Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish which I am taking part in.
The topic this week is Top Ten Books You Lied About, this seems to cover books I may have lied about reading, lied about not reading or lied about liking/disliking it.
To be honest I struggled quite a bit with this list, I have always tried to be honest in my opinions on books and I don't see the need to lie about reading or not reading something. None of the people I know really care one way or another about what I have or have not read.
In the end I have had to think back to things I did when I was in my early teen years as that was probably the only time I may have been a little bit more willing to bend to peer pressure.
War and Peace by Leo TolstoyI was young and one of my friends was trying to show off that he had read some "classical" piece of fiction. I therefore decided to show him up by saying that I had read War and Peace. It was childish I know but I couldn't help myself, I have still never read the book but I suspect it is nothing like the novel I described to my friend involving wolves eating children and Russian peasants leading an invasion of China.
The Lifeguard by Richie Tankerlsey CusickMy friends and sister had all read this book and told me how great it was. Therefore I decided to read it and found it boring. It was nothing compared to the Christopher Pike books I had been reading, but I just played along with my friends and agreed that it was really good. Luckily I used this to get a few of them onto Christopher Pike and away from Point Horror books like this.
I have to be honest and say this is pretty much all I can think of. As I said earlier, I tend to be honest about books I read nowadays and I learnt very quickly when I was young not to bother about what other people read. I mean some people I knew back then looked at me like I was an idiot for even reading at all!
If War and Peace was actually the story you painted it to be I might actually stop being intimidated and pick it up!
ReplyDeleteAlso, Christopher Pike FTW! Love his books!
I'm not big on lying about books, either, but I got caught in a similar childhood trap when a teacher, proud that I had proven myself advanced in reading by writing a modernization or part of Romeo and Juliet (which I don't think I understood as well as she thought I did, despite my efforts), suggested I read the Illiad and the Odyssey. I tried. I struggled for a week to understand those books before I bought my first-ever Cliff's Notes. And when I turned in my report, paraphrasing the Cliff's Notes, she was so impressed. Wow, that made me feel bad.
ReplyDeleteThe only other book I ever bought Cliff's Notes for in school was The Great Gatsby. They made me read some boring books in school, but that one made me want to peel my eyes out.
I rarely lied about books as a child, and I don't lie about books anymore. I know what I like and I even know why, and I don't feel like dancing around it or apologizing for it for the sake of someone else's idea of what it means to be "well read" or someone else's idea of what "everyone should read." I reject the idea that there is any single book out there that "everyone" should read. (Steps down from soap box. :) )
Oh, wow. I really wish I got to hear your version of War and Peace. I have managed about half the book and I am pretty sure yours would have been far more interesting.
ReplyDeleteI haven't given a response this week as I can't think of any time I lied.
I loved the Christopher Pike books too!
War and Peace intimidates me. I don't know if I'll ever pick it up but I totally understand why you lied about it. You gotta keep face on the playground.
ReplyDeleteInteresting list. There are some books we can never get into...
ReplyDeleteHere is my Top Ten post!
I have no idea what War and Peace is about, but I like your plot!
ReplyDeleteI foolishly put W&P on the list of books that I plan to read this year. Big mistake. It's the fifth month and I'm maybe fifteen pages in.
ReplyDeleteHope you'll stop by my blog: Readerbuzz. Not much there this week, but maybe, if you browse a bit, you will find something else of interest. And I do have a great giveaway going on....
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteIt took guts to lie about War and Peace the way you did! =D I'm (rightly) afraid of being publicly called on my BS, so when I do fudge about books, they're the ones I know a thing or two about.
Any plans to read it in the future?
Hey all, I will check out all the lists and blogs detailed here!
ReplyDeleteChristine: I understand exactly what you are saying! I struggled to even try and remember these two exmaples from when I was young and easily led!
Enbrethiliel: Luckily I don't think there was much chance of the person I lied to actually reading War & Peace. I am not sure if I will ever read it to be honest, with so much else out there to read I just struggle to find the desire to have a go at it.