The best thing and the worst thing about book series is reading multiple books before you reach the end. If you like the series, it’s a blessing that there are more books but if you don’t like the series, it’s not good. Especially for those who want to know the ending but have to trudge through multiple books for it.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl and this week’s TTT topic is Series I’ve Given Up On/Don’t Plan to Finish and it’s perfect because I actually have quite a few series that I’ve given up on recently.
I used to be one of those people who read to completion whether they liked the book or not, and it was the same for series. Case in point The House of Night series by P.C. and Kristen Cast which ran for TWELVE books and was actually pretty boring. But I read it all.
But after joining the book community, I always have too many books on my TBR to spend more time on books and series that I don’t enjoy. I DNF immediately if I have problems with the characters or the plot centers around a trope I hate. But for series, I give up if I just don’t have enough interest to immediately pick up the next book. Sometimes I want to but by the time the sequel releases, I lose interest so even though I had plans of reading it, I don’t end up doing it.
Let’s see what series I’ve given up on..
[1] The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
I had borrowed the first book from a friend of mine and it was interesting enough. I started losing interest towards the end but I still had full plans to pick up the next book. But I went on to other books and I found that I just didn’t care about the story enough to read the next book.
I accepted that I won’t be reading the second book only a while back and finally removed it from my TBR on Goodreads.
[2] The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED the first book and quite enjoyed the second. I always had a plan of reading The Midnight Star but by the time it finally released, I just didn’t care. I also forgot most of the story from the first two books and I didn’t feel like rereading them.
I’m a huge fan of Marie Lu so this is actually a surprise for myself as well that I’m giving up on the series. I even see the book in the bookstore I frequent but every time I see it, consider buying it but find other books I want to read more. After a few times of this happening, I finally removed it from my TBR.
I hope that someday in the future I’ll want to read the book, even if I forgot most of the story because in my heart, I can’t just give up on a Marie Lu book.
[3] Fallen by Lauren Kate
Okay yes, I know I’m contradicting myself here when I say this because I also mentioned this in my 10 books I can’t believe I didn’t DNF post earlier this month and said I read it fully.
But you see, there were only four books before! I only recently found out that a fifth book was published and I wanted to read it solely to be able to say that I sat through the whole series.
Yes, I know it’s stupid but you have no idea how much I got frustrated while reading the first four books and it was sadly before book community so I used to read everything fully. I added it to my TBR and removed it after five seconds because no way am I wasting more time on that series. I’ll say I finished it because I did read the first four books.
[4] The Witchlands by Susan Dennard
I bought the first two books after seeing a book blogger I follow rave about it. A mistake that I didn’t check out at least one negative review to see if I’ll really like it.
I mentioned the second book as a book I can’t believe I didn’t DNF, and that’s true. It was boring as heck and I just read it because I paid for it. Can’t reverse that. I will not be reading the following books, though. Nopity nope.
Click here to read my review of Truthwitch.
[5] Charlotte Holmes by Brittainy Cavalaro
I LOVED the first book A Study in Charlotte. Although I was shipping Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson, the descendants of the original Holmes-Watson pairing, they had a completely platonic relationship which I came to cherish later.
I had all the intentions to real The Last of August, book two. But the thing is.. the second book’s synopsis did not appeal to me at all. It felt weird. I thought I’ll read other books and go to it, and never did. And I’m pretty sure I never will.
I do recommend the first book, though!
[6] Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
I started this back in early middle school, I think. I borrowed it from the library I was a member in then and I really liked it. It was a super fun book to read and I also watched the movie later.
But the series just.. never stopped. I outgrew it pretty soon because I went into YA books in 7th grade itself but I kept reading it until 9th grade because it was pretty nice and a change compared to other books.
But as I said, it never stopped and eventually I outgrew it too much to even like it anymore. I read until book 7 and never thought about it ever again. The series did end, though! It ended last year with book 12, which is what I read on Goodreads just now.
[7] Summer by Jenny Han
The first book of the series is The Summer I Turned Pretty and the book was SO ANNOYING overall. I quite hated it. I don’t how I didn’t DNF it but the second I read the last sentence, I closed it and decided to NEVER read the following books.
One, it has an annoying love triangle and it’s a trope I hate. Two, the main character was so frustrating and characters are most important to me. Three, the plot was boring and stupid.
So yeah, I wish I had never read it.
[8] Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
I love Rick Riordan. I loved The Heroes of Olympus, liked Percy Jackson and The Kane Chronicles. I liked Magnus Chase as well but the problem is that I just was not interested in Norse Mythology. I had only vaguely heard of it before. And even though saying this is breaking my heart a little, I think I’ve grown out of Rick Riordan books. *sobs in a corner*
I hope to read the series again from the first book in the future but I don’t see that happening. If I do feel like someday, I’ll be very happy but for now, I’m dropping the series.
[9] The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
I liked her Vampire Academy series and liked her Bloodlines series even better. I was excited when I heard about this because it sounded new and it’s different from her other works. Even though I had read her book Soundless which I didn’t like, I picked this up.
I’ll be honest, it disappointed me a lot. I didn’t like the characters, I didn’t like the plot and I just could not get into the story. I went through the first book completely with a stone face. So yeah, I decided I won’t read rest of the series.
[10] Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
I read this recently and was sorely disappointed. It’s pretty popular and is recommended to lovers of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner but I just. did. not. like. it.
My main problem was the main character who was useless and only wanted to be Pretty. And I wasn’t invested in the plot as well. So yeah, dropping this one as well.
“Honorable mentions”:
A few other series that I’ve given up on as well:
- A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
- The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole
- Penryn and The End of Days by Susan Ee
- Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
- Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest
Are there any book series that you have given up on? And while we’re on the topic, are there any TV shows that you’ve stopped watching as well? Let me know in the comments! Also do share the link of your TTT is you’ve posted one.
I have to say, I don’t think I’ve tried any of these series 🤔 the Sherlock one quite appealed though…
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s pretty good! I just picked up another book and then another and never got back to the series.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It happens! I do the same thing 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are series which I really wanna read but new books that I wanna read too! So, I’m just waiting for the right time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
With huge TBRs, we’re always wishing for more time 😂 hope you get to read them soon!
LikeLike
I have given up on summer by Jenny Han. The same reason as you did. The synopsis was disturbing. I read the first chapter of the first book and immediately after the last chapter of the last book 😂😂😅
LikeLiked by 1 person
How does it end? Her with the broodier brother? 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Uhm. Let me remember. So basically she is on the alter to marry the younger brother but realises that she loves the elder one. And then I guess (my memory about this is really hazy) she meets the elder brother and they confess their love.
Its just sometimes I am okay reading this trope where it’s a love triangle with 2 brothers because its clear from the start who is THE ONE. But reading three books is too much. And when I read the first chapter of this one I think she was in a place where she liked both of them and maybe the elder one a little bit more(but just little bit). So I knew that it was not my type.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aaah they went till MARRIAGE. What even! Glad I stopped reading.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahhahaha😂😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have to agree with you with the Fallen series and the House of Night books. They were quite dull, but I felt like I had to read them all just because I was two books in.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂 exactly!
LikeLiked by 1 person