I started Pillars of the Earth with great anticipation after a glowing recommendation from an acquaintance, but it just didn't do anything for me and I turned it back in to the library after the first three or four chapters.

Oh wow-I didn't post correctly on there-anyway-that was me agreeing with Peanut on Outlander.

Peanut wrote: "Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (SP?). It came sooooooo highly recommended that I for sure thought I'd love it. I loved the concept but I
really disliked the characters!

I think A Knight in Shini..."

Peanut wrote: "Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (SP?). It came sooooooo highly recommended that I for sure thought I'd love it. I loved the concept but I
really disliked the characters!

I think A Knight in Shini..."
This is an old post I'm responding too but I agree so wholeheartedly! I almost felt guilty for giving up on it. Agree to on Knight in Shining Armour!
Tera wrote: "We all have them, the book everyone raved about and loved and you couldnt understand the big deal. So fess up which is yours?

I have to admit that if I still hate a book after about 50-100 page..."

Hi Ladies. A comment to all who didn't like The Kite Runner.

I watched the movie this weekend, (ahhh snowy days in the northeast!), and was completely captured. As long as you don't mind subtitles, (not all but the majority of the movie), I highly recommend the film.

ANGIEA:
Carrie wrote: "I'm with everyone who said HARRY POTTER!! I teach English.. I should love these because my kids do, right? So boring. I just don't love that little nerdy protagonist.

I also never got into the H..."

I had to LOL at "little nerdy protagonist." Even though I think the books are great. :)


No offense to nerds! LOL! I am a total nerd! I just didn't find ol' Harry likeable! :)

LOTF has such much symbolism; it does make a great book for learning. But to just read? I've never understood reading it for pleasure.

I was disappointed by The Red Tent. Not because it wasn't a good book; but, again, it just didn't live up to my expectations given the number of people that had told me it was one of the best books they ever read.

...anything by Jennifer Weiner or Anita Shreve.

Audrey wrote: "The Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm--help. Who decided these would be wonderful books to keep around forever?"

Not keen on LOTF's either, just finished it and remained largely unimpressed!! Overhyped books!

Eat Pray Love had to be one of the worst pieces of trash I have ever read. The main char was first self rightous, then self destructive then slefish and self indulgant. She was whiney and just disgusting. It was the worst read of my life

The Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm--help. Who decided these would be wonderful books to keep around forever?

I agree, it is hard to tell someone that I don't like something they think is great. It feels too much like a personal rejection, even that's not what it is.

And if the hype wasn't there, then good would be good enough. But after the hype and huge build-up, then only amazing, incredible, the best book ever, the Great American Novel, the best food ever cooked and served--the book or restuarant has to be all that to be enough. The hype has a kind of back lash.

This is so great. The thing about books is they can inspire discussions like this. I'm chicking (that was a typo but I decided to leave it!) my email all the time, waiting for new comments!

I liked your analogy too Leslie. I believe that's the reason some feel obliged to love a restaurant (book) as well. It can be terrifying to step outside the norm. To tell your parents you didn't think it was all that when they're waiting for your opinion with a look of anticipation thinking they have just turned you on to something wonderful. Not only is it difficult to put yourself out there like that, if it's met with a look of crushing disappointment...groan.

Most of us don't like to disappoint, so instead we try to hide the feeling of being let down in order to please and be kind. That forced smile and hollow praise. For me,(and I definitely do it! I'm not that strong yet, and like to think I'm kind), it is painful and usually leaves me feeling...yucky.

Fear of judgement. Self-doubt. It can stop a person from loving what they love out loud and vice versa.

I think I forgot for a minute, maybe because this is a relatively impersonal forum, (are words ever really impersonal?) that there is always a kind, gentle, non-judgemental way to speak your personal truth. When mastered, I think there must be a huge feeling of...what? Centered energy, peace, personal fulfillment...

This could be really good practice.

That's the thing about books.

Great way to put it Leslie! I think that explains how I felt about Her Fearful Symmetry; it was good but....

Ethan Fromme was so bleak--UGH!! I did not like it at all!

I think part of it is the hype surrounding a book. Like Eat Pray Love, for instanse. People get such high expectations that the book will never meet. There was such a big fuss about that book and then it turned out to be a regular, good book--but that wasn't enough.

My parents loved this restuarant and raved about it over and over and they finally took me there and I didn't think it was that good. It was good, but it didn't match the hype, the build-up, so instead of just enjoying a good meal, I felt sort of let down. I think that's the problem with books some of the time.

I loved reading this thread. Strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, rocky road, cherry vanilla, and the lists goes on, as do books and people's taste in ice cream and books. I love reading your comments positive and negative about books. Sometimes I agree, and other times I don't, but I always enjoying see what everyone thinks.

AngieA wrote: "Carrie wrote: "I'm with everyone who said HARRY POTTER!! I teach English.. I should love these because my kids do, right? So boring. I just don't love that little nerdy protagonist.

I also never..."

read one Harry Potter with my son. thought it was very hyped and didn't enjoy it much at all.

