I don't own many bookmarks at the moment, so I changed things up for this weeks prompt and dug into the archive of prior topics. The topic? I've read a lot of books that I can't believe I've, well, read. Which is totally fine. Because I'm not exactly known for my exceptional taste. (Its fickleness. I'm known for my fickleness.)

I have this theory that even though I know that something won't be my cup of tea, I'll probably still try it and then be surprised when I dislike it. It's basically my calling card.

For example, I hate the texture/taste of donuts and every year or so I try one just to see if I still don't like them. I usually don't. (Although, there is a comic shop in my hometown that sells yummy home-made donuts and that is the exception.) I tried pumpkin spice flavored beer once (it was a dollar and I'm cheap) and drank about half a bottle of it before calling defeat. Sometimes, I drink an entire cup of bad coffee just to be certain it's bad. I'm awful.

No, seriously. Ask my best-friend. She told me not to go see the final Divergent film because it was *bad* and not like the book but I still went to see it. She literally warned me. Naturally, I went to see it and then I was SHOCKED AND CONFUSED by how bad it was. And she probably wanted to knock me out with an 'I told you so' but she's beauty she's grace she'd never knock me in the face.

Well, unless I wore crocs. Which, let's be honest, I'd probably deserve it, then. (I could never pull off crocs. Ever.)





♢This post is going to sound slightly shady and mean. I want to clarify that these books were/are not my cup of tea, but I definitely don't judge anyone for what their literary preferences are. Embrace what makes you happy. And, above all else, taste is subjective. It just so happens that these books weren't ones I necessarily enjoyed and I'm still in shock that I read and finished them.

Actually, to be honest, there are A LOT of times where I find myself drifting off in wonder over the fact that I've read as many books in my lifetime as I have. Even ones that I love. Does anyone else ever get that feeling?

I'm not sure where it comes from but I guess it consistently surprises me? It just does.

After is one of the first books that comes to mind. Hell, I even reread it for 5 and 5 earlier this year. It just wasn't my cup of tea. And, because of this and the fact that it (and the whole series) is MASSIVE it never fails to shock me that I read it. Fallen is another one. I think I have a problem with leaving things unfinished--I've gotten better with it lately, but this is another book I finished that continues to baffle me.

I wanted to like Those Girls SO badly. Because, Lauren Saft has an amazing voice in terms of her writing and it felt like it could have been my brand of unlikable characters doing horrendous things--but it was just an awful book, with awful characters and a whole lot of awful plotlines. (But, that's just my opinion. *Stephanie Harlowe voice* Don't come for me.) Fifty Shades of Grey was just 100% not my cup of tea. Same reasons as After.

Shadow of the Dolls is one of those books that should have never happened. I don't mind sequels and retellings and FF of stories at all. This just... wasn't it for me. I disconnected from it pretty quickly. I feel like Valley of the Dolls was good as a standalone book and no one should have ever written this. We all know my opinion on V.C. Andrews' long used name--the ghost writer needs to stop churning out such horrendous content: The Silhouette Girl is one of the worst books I've ever read. (I'll never get passed the shuddering, awful, disgusting line in the narration: "I inspected myself like a pre-Civil Wat Slave owner looking at prospects.")

Both of these HURT my feelings because I wanted to adore them but struggled so, so, so badly with even finishing either. Actually, it wasn't the books themselves that hurt my feelings, it was just my taste in literature that was like, nope! #FashionVictim may have been a wrong time book on my part. And The Regulars was just flat out unlikable, despite being beautifully written.

You is one of my favourite thrillers of all time--and the show is one of my favourite television adaptations of all time, too--but its sequel Hidden Bodies was not for me. I wanted to love it so badly but it just was not a good spot for me. Lastly, I want to acknowledge the fact that I love Jesse Andrews but The Haters REALLY didn't work for me.