I used to participate in Top Ten Tuesday when I first started blogging and it was a wonderful way to meet fellow bloggers! I thought with coming back from a hiatus, and a bit of a lack of inspiration on my part, participating again would be a great idea. So, every Tuesday (if the topic interests me) I’ll be sharing a Top Ten Tuesday post. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl! Make sure to check out her page explaining everything you need to know, including future topics.
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about books we recently DNF’d. Now, look, I’m not a big fan of DNFing (for myself, you do you, I just don’t have the heart to do it all that much). A lot of the books I start then put down are in a “get to it later” kind of pile. If I ever get to it again, who knows, but I intend to. However, there are some audiobooks I’ve started in the last year or so that I dropped and have no desire to continue with. Some are becase I just couldn’t get into it, some are because of the narrator. But just keep in mind these are all the AUDIOBOOK versions. So, here are 9 audiobooks I dropped and have to desire to try again.
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⇒ THE NIGHT SHIP by JESS KIDD | Goodreads – Simply put, I just didn’t get into this one and it was due back at the library. So I let it go.
⇒ THE MAKING OF ANOTHER MAJOR MOTION PICTURE MASTERPIECE by TOM HANKS | Goodreads – Listening to an audiobook of this one that was narrated by Tom Hanks himself was something I thought would be amazing. Unfortunately, Tom Hanks has such a distinct voice for me that it was actually quite distracting. Not to mention it felt very dry – like he was reading a play by play without any emotion. Sorry, Tom, I still love you as an actor, though.
⇒ THE WISHING GAME by MEG SHAFFER | Goodreads – I’m sorry for this one, guys. I know so many of you love it but I tried to listen to this and my mind just never stayed focused. Maybe I should try to read a physical copy instead, because the story just never captivated me.
⇒ UNMASKED by PAUL HOLES | Goodreads – Look, I love true crime. I have listened to every episode Morbid and Crime Junkies has come out with, literally. But I never read true crime. I thought going into the genre with a book written by the detective who solved so many crimes would be a safe bet but….I. Was. Bored. That’s it. I’ll just stick to my podcasts for now.
⇒ EMILY WILDE’S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES by HEATHER FAWCETT | Goodreads – To be honest, I was simply confused. Mostly by the characters. I just wasn’t following who was who and how they were supposed to look. For example, I thought the guy that came was supposed to be some old dude…but he’s not? I just gave up.
⇒ THE PARIS APARTMENT by LUCY FOLEY | Goodreads – I’ve tried listening to this one twice and both times…I got over it real quick. I’m usually a sucker for thrillers, but this one just wasn’t grabbing my attention. I truly couldn’t tell you why.
⇒ THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. SCHWAB | Goodreads – I’M SORRY FOR THIS ONE GUYS. I TRULY AM. Maybe, one day, I’ll stick to it, but for now, every time I have tried (and I have tried both audio and physical several times) I never get into it.
⇒ TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY by ALIX E. HARROW | Goodreads – I have realized I simply don’t enjoy most magical realism books.
⇒ THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES by ALIX E. HARROW | Goodreads – It’s been a while since I DNF’d this one, so all I remember is being bored and not caring. Maybe Alix E. Harrow just isn’t for me.
Have you read any of these? What is a book you recently DNF’d?
32 Comments
I wasn’t able to get into Fawcett’s Emily Wilde book either. I only read to maybe 5% before realizing it just wasn’t for me right now.
My TTT: https://bookbabenails.wordpress.com/2023/07/25/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-dnfd/
Yeah, there was just something about that one that wasn’t clicking with me!
I hope you like them better the next time around.
Here is my Top Ten Tuesday post.
I can see where books with a lot of characters would not be a good choice in audio. I tend to prefer that kind of book in print format—so I’ll be picking up a print version of Emily Wilde for sure! And I think at this point, you can probably just consider Addie LaRue a loss. I enjoyed that book, but it seems like it’s an easy book to bounce off of. It took me a long time to get fully invested in it.
My TTT: https://bookwyrmknits.com/2023/07/25/top-ten-tuesday-recent-dnfs/
Yeah, I finally unhauled Addie LaRue and I’m going to stop checking the audio out from the library hahah I’ve given up!
I love audiobooks and have both ecopies and audiobooks of a couple of these. Maybe I will read them instead. Very interesting list, Molly.