Leslie wrote: "I felt like Three Cups of Tea was an amazing story that was written in a style that took away from it instead of adding to it. If it had been written differently, it could have been so good. I'm ..."

well said, Leslie, I agree on both counts

Cindy wrote: "I had a problem with Three Cups of Tea also and truthfully didn't finish it. I think the author's ambitions are heroic, just didn't get into the book.
and
I listened to The Lovely Bones on audio a..."

I finished Three Cups of Tea, but I skipped about 50-75 pages in the middle. I thought it was incredibly boring.

Faith wrote: "i have more than one i have to admit. and i am traveling through time to ask for forgiveness now before i have said what they are.

i didn't love the twilight series. i thought it was an okay B ..."

now, I loved Middlesex!

Lyla wrote: "The Great Gatsby
Grapes of Wrath
Lord of the flies"

agreed on all three, and add Ethan Frome on the pile.

Tera wrote: "Ugh speaking of Brave New World I hated that book!!! Id rather sit naked on a pile of fire ants with honey drizzled over me than have to read that book again. "

Tera, you crack me up! Fire ants with honey on you. Ouch!

Joanne wrote: "I really did not like Wicked and especially its sequel Son of a Witch. They both took forever to read because I would quickly nod off. I forced myself through them because they were gifts and I ..."

oh Wicked. I couldn't read past the first 20 pages.

Faith wrote: "i have more than one i have to admit. and i am traveling through time to ask for forgiveness now before i have said what they are.

i didn't love the twilight series. i thought it was an okay B ..."

the Secret Life of Bees was good, but not great, and I never understood the big deal abut F. Scott Fitzgerald. I think most of what it wrote was dull, including the Great Gatsby.

Peanut wrote: "Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (SP?). It came sooooooo highly recommended that I for sure thought I'd love it. I loved the concept but I
really disliked the characters!

I think A Knight in Shini..."

I liked the first two books, but then they became too long and too boring!

Tera wrote: "We all have them, the book everyone raved about and loved and you couldnt understand the big deal. So fess up which is yours?

I have to admit that if I still hate a book after about 50-100 page..."

Tera wrote: "We all have them, the book everyone raved about and loved and you couldnt understand the big deal. So fess up which is yours?

I have to admit that if I still hate a book after about 50-100 page..."

I am not a big fan of chick lit in general. I also tend not to like authors who have first interesting books and then write nothing but the same stuff, for example I am not a fan of Jodi Picout.

Oh Roberta- it IS a great, safe place to have our opinions! COL is just the best in terms of supporting each other. I love the fact we are of some pretty diverse backgrounds and ages. You should feel free to take that opportunity to voice your likes and dislikes! :^)

My comment was very self directed. Both criticism as well as recommendations are difficult for me because I think our taste in genres and styles is a very personal thing. My choices have more to do with where I am in life than what writers do or don't do well. Of course there are some things that aren't well executed. I figure not everyone that gets published has 'arrived' at their best writing form. I think thats a function of someone wanting to make a buck before a writer has fully grown into their element! Or the book may not speak to me because the writer's intent doesn't match what I expected.

Where I am in my 'journey' really affects what I find meaningful. Where I am has everything to do with what I have time and energy to invest in reading. So when I don't like something, I think it has more to do with me than it being a bad or good book. On some level I like almost everything I've put my hands on! But I have really learned to avoid things that don't speak to me.

Truth & Beauty A Friendship and The Blind Assassin.

I had a problem with Three Cups of Tea also and truthfully didn't finish it. I think the author's ambitions are heroic, just didn't get into the book.
and
I listened to The Lovely Bones on audio and though it's always nice to have a book playing during my commute, I didn't really like it either.

I felt like Three Cups of Tea was an amazing story that was written in a style that took away from it instead of adding to it. If it had been written differently, it could have been so good. I'm glad that the story has emerged from under the poor writing, because it really is worth it.
I didn't like The Reader. I finished it, but it felf empty, like it didn't have a soul.

The Giving Tree
Cat in the Hat
The Historian

The Da Vinci Code and The Lovely Bones.

Mary wrote: "Roberta, I often feel positively desolate after finishing a really good book. It's as if nothing else will be good enough after that, so why should I bother? Sometimes I'll go a whole day before st..."

Mary, I almost forgot. A whole day, huh? LOL!!

Oops. Three Cups of Tea!!

Nancy, Thanks for your post. Your words inspired me to think about whether others might feel judged because a title that they "may have found some meaning in" is on someone elses "hated" list. More than likely, but I really wish that wasn't the way. It can be fun to be able to voice an opinion,(albiet a little strongly in my case, but that's just me!), in a relatively non-judgemental forum, (certainly safer than eyeball to eyeball!), and I find myself looking at posts, seeing some "hated" titles, and reminding myself to put them on my to read list. They are book recommendations from some well-read, (I loved that you said thought provoking and articulate),ladies that I am happy to be chatting with, and most certainly include titles that I will love even though they didn't. So while it may seem judgemental to some, and some might feel as if they are judging, might it be looked at as opportunity? Opportunity to practice being non-judgemental, opportunity to practice recieving words without feeling judged, and more simply opportunity to be introduced to a good book? I think I would thoroughly enjoy your list!! Two Cups of Tea next! Thanks again Nancy, and thanx Chicks!!

