Books I Loathed discussion
Loathed Authors
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authors you keep reading even though you have no idea why
Leigh, I'm so glad I'm not alone! My friend raved about the Dresden files, so I figured it ought to give it a try. I read the first one, and have no desire at all to read the rest.
I would like to throw another voice out there decrying Laurell K Hamilton. Like many others have been sucked in by the bait-an-switch that is the Anita Blake series. The first books were great and hell I could even see her becoming involved with a character or two. Unfortunately this author seems to have gone to the school of "If one is good, ten is AWESOME!" and turned our butt-kicking heroine in over-sexed Mary Sue on an epic scale.
She has scarred me for life and now every time I read urban fantasy I sit there waiting for the other shoe, (or underwear), to drop and it become badly done paranormal romance. I have nothing against romance, I just get driven bonkers when it becomes the main plot of my urban fantasy books or worse yet it becomes bad porn... like in the case of the Anita Blake books. Really bad porn...
Heather wrote: "I would like to throw another voice out there decrying Laurell K Hamilton. Like many others have been sucked in by the bait-an-switch that is the Anita Blake series. The first books were great an..."
OMG, Heather. I'm so with you on this. At my first reading, I kept flipping and staring at the cover thinking, "What am I reading?" Then, I'd read some more of it...and I got hooked! I vowed never to read anymore of the stuff, and lo and behold, I find another of the books in my hands, and another and another, and by the time I know it I'm hooked!!! Anita Blake was too bullish and hard-as-nails for me at first, then she got kinda "I'm beautiful and badish," and the next thing you know I'm loving her "don't mess with me 'cause I'm gonna flail you, Baby," womanish style. I wish the sex were a bit understated, frankly.
I fell into the Stephen King trap years ago. I loved him years ago, when I just started reading adult lit, and I guess I just outgrew his books. But, I really did enjoy The Eyes of the Dragon and Bag of Bones.Mallie, I love Jane Austen, and I can't ever bring myself to read one of her sequels.
My don't-know-why-I-keep-reading-them authors are L.K. Hamilton (the Anita Blake series) and Janet Evanovich (the books about Stephanie Plum).Comparing them, I see a lot of similarities. They both are continuing book after book and are being written more for the money they bring than to continue the story. What is more, in both there are unresolved conflicts which seem to be stopped in time with no resolution in the near future. And neither author does a single thing to get the characters out of the situation.
So why do I keep reading them since the only thing I feel afterwards (and during the reading) is frustration? I reckon I need to see the way the stories end - what happens, the way characters develop. And when it does not happen book after book, I find it a lot harder to like the next one (and even to find the differences, for that matter).
I had that kind of problem with VC Andrew's in middle school. I read her originals and loved them. Then I started reading her Ghostwriter and I couldn't stop.I was hoping it would get better. My thoughts "You know, she is old. She is probably just experimenting or something". Then, I found out that she was dead.
Oh. I returned Gemini with the quickness when I found that out.
With me it was Laurell Hamilton - the Anite Blake books were decent reading up to Book 10. I loved Edward, I loved Ronnie, I loved Richard and Raphael. I even liked JC when he was still a manipulative prick. When Anita character still had morals, still had a day job, still had problems and got beaten up every now and again. I managed to get up to book 13 cos I stuck with her and watched in horror as the seris began falling apart at the seems. I also always wondered why Anne Rice didnt sue her for the cut and paste of Claudia in the first book!
I also cried over the character assasination of Richard, Edward and Raphael to some extent aa well and the forced removal of JC balls. I also cried over the character assassination of almost every other female character in the series aside from Anita.
The badly written prose and awful cookie cuter men and cut and paste sex scenes turned me off too.
The Merry Gentry series was just as bad for me - I originally liked it better then Anita, cos it never tried to be what ti wasn't - thin political suspence tied up with soft porn and it dealt with the Fae, something im really into.
Book 1 was actally good, Doyle was great, Sholto was great. I loved the idea of their courts and they were dying out. I loved the two monarchs were totally stark raving mad, as was the heir. I loved the tension of Merry having to watch her back 24/7. I even let the sex go. But after book 2 the series started getting beyond my level to suspend disbelief. Titles of the last 3 books have left alot to be desired too - Swallowing Darkness? Lick of Frost?? Not helping in her appeal
and with Danielle Steel, even the grammar is bad. She is NOT a good writer at all. I seem to remember her earlier books being a lot better, but its possible I was just a lot younger then...Laura wrote: "Patricia Cornwell and Danielle Steele..
