Today we're taking a little break from book recaps to do something fun. Back in the day, this is something I might have posted on a Casual Friday, and someday Casual Fridays might make a comeback on the blog. But since I've been pretty faithfully posting every Tuesday and Thursday since the beginning of the year—truly!—I thought I'd post it today. I'm calling it "three : three : three" but I can't take credit for thinking it up. I'm pretty sure I saw it on instagram. Without further ado...
three books I wish I'd never read
The girl on instagram (I wish I would have saved her post so I could link you back to it, but alas, I'm not internet savvy enough to find it again) called this the category "books she wished she DNF'd" (did not finish), but if I start a book, I finish it. And even though DNF-ing has its cheerleaders, I like that I see a book through. If I commit to reading something, it's usually something I really want to read, and it's also something I usually can at least appreciate even if it doesn't become a new favorite. So this was actually the easiest category to figure out. The books I chose immediately came to mind. So I'm changing it to "books I wish I'd never even heard of—much less read".
If you've been around for any length of time, you know that this is—without question—my most-hated book I've ever wasted the time to read. So many people that I actually know and that are good friends of mine actually had the gall to recommend this to me, and while I still love those people, I haven't forgiven them for this yet. If you're looking for a book by an Afghani author, read A House Without Windows instead.
What led to my reading this book was a series of unfortunate events: a Disney movie trailer that looked good, excellent internet reviews, and a bit of naïveté on my part. What resulted was a horrible reading experience, and the movie wasn't even good either. But your girl's a bit wiser now. When I'm vetting a book that wasn't personally recommended by someone I actually know, I check out those one and two star reviews now. A better choice would be The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan.
This is one of those books I had to read because everyone thinks it's so amazing. It's on every list of books you must read to be well-read. It's called the "mother of dark academia" for crying out loud. Well, turns out "dark academia" is not for me. At least not The Secret History. This might be the most over-hyped book I've ever read. I'd say give Live Your Best Lie a try instead. While I wouldn't put it in the dark academia category, the vibes are the same.
three books I wish I could read again for the first time
This category was a bit trickier for me. I am a big fan of re-reading my favorite books until they're literally falling apart in my hands. So, for me, a book with a great twist that I never saw coming would be the thing to qualify it for wanting a first-time experience all over again. If a book leaves me with a stupid grin on my face, or if you can hear me yelling "NO WAY!" as I turn the page, chances are I'd happily wipe my memory for another go-round. For that very reason, I won't expand too much on why I wish I could read these books for the first time because I hope you'll pick them up for yourself.
I went through a huge John Grisham phase in high school. The Partner is not one of his most famous, but it's my favorite to this day. I don't have a recap to share, because I read this long before my blogging days—it's been over 20 years, in fact!—but I still remember the way I felt when I got to the end of this book. What a twist!
Charles Dickens is not what I'd call "light reading" but there's a reason he was the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. The way he brought every thread of this masterful story together at the end blew me away. I remember feeling heartbroken but simultaneously triumphant and a bit awed. If you only read one Charles Dickens in your whole life: let it be A Tale of Two Cities.
Clearly, a very recent addition but also the very first book that popped into my mind for this prompt. And not just because it's so fresh in my memory. Even as I was reading it, I was wishing I could experience it again blind. I went into this book knowing as close to nothing as I possibly could have and it was the best reading experience I've had in quite some time. Please, please, please read this book before you watch the movie.
three books that are high on my TBR
Obviously, this was the hardest category. So many books, so little time! Just in our home library, we have well over 700 unread books, and that's not even counting the wishlist of books I want but don't own...yet. My TBR (to be read) pile is completely out of control. And technically, as you'll see below, I didn't even narrow this down to just three books. None of these are even on my 2026 book list, but I plan on getting to at least two of them before this year is over.
I've been meaning to read Ben-Hur ever since the fourth grade when I read Anne of Green Gables for the very first time. Every time I read about my bosom friend Anne Shirley recounting to Marilla how she got caught by Miss Stacy reading Ben-Hur instead of studying her Canadian history—she had just gotten to the chariot race!—I think to myself, "I really need to read Ben-Hur." And I have a gorgeous edition sitting on my shelves that my brother and sister-in-law got me for Christmas a few years ago. When it comes to classics, Ben-Hur is at the top of my list.
This isn't just one book, it's a whole new series I'm interested in. And I already own the first four volumes. Rumor has it that the author Beth Brower has planned this out be something like a 25-book saga. The ninth volume is set to be published sometime this year. So many of my most trusted book-recommenders have personally urged me to read these books, and my mom (who has already read all the ones I own) has affirmed I will love them. I can't wait to get started.
This is my next book-to-movie adaptation situation, and I just realized that book/movie combos have appeared in all three of these categories. I didn't plan that, but what can I say? Your girl loves a good book, but she also unapologetically loves a night at the movies. We have a few Peter Heller books in ye olde home library, but neither of us have read any of them yet. When the release for The Dog Stars adaptation was announced to be this August, I knew I'd be reading it before hopefully going to see the film. Cody's planning to read it too.
And there you have it.
three : three : three
What did you think? I'd love to hear your three : three : three down in the comments!
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