Books That Deserve a Higher Rating (Avg Rating < 4)

Submit your favourite books that have an average rating of less than 4. Books added that exceed 3.99 will be removed.

See also:
Top 100 Highest Rated Books with at least 10000 Ratings (fiction or memoir, one per series)
Average Rating of 4.6 and above with at least 3000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.5 and above with at least 3000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.5 and above with at least 100 ratings
Average Rating of 4.3 and above with at least 1000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.2 and above with at least 1000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.0 and above with at least 30000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.0 and above with at least 1000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.0 and above, 100 to 999 ratings, and published before 2001
Average Rating of 3.99 and below
Average Rating below 3.6
Average Rating of 3.0 and below with at least 100 ratings
Average Rating of 4.5 and above and with 10 to 99 ratings

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All Votes Add Books To This List

1	Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.70 avg rating — 3,135,916 ratings score: 7,743, and 79 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad 3.43 avg rating — 548,615 ratings score: 4,285, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 3.71 avg rating — 366,487 ratings score: 3,681, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift 3.59 avg rating — 295,070 ratings score: 3,139, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Moby-Dick or, The Whale by Herman Melville 3.56 avg rating — 605,922 ratings score: 2,841, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare 3.71 avg rating — 216,198 ratings score: 2,206, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce 3.64 avg rating — 161,758 ratings score: 2,117, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.44 avg rating — 904,932 ratings score: 2,040, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 3.52 avg rating — 235,373 ratings score: 2,019, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Antigone (The Theban Plays, #3) by Sophocles 3.68 avg rating — 171,582 ratings score: 2,001, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1) by Chinua Achebe 3.74 avg rating — 405,179 ratings score: 1,948, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller 3.58 avg rating — 254,056 ratings score: 1,741, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe 3.68 avg rating — 326,591 ratings score: 1,583, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Crucible by Arthur Miller 3.61 avg rating — 454,461 ratings score: 1,547, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Beowulf by Unknown 3.50 avg rating — 339,676 ratings score: 1,272, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton 3.45 avg rating — 135,543 ratings score: 1,254, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells 3.63 avg rating — 212,570 ratings score: 1,226, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Vernon God Little by D.B.C. Pierre 3.61 avg rating — 33,522 ratings score: 1,140, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan (Goodreads Author) 3.54 avg rating — 34,744 ratings score: 806, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The 39 Steps (Richard Hannay, #1) by John Buchan 3.59 avg rating — 45,357 ratings score: 899, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Oedipus Rex (The Theban Plays, #1) by Sophocles 3.72 avg rating — 233,075 ratings score: 931, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence 3.50 avg rating — 135,454 ratings score: 793, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Silas Marner by George Eliot 3.69 avg rating — 92,357 ratings score: 1,093, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Naked Lunch: The Restored Text by William S. Burroughs 3.46 avg rating — 97,294 ratings score: 775, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams 3.74 avg rating — 141,599 ratings score: 886, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous 3.75 avg rating — 114,991 ratings score: 788, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys 3.59 avg rating — 104,188 ratings score: 1,148, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	A Passage to India by E.M. Forster 3.68 avg rating — 84,725 ratings score: 1,156, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years, #1) by Gregory Maguire 3.51 avg rating — 672,475 ratings score: 954, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Cujo by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.80 avg rating — 314,885 ratings score: 778, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.97 avg rating — 2,745,206 ratings score: 913, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard 3.47 avg rating — 20,284 ratings score: 726, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 3.86 avg rating — 373,773 ratings score: 722, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Awakening by Kate Chopin 3.69 avg rating — 223,607 ratings score: 612, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	A Separate Peace by John Knowles 3.60 avg rating — 230,100 ratings score: 598, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Der Vorleser by Bernhard Schlink 3.79 avg rating — 227,588 ratings score: 598, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Washington Square by Henry James 3.71 avg rating — 25,246 ratings score: 594, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes 3.70 avg rating — 50,669 ratings score: 582, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 3.69 avg rating — 150,449 ratings score: 579, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	New Moon (The Twilight Saga, #2) by Stephenie Meyer 3.61 avg rating — 2,089,076 ratings score: 578, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke 3.87 avg rating — 251,095 ratings score: 566, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Hard Times by Charles Dickens 3.55 avg rating — 72,535 ratings score: 564, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 3.80 avg rating — 861,214 ratings score: 556, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek 3.61 avg rating — 15,589 ratings score: 553, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Bonjour tristesse by Françoise Sagan 3.74 avg rating — 68,702 ratings score: 546, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen 3.77 avg rating — 160,061 ratings score: 541, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 