I watch a lot of cop shows, and while none of them are accurate, in none of them have I seen the the medical examiner have as much power and authority as d..."
Cin,I so agree with you!!! Seems like we are much alike in our bookish tastes.
I started out enjoying Merry Gentry, too, and the same thing happened to me...
And, I'm so disappointed in Laurell's Anita. I really wanted to love these books because the premise is so good. She does have an incredible following, though, so we can rest assured that nothing is going to change anytime soon!!
I could throw up when I hear someone say they're reading Danielle Steele. That's not reading, that drinking cool-aid. The mere name of that woman is like fingernails on a chalk board to me. Talk about trash and no talent writing!!! Don't get me started!!!!!
Deborah wrote: "I could throw up when I hear someone say they're reading Danielle Steele. That's not reading, that drinking cool-aid. The mere name of that woman is like fingernails on a chalk board to me. Talk ab..."Somebody needs to invent a time machine and go back and do something about her, Sidney Sheldon, Barbara Cartland, and Nora Roberts.
That's not an exhaustive list, but as one says about a busload of lawyers on the bottom of the ocean, it's a good start.
OMG! Thank you, Stormhawk. Nice to know there are some intelligent readers out there who can finally unite on this principle. I suppose we have to have idiomanushia for the masses who have a difficult time putting it all together, but I wish people had the sense not to admit they read these authors. It's like admitting to reading comic books and calling it literature.Remember when they used to send things "brown paper" in the mail? I think these authors need to to be wrapped brown paper authors!! On behalf of Nora Roberts, I think she knows better, and she's just found a golden niche. It's sad some sell out that way.
Nora Roberts doesn't have a niche, she has a formula, which is all that romance writers need. Change the Pirate to a Vampire and the Runaway Princess to a Witch, the Sailing Vessel to a Manhattan highrise, bingo, new bestseller. Ick.
And don't get me started on Stephanie Meyer.
Gosh. STEPHENIE MEYER!!! I'm mean seriously I know there's something wrong with me.
Stormhawk, I know about the formulas...alot of even good authors have their formulas. What I meant to say is that Roberts, LKH and some other sadly awful writerish types have found a "golden niche" with them. And that niche is sub-literate readers who like to be spoon-fed pap or c_ _p. The first LKH I read really shocked me. Then, I tried again. Merry Gentry wasn't so bad the first couple of books, then, I agree with Maillie...off she went into orgies and the absurd!I still say the worst of the worst is Danielle Steel.
Deborah wrote: "I still say the worst of the worst is Danielle Steel. "Nuh uh. Mary Higgins Clark. By the end of the second chapter of every single book (I tested this five summers ago while living with my in-laws, I got bored and decided to experiment...) I can tell you who the murderer is.
It's always the one character whose thoughts you never see in the narrative. She will only frame that person's thoughts as the murderer's thoughts. For every other character, you will learn their thoughts as the story progresses. Never fails, try it sometime!
Her books drive me insane.
I can't even bear to try it, Holly!! I gave up on Mary Higgins Clark and her mom-following daughter after the first books they both wrote! Ugh! I can't stand writers who dumb down to the lowest common denominator.Actually, I'm just tired of even reading some of these trashy vampire novels, too. It's a fad and it's wearing thin. I'm going back to literature that has something meaningful to say!
If I want sugar coated M&Ms, I'll go buy a bag of them...and eat them while I read some good and well-written book. I don't need to read M&M-type books anymore just to be "trendy." What's been the matter with me????? Geez...
Have any of you read the Dante Valentine series by Lilith Saincrow? I've just read the last of the 5 books and I find myself confused, annoyned and stuck between that fine line of not knowing whether I liked the series or not.I liked parts of the main character, Dante, and I liked Japhramel, but I spent alot of all 5 books hating both characters equally. So I am at a loss to figure out whether I liked them or not. I've actually gone and got all 5 books and am going to try re-reading the entire series in line to see if I can get more of an answer.
I don't know why I continue to read Dean Koontz even if I think his books are childish and too fictional.
