Top Ten Tuesday - Hard to Read Books

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

When I first saw this prompt I didn't think I would have much to say. Books you are supposed to cry during usually don't affect me as much, even though I cry like a baby regularly, and I like books that are gritty, gruesome, and cringe-worthy. But then I realized what books are hard for me to read. Books where I cannot connect with the MC. You guys know that I like unlikable characters I did a whole discussion post about it, but sometimes I just can't get past the protagonists behaviors of actions. Those are the books hard for me to read.

Books I Did Not Finish

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper
This made me sad when I DNF'd it but then over time I realized, this book was just hard to read. Not only was the plot incredibly slow and seemingly predictable, but I just couldn't handle this MC. She was just not very intelligent. She desperately wanted something and didn't care about the consequences but I didn't even understand why.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Put the pitchforks down! I've heard it all before. I'm sorry friends but I just don't like Jane Eyre, the book or the character! Another book where the twist was so obvious to me and the character who is supposed to be smart doesn't even try to figure it out. Plus Jane Eyre is just so vanilla. I tried, I really did, but I am much more of an Emily Bronte kind of girl. At least with Wuthering Heights it's clear from the beginning that these are terrible people!

Books I Finished And Wished I Hadn't

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - Review
I frequently whine about how much I dislike this book but it is entirely because I can't stand Diana Bishop! She's what an adult Bella Swan would have become if she wasn't a vampire. Diana again is supposed to be intelligent and intrepid but it does not come off that way. She lets the male lead totally tell her what to do and she's a witch who refuses to use her magic (LIKE AN IDIOT!)

Hexed by Michelle Krys - Review
So I didn't hate this book but I definitely didn't enjoy the MC. She was like season one Cordelia on Buffy. She is rude, self-centered, and conceited. Plus the male lead in this book was even worse. He was such a bad boy stereotype and she total fell in insta-love with him. UGH, it was awful!

Emma by Jane Austen
So I normally love Austen and the subtle feminist nature of her characters. But I cannot get behind Emma Woodhouse (though Emma Approved is brilliant). She is vapid, self-centered, and thinks she knows what is best for others when she doesn't know what is best for herself. I couldn't cheer for her, even when she is brought down a peg and I definitely didn't want her to get the guy!

Fifty Shades of Gray by E.L. James
This book was a whole lot of no for me! I'm just generally not a fan of erotica, I need a real plot to my book not just your overly sexual romance. The attempt at coming of age in this book made me angry but not as angry as Anastasia Steele made me. She's totally ridiculous and unrealistic. Another female character who is supposed to be intelligent, then throws her brain away for a cliche man. Even just writing this makes me all agitated!

Books I Finished And I'm Glad I Did

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy - Review
This was a hard book to get through and not because of the cancer storyline. It's because the main character is a not very nice person doing awful things to people who don't really deserve it. But the more you read, the more you realize her motivations and while I may not agree with them they make total sense and she becomes a realistic and complex character.

Frozen by Erin Bowman - Review
The first book in this series was just as hard to read because I seriously hate the MC, Gray. He's supposed to be overly-aggressive and impulsive but we are told this before we are shown any of his actions. It feels almost like an excuse for his behavior and he comes off as a little bit of an idiot. Plus I really like the female lead and I do not ship this ship! But Frozen made the list of books I'm glad I read because the plot was good despite the awful MC!

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz - Review
I really enjoyed The Brief and Wondorous Life of Oscar Wao by Diaz but This Is How You Lose Her was not as enjoyable. Mostly because the main character who is the thread that ties this collection of short stories together is not a likable character. He's a total jerk and caused all my feminist tendencies to flare up. But conceptually this was a genius book.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman - Review
This may surprise people, because eventually this series became a favorite for me. But at times this first book was hard to read because the main character Quentin is so unlikable. He is a sullen and whiny pessimist who is never ever happy, even when his biggest dreams come true. But I'm glad I kept reading because I grew to find that charming and realistic and he had a great redemptive arc!

How about you? What books were hard for you to read? Are you like me, does it come down to whether you can connect with the MC? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stop[ping by and HAPPY READING!