Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Had a Hard Time With

I'm happy to get back into The Broke & The Bookish' TTT and this week's topic should be pretty easy...or hard? Hmm...

1. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami -this book was so incredibly intriguing and definitely kept my interest but at times it was also very confusing. But my biggest problem with it? This book is huge and heavy! If you decide to buy it, go for the 3 volume set instead of the single. It'll save your wrists lol.

2. House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski -when this book came out in 2000, I felt so smart and sophisticated reading it. A year later, when I still hadn't finished it, I felt like the village idiot. I struggled off and on with it for another year or two, until I finally admitted defeat and realized I wasn't the only one who couldn't finish this confusing mystical tome.

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak -difficult in a different way, due to its subject matter. A book about books and words and the power they can wield. (Review)

4. In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck -the only Steinbeck book I didn't immediately get sucked into and actually didn't finish. I started it this summer and maybe just wasn't in the mood for serious what with all the moving stress so I decided to set it aside and maybe pick it up again later.

5. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood -from my review: "I can't really say I enjoyed reading it, but I'm glad I did. This book depressed the heck out of me. There are no positive aspects to it, at all." I haven't watched the Netflix series yet and after hearing friends talk about it, don't know if I ever will. (Review)

6. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz -this is one that I absolutely loved the first time I read it as a young adult but when I tried to reread it last year could just not get into it. It seems I've outgrown Koontz books, alas.

7. 1984 by George Orwell -like The Handmaid's Tale, this is a difficult theme, especially with what's going on in the real world now around us. (Review)

8. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee -the standards were just too high for this one. I liked parts of it and even had a list of favorite quotes, but when it was time to write a review for it, I couldn't do it. Some authors are only meant to have one book and I think Harper Lee might be one.

9. The Cursed Child by JK Rowling -nothing would have been good enough for us rabid Harry Potter fans and unfortunately Rowling's story about young Albus Potter fell short. After reading it, I just felt like it was a fanfic story that I had already read. Speaking of fanfic, After the End by The Sugar Quill, is a truly outstanding story of the trio after the end (duh) of the war and features many of our favorite characters that JKR had previously killed off. Highly recommend.

10.American Gods by Neil Gaiman -another that I reread recently from my youth, because I had heard about the new show. Which I still haven't watched but heard is excellent. This book will hold your interest but it's a dense, detail heavy story. And you will want to research more about ancient gods and folklore.