For me I think it is Mercedes Lackey. Her books are not bad. They really do belong in YA though. Its just she uses the same formula or something similar over and over. I just seem to like the theme and keep going with it. This series has been going on for like a gajillion books. She did get really awful but she realized it. She took a few years break from the series I read and now its a touch better. The other one is Laurell K Hamilton. Is it dedication to her as a fellow migraine sufferer? Is it because her husband is so cute? Certainly its not her talent at writing. The last Merry Gentry I read was so bad I did not read the one after it but I did read a random out of sequence Anita Blake book. That was weird cause I Swore I was not going past bloody bones based on my Dads advice. Yes Dad reads her stuff too. Tell me about it I do need therapy.
Brycen wrote: "For me I think it is Mercedes Lackey. Her books are not bad. They really do belong in YA though. Its just she uses the same formula or something similar over and over. I just seem to like the theme..."Yeah, I went through a ML stage in middle school. You know she has been dead for a long time and has a male ghostwriter? Broke my heart. Lol.
stormhawk wrote: "Deborah wrote: "I could throw up when I hear someone say they're reading Danielle Steele. That's not reading, that drinking cool-aid. The mere name of that woman is like fingernails on a chalk boar..."That would certainly hit all the top (or rather bottom) ones for me. Plus Clark-mother & daughter.
Although I'm not really being fair. I've never read an entire chapter of any of them.
Except I did read Steele's memoir about her bi-polar son. At that time, my son was (at 7!) being diagnosed bp-thank God that's been changed (asperger looks a whole lot better).
Anyway, I liked that one, I'll admit.
OK, we can grouse about Danielle Steele, I do God knows, but she sells millions guys!! Who reads her then? Someone out there reads her and she keeps cranking them out. Sigh!
I read a total of two books of her when I was 20 and that was enough for a lifetime. Who reads her? We cannot even track them down, hunt then and...never mind.
I read a total of two books of her when I was 20 and that was enough for a lifetime. Who reads her? We cannot even track them down, hunt then and...never mind.
Anna wrote: "Sonia wrote: "OK, we can grouse about Danielle Steele, I do God knows, but she sells millions guys!! Who reads her then? Someone out there reads her and she keeps cranking them out. Sigh!"Even in my worst phases in junior high (I read a LOT of Victoria Holt and Judith Krantz back then...) I couldn't stand Danielle Steele. Something about her writing was just far too formulaic and dispassionate. It's weird that she has this name for writing romance when none of her characters seem to feel much of anything real. Perhaps it's because they are all made of cardboard.
Anna wrote: "This is not about books, but I just googled Danielle Steel out of curiosity and she has a perfume. A PERFUME!! She's like Brittany Spears."
LOL! that's pretty funny. Her writing is pretty lame.
LOL! that's pretty funny. Her writing is pretty lame.
Well I hope her perfume smell better than her books.
I agree with Danielle Steel, There were a couple of her earlier books I liked well enough, but the few I read (or listened to actually), recently have left me angry and wanting to destroy books. When I finished listening to the last one (Family Ties), I vowed to never read/listen to another of hers ever again. It was just hypocritcal, narrow minded, rascist crap. Where I work, the books are very popular with older ladies and there are quite a few women in the 20-30 age range that read them. I supposed you don't actually have to think when you read these, all the descriptive passaged are explained a number of times and in great detail. I remember skipping pages of Johnny Angel because the same thing was said over and over - and I still didn't finish it.
Same goes for A Series of Unfortunate Events. I used to skip pages of repetative text, but the bits in between were enough to keep me reading the whole series.
Ellie wrote: "Well I hope her perfume smell better than her books."
I doubt it. Probably give me a headache.
I doubt it. Probably give me a headache.
I'd never thought of that gradation. I always thought "slutty". But I agree (imagining it). Also, I think the type of lace counts-thick, cheap says one thing, delicate, high-quality says something else. Maybe "sophisticated slut"
Exactly. The polyester is a dead giveaway. Not "mistress" but something a lot less "glam".And I've got to "stop" using so "many" quotation "marks"-aargh!
