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Hat tip to Jen who featured her worst on her blog at the following link:



That made me curious . . .what were your worst reads this year? Either your objectively worst (this book totally sucked) or your most disappointing (everyone raved, but I just didn't like it).

Here's what I posted over at The Readers Room. I have to say that I always wonder "what the heck?" when I dislike or don't get a book that everyone else seems to be loving. Those books bother me more than just reading a bad book. And most of my disliked books fall into that category . . .I think I get so many recommendations that I do avoid the truly bad books.

At any rate, please forgive me for the controversial choices below. I wanted to like all of them . . .

**
I really only had three books I really disliked . . .though I could go a lot further if I included books that were just meh. But the ones I actively disliked were:

House of Leaves � � Dull, contrived, convoluted, and personally, I didn’t even find it particularly scary. Worst off, it was long. My least favorite read of the year by a longshot.

La Rose� � This book is well written, but emotionally, I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters. I can see other people loving it. It made several “Best of� lists this year.

The Lady in the Van: And Other Stories � The other stories were much better than the titular story, but what wrecked this book was a terrible introduction where we were given a blow by blow of the making of the movie. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Books That Were Hyped (and sometimes Prize Winning) That I Really Didn’t Get the Appeal and Thought Were Merely Okay:

The Sellout by Paul Beatty � � I know, I know, I’m sorry . . .I'm still hoping someone can explain this book to me.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante � � Something is wrong with me.
The Nest � � I feel this one is defensible at least
The Underground Railroad � � Enjoyed reading this one, but there’s almost no character development, and I couldn’t see why it made EVERY SINGLE 2016 Best of List. I did see how the premise was creative.

Anita- I will post my personally disappointing books later, but I wanted to comment about LaRose. That seemed like an overhyped book to me and I definitely didn't connect with any of the characters either.

Lisa Ann wrote: "Anita- I will post my personally dissappointing books later, but I wanted to comment about LaRose. That seemed like an overhyped book to me and I definitely didn't connect with any ..."

Fascinating!! We read it for my face to face book club. Sometimes books grow on me after discussing them, but this wasn't the case here. I thought the premise was interesting, but that the characterization was lacking and the book jumped back and forth too much for me. It has appeared on a number of "Best of 2016" lists, and I always ponder what I'm missing when I dislike a book that is getting so much hype.

I look forward to seeing your list, Lisa!

Thanks, Anita. Well, stated! I often wonder what insights I am overlooking when unable to connect with a popular book and I read LaRose for my local book club as well, lol! :-)

Haven't even looked at my book list of 75 for this year, but immediately thought of two off the bat! The Pinch, and the Thinking Women's Guide to Real Magic. If you see that book, run for the hills! Just last Sunday, someone told me it was one of their favorite books of the year. Ugh. I didn't love My Name is Lucy Barton, like others did, but I don't go for depressing or when the characters don't transform.

@Anita, I really liked (not loved) House of Leaves, but I agree with you it wasn't particularly scary. I can see why someone wouldn't like it, it's a very complicated book in its structure.

Regarding My Brilliant Friend, I haven't read it, but I don't think anything is wrong with you - many people here in Italy find it entirely overhyped and ultimately not good at all. I have a feeling it is a love/hate book.

The books I really hated this year, without even needing to look at my 2016 reading list, are two:

Mosquitoes by William Faulkner: this was my first attempt with Faulkner, and some Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends told me it wasn't the right approach. I bought this book second-hand many years ago and wasn't aware that it was an obscure book which isn't even known to many Faulkner's fans. I found it so boring I couldn't stop yawning. Unfortunately, I think it highly unlikely that I will want to explore this classic author further in the near future.

Fool by Christopher Moore: I really am no Moore fan, but for some reason I keep reading his books. Some of them I liked, but this one was - imho - incredibly overrated and really, really bad. I found it a poor excuse for vulgarity and profanity of every sort. And I don't like that kind of writing, I don't find it humoros or funny at all.

One book I didn't like (2 stars) and found really overrated was Stoner by John Williams. I found it boring and uninteresting, and I can't see where all the hype comes from. It has been newly translated into Italian some time ago, and it is considered by almost everybody to be one of the best books ever written. Seriously, though?!

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger is overrated too, imo. I liked The Catcher in the Rye, but this one I found just plain irritating. I didn't like the writing at all.

