Anti-TBR Tag: Books I Have No Interest in Reading

This tag has been going around on booktube for a while now, and I thought it’d be fun to answer the questions myself. I believe the creator is Nicole & Her Books, so check her out.

In lieu of an irrelevant and lengthy intro, let’s get into the books that I’m not interested in ever reading:

A popular book EVERYONE loves that you have no interest in reading:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I’ve read Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea, which was released after The Night Circus, and while I didn’t dislike the book, it didn’t compel me to read any more of her books. I’ve heard that The Night Circus is supposed to be superior in every way, and everyone raves about it, but I just don’t see myself picking up the novel. 

A classic book (or author) you don’t have an interest in reading:

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Not only does the subject matter not interest me, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone compliment the book except in Matilda the movie. 

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

I started this classic before high school, and it might be the first book I ever dnfr’d (in case you didn’t know, dnfr = did not finish reading). I always had an aversion to not finishing a book, but I only got through about 2 chapters of Wuthering Heights before I had to stop. However, this might be a cheat, because I do want to pick it up again and try reading it; I feel like I have to just for the experience. So perhaps it doesn’t belong on this list, but I’m definitely wary of starting it again.

An author whose books you have no interest in reading and 3.2. A problematic author whose books you have no interest in reading:

In the original tag, these two questions could be answered separately or as one question. I’m going to go with the latter option, because I have two answers that fit both questions:

Stephen King

He has a cult following and I know some people read him almost exclusively. But it’s never really occurred to me to pick up one of his books myself. I’ve also vaguely heard that he may be problematic in some ways, particularly in stereotypical characterization. 

Rainbow Rowell

Rowell is hugely problematic, and although I was compelled to read her books when they first came out and were hugely popular, I never got around to it. And now I simply have no interest in doing so. 

An author you have read a couple of books from and have decided their books are not for you:

This might be a little strange, but my answer is William Shakespeare. I absolutely adore Shakespeare’s sonnets. Back when I didn’t like poetry, his sonnets (along with Donne’s) were the saving grace for poetry in my eyes. But Shakepeare’s plays have always been meh for me. I’ve read Othello, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, and A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and if I never read another Shakespeare play again, I’m totally fine with that.

A genre you have no interest in OR a genre you tried to get into and couldn’t:

Sci-fi

Although I do enjoy some dystopian novels that may fall into this genre, like 1984 by George Orwell and the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, I don’t really gravitate towards this genre. In fact, speculative fiction in general isn’t usually my thing, although there are some gems buried in there (some not so deeply buried).

A book you bought but will never read (this can be a book you have unhauled/returned to the library unread):

N/A. I honestly can’t answer this question, because I don’t think I own a book that I will never read. (And the concept of unhauling seems moderately horrific to me at the current moment as a person who adores books and can’t afford them lol.)

A series you have no interest in reading OR a series you started and have dnf’d:

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

I’ve never read these books, and I have no interest in entering the debate on whether these are delightfully bad or just bad. 

A new release you have no interest in reading:

Although I keep up with bestseller’s lists, because I like to be familiar with the current literary market (and it’s relevant for anyone wanting to go into the publishing industry), I don’t usually keep up with the abundance of new releases. But I’ll include a random book that I came across that I simply don’t see myself ever reading: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. I love when novels incorporate Greek/Roman mythology, whether in a modern context or not, but this one doesn’t strike me as something incredibly new or ingenious, although I have no basis for this criticism. I’m just not especially compelled to pick it up. 

That’s all for the tag. Feel free to share your answers in the comments!

Stay lit, my friends.