For myself, it's William Faulkner. His stuff makes my eyes bleed with all of the "stream-of-consciousness" writing and his utter inability to write a sentence shorter than 300 words long.For my wife, it's Robert Jordan. She's attempted to read books from the "Wheel of Time" series (only because the local library was out of the next Terry Goodkind), and discovered that much of what Jordan considers "fantasy" involves characters hopping from one inn to the next and NOT DOING ANYTHING!!!!!!
Kathy Reichs is a good choice, Anna. I just read her second book over Christmas. They aren't bad but I don't know why I didn't stop at the first one. It seems like she just brain dumps whatever is in her head: turn-by-turn street directions, forensic minutiae (it really isn't useful for me to understand in detail the cutting marks that various weapons make on a specific severed bone) and just draggy parts of the story. Maybe the books improve but in the early ones she seems to desperately need a good, firm editor.She's still better than Patricia Cornwell, who I gave up after about 2 books too many.
Tina wrote: "With me it is Laurell K. Hamilton. I liked her first couple of books and then they became nothing but long descriptions of combat sex in black leather. But somehow I continue to read them. I real..."I feel the same way! Everytime I see her books I buy it and then try to figure out why I bought it. I keep saying I'm going to stop but no luck so far!
jody picoult. I can not stand her books but for some reason I keep picking them up at flea markets for 25 cents...and I figure..hell...that's a super good deal for a book. I get home and they sit on my shelfs for months..because honestly...I dread reading them...but I feel like I have to because I bought the stupid thing. Then I start reading the book..and its like getting my teeth pulled...and I can't wait till its over. I would stop reading the darn book...but I have a stupid rule that I follow loyalty ...I MUST finish every book I start...even if I hate it. So I finally finish it...and sll I am left with is wasted time...and the feeling og watching some stupid after school special on lifetime. Ewwww.
I read Charlaine Harris's "Sookie Stackhouse" books for the LONGEST time without even knowing why. They were awful, I think I wanted to torture myself with them. I only got to the fourth book before I realized I should just give myself mercy and stop already.I also tortured myself reading the whole Twilight series. Breaking Dawn was especially painful, one of the worst endings ever devised. I'm sure many people have done over how horrible that series is already, but I honestly don't know why I liked it so much at first now...
I can say it in a word: Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot. I have no idea why I have kept reading them. Except for Meg Cabot, I have lost totally taste in her. However Sophie Kinsella has decided to ruin my life with her books that have I admit touched me either deeply or very shallowly.
My worst offenders were John Updike and Kurt Vonnegut. I started reading Vonnegut because a friend spoke highly of him. I read Updike because a professor lectured on him. At some point I realized that I didn't like any of them at all. I was reading them because I thought I was supposed to.The last Updike novel that I read was "Memories from the Ford Administration" which was awfully good for an author I had come to hate, but, too little, too late. I never bought a copy of Bluebeard or anything that came after it.
Actually, I do appreciate "Player Piano". I liked "Slaughterhouse Five". But they were not worth all of the hours I wasted pushing through everything else.
I wish I could get the time back that I spent reading those two authors.
I'm in for Stephen King. Loved his earlier work, stopped reading for awhile because things got just too weird and yet I still continue to buy everything he comes out with. Recently decided to read him again, enjoyed Duma Key and then tried Lisseys story. .????. Bizarre. Absolutely hated it but was compelled to suffer through to very end. And I know at some point I'll continue to read everything of his that i own be use ...well...I used to like him.Lately it's Janet Evanovich. I had read a few of her series a while back and thought it was pretty funny...the characters, Stephanie Plumb, Grandma Mazur and Lula made me giggle. Just started over from the first book and at number three I wanted to chuck it out the window...every book starts on a grey rainy day in Trenton,nothing is pavement, concrete, or parking lot, always macadam.etc...it's like reading the same book over and over and of course I will probably read all, what? 18 of them...
Tracy wrote: "I'm in for Stephen King. Loved his earlier work, stopped reading for awhile because things got just too weird and yet I still continue to buy everything he comes out with. Recently decided to read ..."I'm starting to get like that with Stephen King but I have to say the worst in JD Robb and her "In death" series. Every book is pretty much the same but I am compelled to just keep reading them. As for Stephen King, it's his newer stuff I take issue with. There are still alot of his old stuff that I still haven't read.
