Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
1. The Red Queen Series by Victoria Aveyard
Now call me controversial, because I know that many people will, but I absolutely adored the first book in this series. However, the second book was a very clear DNF for me... it just dragged and nothing really happened I just could not get into it so I just had to give up on this series.
2. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Oh my gosh, I was blown away by book one in this series but as soon as I started reading the second I just knew it was going in a direction that I would not like. Have to say that Delirium's last page is still one of my all time favorite book endings.
3. The Cage by Megan Shepherd
This book just did not really grip me, and I just have no further interest in this series.
4. Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia and Jennifer Stohl
I really loved book one, it had that kind of southern gothic feel and was so atmospheric but for me it really works as a standalone, and I like to be ignorant to all of the sequels that have been brought out for it.
5. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
The writing is gorgeous in this series and it has such an amazing storyline but the pacing for the first book just sort of put me off, and whilst after finishing it I really wanted the rest of the series, the interest has kind of fizzled for me now.
6. Everlife by Gena Showalter
I so wanted to love the first book in this series but I just couldn't. It was so tropey and the love triangle just didn't work for me and I just knew that this was not a series I was ever going to buy into.
7. The Mortal Instruments series and prequel/sequels by Cassandra Clare
I read the Moral Instruments books when I was in my young/mid teens and I really enjoyed them, but that was the first three books. It should have been left there, but now the series just feels like a cash cow to me. Sorry Cassie Clare, I'll read other stuff from you but please let go of the shadowhunter world!!
8. Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi
Ugh this is a weird one for me because although I adored the first book, when I reread it like 4 years later it just feel very try-hard for me. I re-read it prior to buying the sequel and I just decided not to. Maybe one day - I won't say never - but the purple prose because incredibly annoying.
9. The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
I read up to book 4 and then I just couldn't be bothered anymore - it all kind of felt like the same thing was happening in each book just in a different setting. I want to know how it all works out I just don't want to have to read to find out... maybe I'll just watch the movies.
10. The Selection by Kiera Cass
I make a prediction that this will be on many people's lists as it just had that kind of build up and then... poof, it just becomes predictable and irritating.
Now don't get me wrong, most of the series above are series where I enjoyed the first book or two but I have a real issue for 'second book syndrome' and most of these books suffered from that.
What do you have on your list? Do we share any series? Leave me a comment and let me know.
I'm also returning back from a hiatus to find that a lot of the blogs that I followed are now dead, so please drop me a link to your blog I would love to pop over and check it out!
Great list! One of my friends recently finished the Red Queen series and while she really enjoyed the final book I think the two middle books weren't her favourite, and as readers we shouldn't have to get through a book so we can finally read a good one.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion you've definitely made the right choice with Delirium! I think it works beautifully as a standalone (I agree that the ending is amazing) but I read Pandemonium and Requiem and was really disappointed with how tropey it became and also with Requiem's incredibly disappointing ending.
Yes! That is exactly how I felt when I started Pandemonium.
DeleteI may try Red Queen again but it seems like a lot of people were in the same vein of though as me :)
Thanks for popping by and commenting!
A few of these are series I never even bothered with. But I did enjoy the Shatter Me series and Red Queen...though honestly I still need to read book 2! Lol!
ReplyDeleteHere's my Tuesday Post
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
I've only read the first The Mortal Instruments book. I really liked the idea of the story, but the book itself just wasn't for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you at Daughter of Smoke and Bone.. the pacing was really slow but I did finish the series because I was excited to read Six of Crows (one of my favorite series)..
ReplyDeleteAnd Beautiful Creatures should've been on my list too.
Yeah, I had the same reaction to the Maze Runner series, although I gave up on it a bit sooner than you did.
ReplyDeleteHere is our Top Ten Tuesday.
I gave up on the Red Queen series as well, I finished the second book, but I struggled so much with it that I couldnt continue with the rest of the series!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2018/06/26/top-ten-tuesday-165/
I haven't read any of these but really want to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone!
ReplyDeleteI loved Delirium! I thought the concept of a loveless world was fascinating, and the lengths that people would go to in order to get rid of it. The ending of the first book slayed me, and I had high hopes for the second, but it was a major letdown. It wasn't how I wanted the story to progress at all!
ReplyDeleteL @ Do You Dog-ear?
I'm now following your blog as well! <3
DeleteThe only one I've read of these so far was City of Bones. I guess if the series is making money for Cassandra Clare then there's no reason for her to give it up. I think I'd get bored writing about the same world for 11 years though.
ReplyDeleteI liked Daughter of Smoke and Bone but haven't read any more in that series. I have seen Delirium now on a few posts, so that will be one I skip.
ReplyDeletehttps://justmeandmyblogreviews.blogspot.com/2018/06/top-ten-tuesday-my-top-ten-series-that.html
I reread Shatter Me and didn't enjoy it as much either, mostly because I hated the Adam/Juliette romance. It's definitely worth continuing on... books 2 and 3 are amazing.
ReplyDeleteKrystianna @ Downright Dystopian
I also gave up on Red Queen and Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I just don't see in that last one whatever everyone else was seeing. :(
ReplyDeleteI've gone back and forth if I want to try Shatter Me or the Everlife series. If I'm honest with myself they aren't a priority and with new book coming out every day I'm never going to read them.
ReplyDeleteI listened to three Selection book on audio because I had nothing else and it was so... underwhelming? And I hate love triangles that string people along.
The Mortal Instruments is a funny one for me. I tried her first book and didnt even finish it. FLash forward to last year and I listened to Lady Midnight and really enjoyed it, the sequel even more so. I never would have bet in a million years I would feel that way about one of her books. I can say with certainty that I will not be reading any of the other series in that world.
Good thing you abandoned Delirium because it's SO BAD. I couldn't leave series unfinished before so I read it all. Bleh.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad you didn't like TMI but I do know that many people don't like it so it's okay.
As for The Selection, it's probably good you've left it. I loved book 1 but the quality went down after that. Books 4 and 5 are on my hate list.
Also Shatter Me!! Noo! It's a good thing I read it back when I had to finish series because otherwise I wouldn't jave read book 3. Book 3 is one of favourites and I reread it often. 1 and 2 are meh.