I never say anything bad about books online - the writer in me knows how devastating it can be to read it - but I thought I'd come out of hiding on this thread. Very interesting to lurk here.

I hated East of the sun..it sucked big time and I just switched off, managed to get to the end hoping it would get better...it didn't!
I also wasnt keen on my sisters keeper, it bored me to be honest nor the songs of the humpback whale which was very poor and usually I do rather like Ms Picoult but not in either of those cases. Great concepts, poorly executed. Particularly the latter..got rather sick of having to reread stuff in other characters perspective. Boring!

I was the only one in my book club that did *not* like (or finish, or be inspired by) Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen. I can't help feeling guilty! He's all over TV, has millions of fans, and here I am going 'blah, sorry".
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood to be inspired?

Also:
The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
(and pretty much everything else he wrote)
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
(I'll probably be banned for life for this one!)

There are more, but thankfully, I don't remember them. :-)

Debbie wrote: "Eat, Pray, Love - I finished it but WHY DID SHE PUT HERSELF THROUGH ALL OF THAT - jeez loueeze.

I REALLY like the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, but couldn't do the book. "

RE: Eat Pray Love, I have to say that I followed the discussion on this book and it made decide NOT to read it. Sounds pretty self indulgent.

Chris wrote: "I didn't like The Lovely Bones or The Time Traveller's Wife - it's almost too scary to admit, it seems like EVERYONE likes these books!"

I actually liked both of those books, but have only recommended TTW to friends. I admit to having read TLB if it comes up in conversation and then I'll comment on it. Come to think of it, I try never to gush about any book. It can be embarrassing when the recommendee (?) doesn't like it.

OK, I got through "The Woman in White" and it was fine as far as it goes. It was really wordy and I thought the characters a little superficial. The whole thing was predictable. I'm glad I read it if just to say I have.

Carrie wrote: "I'm with everyone who said HARRY POTTER!! I teach English.. I should love these because my kids do, right? So boring. I just don't love that little nerdy protagonist.

I also never got into the H..."

I had to LOL at "little nerdy protagonist." Even though I think the books are great. :)

Jessica wrote: "Wendy wrote: "Everyone in my book club loved The Handmaid's Tale and I hated it. It was one I couldn't wait to finish. The Poisonwood Bible I also didn't like although I can't say I hated it."

Ooh..."

Oh, thank you. I thought the Handmaid's Tale was just dumb.

I did not like The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. They did not interest me and took me forever to get through. When I got to the discussion's everyone was raving about them, and I was like ughh.

I am reading Still Alice just now, I'm not sure if "enjoying" is the right word. I am certainly finding it unsettling and it is a very emotive story. I have considered putting it down as I'm not sure if I'm ready for this just now but something is driving me on.I will be interested to check out whatever else she has written/writes

Nancy wrote: "Terri wrote: "I thought lovely bones was a good story. I did'nt like the part so much as what had happened to the girl.What I liked the most was she was able to see her family from the place she wa..."

Very well atriculated...I, too feel odd when I don't like a book someone else really enjoyed. I listened to the author of Still Alice, Lisa Genova today on a podcast and she was so honest and poignant that I want to try the book again. She has another very interesting book she's writing, Left Neglected, that comes out in January 2011 (www.leftneglected.com) I agree in what you said that much of what we like or dislike has to do with the stages of our lives. Thank you for your candor.

Well said, Nancy.

Terri wrote: "I thought lovely bones was a good story. I did'nt like the part so much as what had happened to the girl.What I liked the most was she was able to see her family from the place she was at and see w..."

Terri - I agree. I wasn't reading/hearing the crime in the book. It seemed a minor part of the story. I kept feeling her struggle with letting go of her life. I was reading it when my mother died unexpectedly. Being in the middle of that book, it absolutely haunted me and soothed at the same time. I have a fear that the movie may put much more emphasis on the rape/murder and finding the killer. For me, that wasn't what the book was about at all. Perhaps it was just the time I read it.

I think all books strike people differently at various stages of their lives and life/events.
I can't bring myself to post books I didn't like. It feels like too much of a judgment against those people who found some other meaning in it. Although I'm not afraid of admit a certain genre doesn't grab me. Some book discussions I end up just lurking in because it didn't work for me. Half the time I learn something from someone else's perspective - thanks to all you thought provoking, articulate ladies.

I'm with everyone who said HARRY POTTER!! I teach English.. I should love these because my kids do, right? So boring. I just don't love that little nerdy protagonist.

I also never got into the Hunger Games. Ehh.

A sophisticated, educated, but down-to-earth reader friend effused over The Da Vinci Code back when. The worst. Rot (even with suspension of disbelief). I'll read silly premises with a captivating story, but not when badly written too.

I see a few people have mentioned they didn't like THE HANDMAID'S TALE...and this is the only Atwood book I really loved! I have such a hard time with her--often I abandon her books after 50 or so pages--while one of my very good friends is a huge Atwood aficianado.

That's one thing I love about Goodreads--it reminds me of the subjective nature of liking a book. I always like to hear why people have different tastes and opinions than my own.