653,228 ratings score: 528, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Daisy Miller by Henry James 3.37 avg rating — 37,208 ratings score: 501, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand 3.69 avg rating — 403,795 ratings score: 489, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx 3.68 avg rating — 191,074 ratings score: 477, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski 3.66 avg rating — 104,485 ratings score: 469, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai 3.45 avg rating — 54,561 ratings score: 462, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 3.87 avg rating — 925,210 ratings score: 453, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Remainder by Tom McCarthy 3.67 avg rating — 8,375 ratings score: 445, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Enduring Love by Ian McEwan (Goodreads Author) 3.65 avg rating — 47,169 ratings score: 426, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Utopia by Thomas More 3.55 avg rating — 81,141 ratings score: 419, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Wolf Hall (Wolf Hall, #1) by Hilary Mantel 3.91 avg rating — 228,950 ratings score: 416, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad 3.61 avg rating — 32,606 ratings score: 411, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.88 avg rating — 1,260,133 ratings score: 401, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The Tortilla Curtain by T. Coraghessan Boyle (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 34,170 ratings score: 399, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Our Town by Thornton Wilder 3.74 avg rating — 58,289 ratings score: 395, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	A Clergyman's Daughter by George Orwell 3.54 avg rating — 11,371 ratings score: 392, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson 3.69 avg rating — 35,753 ratings score: 384, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Esther's Inheritance by Sándor Márai 3.71 avg rating — 5,117 ratings score: 379, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare 3.55 avg rating — 14,180 ratings score: 372, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare 3.67 avg rating — 30,699 ratings score: 372, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Notes on a Scandal: What Was She Thinking? by Zoë Heller 3.74 avg rating — 24,903 ratings score: 372, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Acacia: The War with the Mein (Acacia #1) by David Anthony Durham (Goodreads Author) 3.58 avg rating — 8,925 ratings score: 365, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter 3.68 avg rating — 183,687 ratings score: 362, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff (Goodreads Author) 3.73 avg rating — 121,902 ratings score: 361, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley 3.66 avg rating — 68,128 ratings score: 361, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 3.70 avg rating — 39,819 ratings score: 358, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Max Havelaar, or the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company by Multatuli 3.53 avg rating — 10,317 ratings score: 354, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Don Juan by Molière 3.55 avg rating — 17,239 ratings score: 350, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Tom Jones by Henry Fielding 3.75 avg rating — 34,112 ratings score: 350, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Quarantine by Jim Crace 3.68 avg rating — 4,100 ratings score: 345, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Het verdriet van België by Hugo Claus 3.64 avg rating — 3,780 ratings score: 337, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare 3.94 avg rating — 570,478 ratings score: 331, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick 3.59 avg rating — 230,747 ratings score: 322, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole 3.19 avg rating — 40,192 ratings score: 299, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson 3.37 avg rating — 5,123 ratings score: 298, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (Goodreads Author) 3.28 avg rating — 59,626 ratings score: 295, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire 3.54 avg rating — 62,024 ratings score: 294, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Tailor of Panama by John Le Carré 3.51 avg rating — 9,903 ratings score: 292, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Watchmaker of Filigree Street (The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, #1) by Natasha Pulley 3.73 avg rating — 37,760 ratings score: 289, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2) by Dan Brown (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 2,486,060 ratings score: 287, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens 3.66 avg rating — 12,987 ratings score: 286, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell 3.68 avg rating — 23,921 ratings score: 284, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin 3.61 avg rating — 24,903 ratings score: 278, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman (Raffles, #1) by E.W. Hornung 3.57 avg rating — 2,632 ratings score: 277, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Histoire d'O \| Story of O (Story of O, #1) by Pauline Réage 3.30 avg rating — 21,809 ratings score: 275, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë 3.71 avg rating — 79,440 ratings score: 274, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Night Watch by Sarah Waters 3.71 avg rating — 32,861 ratings score: 274, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Slow Man by J.M. Coetzee 3.45 avg rating — 9,520 ratings score: 273, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Allegiant (Divergent, #3) by Veronica Roth (Goodreads Author) 3.60 avg rating — 1,127,193 ratings score: 273, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan 3.60 avg rating — 9,552 ratings score: 272, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me by Pattie Boyd 3.72 avg rating — 15,855 ratings score: 272, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby 3.50 avg rating — 46,611 ratings score: 271, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.67 avg rating — 63,721 ratings score: 267, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich 3.65 avg rating — 194,733 ratings score: 265, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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734 books · 253 voters · list created September 12th, 2011 by John Burns (votes) .

