The Huh? List of 2016
Books are memorable for a number of reasons – mostly in a good way – but then, there are those books that are a bit weird or just leave you wondering, what the heck did everyone see in it?! Here’s a few such books from our reads this year.
The Did Not Finish (DNF) List
Dorothy Must Die, Danielle Paige. A fairytale retelling gone very, VERY, wrong.
Blood on Snow, Jo Nesbo. I have not read a book by Nesbo that I didn’t love. And I’m not about to start now … so I just did not finish this sucker. This was a freaking snooze fest, and I refuse to have to give one of my favorite authors a bad rating (I don’t rate books when I don’t finish them – my version of “no stars”).
This Is Some Crazy Shit
- Annihilation and Authority (Southern Reach Trilogy #1 and 2), Jeff VanderMeer – It’s weird that I didn’t like the 1st book – yet moved onto the 2nd book in the series … which I disliked even more. And it’s even weirder that I intend to read the 3rd and final book!
Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. The 1st expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the 2nd expedition committed suicide; the 3rd expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the 11th expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer.
- The Cipher, Kathe Koja – This book is dark, horrific, weird and filled with unlikable characters. I didn’t like it – but I so want to read more from this author.
Nicholas is a would-be poet and video-store clerk with a weeping hole in his hand – weeping not blood, but a plasma of tears…
- Easy Travel to Other Planets, Ted Mooney … is sex between a dolphin and a woman even possible?! Is it a metaphor or something? I didn’t get it.
Book Award Winner That Made Me Wonder Why
The Vegetarian, Han King – She stopped eating meat; her husband wanted her to; then left her; she starved; had some epiphanies that were probably hunger induced delusions; and then … nothing happened. Why does everyone seem to love this book? It has made like all the “Best Books of 2016” lists, and won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize. I just don’t get it I suppose.
I Just Don’t Know About This One
The Devourers, Indra Daas – You smoking outside a bar, and a stranger walks up to you and says, “Hi, I’m half-werewolf” … do you keep listening? This book just weirder from there. I didn’t like it at first, but then … I just wasn’t sure – and the book has stayed with me since I read it a few months ago. Have you read this one? What did you think?
What books made you scratch your head this year?
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Lori
I just bought Dorothy Must Die on sale. =/ At least it was cheap! The Vegetarian sounds odd. I don’t think I will pick that one up.
The Serpent King is at the top of my huh list. Everyone loves it. I thought it was really awful and DNF it.
Sue Jackson
ha ha – what a great list! Good idea – something different from the Best Of lists 🙂
I haven’t read any of these, but thanks for the heads up on The Vegetarian – so many rave reviews & awards.
I rarely DNF a book, but there weer two this year – Nathaniel’s Nutmeg, a nonfiction chosen by my book group – I read half, went to the meeting, and didn’t bother finishing it – just boring, written too much like a text book. But if you want WEIRD, I trued hard to read a review book for Publisher’s Weekly and just could NOT finish it. It was translated from German, there were lots of passages of a mother having sexual daydreams about her 13-year old son (ew), and as best I could tell, the narrator was the pond behind their house. No thanks.
Fun list & post!
Sue
Book By Book
Tamara @ Traveling With T
The Man Booker awards- man I know some people LOVE to read all the books on that list, but I just pass. I recognized 1 book (Dorothy Must Die) and I think I saw some YA bloggers talking about their love for that book!
Andi
I was really unsure about the first Southern Reach book, and I’m not very positive about trying the second, but I probably will. So weird that we’re compelled. lol
Ashley @ Bookish Creature
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I didn’t get The Underground Railroad at all. I couldn’t connect with the characters and the whole “yeah no it’s an actual railroad” threw me off. :/
Kate @ Parchment Girl
I had similar feelings about The Vegetarian right after I read it. I understood why it won the Booker, but there was something about it that rubbed me the wrong way. It kind of grew on me after a while, though. I think the writing (and translation) is brilliant.
Akilah
I completely agree about Dorothy Must Die. I couldn’t finish it, and I am baffled that it’s done so well. Cool premise, though. Too bad about the execution.
Sarah's Book Shelves
Ha – I love how you did this! And I’m often scratching my head at the Man Booker Awards…that committee and I just aren’t generally on the same page.
Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews
Jo Nesbo’s books give me the shivers. I actually only read one if you want to call it reading it!! 🙂 Couldn’t continue. 🙂
Love your photo at the top of the post.
Your posts are always so organized and interesting. THANKS for sharing.
Have a terrific week.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
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