Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Give Me Bookish-Indecisive Syndrome

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Books That Give Me Bookish-Indecisive Syndrome

It happens to the best of us. You spot a book on offer for a great price, or you read a blurb and think a book sounds right up your street, you may even hanker after it for a while – so sure that you definitely need that book in your life. You get excited about it, you might pick it up once or twice before realising you’re just not in the mood for it at that moment in time, and then suddenly 12 months have gone by and you still haven’t read the bloody thing… Welcome to the world of Bookish-Indecisive Syndrome.

I’m including a poll at the end of this post so you can vote for your favourites – a heavily recommended read might just be able to break through my TBR!

Indecisive books #1

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett: Everyone seems to go a little crazy over this book. I bought it based on hype and I’ve never picked it up, with absolutely no logical explanation why. I’ve also heard great things about the movie, and in general I prefer reading the book first, so no movie-times for me.

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: There is absolutely no logical explanation for why I haven’t read this yet – from what I’ve heard and know of it, surely I’m going to love it?? And again, I want to see the movie! It’s not a very long read, maybe I just need to suck it up.

3. Life of Pi by Yann Martel: I know the movie had rave reviews, and I’m wondering if this is one of those books where you can actually get away with just enjoying the movie version for what it is? Not a lot about this book makes me want to pick it up, I was very fickle and became interested purely because of the hype that surrounded the movie release. So, what do you think? Skip the text and watch the film? Or is the book worth reading?

4. The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes: All of Jojo Moyes’ books seem to be getting a lot of attention lately, but none more so than The One Plus One. I have an eBook of it but regularly paw over a hardcopy version whenever I see one. I never buy it and I’m wondering if I’m missing out on a cracking read/author or if it’s over-hyped and I’ll hate it. Opinions, please!

5. The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan: I wanted to try and ease myself into the Fantasy genre, and I’ve been recommended the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series, as apparently it is good for fans of Harry Potter too? I know a lot of people who’ve read and loved this series, but for some reason I can’t bring myself to pick it up. Maybe it’s a commitment issue as it’s a longer series…

Indecisive books #2

6. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness: I’ve been recommended this series (and Patrick Ness) so many times, and I can get my hands on this entire trilogy for just £6.99 through The Book People, so it’s not a massive financial commitment, but I’m still not sure if the genre/story-line will work for me, but I’m permanently tempted by it.

7. S. by Doug Dorst and J J Abrams: I’ve owned this book for almost 6 months – I’ve leafed through it, I’ve swooned and fawned over the fabulous inserts, but I’ve yet to pick it up with the idea of actually reading it. In fact, I’m beginning to wonder if I ever will. For a such a fantastic concept, I’m still amazed there isn’t more talk about this in the book community. I know this would be a struggle to read, but I’m just happy that I own a copy, because to me it’s practically a piece of art.

8. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey: Another series?!? Really, people?? I thought this was a standalone, and when I thought that it was higher on my TBR. Everything seems to be a series these days, and to be honest I’m getting a little tired of it, especially when it’s something that really, really, doesn’t need to be a series at all. Yo, publishers! Stop ripping us off! That, and I hate the wait between releases, so where possible, I try to wait until all of the books are released so I can binge them. So you’ll see a review for this series in 2024 or so.

9. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt: Yes, I actually own this. I don’t know why. I’ve never read anything by Donna Tartt and I’m not usually one for Literary Fiction. But I saw it on offer, I purchased and now I own the beast and it looks at me accusingly from my TBR pile. Apparently, this book is fantastic, and I think it took ten years to be released. It involves commitment. And, it’s Literary Fiction. What was I thinking?

10. The Bourne Series by Robert Ludlum: I LOVE the Bourne movies. I discovered that they were based on books, I found out that there are ten books in the series, I did some quick math (only four movies made to-date that follow the book titles – can we expect six more movies??) and then I spotted all 10 books brand new for £10. Done deal. Only thing is I’ve never read them. I tried to once, but I couldn’t get in past the first few pages and I’m not sure if I’ll ever make it.

Have Your Say:

Has your favourite book made my list of indecisive reads? Do you think I’ll really enjoy one of the books mentioned and should pick it up sooner rather than later?

Let me know by voting in the poll below! You can pick your top 3 from my list, and voting is open for one week. I’ll read and review the book that comes out on-top in the month of August – so get voting!

About Rachel

Avid reader & #bookblogger. Lover of all things business. A fan of drinks & dancing. Ever optimistic. Feminist.

71 Responses

  1. thebookheap

    The Help was fantastic, honestly. It gave me chills!

    PJO is a great series, the first five books are quite quick to read as they are “middle grade” series but man, the continuity in them is brilliant!

    The knife of never letting go…it’s a difficult narration, I warn you now, just because of how it is written, but once you get into it, you will be hooked. I spent a whole week blasting through the series and when i ended it I basically yelled at the books.

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      1. thebookheap

        sadly no- I wound up working through the David Levithan event yesterday and the sarah j maas/leigh bardugo event is now sold out. At least I got to see Rowell!