Wishful Drinking was a big disappointment for me. It just wasn't as funny as described and was sort of all over the place.

I also did not care for People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges. It too, lacked the humor it claimed to have.

The absolute worst book I read this year was Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods. How he has become a bestselling author I can't understand. The book was full of plot holes and confusion with the timelines. The author even wrote something at the end basically saying I know parts of the book don't make sense but too bad, I don't want to hear about it. What colossal ego, never reading him again.

Most disappointing book would be Boar Island by Nevada Barr. I really love this series but this book had very little mystery and the main character was barely in the book. I still highly recommend the early Anna Pigeon books but unfortunately the series has been going downhill the last few years.

My disappointments ....

All Creatures Great and Small (sorry!)

LaRose

A Darker Shade of Magic - i feel like people are just desperate for the next Twilight

City on Fire - Ugh, see my review for pee passages

In the Unlikely Event - Judy, Judy, Judy

Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights - My first Rushdie :(

-----

Attempted and abandoned
Player Piano
The Nest
Commonwealth
Hag-Seed
Lovecraft Country (one of my favorite authors)
Under the Udala Trees

Marina - I liked Fool, but it wasn't my favorite. I'm a huge fan of Moore's though ...

I thought Stone was really good. Sweet and sad ... and Franny and Zooey is an absolute favorite.

The 2 books that disappointed me were The River of No Return (romantic pap) and An Untamed State (too violent and the main character's marriage didn't ring true for me). An Untamed State made several best of lists in 2015 and I was really looking forward to Roxanne Gay's first novel as I have liked several of her essays.

Nicole wrote: "Marina - I liked Fool, but it wasn't my favorite. I'm a huge fan of Moore's though ...

I thought Stone was really good. Sweet and sad ... and Franny and Zooey is an absolute favorite."

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on those books ;)

On the other hand, I haven't read the book you mention by Rushdie, but I tried to read The Satanic Verses a couple of years ago and I just couldn't get into his writing... had to dnf it.

Marina wrote: "@Anita, I really liked (not loved) House of Leaves, but I agree with you it wasn't particularly scary. I can see why someone wouldn't like it, it's a very complicated book in its struc..."

You are in good company regarding House of Leaves. A number of my reader friends really liked it. It was just too complex for me to enjoy . . .I liked the idea much more than the reality.

Ha ha, on my Brilliant Friend. I read another book by Ferrante and didn't like that one either, so clearly she is not my cup of tea.

We do also part ways on Franny and Zooey. I love Salinger, and I did like that one. . .though it must be polarizing because there is a group here who loves it and a group here who definitely does not!!

All in all it was a good year; I think I only had 3 books that did not get at least 3 stars.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
I quickly realized this author is not for me.

The Number We End Up With: A Novel by Beth Goldner
For some reason I didn't review it. I guess it was that unremarkable.

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade
This was an audio read by the author whose enthusiasm for his subject matter was overwhelming in the speed with which he delivered the subject matter.

My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
I gave this 3 stars on the sheer basis of her writing style but I just didn't get the hype.

Nicole wrote: "My disappointments ....

All Creatures Great and Small (sorry!)

LaRose

A Darker Shade of Magic - i feel like people are just desperate for the nex..."

Seeing All Creatures Great and Small on your list makes me sad, but perhaps my childhood self glorified it out of all proportion. But we do see eye to eye on LaRose. I didn't realize you didn't finish The Nest . . .that surprises me a little because I didn't find it unduly dull, but honestly you didn't miss a thing.

Denizen wrote: "The 2 books that disappointed me were The River of No Return (romantic pap) and An Untamed State (too violent and the main character's marriage didn't ring true for ..."

Ha ha, "romantic pap" - - that's exactly the kind of thing I have now learned to studiously avoid . . .

~*Kim*~ wrote: "Wishful Drinking was a big disappointment for me. It just wasn't as funny as described and was sort of all over the place.

I also did not care for [book:People I Want to Punch in t..."

Nothing worse than a book that markets itself as funny, but isn't. I've read a few like that . . .and immediately that makes me mark them WAY down.

My worst of this year is, hands down, Rabbit, Run by Updike. It's too bad his wonderful prose is written by such a woman hater.

I just changed my review for My Brilliant Friend. I think I rated it higher than I should have based on the masses of positive reviews, but in hindsight I don't think it deserved as much. I made it to half way through the third one and got bored, paused and never went back.

