Top 10 Tuesday: Books I Disliked/Hated but Am Really Glad I Read

Some of these are books I disliked but am glad I read because I learnt something from them. As much as we can learn what makes a great book, as a writer you can learn what not to do from what you don’t like about books you’ve read.

Top 10 Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish, but as of January has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. If you’re interested in taking part click here.

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Twilight by Stephenie Meyer – I disliked this book but it’s one of those books you have to read so you know what it’s all about, so you’re not just making blind judgements.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth – I enjoyed the first two books in this series but the third book just wasn’t great. I didn’t hate it. There were some things I liked about it, and I’m glad I finished reading the series and saw the story to the end, but the book was a disappointment.

Madame Bovary by Gustav Flaubert – I hated this classic but at least I can say I read it! I found it very dull and would have given up if I hadn’t needed to read it for my degree.

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Changeling by Philippa Gregory – I’m glad I read this one because it made me realise that even a really successful author can write books that are just plain bad. Philippa Gregory is a very well known author, and I’ve heard good things about her books, so I was pretty shocked at how bad Changeling was.

Matched by Ally Condie – I read this when I was first getting into YA sci-fi, and I guess it made me realise that even in a genre you love there are books that you hate.

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick – This book taught me how quickly and badly a series can go downhill. This book was so bad compared to the first two in the series. I didn’t end up reading the fourth and final book.

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Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift – I didn’t enjoy this book, it just wasn’t for me. But at least I then knew the book is not at all like the Jack Black film, because that was something I had wondered about!

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks – So I didn’t hate or dislike this book, though I’m not really sure I can say I ‘liked’ it. It was a very strange book. I’m glad I read it though because I think it’s very well written.

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole – I’m glad I read this book, as it was the beginning of the Gothic genre, but I didn’t really like it all that much.

I fell short at nine this week. I couldn’t find a tenth book I disliked but am glad I read. Any other books I disliked I’m not glad I read at all! Are there any books you disliked but are glad you read?

5 thoughts on “Top 10 Tuesday: Books I Disliked/Hated but Am Really Glad I Read

  1. Nice post! I feel the same about Twilight and Gulliver’s Travels (although I was never actually able to finish the latter – it went on for so long)! I can also understand what you’re saying about The Castle of Otranto. I really liked this book, but probably only because of how interesting it is as the ‘first’ gothic book, but it certainly is odd!

    • Yes I felt Gulliver’s Travels dragged on, it was difficult to get through! I really want to read more of the early gothic books, as The Castle of Otranto is the only one I have read.

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