Every year brings tons of new reads, as well as some books that we never quite finish. Each book has a unique reason why it was set aside whether that’s the writing style, plot, or the fact that it was simply started at the wrong time or in the wrong place.

The list below is a mix of all of them, as it often is every year.

The Ruins by Scott Smith

The plot intrigued me with this one, and a few people whose judgment I trust loved it. I was excited to pick this one up, but I simply couldn’t get into it. The writing style wasn’t pulling me into the narrative, and I wound up putting this down. I’ll probably get this one from the library at some point in the future and give it another chance.

Kabuki Omnibus Vol 1 by David W. Mack

Every year there is a book I don’t continue but don’t remember why at the end of the year. Did I actually finish it and simply not remember? Was it the writing? The art? The plot? I have no idea. Next time I see this at the library I will flip through it, at the very least, so I can figure out why this was a DNF.

Vampire State Building by Patrick Renault, Ange

I love weird, pulpy, and off-the-wall books. So, Vampire State Building was definitely on my list. Unfortunately, this wasn’t quite the fun, exciting, ridiculous romp I thought it would be. Honestly, I was a little bored, which is something to say about a graphic novel featuring the Empire State Building being taken over by a sort of vampire/zombie-like outbreak. It just wasn’t my style. But, hey, it could be totally up your alley.

13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano

I read a good chunk of this, and it simply wasn’t pulling me in. Could I have finished it? Probably. Would I have enjoyed doing so? Not really. I couldn’t turn off my suspension of disbelief and didn’t necessarily care about the narrator one way or another. Every character began to annoy me, and I just had to put it down. A shame, too, because it did sound fascinating. Maybe I’ll pick this one up again one day.