I do think some I would enjoy as an ebook because some were just the issues with the narrators!
I kind of forgot about it until seeing it on your list, but I think I’ve read some things about The Paris Apartment. May be one I need to look into again. A good thriller now and then is something I enjoy… if this one is a good one. 😉
I hope you enjoy it more than I did!
I listened to Ten Thousand Doors of January and enjoyed the experience. It was kind of slow, but ended up being good. That being said, I get why you DNF’d it.
Yeah, I’ve just found I’m not super into magical realism! But I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I also don’t often DNF, but when something isn’t clicking it’s not worth the time either. I listened to The Paris Apartment and Addie LaRue on audio and did enjoy both, though I can also see how they could be harder to get into.
I really wanted to like Addie LaRue because most people liked it, I just struggled. But it’s bugging me because I also want to know how the story plays out haha Maybe another time!
Great list! I also didn’t enjoy Addie LaRue, although I haven’t found too many others who didn’t. You listed a few books that I really enjoyed here, and I have to say that I listened to another audiobook narrated by Tom Hanks that was fantastic (The Dutch House by Ann Patchett), so I’m sorry that this one was dry and boring. Hopefully you’ll find some better books to read!
I’ll have to look into the other book narrated by Tom Hanks!
Sometimes some audiobooks are just not good fits. I always have to remind myself that just because I didn’t connect with a narrator doesn’t me I won’t enjoy it if I read a physical copy instead.
Yeah, thats like The Drowning Woman. I recently stopped the audiobook for that because of the narrator, but I actually didn’t hate the story!
I only finished Addie Larue because I did it as a buddy read, which helped to chat with someone about all the things going on. Otherwise it ABSOLUTELY would have been a DNF for me xD no judgment! If it’s not for you, there are a ton of other books to read! 🙂
I’m feeling better because lots of people commenting on this didn’t like Addie LaRue either lol
I really liked THE WISHING GAME. It charmed me, but I get how it might not be for everyone.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Lots of people adored it! I think that type of book isn’t for me though
I couldn’t finish The Paris Apartment either. I was reading a print copy so maybe it was just the book.
That makes me feel better lol
I DNF’d The Invisible Life of Addie Larue too. At that point I decided to stop attempting that author’s books because I DNF’d every one I tried.
Ah, yeah maybe she definitely doesn’t click with you as an author!
I hear ya on Addie LaRue. I actually finished it, but I did not enjoy it at all. I’ve DNFed audiobooks because I couldn’t understand the narrator – heavy accent, mumbling, that sort of thing.
I just recently had to stop listening to The Drowning Woman because the narrator took too long of breaks in between each sentence. It made them sound like a robot hahah
I love your list! I felt the same way about The Life of Addie Larue. I tried both the print and audio book version. The audiobook was even read by Julie Whelan, a narrator I adore. If I remember correctly, I gave up around the 50% mark.
You made it further than me lol I don’t think I ever got past chapter 2
I really enjoyed Addie LaRue but VE Schwab is a favourite author of mine, and I still haven’t loved every book she’s ever put out, I tend to find that I enjoy her adult stuff more than her YA (though I did enjoy her MG series, that was actually a lot of fun) so books like The Archived & The Unbound and her Monsters of Verity duology (though I did like the second book in that series) didn’t work as well for me as her Villains books or the Shades of Magic series or Addie LaRue. You can definitely enjoy an author and still not love every one of their books, or you can find that author is not for you after just one. The joy of reading is that there are so many options out there!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/07/25/top-ten-tuesday-430/
I cannot do audiobooks. I have tried, so many times, but alas. I finished exactly one in my whole life and I think that was because I was driving 10 hours alone. On the way home, I couldn’t get into the one I tried (The Scorpio Races) but I did eventually finish it in print (it was only okay for me either way heh). I feel like I am just too visual a person? I have not actually read any of these so I can’t even tell you if any are worth trying again, sorry! I have to say though, I don’t think magical realism is for me either, but I did love A Spindle Splintered by Alix Harrow!
Ok so I very specifically have to listen to thrillers/mysteries/romance on audio. Fantasy or sci fi or any genre that elements not set in our reality are very difficult for me to get into. I’ve simply given up. Every audiobook I listen to has to be based on earth, as we know it. If that makes sense lol