I am with Anita on House of Leaves. I was so excited to read it and initially loved the formatting, but eventually found it irritating and boring and I failed to finish it.

I'm going to duck my head for this one. I started Little Women and found it VERY tedious and couldn't finish it.

The Magicians was a big disappointment to me, as was City of Bones. Maybe I should steer clear of fantasy that has teenaged protagonists!

Tracy wrote: "My worst of this year is, hands down, Rabbit, Run by Updike. It's too bad his wonderful prose is written by such a woman hater."

Yikes - - I just added this one to my TBR. Maybe I should take it back off . . .

River of no return is my stair one time travel choice. But I think I might just see how the romantic pap suits me.

Anita wrote: "Tracy wrote: "My worst of this year is, hands down, Rabbit, Run by Updike. It's too bad his wonderful prose is written by such a woman hater."

Yikes - - I just added this one to my TBR. Maybe I sh..."
I don't know about that- two of my favorites this year were LaRose and House of Leaves, so you may like Rabbit!

Ha ha, no way Tracy!!! That's actually pretty funny!!!

Books I was disappointed in (couldn't connect with the story/characters, didn't care for the writing style or thought it was overhyped):

1. LaRose
2. The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion
3. Lily and the Octopus
4. Everything I Never Told You

Also, Divisadero, which I immensely disliked. Yuck!

My worst were:

Volume 5 of The Walking Dead (too graphic)
One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale (too childish)
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (overrated)

I had three books I rated two stars:

Mrs. Poe - Lynn Cullen

A book that includes Mrs Poe. but isn't about her but rather the 'supposed' affair between Edgar Allen Poe and Frances Osgood. If any of the real life characters in the book were still alive I have no doubt the author would be sued for libel for writing that Mrs. Osgood had Poe's child. And it read like a pulp fiction novel.

The Quality of Silence - Rosamund Lupton

I have read two books by the author before, and I liked both of them. But this one was so out there in terms of believability it was laughable. A mother of a deaf child flies to Alaska to meet her husband who is doing some research in the far north regions of the state. When he doesn't show up at the airport and she is told he is dead she takes her daughter, steals a big rig - that she has never driven before and becomes an Ice Trucker. Meanwhile someone is following her and trying to kill her- but she eludes him at every turn. Laughable, and stupid.

Lily and the Octopus - Steven Rowley

Oy! Not a popular opinion but I did not like this book. And before anyone says I don't like animals nothing could be farther from the truth. I have had dogs, cats, birds and fish most of my life however my husband has severe allergies as does my daughter so we are a pet free home. I would love another dog or cat but it's not going to happen. That said I just did not connect with this book. The use of an octopus to represent a brain tumor grew old fast.And there is an entire fantastical storyline involving a boat and pirates or something, I can't even remember. Surprised I can see straight after all that eye rolling.

Ladyslott wrote: "I had three books I rated two satsr:

Mrs. Poe - Lynn Cullen

A book that includes Mrs Poe. but isn't about her but rathe the 'supposed' affair between Edgar Allen Po..."

If I had any thought of reading Lily and the Octopus, it went right out the proverbial window! That sounds so not like my thing.

Lisa Ann wrote: "Books I was disappointed in (couldn't connect with the story/characters, didn't care for the writing style or thought it was overhyped):

1. LaRose
2. [book:The All-Girl Filling St..."

So funny how we totally agree on your #1, but not on your #4 . . .though I do understand why people wouldn't like it. Especially after all the hype. I read it early on and did enjoy it.

Jenni Elyse wrote: "My worst were:

Volume 5 of The Walking Dead (too graphic)
One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale (too childish)
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (overrated)"

I can do too graphic, but not too childish. Overrated is just annoying. This is a reason I don't really like waiting until a book's hype is over the top - - it is a set up for disappointment.

I normally can do too graphic too. But not when it's rape and torture. :/

Jenni Elyse wrote: "I normally can do too graphic too. But not when it's rape and torture. :/"

That doesn't sound pleasant I must say . . .