Tracy wrote: "I'm in for Stephen King. Loved his earlier work, stopped reading for awhile because things got just too weird and yet I still continue to buy everything he comes out with. Recently decided to read ..."I feel the same way about Stephen King. there have been so many times over the years that I have decided to give his future writing the kiss off. I will leave them alone for a few years and find myself catching up. I believe the last things I have read have been "Black House" "Dream Catcher" and "Bag of Bones". But during one of those lull periods he wrote "The Dark Half" which is not one of his high quality products from a writing point of view, but I really enjoy the story.
I think that sometimes we decide we will follow a certain author, sort of like a relationship, and even when the writing goes sour we still want the relationship with the author that we once had.
I remember when I was younger I thought that about Vonnegut because a friend spoke highly of him. I thought smart people read Vonnegut, so I was going to follow his career. I never really liked Vonnegut. I liked three of his books: "Player Piano" "Slaughter-House Five" "Cat's Cradle" and "Mother Night", okay, so I liked 4 of his books. I also liked Slap Stick. But I promise all I liked where 5 of his books.
Then when I graduated as an undergraduate I was reading authors that my professors had lectured about. There are so many big names that I read a lot of their books and it was hard to stop doing that and to look for what I like to read.
Your question about why we continue to read authors that we have come to hate really is a good one.
Shannon wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I'm in for Stephen King. Loved his earlier work, stopped reading for awhile because things got just too weird and yet I still continue to buy everything he comes out with. Recently de..."I don't have time to reread his stuff too many other goodies on my shelf, but I am excited to hear that The Stand is being released on audio so that is def. Going on my I tunes...
Phillip wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I'm in for Stephen King. Loved his earlier work, stopped reading for awhile because things got just too weird and yet I still continue to buy everything he comes out with. Recently de..."Yeah I have dream catchers sitting on my shelf forever now. BUT... I saw the movie so I haven't been able to bring myself to read it. Seriously? Aliens coming out of peoples butts? I don't know if I have time to read 1000 plus pages on that topic...
Also, I think that your tastes change as you ( and your reading level) grow... Others I used to enjoy a long time ago but can no long read... James Patterson, Mary Higgins Clark, Any romance novel....sometimes it's better to just go read Hop on Pop to the kids!
Stephen King.Although, I just completed the Dark Tower series back to back (and thought it was great), prior to that I read perhaps five Kings in a row, none of which I liked. After Insomnia I promised to quit reading him, so then I read Rose Madder, promised the same thing ... read From a Buick 8, thought it was trash, read It (yeah I know it's a supposed classic), hated the ending ... etc, etc...
Chris Ward
I read Arthur C Clarke's "Rama" series through the fourth book. He wrote the first book: "Rendezvous with Rama" and it was fairly short and concise much like Clarke's earlier work. All later novels were written by Gentry Lee under Clarke's supervision. The series just got more and more bizarre and drifted away from the original novel.When I was younger, I read a lot of Tom Clancy, too. His eye for technical detail really drew me in and he had some interesting story ideas in the earlier books. The later books weren't nearly as good. Clancy actually tried to develop the personalities of his characters, it didn't work, that is not his strong point as a writer. It seemed like he ran out of ideas once the USSR went away (in real life) and his stories started to fall flat. I wouldn't say that I wasted time reading his books, but I'm glad I've branched into different subjects and extended myself more into literature.
I keep reading Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer time and time again!! It's mostly because I pity Will Parker so much and I can't let them go free about their lives in the book, I have to read about his past then pity him.
Philip, I had the same experience with Vonnegut. He was the first "real" writer that I ever read in high school -- you know after I graduated from YA books and the Jackie Collins crap I'd nick from my mom. Slapstick was the first book of his that I read and I loved it. I was also a big fan of Cat's Cradle. It took me a few years to realize though that I really didn't like anything else of his that I read.
Books I Loathed
Books mentioned in this topic
Bag of Bones (other topics)The Eyes of the Dragon (other topics)
Men in Kilts (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Karen Marie Moning (other topics)Kerrelyn Sparks (other topics)
I LOVED the TV series, so I tried the books. Read the first two, was halfway through the third, and realized I didn't care about the characters, the "tone" was really irritating (I think it's just that I don't like overly "masculine" authors--though I have no problem with male authors in general, the ones that write in an overly swaggering or unemotional tone just irritate me) and the storylines were failing to capture my interest.