Books that make you fade and "I'm A Literacy Builder" Award

Did you hit the wall when you tried War and Peace? Too many balls, too many battles, too little time? Some readers find the charm of The Hobbit alluring but get stuck in the mud of mythical prose when they make the climb to Lord of the Rings.

We all know the adage that you can't judge a book by its cover but after a few pages/chapters you have a pretty good idea whether the cover's living up to the hype.

Some of us think you should just plough on and read; others believe that life's too short to read a 'bad' book or one that just isn't a good fit.

Did you know that the 2003 Booker Prize novel, Vernon God LIttle is the most popular work of fiction on the list that people started to read but never reached the end? Here's a list of some books, both fiction and non-fiction that people tossed into the 'too hard' or 'just can't get into it' bin:

• Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• Ulysses - Homer
• The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie
• Bill Clinton's and David Beckham's biographies
• Wild Swans - Jung Chang
• I Can Make You Thin - Paul McKenna (Really? Wouldn't that be un-put-down-able??)

The latest list - from Top 10 Abandoned Books left behind in hotel rooms:

• Simon Cowell's biography - the book most often left behind in hotel rooms
• The whole three books in Stieg Larsson's popular Millennium Triology -
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo...
• The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
• Breaking Dawn and Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
• Eat PrayLove - Elizabeth Gilbert

Just for interest sake, a whole suitcase of Mills & Boon were found dumped in a Leeds hotel - was that you, Francine?

A buzz to all the chick-lit authors - very few people leave chick-lit behind these days! 

Do you have your list of books that make you fade, books that you know you should read because to be 'well-read' you owe it to yourself? Have you picked up a tome again and again just to abandon it - again? I have, of course, or I wouldn't have written this post. I hang my head in shame to give you my list of Books that make me fade. Some I tried hard to read, really I did, but I just had to give up and move onto more luscious pastures.

1. Ulysses - Homer
2. The Iliad - Homer
3. The Odyssey - Homer
4. Beowulf in poem form
5. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
6. Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
7. Lord of the Rings - Tolkein

There are no modern books in my list, but I did persevere with the Twilight series and managed the first three okay. I'm about to try the Stieg Larsson books. I struggled with The Book Thief but ended up enjoying it. And hey, I have read War and Peace!! Yay, and loved it most of the time.

How about you? Do you have a list of books that are your literary mountain, or do you manage to finish all the books you start?

Continuing my literary theme, today I would like to thank Pamela Jo at There's Just LIfe for giving me the "I'm A Literacy Builder" Award. If you aren't a follower of Pamela Jos, you're missing out on a jewel of a blog. Treat yourself and visit.

The rules for this award are as follows:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2. Display the award logo on your blog site.
3. Tell us five of your favorite words and why you like them, (add as many as you like).
4. Pass the award on to three bloggers you feel are excellent literacy builders, and link to their sites.
5. Contact the bloggers you’ve chosen and let them know about the award.

Wow! My five favourite words. That's a big ask. I'll remember once I've published this...

Okay, this is going to take me awhile so just think about books for your above list while I think...

Here are 5 of my favourite words, or at least 5 that I can remember right now.

1. Atmosphere - I just love creating it in my writing and I like the word itself.
2. History - Love it, love learning more about the past all the time. Will take a lifetime or two.
3. Love - Such a crucial word. Love how it sounds, love how it can be so positive.
4. Friends - Because everyone needs them. We need each other.
5. Classic - I love the looks (clothes, cars and guitars...) and I love the books.

 I'd like to give this to a swag of my followers but the three people I'm alloted to share the love with would be:

Francine at Romancing the Blog -
Ann Best at Long Journey Home
Tara at Dreaming Secrets

  

Hoping these lovelies will accept this award and share their favourite words, then pass it on to their chosen ones.

Have a great week everyone, and I hope you'll give me a list of your unfinished books...please...D