Worst of reading:
1.Shelfari closed!! It put a real dent in the amount I read this year and sent me reeling trying to import my books and decide where I wanted to land. I'm happy to say that I've adjusted at Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and am so delighted that PBT is doing well and I love seeing familiar faces and meeting new people.
2. Godiva - not a good book and didn't do serve more than 2 stars, but embarrassingly , I didn't hate my time reading it.
3. Blackass It sounded entertaining, but I didn't like it much.
4. The Considerate Killer - Don't get me wrong, I loved this, but sadly it is the last of the Nina Borg series and I need more. Maybe the authors will change their minds.
5. Floundering - Just horrible.
6. The time I wasted being obsessed reading political news, need I say more?
7. celebrity obituaries. Let's not have any more this year.

I totally agree about the political news Booknblues. I would have made it to 100 if it wasn't for the election!!

I tend to not hate to many books and I only have 3 that I will list as disappointing books
1. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
2. Charterhouse of Parma by Stendal
3. Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman

DTF
House of Leaves.. Interesting experimental literature but time consuming to work your way through it so I didn't finish. Maybe another time.

Booknblues wrote: "Worst of reading:
1.Shelfari closed!! It put a real dent in the amount I read this year and sent me reeling trying to import my books and decide where I wanted to land. I'm happy to say that I've a..."

We are so glad you made it over here with us!! And that we all survived the traumatic move. Definitely qualifies for a "worst of" list.

Lol, on #6 . . .!!

Kristel wrote: "I tend to not hate to many books and I only have 3 that I will list as disappointing books
1. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
2. Charterhouse of Parma by Stendal
3. Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman"

Good for you! You've probably perfected your selection process.

Rachel wrote: "The absolute worst book I read this year was Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods. How he has become a bestselling author I can't understand...."

Hmm, I've been wondering if I've missed out by not reading him, but you have made me feel better about procrastinating.

My worst reads of the year:
Faces in the Crowd by Valeria Luiselli - 1 star (had to read it for Jen's Olympics game)
The Magicians by Lev Grossman - 2 stars but I could downgrade it, I just hated it.

Rated 2.5 stars:
Fandemic by Jennifer Estep - I don't know why I keep reading her stuff, she jumped the shark long ago but sometimes I just want to know what happened to the characters. Unfortunately I'm always annoyed by her writing now. Too bad as her first books were fun.
The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami - well, ok, I rounded up to 3 because of his writing but it still really sits at 2.5.

Rachel wrote: "The absolute worst book I read this year was Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods. How he has become a bestselling author I can't understand. The book was full of plot holes and confusion..."

I felt the same about Boar Island. Not the worst but definitely not as good as previous.

Lisa Ann wrote: "Books I was disappointed in (couldn't connect with the story/characters, didn't care for the writing style or thought it was overhyped):

1. LaRose
2. The All-Girl Filling St..."</i>


I made two failed attempts on this one until at the urging of my bookclub finished it and enjoyed it.
[book:The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion

My first to dislikes were left unfinished.
The Lacuna
The Shipping News
The Gap of Time 1 star

I had three books this year I couldn't finish and ond I did but felt was overhyped.

The Martian (I'll stick to the movie, thankyouverymuch.)
The Marriage Plot (pretentious and overbearing)
Wit's End (So badly written I don't think I made it to page 50, how did it get published?)
All the Birds in the Sky (Its place on best of/must reads lists is nof at all deserved.)

I had two books that I rated 2 stars this year.

I Funny: A Middle School Story by James Patterson (I listened to this with my daughter because it is one of the books that is for her Book Wars Club)

The Call by Michael Grant (This one is also a middle grade level book that belongs to my son. I read it for a challenge.)

My one star reads for 2016 are:


England, England by Julian Barnes

The Red and the Black by Stendhal

Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl

#OrganicJesus: Finding Your Way to an Unprocessed, GMO-Free Christianity by Scott Douglas

In addition to the two I named above off the bat, the Punch and the Thinking Women's Guide to Real Magic, other really bad reads, amongst some incredible 4's and 5's, include the Witches Market, (ugh), The Book of Esther, double ugh, The tenth Gift, serious ugh, and I neither cared for Fates and Furies or Lucy Barton. Agree with whoever mentioned the Lacuna and another one from the past that was poor. I will second it when I cN recall it.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman! Quadruple ugh!

Queen of the Night. So looking forward to it and just didn't love it. Way longer than necessary.

Also The Alchemist, Modern Lovers (ugh), and The Nest.

How could I forget Candide? I couldn't even finish it. I know it's a very important book, but it's not my cup of tea.