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  2. I didn’t vote as I’ve only read The 5th Wave and The Bourne Identity and I wouldn’t recommend either, personally. The Bourne Identity is a good book but it’s not very much like the movie AT ALL. The 5th Wave was a DNF for me. Whiny, angst-ridden, virginity & boy obsessed teenager deals with aliens. Blech!
    The Help and The Goldfinch are both on my general TBR but I’m not in a rush.

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  3. I voted for The Help. It was one of the very first adult books I picked up as a younger teen than I am now, and I absolutely adored it. I think that it’s a book everyone should read for many reasons. Not only does it have a serious message but it’s really funny and I flew through it! While the movie is amazing, the book is definitely better, though! 😉

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  4. she

    i read Wallflower waaaay before the movie came out and really enjoyed it. when you’re reading it, you feel like you’re in an indie film. i’ve also tried to read the bourne series many times. maybe i was just too young to get into them. i’m currently reading the newest one from netgalley and am enjoying it.

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  5. Brandie

    VERY interesting list. I see several books that I would probably never be willing to try. Lol. I do have One Plus One on my TBR list and I’ve heard it’s worth reading, despite how much I disliked her other book that I read (Me Before You). I see the Goldfinch everywhere, but it doesn’t seem like anything that would keep my attention. I wish I could read books like that – but they end up putting me in a reading funk.

    THE HELP. I do recommend it. I absolutely loved it. It’s very different, and you have to be in the mood for different. But it’s such a beautiful read.

    My TTT

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      1. Brandie

        Aww, that’s sweet. I loved his movies as a kid.

        I’d love that! It forces me to read books I keep skipping over!

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  6. It seems like every book I pick up these days is a series. What has happened to the stand-alone novels? And the time you have to wait between them is either torturous or frustrating, resulting in either insanity or giving up on the series. I will say that I love The Knife of Never Letting Go and The 5th Wave, whose second book is coming out in September so you’ll probably wait till 2024 for that one.

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  7. I’ve only read one of these books – The Lightning Thief – and I definitely love that book and the series. Although it seems like a big commitment, it’s actually a really fast read. They are more middle grade than teen, and I don’t think it is similar to HP except that it’s fantasy, but it’s great. And the second series, The Heroes of Olympus, is AMAZING!

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  8. I haven’t read The Help yet either, but I have the audiobook checked out from the library to listen to soon.
    Perks is my favorite book, so of course I’m going to recommend you read that. Also, I HIGHLY recommend S. That book is a work of art and anyone who is a lover of books will appreciate it, in my opinion. If I could use one book as my reason for wanting to work with books, it’d be that one.

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      1. Oh, yes. I loved it so much. I did the same thing: put back each of the pieces exactly where they came from. They are definitely placed there for a reason. Its such a beautiful book.

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  9. I LOVED Help, Perks and Percy. I read 2 books in PJ universe so far but really enjoyed them, they’re funny and light, action-packed and adventurous, and based on ‘original’ mythology we know. It’s awesome.
    Ness’ books are a bit more special but I enjoyed The Knife quite a lot. So maybe try it. I will finish the series. There are some awesome and strong messages there.

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  10. I have also owned S. for a while and I haven’t progressed far with it. I love what I have read and the idea, but it’s so different! I need a whole change in perspective to adapt to it.
    The Help was pretty great for me. It’s not the literary piece of art that To Kill a Mockingbird is, but it is incredibly enjoyable.
    Life of Pi was great for me, but I do think it’s not for everyone. And a fair warning if you pick it up: the first chapter is very hard to get through. It gets better!
    I also really loved The Knife of Never Letting Go, my only problem is that the other two books in the series were real disappointments.

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  11. I can’t believe you own a copy of S. I remember it coming out a while back, some of the reviews I saw weren’t overly enthusiastic, but it’s such a work of art I still want to own it. Eventually, I may invest in a copy just for the pretty factor. The rest of your list are books I’ve not read, apart from Perks of Being a Wallflower. It was alright, but definitely not worth the love some people give it, but that’s just me.

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  12. Ah, getting people to vote is GENIUS!

    I’ve read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Life of Pi, the Lightning Thief and The 5th Wave off your list. I really loved Perks when I read it as a teenager, but didn’t like it so much on a reread more recently.

    Life of Pi I confess, I preferred the film. It’s visually stunning, and I just enjoyed it more than the book.

    The Lightning Thief would make a great readathon book I think, because it’s quite a quick, fun read. I really liked it, and went on to read the second book too, but that’s as far as I’ve got so far.

    The 5th wave is my favourite out of the ones I’ve read, and I can’t wait to get my hands on book 2. I know what you mean about the series overload thing, and I thought the 5th wave was a standalone when I first picked it up too!

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  13. I really wanted to read the 5th wave as well, but then I learned theres a second book coming out and I was like WTF! Why?
    I have so many series I am reading. I might just look for stand-alones for now on. I can do trilogies but when you have more than that its hard to keep up.
    My TTT

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  14. I really enjoyed the Help. However, I did read it when it was first released, was before I really got into YA books. I thought it was a beautiful story that was very well written. Though I prefer more YA contemporary books now, The Help is definitely one I would still recommend.

