’t want to continue with some of these other ones, such as The Wolves of Mercy Falls and Red Queen.
Glad to hear I’m making the right choice on Maze Runner. The Wolves of Mercy Falls might be one I reconsider depending on how much I enjoy the Raven Cycle.
The Maze Runner is one I won in a giveaway not long ago, but I’m kinda the same. Not sure I’m feeling it right now. Plus I’ve seen it pop up on a few lists today since apparently Dashner has now been accused of harassment. I didn’t know that until I saw some posts today… Miss Peregrine’s is another one I’m sorta ambivalent about.
Yeah, the news about Dashner really dampened my initial enthusiasm for the series
Series are hard for me, I’ve only finished the HP series and the LOTR books. I read book one in the Sookie Stackhouse series but never continued with the rest. I also read a few of the Janet Evanovich books then got tired. For a while I was into the Gena Showalter Lords of the Underworld books but dropped that after book 4 lol. Great list! Enjoy your week!
Right? I even struggle to finish series that I do enjoy so I just can’t see even trying to continue series that I’m feeling meh about.
Fifty Shades is on my list too… even though I’ve read all three books plus the one in Christen’s POV, but now that she’s releasing all the books in his point of view, bye!
The Sookie Stackhouse books I want to start because I loved the TV show, but I really liked the TV show that I don’t want to ruin what I love.
I can see why you wouldn’t want to continue with the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo books, I personally thought what David Lagercrantz did was good and I really enjoyed it, but the original is definitely the best!
Great list!
The Sookie Stackhouse books were a lot of fun for me at first. I think I made it through the 5th or 6th before calling it quits because they started to get a little predictable. I still need to watch the TV show though. I always hear such great things about it and had put it off because I wanted to get caught up on the books first.
Totally with you on the Red Queen series, but I stopped after the first one because it was so hard to finish it. I also stopped The Maze Runner after (maybe during?) the first book—I thought I might pick it back up but I don’t actually have any interest in it, so it’s probaby good not to continue, huh?
Yep, I agree. I made it through two of the Red Queen books but that’s enough for me and lost interest in Maze Runner before I even read a page of it, lol.
I got half a page into Fifty Shades and decided Life was too short – in fairness I’m simply not into that kind of fiction, these days anyway. I completed Red Queen and thought it okay, but didn’t particularly feel the need to read any of the other books in the series; I couldn’t get into Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and didn’t enjoy the film much, either; couldn’t get on with the Stephanie Plum series; found the level of violence directed against women in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo far too disturbing so DNF’d it. I read and enjoyed Outlander, but just haven’t got around to continuing with the other books in the series yet and read alll the Sookie Stackhouse books and loved them, even though I know the series really should have finished sooner, but I just fell for the character, hook, line and sinker…
Sounds like I’m making the right choice to give up on most of these. Even though I gave up on Sookie’s books, I would like like to watch the TV show that is based on that series. I’ve heard it’s excellent.
Fifty Shades was so hyped, I’ve tried twice to read it but just can’t. I’m glad I’m not alone here.
Yeah, it was definitely way over-hyped.
I tried to read a 75 page excerpt of 50 Shades of Grey that I found online. It was terrible. It was so badly written that reading it was kind of stressful. After about 40 pages I decided that I didn’t care what happened next to any of the characters and I gave up on it.
Glad to know I’m making a good choice in skipping the series then, lol.
I loved Red Queen but Glass Sword was such a chore, I totally had no interest in reading more of that series. I didn’t even make it through the first book of The Maze Runner (I also DNFed the movie, it’s just not for me.) I am a fan of the Peculiar Children though.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who is over the Red Queen series.
I totally agree with you on the Millenium series. The original trilogy was good, but I don’t want to read a sequel from someone else. I also won’t read The Maze Runner trilogy. I saw the movies and liked them, but not enough to read the books too. Although I feel a bit guilty to judge the books by the movies based on them…
Yeah, it just seems weird to continue Lisbeth’s story with a different author. I think the trilogy by itself made for a complete enough story.
Oh I am so with you on Sookie books. I finished them and wish I gave up on them. I DNFed the second book in Red Queen series and think that was a good choice! Series are tough for me anyways.
Right? I struggle to get through series that I’m enjoying. I can’t see putting effort into ones that feel like a chore to read, lol.
I was just talking about books I hope to still get to someday just a few weeks ago and one of those books was the finale in The Maze Runner series. Welp. Not really interested in doing so now. :/
Right? I was excited about starting the series but then when I saw the author’s name in the news, the series became a nope for me.
I love romance, but even I gave up on the Outlander books. I think I made it to the third book before calling it quits. I love the first one, but the others were just so slow moving and I was so bored. I also loved the beginning of the Stackhouse books but they started to get really weird and random towards the end. I never did end up finishing it.
I think I may still give the Outlander TV series a try, but yes, that pretty well sums up how I felt about the books.
Same for me on the Outlander series. I loved the first one, but the second one not as much so I decided not to continue. And I wish I had not finished the maze runner series. I hated book 3. 😕
I might still try to watch the Outlander series on TV since I’ve heard great things about it, but yeah, I couldn’t really get past the first book either.