Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Dislike But I’m (Mostly) Glad I Read

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday post is Books I Disliked/Hated but Am Really Glad I Read (maybe just for bragging rights). While I wish I liked every book I read, there are some that come to mind that I’m surprised I finished. If read them now, I probably wouldn’t have stuck with it unless I was determined to read it.

Dracula by Bram Stoker: This is one I read recently, and while it wasn’t absolutely terrible, I will probably never read it again. But I am glad I read it, especially for the vampires. Gosh, I love the vampires in this book. So iconic. So scary.

Animal Farm by George Orwell: I had to read this in high school, and I hated it. I hated the stupid pigs and the stupid farm and the stupid socialism. Years later, I’m still angry about that stupid horse. But I can say I read Orwell and not feel guilty for ignoring 1984.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: I wish I liked this book. I really do. But I thought the narrative was boring and the story pointless. But I wanted to read it because everybody praises it. The movie (with good ole Leo), however, is glamorous. Much more exciting.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: This book. If there is one book I hate, it’s probably this one. My grandma told  me if I read it, she’d give me money for college. So I spent the whole summer after high school reading it. I read all 1,000+ pages, and did I get money for college? Nope. (But I read all 1,000 pages of it!)

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: I also read this one in high school, and I think if I tried to reread it I might understand it better. But I was pretty turned off by the whole creepy murder and psychological battle by Raskolnikov. Still, it’s one of those books on the top 100 books you have to read in your lifetime list, so that’s one less book I have to gripe over reading.

Divergent series by Veronica Roth: I could go on for ages about how terrible this series. I could probably also rewrite the series to make it better (or at least write a list of ways to make it better). But I’m glad I actually read (or in the case of books one and two, reread) them before completely ranting against them. Now I have the right to dislike them.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: The same can be said about this book. While I was super bored when I read this book, I’m glad I read it so I can angrily dislike it. Plus, I read it and know I can do better.

O’Keefe trilogy/Time Quintet by Madeleine L’Engle: If you want to read any of the books connected to A Wrinkle in Time, my suggestion is to read A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. After that, pretend the other books in the Time Quintet and the O’Keefe trilogy don’t exist. They just aren’t good. But I’m glad I read them so I can say I read them. Madeleine L’Engle deserves at least that much from me.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling: I can’t say I was a fan of this “eighth” Harry Potter book. Albus spent the whole time whining and messing everything up, and it was irritating. If it weren’t for precious baby Scorpio, I probably would never have finished it. I think this is one story that would be better to watch than read, anyways. (But I can say I read it, right?)

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare: While I’m not quite finished with the series yet (one more to go), I can’t say I’m a fan. (And unless book six does something drastic to change my mind, my opinion will stand.) There are some merits to the book (Magnus Bane, anybody?), but a lot of it irritates me to no end—especially in books four and five. But am I mad I listened to them? Nah. It’s a staple of YA fantasy, and now I can freely give my (unpopular) opinion about the series without anybody calling me out on it. That’s what counts, right?

What books are you glad you read even if you dislike them? Don’t forget to join the link-up!

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