    The only other one I’ve read in your list is The Fifth Wave, which I also really enjoyed. I went the audiobook route with that one, and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s not my usual genre, so I haven’t read many books that are similar, but I was able to entirely enjoy the story completely.

    I can definitely see why these books make you hesitate. Some make me hesitate too. :-/

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  15. OMG Death by series is EPIC!

    I am in agreement with you on several! I want to read the Help and POBW but I haven’t either! But I loved 5th Wave and can’t wait for Infinite Sea. Although I totally feel your pain on everything being a series!

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  16. This is a great list. You have a couple of books the same as mine on it. I am so put off by The Goldfinch and I really don’t want to read it but it’s supposed to be great so I just don’t know! I have seen The Help, The Life of Pi and The Perks of Being a Wallflower and I will never read any of those books so I say just skip them. I tried to read The Life of Pi and couldn’t get on with it but the film is beautiful.

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  17. I quite like PERKS and The Help but sometimes hype does more harm than good. I can’t decide if I want to read the One plus One either, even though i loved Me Before You. And I’m on the fence about The Goldfinch too. I have it but don’t really feel inclined to read it at the moment.

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  18. Ooh I love your voting idea! Unfortunately, I haven’t read any of the books on your list, so I’m probably not going to be a big help. Perks I’m so unsure of. I don’t know what it is about the book that never appealed to me, but I’ve been putting off reading it for so long.

    The 5th Wave is another I’m not very into anymore. I added so many sci-fi/dystopian books to my TBR list, and I’ve only managed to read a handful in comparison. I’ve seen lots of good stuff mentioned, but… I don’t know! I’m so undecided; I don’t want to be let down!

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  19. Great picks! I really enjoyed both The Help and Perks of Being a Wallflower. In my honest opinion, Life of Pi is one where you can enjoy the movie for what it is. It’s a brilliant film and I did enjoy the book, but the end of the book is what saved it for me. Most of the book was really slow and actually really hard to get through. I really want to try the Percy Jackson series too, but I worry that I won’t enjoy it as much as everyone else seems to. Here’s my TTT.

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  20. Cait

    I voted for Perks because it is an amazing book and I really loved it! I like read it in one sitting a few years ago and ohhhh it kind of broke my heart. You and me both for The 5th Wave though. *sigh* What is it with just dragging EVERYTHING into series these days?! I would love to read some more epic/action books that didn’t have 43 million books coming soon. My feels can’t take all that waiting.
    I want to try reading the Bourne books because OMG THE MOVIES. But I’ve heard they’re crazily unalike, so…i’m not sure I want to risk it.
    I really want to try the Knife of Never Letting Go because I LOVE the 2 Patrick Ness books I’ve read so far.
    Thanks for stopping by my list. ^-^

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  21. I’ve read one Jojo Moyes and while it broke my heart I honestly love it too. But I don’t think I’ll be picking up another book from this author anytime soon. I still can’t get over Me Before You 🙂 I loved the Bourne movies as well but I didn’t think I would enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed seeing it on the big screen. Thanks for sharing Rachel and for stopping by my blog 🙂

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  22. The Knife of Never Letting Go (and the rest of the Chaos Walking trilogy) are some of my favourite books. The narration takes a bit to get used to, but Patrick Ness’ writing makes it easy to become completely absorbed in the story.

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  23. Kathleen

    I’ve read The Perks of being a Wallflower and I’m afraid I didn’t like it as majority of the readers loved it. I had to drag myself into finishing it. Oh, but I just bought S. by J.J. Abrams because of its gorgeousness (if there’s such a word). I’ve watched The Help and loved it, I’ve got a copy somewhere in my bookshelf and I’ll eventually read it one of these days, somehow.

    Oh, yes, I have the Goldfinch in my list too. It’s such a fat big book so maybe that’s why it’s scaring me off into starting it too. I think Yancey and Moyes are hyped so…

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  24. Ahh, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Not my favourite read. That was one of the very, very rare occasions when I actually enjoyed the film adaptation better than the book! But still, maybe read it and see whether you like it. I feel like I’m in the minority when it comes to disliking that book. As for The 5th Wave — I really enjoyed that! I’m not that much of a fan of post-apocalyptic novels, but this was really thrilling. Perhaps a little clichéd and predictable in areas, but still worth the read I think. 🙂

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  25. I like how you included a poll — super cute idea! I voted for Jojo Moyes, but I think my favourite of her books was Me Before You. I bawled my eyes out reading that one. I think Perks of a Wallflower was one of the biggest overhyped books for me, since it fell totally flat. And I DNF-ed The Fifth Wave after I just couldn’t get into the story. Life of Pi I loved, but the beginning is really slow and I think a lot of people give up on the book too early. The Help is AWESOME on audio, with different narrators reading each each character!

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  26. […] Week 1 you guys picked The Perks of Being A Wallflower, which I’ve read and reviewed. Week 2 the winner was Throne of Glass, which arrived in the post yesterday in my most recent haul. And Week 3 (last week’s winner) was Cinder! I’ll be getting to Throne of Glass very soon, and I picked up If I Stay this week too, which came second in last week’s poll, so I’ll probably be reading it before Cinder. […]

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