Tags: average-rating, maligned, misunderstood, ratings, underrated, undervalued, unfair, unpopular

37 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (253)

John 846 books
53 friends

Lisa 7441 books
166 friends

Phillip 5727 books
139 friends

Kamakana 6393 books
451 friends

Διόνυσος 6452 books
106 friends

Rob 1137 books
39 friends

Maurizio (matemati) 1597 books
291 friends

Jessica 2117 books
79 friends

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Comments Showing 1-50 of 57 (57 new)

date

newest »

message 1: by Lisa (new)

Sep 12, 2011 05:17PM

KTP, what exactly do you want us to vote on, that they are maligned, or whether we like them?

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message 2: by John (last edited Sep 12, 2011 05:38PM) (new)

Sep 12, 2011 05:36PM

Lisa wrote: "KTP, what exactly do you want us to vote on, that they are maligned, or whether we like them?"

Ah, sorry, maybe it's a bit confusing. Vote for books that you like that have a rating of less than 3.7. Maybe the title needs changing to something less ambiguous.

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message 3: by Maurizio (matemati) (new)

Sep 13, 2011 05:03AM

I hadn't realized that so many good books had gotten such a low rating: thanks for pointing it out

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message 4: by John (last edited Sep 13, 2011 05:28AM) (new)

Sep 13, 2011 05:28AM

There are a few books on goodreads that i consider to be my favourites and which are widely considered to be masterpieces that have bizarrely low ratings. I think it's because these are the sort of books that kids are forced to read at school and end up hating as a result. This list will probably end up looking suspiciously similar to this list: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/53...
I myself read Animal farm when i was 13 and thought it was great, then was forced to read it for school at 14 and suddenly i couldnt stand it.

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message 5: by Lisa (new)

Sep 13, 2011 05:38AM

Killthepopular wrote: "There are a few books on goodreads that i consider to be my favourites and which are widely considered to be masterpieces that have bizarrely low ratings. I think it's because these are the sort of..."

Is the teaching so bad, I wonder? I loved every book we did at school, I can't ever remember hating any of them because my teachers brought them alive and we had great discussions about them. Maybe I was just lucky...

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message 6: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Sep 15, 2011 09:12AM) (new)

Sep 15, 2011 08:11AM

There are a few books on the list now that have an average rating of 3.7 or better (inter alia by Virginia Woolf, Sandor Márai, Doris Lessing, Margaret Atwood, Zadie Smith and Yasunari Kawabata). Should those be removed?

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message 7: by John (new)

Sep 15, 2011 02:16PM

Ok, have just removed a load of books that had 3.7something scores. God dammnit, why is it so hard for ppl to follow simple instructions? Please don't add any books with scores higher than 3.69 cos i'll just have to trawl through the list and remove them.

