So I'm trying to learn how to DNF, right? It's not easy.
By nature, I have this compulsive need to finish what I've started. And books and series fall into this. While I've still not perfected the art of DNFing a book while I'm in the middle of it and it's just not grabbing me, I am getting better at it. But here's something that's much easier for me to do. It used to be impossible, but I'm learning here....DNFing a series (after finishing whatever book I was working on in the series).
That being said, this post is an attempt to free myself of these series that have been sitting on my TBR list and shelves that I'm just not even interested in finishing. If I seriously dread the thought of picking a specific book up, then what in the world am I doing to myself? Reading is supposed to be fun. I've got to learn to cull out my need for completion and perfection.
So here goes...my series DNFs...
Blood of Eden by Julie Kagawa. I know many people out there love this series, but it just really wasn't for me. I read The Immortal Rules and The Eternity Cure and the pacing was extremely slow in both books. I found myself falling asleep when I should be reading.
House of Night by PC Cast & Kristin Cast. I really enjoyed books 1-4. Like devoured them. Books 5-6 weren't AS good, but they weren't bad. But then books 7-8 were progressively worse. The plot barely advances between books. The main bad guy is still floating around. The characters felt like they were getting dumber rather than smarter, regressing rather than growing. Not to mention all of the modern day references which is a pet peeve of mine, as well as the ridiculous modern lingo (ugh...I can't even believe I just said lingo, but I'm trying to illustrate a point). Reading these books (the last couple in the series) has made me feel dumber. That's just not what reading is supposed to be about. I have book 9, Revealed, in my possession, but I haven't made it past page 23 before I was utterly annoyed and the thought of picking it back up makes me ill.
The New Kid by Temple Matthews. I finished The New Kid and got about 15% through The Rising before I realized that this series just wasn't for me. I found this one really hard to describe what I was struggling with, and I hate that I can't be more specific. I did write a DNF Review of The Rising here, and maybe it should be obvious, but I'm definitely DNFing the series.
The Paradise Diaries by Courtney Cole. Book 1, Dante's Girl, was a cute read. There wasn't much wrong with it, but I just find that I'm not excited about reading any other books in this series.
Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore. This is similar to The Paradise Diaries. Book 1, Angel Eyes, was fine, but there was nothing really about it that made me want to keep reading.
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. I loved the concept of book 1, but it was very slow paced and turned out completely different than I was expecting. I felt like the concept was much better than it's execution. Not interested in reading more.
Hourglass by Myra McEntire. I finished books 1 and 2, Hourglass and Timepiece. And for the most part I enjoyed them. But again, this series is just lacking the elements that make me want more.
The Soulkeepers by GP Ching. Soulkeepers was one of those books that I forced myself to read 5 pages or so at a time. I eventually made it through the book, but I have no desire to force myself to read anything anymore.
The Airel Saga by Aaron Patterson. This book hooked me with it's pretty cover. I'm a sucker for dark covers. But what was inside was slow. I wasn't hooked at all, and also forced myself page by page to finish this one.
Darkness Falls by Krystal Wade. Wilde's Fire, book 1, wasn't my favorite. It held promise, and again I got hooked with the pretty cover. The first book wasn't bad at all, it just didn't leave me in a place where I felt like I wanted to read any more. I picked up book 2, Wilde's Army, because I was still in the phase where I felt compelled to finish what I started. I never should have requested book 2 from NetGalley because I was never fully interested in reading it. I pushed through about 20%, but I'm just more than uninterested. The dialogue has the characters repeatedly calling each other by name to the point where I think it's just awkward because people don't talk like that. And at one point, the character say "we can't stay here long" but the proceed to have a discussion right there, and then towards the end of the discussion they say "we can discuss this later, we really need to leave this place" (I'm paraphrasing), but I'm like "yeah you said that 10 pages ago and then you proceeded to have a 10 page discussion right in the middle of the dangerous place you said you needed to hurry up and leave." At this point I'm still trying to finish book 2, but I'm not sure if I'll finish it. Either way I'll do a review or a DNF Review when I decide.
The Never Chronicles by JR Wagner. Exiled, book 1, was my first review book ever. I was just so excited to be approved for one that I didn't really care what it was. Of course, I cared when I started it and found it to be boring as all get out. Big concept, not the best execution.
Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz. Like House of Night, I really enjoyed books 1-3, but after that each book consecutively got worse and worse. Again, not much was happening with the plot to advance the overall story. And I really just felt like we were going in circles. I LOVED the concept of this series, but I think the concept WAY overshadowed the execution. I think Melissa de la Cruz has such a deep concept of this series that the reader gets lost in the details. Can't see the forest for the trees kind of thing I guess. I abandoned after book Misguided Angel.
The Immortals by Alyson Noel. Another series where I really enjoyed books 1 and 2, Evermore and Blue Moon, but Shadowlands was one I had to force myself to read 5 pages at a time. I was proud and relieved once I finished it, but that left me with no desire to finish the series. It's been so long since I read Shadowlands I hardly remember what my specific issues were.
The Vampire Diaries: The Return by LJ Smith. First off, let me say that I LOVE this TV show. The writers of this show took an average book series and turned it into so much more. I liked the idea of moving the spinoff series (The Return) in Damon's direction. I love a good bad boy, and I totally heart Damon in the show. But this series went from weird to weirder. Book 2 of The Return, Shadow Souls, left off at a huge cliffhanger, but even that's not really enough to entice me to finish the series. And I'm not going any where near The Hunters spinoff...not even with a 10 foot pole.
Night World by LJ Smith. This is one of those series that I read in the beginning of my re-sparked reading life, and thus I didn't have much awesome writing to compare it to. Even then, it didn't take long to realize that each book has a repeating story arc. And while I would get sucked in to these stories, they become so predictable it wasn't even funny.
Return of the Ancients by Madison Adler. I read The Glass Wall and the prequel, Behind the Mirror, and truth be told, I enjoyed it decent enough. I even remember laughing out loud at one part in particular--which doesn't happen too often for me in books, and I usually love when it does. But the overall story and concept just isn't enough to bring me back for more. Plus it's been well over a year--almost two--since I read this and time has dampened my interest. It's time to let it go.
Shades of London by Maureen Johnson. This might come as a surprise to some. Maureen Johnson is hilarious on twitter. The Name of the Star is the only book by her that I've read and truthfully I read this book because it was by her. Also this was one that my husband suggested to me based off of hearing about the description. He didn't actually read it himself, but Husband doesn't make too many recommendations so I picked it up for him. It was okay. It didn't really call to me. I'm fine not finishing the series.
Need by Carrie Jones. I enjoyed book 1, Need, but books 2, and 3 grated on me in increasing levels. I rated Entice 2 stars. There's no need for me to come back after 2 stars. You can read my review of Entice here to see what frustrated me the most with this series and this book.
There might be more series that I'll DNF. I have a few more that I'm unsure about. Time will tell. In the meantime, I truly feel lighter. And now that I've done a post about these, I feel completely free to remove the remaining books in these series off my TBR list and shelves. And donate/giveaway/sell any in my possession that I desire. I feel so light and free....you should try it.
Are there any series that you've DNF'd? What about these that I mentioned? Are any of them keepers that I really need to try to push through? Let me know!
