Here’s something I’ve come to realize about my reading life: not every book is for every reader. And that’s okay! We we blessed with book shops and libraries full of diverse and different titles and genres and types of books. How boring would our world be if every person read the same books and everyone had the same opinions about each book?

I used to beat myself up about not liking a book–especially if it was a book by an author who I really like. That, or I’d force myself to read the whole thing, sometimes hating every moment I spent in the world created by the writer. Life’s too short and there are far too many wonderful books waiting to be read! And just because a certain book isn’t to my particular and eccentric taste, doesn’t mean you, dear reader, won’t be a huge fan. So, here’s a look at some of the books I’ve started to read and, for whatever reason, simply didn’t connect with enough to finish so far this year:

• The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don’t Have with People You Don’t Like Doing Things You Don’t Want to Do, by Sarah Knight

  • Ditto for the follow-ups, Get Your Sh*t Together: How to Stop Worrying About What You Should Do So You Can Finish What You Need to Do and Start Doing What You Want to Do (A No F*cks Given Guide) and You Do You: How to Be Who You Are and Use What You’ve Got to Get What You Want.
• Bright Smoke, Cold Fire, by Rosamund Hodge
• Natural Thorn Killer, by Kate Dyer-Seeley
• The Room on Rue Amelie, by Kristin Harmel
• Let Me Lie, by Claire Mackintosh
• The Recipe Box, by Viola Shipman

Check some of these titles out–they might just strike your fancy!