Say hello to Jess of Bookworms in Dresses!
Hello there! I'm Jess and I've been a bookworm since third grade! I've read a lot off books throughout my years and I've dabbled in creative writing as well. I even won a writing contest back in second grade! Like many bookworms before me, I've thought about how awesome it would be to write a best seller like the ones I'm always reading! So here I'm going to share the three books I wish that I'd written and the three books that I wish hadn't been written.
Top Three
First: I wish that I would have written The Likeness by Tana French. I love murder mysteries and it's something that isn't my forte at all when it actually comes to creative writing. I'm terrible a plot twists that you can't see coming. I'm terrible at writing mystery in general, so I wish I had that particular skill set! Plus, The Likeness was just so amazingly well written as well with great characters. I look up to anyone who can spin a tale like that!
Second, I'd have to say House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Clearly I wish I could have written my favorite book! I mean, to be able to write a book that so many people claim as a favorite and re-read would be completely amazing! Not to mention, being able to write something that is so ground-breaking and consuming would be a dream come true! House of Leaves lingers for quite a while after you read it, to the point that you want to measure your walls to make sure everything lines up okay. It's a really deep and freaky book!
Third, would be Cat Sense by John Bradshaw. I wish that I would have studied cats and become a true cat expert, instead of a self proclaimed cat whisperer. I seem to have a lot of dreams here, but it would be a dream come true to have a bunch of cats and be able to help out shelter cats as well! I want to save all the kitties! So yes, I wish I could write a book all about cats and educate people all about them in hardcover!
Bottom Three
Time: The books that I wish hadn't been written. Now remember, this is all my opinion, so you don't have to agree with me! I rarely encounter books I don't like, but that's also because I don't stray too far out of my comfort zone. I'm sure if I grabbed books all willy nilly off shelves at bookstores I'd probably read a lot more books that I didn't like. Anyways, on with the show!
First, I have to start with 50 Shades of Grey by E.L James. Not only was this Twilight fan fiction first, but it isn't written all that well either. A lot of the internal monologue was cringe-worthy and it painted a TERRIBLE picture of what BDSM culture is really like. I mean....he literally ignored the safe words for just one thing. Not to mention the cliched ending that didn't make any sense at all, it was just a hodge podge of terrible plot that made became a bestseller. Although, it's really funny to read it using Edward and Bella's names.
Second, I'm picking When We Were Friends by Elizabeth Joy Arnold. ARGH! I was SO MAD at the end of this book! Like enraged, irritated, and disgruntled! I had some higher hopes for the ending, like some revenge twist, or something but it just let me down so hard! I wanted to throw it on the ground and scream at it! I actually ranted out loud to my parents about it once I finished it. I mean, no normal person would have reacted to that situation in the way the lead character had!!
Third, the geek in me is coming out and I'm saying Gantz, a manga, by Hiroya Oku. First let me say that yes, I read this entire thing. It's huge! 383 chapters, which is 37 volumes. It started out amazing, such a compelling story full of action and some terrifying creatures. It was mind bending and so confusing, nothing made sense but that just made you want to read it even more! But then.....ALIENS! Spoiler: THE ENTIRE TIME, EVERYTHING WAS ALIENS! IT WAS ALL ALIENS! I WAS SO ENRAGED! IT FELT LIKE A COP-OUT!!! Not to mention, they killed off all the awesome love interests and brought in this terrible one. I just wanted to cry at the end.
Well. Those are my picks. What books would you have liked to have written? Or do you have a book that you wish didn't exist/that you would have never picked up?