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message 8: by Ben (new)

Sep 17, 2011 05:48PM

Deleted Landed (rating=3.71)
Around the World in Eighty Days (rating=3.70).

So close!

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message 9: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Sep 19, 2011 02:51PM

Killthepopular wrote: "Ok, have just removed a load of books that had 3.7something scores. God dammnit, why is it so hard for ppl to follow simple instructions? Please don't add any books with scores higher than 3.69 cos..."

At least Twilight hasn't crept on!

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message 10: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Sep 19, 2011 02:56PM

Susanna wrote: "At least Twilight hasn't crept on!"

Yet. And New Moon already has ...

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message 11: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Sep 19, 2011 03:09PM) (new)

Sep 19, 2011 03:08PM

Technically it qualifies! LOL

Twilight's rating is just over the line. Double LOL

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message 12: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Sep 19, 2011 03:16PM

So I noticed as well! :)

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message 13: by John (new)

Sep 20, 2011 11:08AM

Removed: Wuthering heights (3.70)
Death in venice (4.02)
The school for wives (4.01)
The misanthrope (3.83)
The miser (3.78)
Looks like there's a moliere fan who doesn't understand the premise of the list...

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message 14: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Sep 21, 2011 02:02AM

For those who have trouble determining a book's average rating (which will not show in a book search performed solely under the Listopia "add books to this list" tab):

Open a second browser window (or second browser tab). In that second window/tab, perform a search by author or book name in the search window at the top of every Goodreads page, or access your bookshelves via the Goodreads menu. That way, you'll see books listed the same way as they appear in the Listopia "all votes" tab/mode; i.e., with a red average star rating and, next to it, in small grey print a number and the words "avg rating." Mentally place a decimal point between the number's left and middle digits (so that, for example, the "356" of Lord of the Flies becomes "3.56" and the "368" of Animal Farm becomes "3.68"). Eh voilà! Now you know whether or not your chosen book qualifies for inclusion in this list ...

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message 15: by Andy (new)

Dec 13, 2011 06:07PM

Removed:

Saint Joan
The Mayor of Casterbridge
Oliver Twist
The Great Gatsby
The Crimson Petal and the White (all 3.70)

The Deputy (3.71)
Scales of Justice (3.78)
Afghanistan: A Russian Soldier's Story (4.00)

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message 16: by Andy (new)

Jan 15, 2012 06:27PM

Removed: The Client (Avg. 3.70)

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message 17: by Graham (new)

May 06, 2012 03:09AM

I recommend Animal Farm be removed from this list as it now has a rating of 3.7 :)

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message 18: by John (new)

May 06, 2012 05:44AM

Done. This list now has a new number one: Lord of the flies.

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message 19: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Aug 21, 2012 08:23AM) (new)

Aug 21, 2012 05:41AM

Removed, for having reached an average rating of 3.7 or higher:
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The Portrait of a Lady
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
The Bridge
I Married a Communist
The Strain
Greek Gods and Heroes
Changeling
Dr. Faustus
La Petite Fadette
The Warden
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
The House With the Green Shutters
A Very Peculiar Practice
Man of Straw
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Died In The Wool
Faceless Killers
London Triptych

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message 20: by John (new)

Oct 16, 2012 04:27AM

Removed a farewell to arms (3.7).

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message 21: by John (new)

Oct 16, 2012 04:29AM

Out of interest, have i put the "less than" symbol the right way round? Does this symbol: < mean "less than" or "more than"?

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message 22: by Andy (new)

Oct 16, 2012 02:46PM

Yes, it's right. < means less than.

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message 23: by John (new)

Nov 07, 2012 04:13AM

Removed morality play and Halo for having too high a rating (both 3.70).

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message 24: by John (new)

Dec 10, 2012 07:26AM

Removed The metamorphosis, the war of the worlds and Kidnapped.

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message 25: by John (new)

Dec 19, 2012 04:58AM

Removed Death in the afternoon by hemingway.

