Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at Gingerreadslainey. Every week, book reviewers all over the world are given a bookish topic and respond with their top 5 books (or elements of books) that relate to that topic. Click here for the Goodreads group if you would like to learn more about Top 5 Wednesday and join in!
This week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is the top five books that you’re intimidated by. Though I am an avid reader that will gladly read (almost) anything you hand to me, I get intimidated by books fairly easily. This never prevents me from picking up the books and giving them a go, it just makes me put them off for ages. Most times, my fear is caused by the length of the novel. I’m a relatively slow reader who loves fantasy and sci-fi, which can by a problematic combination, at least for me! Hype surrounding novels can also make me nervous, and since I take forever to get around to popular series, this is a major issue for me as well. And of course, let’s not forget about the potential of massive quantities of feels…
Okay, let’s get into that list! 😀
5. Under the Dome by Stephen King
Two words: Page. Count. 1000+ pages definitely freaks me out, even if it is a book by an author I love. Also, the copy I have to read is my dad’s hardcover edition, which (probably due to the troubles I have lifting it up!) is psyching me out even more. I’m very interested in both this novel and the television series, having heard fantastic things about both. I may have to get a copy on Kindle—that might help…
4. The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
I find the entire Mistborn series pretty daunting, but actually less so than the other series I have on this list. This intimidation comes purely from page count. Based on what I know about these novels, I have a feeling that I will not have a difficult time actually getting into the story and the writing. I am determined to get through at least this first book before the end of the year. Now if I can just find the time…
3. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Once again, I must address my shame at never having read any Tolkien books or seen any of The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit films. I intend to finally fix the film part this year, as well begin reading the LOTR trilogy, but I definitely feel intimidated. I’m certain that I will love it—I can’t imagine not adoring these stories! But I still feel pressure since these are such well-loved classics. To be honest, I’m also pretty nervous about trying to remember everyone’s names as well!
2. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
All right, so I’m intimidated by this entire series, but I’ll just stick with the first one for now since I haven’t even gotten through that yet! I’ve already started watching the television show (which I know is a bad book nerd move!), and I absolutely love it, so I’m sure that I will enjoy these books. They are definitely worth the time and effort…but that page quantity though. Since I’ll be traveling a bit this summer, I figured that might be a good time to get started. I am going to feel so accomplished when I finally finish this series (or at least what’s been released)!
1. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
This is right up my alley in terms of subject matter, but holy page count, Batman! My main concern is that this novel might be hard to get into, which is more likely to discourage me with a book this size. Nevertheless, if everything I have heard about this book is true, it is certainly worth the read!
What are some books that have intimidated you guys? Do we have any in common? Are there any books that you were nervous to pick up but ended up loving? Let me know down in the comments!
-Ariana
The Quirky Book Nerd 
I THINK they released Under the Dome in 2-part paperbacks. That might help if you wanted to read physical copies? One for the first half, one for the second!
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I haven’t read any of the books on your list. They all intimidate me. However, I have watched the TV shows for Under the Dome and The Game of Thrones and both are great. I have also watched all the Lord of the Rings movies and I absolutely loved them.Reading the books though is another issue. I am mainly intimidated by the classics and I guess science fiction too.
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Oh, I want to read Final Empire so badly but it’s huge! I know I’ll probably love it and enjoy it but still, the length intimidates me. It was the same with The Fellowship of the Ring, GoT and The Name of the Wind which are all my favourites 😀
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Okay you HAVE to read The Name of the Wind! The first 150 pages or so are a little difficult to read, because you don’t know the world or the chatacters yet and have to get into it, but if you don’t give up and make it through it’s SO worth it. I just finished the second book in the series, which is even longer, and I am so obsessed with the world!
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All great book picks I definitely agree with you on why they’re intimidating, page count is what does it for me too not that I don’t want to read the book I also just put it off instead…..
I really want to read the Mistborn series too! There’s really no good reason as to why I haven’t done it yet though.
We’re also in a similar boat with Tolkien books, even though I have read The Hobbit and watched all the movies I still need to at least read LOTR. I have an excuse for watching the movies first though, I was a kid when I watched them so it can’t be expected of a child to read such books beforehand, haha!
I started reading the ASOIAF series after watching the first 2 seasons (all of them at the time) of Game of Thrones, so it’s definitely OK to do that since the books and show are very different. Once you get into the first one I think it’ll be easier to go right on and finish all of them! 🙂
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Under the Dome is very intimidating but I actually read it within a few days because I could not put it down.
The first LOTR took me a week. I think you’d be fine with it.
The others look intimidating too. I think my husband has read the last one.
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The Lord of the Rings is intimidating and I remember feeling overwhelmed when I thought about read it (I had all three books in one edition). But I got over myself, read them and absolutely adored them! ❤ They turned out to be some of my all time favourite books, though I should probably reread them sometime soon-ish. 😀
All of George R.R. Martins books in the Song of Ice and Fire series are ridiculously long. I tend to read them quiet slowly and make breaks every 300 pages or so (meaning I start reading something else). But they are seriously worth it and they are amazing. 😀 Hope that you will enjoy them as well.
Wonderful post, as always! 😉 ❤
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