Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Books I DNF’ed During the Pandemic but am Ready to Revisit
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 supposed to be the last 10 books I DNF’ed. I don’t really like to talk about my DNFs so I’m going to do a little twist on the topic. I abandoned more books than ever before during the pandemic. I don’t think it had anything whatsoever to do with the books not being good but more so that I just wasn’t in the right headspace to read them. That was around the same time I made a sharp pivot in my reading tastes towards romance. I wanted nothing to do with the darkness of a thriller or any kind of horror, and I just couldn’t concentrate on any intricate worldbuilding which made me set aside several fantasy novels. So, what I’m sharing today are ten books I set aside during the pandemic that I feel like I want to revisit now that I’m in a better headspace.
10 Books I DNF’ed During the Pandemic but am Ready to Revisit
GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir
THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave
THE SHADOW OF THE GODS by John Gwynne
THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP by Grady Hendrix
THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES by Suzanne Collins
THE TESTAMENTS by Margaret Atwood
TOMORROW, and TOMORROW, and TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin
A DEADLY EDUCATION by Naomi Novik
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I have read and lovedLegendborn and The LastThing He Told Me.
I’m pretty sure I’ll love Legendborn once I give it a second chance. It definitely sounds like my kind of book.
The pandemic killed 99% of my interest in horror and other grim topics, too.
Right? Real life was grim enough during that time.
I read the Final Girl Support Group which I liked but isn’t exactly my thing. I loved Deadly Education by Naomi Novik.
I really want to try Deadly Education again. Normally that’s totally my kind of book but I just couldn’t concentrate on it the first time around.
I have really liked all Laura Dave’s books, and though Tomorrow was bleak and not very hopeful, it was compelling and well written. Hope you enjoy revisiting these books
I hope I do too. They all seem like books I would normally enjoy if I’m in the right headspace.
What a perfect twist on this topic, Suzanne. I also had a few I put aside, but hope to pick up again eventually.
Thank you! I hope yours are winners for you the second time around.
I’ve heard so many good things about Support and I’m a fan of Laura dave after reading eight Hundred grapes.
I’ve enjoyed Laura Dave’s books in the past so I’m really hoping that one will be a hit for me the second time around.
Oooh, interesting! I would be interested to know how different readers’ tastes did/did not change because of the pandemic. It makes sense that people would have wanted to read more light, happy books during that time period. I hope you enjoy these when you get back to them!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Thanks, Susan. I hope so too!
I started The Final Girl Support Group in bed one night, then had a very vivid nightmare so I DNF either. I’ll need to revisit that one too. I loved The Flatshare, I think the start wasn’t easy but that didn’t last long and the writing felt more natural after a while.
Yeah, The Final Girl Support Group was way too dark for me the first time around. I normally enjoy Hendrix’s books though so hopefully will have better luck the second time around.
I was on the fence about the Suzanne Collins book and finally decided to give it a pass. It’s been *so* long since the original trilogy and I decided I just didn’t have much interest in a prequel.
I think I’m going to try that one on audiobook. I’m not super interested in it but enjoyed the trilogy enough that I want to at least attempt the prequel.
Totally, totally agree – I also moved towards romance during the pandemic and am slowly coming back to other genres. I need to catch up on Riley Sager!
I need to catch up on Sager too. I’m think I’m at least two books behind.
This is such a great idea for a list, and congrats on remembering these after a few years!
Haha, thanks! Most of them are sitting in a box in my office so it wasn’t too hard.
I remember a lot of readers couldn’t read anything end-of-the-world themed or anything relating to a pandemic in fiction during that time. I for some reason gravitated to some of those reads. Maybe it was because they usually overcame whatever hurdles and prevailed? I don’t know. Yes, romance was a nice diversion too! I read Ghost Tree and The Final Girl Support Group, which was a crazy! I would like to read The Last Thing He Told Me. I hope you enjoy all on your list!
Thanks Rachel. I hope so too. 🙂
As a mood reader, I totally get this. Thankfully, my mood wasn’t as fickle during the pandemic but now that I’m busy again with work and have to deal with the stress that comes with that, I keep putting down books that I pick up! 🫣 I hope you enjoy these more this time around!
Thanks Dini. I hope so too! 🙂
I was close to DN-ing the Shadow of the Gods, but I loved Gwynne’s other books so much, that I decided to continue reading. Happy reading! My TTT https://readwithstefani.com/10-books-i-recently-marked-as-did-not-finish/
I really hope I’ll enjoy that one the second time around. I just couldn’t concentrate on the world building the first time I tried.
What a good twist on the topic! I don’t think my reading tastes really changed much in the pandemic, but I have avoided any virus related fiction ever since, although to be fair, I didn’t really read that much of it before. I actually did read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes during the pandemic and I wasn’t a huge fan but I don’t think that had anything to do with the time I was reading it, I just found it kind of dull as a book!
I’ve avoided virus related fiction ever since too. I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime, lol.
Sometimes it just isn’t the right time to read a book. I’ve only read Final Girl Support Group from your list which was just okay for me. I’ve enjoyed his other books more.
I agree with you. I’ve enjoyed other books from Hendrix so I’m willing to try this one again but I have seen some mixed reviews for it.