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message 26: by Lisa (new)

Dec 20, 2012 01:24AM

Killthepopular wrote: "Removed Death in the afternoon by hemingway." Wish there was an option to prevent others from adding to a list?
Yes, me too.

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message 27: by John (new)

Dec 20, 2012 03:32AM

Actually this one had 3.70 so i assume it was one where the rating had just risen slightly, but yeah, automated options like this would make the job of list moderation much easier.

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message 28: by Lisa (new)

Dec 20, 2012 03:57AM

Killthepopular wrote: "Actually this one had 3.70 so i assume it was one where the rating had just risen slightly, but yeah, automated options like this would make the job of list moderation much easier." Especially with long and shortlists, where you really can't add to them...

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message 29: by John (new)

Jan 24, 2013 09:01AM

3 big ones gone: Call of the wild, Tale of two cities and Jekyll and hyde. Also Ruth by elizabeth Gaskell. All had 3.70.

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message 30: by John (new)

Apr 12, 2013 02:50AM

Removed Vanity Fair.

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message 31: by John (new)

May 24, 2013 01:55PM

Removed mill on the floss and tom jones.

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message 32: by Sophie (new)

Oct 27, 2013 09:39AM

Deleted:

The Liverpool Vampire
The House of the Dead
House of Sand and Fog
The Letters of Abélard and Héloïse
Territory
Paris to the Moon
Anthills of the Savannah
Het Glinsterend Pantser: Roman
Measuring Time
Hersenschimmen
A Place Called Freedom
Anna Karenina
Daniel Martin
The Finkler Question
The Traitor
Michel Strogoff
Whit
Little Lord Fauntleroy
Eye in the Sky
Remembering Laughter

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message 33: by John (new)

Nov 11, 2013 06:05AM

Removed Ivanhoe

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message 34: by Ted (last edited Dec 21, 2013 11:51PM) (new)

Dec 21, 2013 11:10PM

Okay. I voted. I found several books that I personally think are underrated. But the whole exercise seems sort of pointless to me. (I know it's fun, and maybe that's the point. And by the way, I'm not knocking the person who set up the list. Maybe simply voicing a disagreement. Maybe just being grouchy?) Anyway ...

WHAT IS TO BE DONE? The ratings of these books are what they are. People read books, then they rate them, generally based on how much they enjoyed reading them, or how much they think they "got out" of them, or if they "grew" intellectually or emotionally by reading them. But, simply put, a lot of readers have basically found many of these books rather boring (I suppose).

Some of them are recognized classics. Are we to not allow people to read (and rate) them unless they demonstrate some kind of critical acumen?

I suppose it could be argued that the top books on the list (once a lot of people have voted on it) are candidates for reading by someone looking for a read that might be better than its rating indicates. Is that the service that the list will hopefully provide for readers (who choose their reading by paying attention to GR ratings)?

But it's kind of hard for me to imagine many people ever finding this list, and then if they did, actually using the top-rated books on it to make a reading list for themselves of books that they wouldn't have read otherwise.

Oh God ... look at the time I've spent writing this long, lengthy, b.s. comment. Please excuse me.

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message 35: by Riku (new)

Dec 21, 2013 11:36PM

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message 36: by Ted (new)

Dec 21, 2013 11:52PM

Riku wrote: "Ted wrote: "Okay. I voted. I found several books that I personally think are underrated. But the whole exercise seems sort of pointless to me. (I know it's fun, and maybe that's the point. And by t..."

Thanks for your kindness Riku. 8}

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message 37: by Sophie (new)

Dec 22, 2013 06:20AM

Ted wrote: "Okay. I voted. I found several books that I personally think are underrated. But the whole exercise seems sort of pointless to me. (I know it's fun, and maybe that's the point. And by the way, I'm ..."

Yeah, I'd say fun is the point. It's not saying "these books MUST have a higher rating," it's saying "these are books that a lot of people think are better than their rating would indicate." It's a Goodreads list. It's for fun.

