What are three books you would tell people that they need to keep reading even if they aren't immediately sucked in by the first page?
I love this question :D And it's been very interesting reading the others' answers. Twilight and The Host by Stephanie Meyers were two that immediately popped to mind and it was interesting to see that several other people on the chain felt the same. I ended up loving both books (and didn't have a problem with the rest of the Twilight books) but those were two that took me a bit to get into.
I'm not always a very patient reader and I'm definitely more apt to stick with a book if it is A) recommended by a friend or B) written by a friend (case in point - The Hollow by Jessica Verday. It took me a while to get into this book but once I did I couldn't put it down. And I devoured the other two in the trilogy).
But, most of the time, if I care about the main character and the storyline is one that I want to follow, I'll stick with it for a good 100 pages, sometimes more, just in the hopes things will get better. So, here is my list (although yes, I cheated a little bit and mentioned a few more above) :D
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone - Once he hit Hogwarts I was glued to Mr. Potter through all seven books. I think I read them all in just under a week and I've reread them all several times. But the beginning DRAGGED for me. However, everyone was raving so much about them I stuck with it, and I'm very glad I did.
2. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander - I originally chose this book because I needed something to read on a plane ride and it was really long, had nothing embarrassing on the cover, and was conveniently placed in my grocery store checkout line. I struggled through the first little bit, but I was stuck on a plane with nothing else to do. Once Claire went through the stones and ended up in 1700s Scotland, I was completely hooked. I finished that 800 or so page book that night (totally ignoring my cousins whom I'd gone to visit in the process. Luckily, they understood...and I even got my cousin's wife hooked on the series before I left) :D
I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction although I always caution them to stick with it until she gets through the stones. And I do tend to skim her rather long and rambling descriptions. But other than that, these books are AMAZING.
3. Anything by Anne Rice - I love most of her books. Her vampire series especially. Louis and Lestat were my first vampire loves. But I think it takes a good 1 to 3 chapters (sometimes more) for me to get into her books, until the day came where I picked one up and just couldn't get through it at all. But...up until then, once I'd pushed past the first few chapters, I'd be hooked. And after reading a couple books, I knew this would be the case so it was easy to keep going, knowing it would eventually get better.
What books make your list? Why did you stick with them?
Check out Eric's list HERE and be sure to stop by Tere's blog tomorrow and see who made her list.
11 comments:
I've read HP and some works by Anne Rice. I started Outlander based on other's recommendations, but even after she traveled through time, it just didn't work for me.
The Stand, by Stephen king started sooooo slow I almost put it down. Thanks to a friend's encouragement I trudged forward and am glad about it. The book was great. ONce I got past about 100 pages of setting, the story really took off.
Since I'm responding to a historical fiction buff, I'll include a book that surprised me. Captive Queen, by Elizabeth Weir dragged in the beginning. However, once I got into the story I couldn't put it down. Fantastic , just fantastic. It's one of the few book I'd read again.
To Kill a Mockingbird also started slow to me, but I'm glad to have stuck with it.
Anne Rice...interesting! Great answers
For me, I would tell people Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I read the first in a matter of hours but Chamber took me 4 days because I just couldn't get into it. Once he finally made it to Hogwarts I flew through the book.
Lately, if I can't get into a book I don't finish it so I really can't say. But it's characters that are paramount for me. If I can't get behind a character enough to care about them and about what happens to them, I won't keep reading.
I loved the Harry Potters as well, but it took me ages to finally give them a chance. But so glad I did. Once I began, I devoured them and read the first 4 in a week so I could be caught up! :-)
I stuck with LIT by Mary Karr because of her awesome writing ability. I didn't like the protagonist at first (Ha! This is a memoir), but loved her in the end.
I picked Harry Potter too! Though for different reasons.
I haven't read the second one, but I totally agree about Anne Rice.
I am amazed that HP keeps popping up! I think the beginning of the first five books act as a needed foil for the happiness Harry feels at Hogwarts. I disdained the Dursleys and they were hard to read about. I'm glad you kept going!
Oh Outlander is a bit of a slog in the beginning, but so very very rewarding in the end.
I've tried reading Harry Potter three times. Last time I made it to chapter 12, but that was months ago and I have no desire to go back to it. I know that makes me a freak, but I've accepted that. ;)
Having said that, the Harry Potter series is what hooked my son on reading, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. :)
I read a bunch of Anne Rice back when I was 16, but the only one that really stuck with me was Memnoch the Devil. I still have a copy kicking around somewhere.
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