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message 38: by Ted (new)

Dec 22, 2013 07:15AM

Sophie wrote: "Ted wrote: "Okay. I voted. I found several books that I personally think are underrated. But the whole exercise seems sort of pointless to me. (I know it's fun, and maybe that's the point. And by t..."

I always endorse fun, Sophie. At least 'till your daddy takes your T-bird away. (I'm sure that's before your time - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXOfYw...)

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message 39: by Sophie (new)

Dec 22, 2013 09:50AM

Ted wrote: "I always endorse fun, Sophie. At least 'till your daddy takes your T-bird away. (I'm sure that's before your time)"

Seriously? Because the Beach Boys are so obscure and unknown, right?

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message 40: by Ted (new)

Dec 22, 2013 10:45AM

Well, I'm not surprised if you know the song, but I reckon it came out before your time. No? (Yes! I just checked your profile.)

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message 41: by Sophie (new)

Dec 22, 2013 10:49AM

Yeah, but like... do you not know what the Charleston is because it was before your time?

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message 42: by Sophie (new)

Jan 10, 2014 11:53AM

Deleted for having ratings over 3.7:

Beloved
The Living Wage: Building a Fair Economy
The Book of the City of Ladies
The Closing of the American Mind

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message 43: by Luke (new)

Apr 09, 2014 04:31PM

Deleted for having a rating exceeding 3.69:

Tess of the d'Urbervilles
The Da Vinci Code
Kim
Stargirl

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message 44: by Sophie (new)

May 06, 2014 04:47PM

Removed A Petition to Magic and Richard II.

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message 45: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Mar 03, 2015 01:41AM) (new)

Mar 03, 2015 01:31AM

Removed for exceeding the rating of less than 3.7:
Great Expectations
The Diary of a Nobody

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message 46: by Mike Briggs (last edited Jan 27, 2017 01:50PM) (new)

Jan 27, 2017 01:46PM

Removed because their ratings were too high:
An Inspector Calls
by J.B. Priestley
3.70 avg rating — 9,935 ratings

Shirley
by Charlotte Brontë
3.70 avg rating — 22,275 ratings

Postcards from No Man's Land
by Aidan Chambers
3.70 avg rating — 1,823 ratings

Past Mortem
by Ben Elton
3.70 avg rating — 3,761 ratings

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message 47: by Sophie (new)

Jan 15, 2018 09:31PM

Removed The Devil Wears Prada at 3.71.

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message 48: by Charlotte Igelkott (new)

Apr 13, 2018 11:27PM

Removed due to having average ratings of 3.7 or above:
Damselfly (4,02)
The Gods Are Thirsty: A Novel of the French Revolution (3.71)
House of Evil and Other Strange Unsolved Mysteries(3.71)
The Fog (3.76)
Subtly Worded (3.81)

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message 49: by John (last edited May 12, 2018 02:08AM) (new)

May 09, 2018 01:25AM

As the original creator of this list I've made the decision to raise the rating limit from 3.7 to 4. The reason for this is that since the list was created back in 2011 the average ratings on goodreads have migrated upward so dramatically that most of the books that were in the original top 10 of this list are now no longer eligible for inclusion. When i created the list a rating of <3.7 represented maybe 30% of books on goodreads. These days I'd say it only covers about 10% of books on goodreads. Therefore I'm raising the limit so that the list can revert to its original purpose which was to represent these lower scoring books that deserved more recognition and not just the absolute lowest scoring books on the site.
It's also worth mentioning that the uniqueness of this list has been rather diminished ever since someone else created a list with the very similar premise of only including books with a <3.6 rating (https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...), so from that perspective it also makes sense to put some distance between this list and that one.
From now on please only remove books that exceed a rating of 3.99. Thank you.

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message 50: by Mary (new)

Mar 07, 2020 04:48PM

It saddens me how Jewel's poetry and Eagle Eyes do not get the recognition they deserve. There are themes like acceptance, diversity and disability that are not recognized.

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