Worst books of 2019 so far

[Bonnie G.]

It is a testament to what a good reading year it has been that 8 months into the year I had not started a list of books we hated. I just listened to an audiobook I hated with far more passion than I had thought I could still work up for anything not political. That book is The Princess Trap and if you are interested in a very long review you can look here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

Other (IMHO) stinkers from my 2019 reading list are:

The Anatomy of Us Review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Dissident Gardens Review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Story of My Teeth Review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Brazen Bride Review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Lace Review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kris]

Your most recent review made me laugh so freaking hard!!

[Bonnie G.]

Kris wrote: "Your most recent review made me laugh so freaking hard!!"

Thank you! It was way more fun to write the review than to read the book. The book is, btw, pretty darn highly rated. I guess I am weird.

[Tori]

The worst book I read this year, so far, was Eden by Andrea Kleine. I picked it up at my (tiny) local library because it sounded interesting. It was interesting, actually, for the first half of the book! But the ending left me with no resolution, and more questions than answers. It felt like the author got bored of writing it and quit. I forgot I even read this book until I looked at my account and saw that I had given in 2 stars. Not a good sign!

The other 'worst' book I read this year was The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton. I am a big Kate Morton fan and I was really excited to read her newest book. But (spoiler? alert) the main narrator is ... a ghost? Not really what I was looking for. The ending also felt very lazy. I guess in some ways, it was a good book in that I am still thinking about it - but mostly I'm thinking about how mad the last few chapters, and the plot in general, made me. The prose, as ever, was beautiful and was the only reason I kept reading, but I kind of wish I hadn't spent my time on it.

[Bonnie G.]

Tori wrote: "The worst book I read this year, so far, was Eden by Andrea Kleine. I picked it up at my (tiny) local library because it sounded interesting. It was interesting, actually, for the first half of the..."

I just looked and Eden really does sound interesting. Then you read the reviews and so many people mention the good first half and then it peters out. You are in good company on that opinion!

[CDB]

Tori wrote: "The worst book I read this year, so far, was Eden by Andrea Kleine. I picked it up at my (tiny) local library because it sounded interesting. It was interesting, actually, for the first half of the..."

I also really, really disliked The Clockmaker's Daughter. I've enjoyed other books by Kate Morton but thought this one was just awful.

[Alicia]

This week I read an absolute stinker, but I am not going to link to it because it's unlikely you will come across it. But suffice to say that in one on-page sex scene they got confused between weather it was taking place in a car or on the back of a (moving) motorbike, and whether the participants were both men or one man and one woman.

[Bonnie G.]

Alicia wrote: "This week I read an absolute stinker, but I am not going to link to it because it's unlikely you will come across it. But suffice to say that in one on-page sex scene they got confused between weat..."

Those are hard things to get confused about! Also, how does one have sex on the back of a moving motorcycle? (This is a logistical question, not a value judgment. I don't judge. I once had sex in the National Gallery of Art.) Does she have velcro on her tailbone?

[Sara]

Alicia wrote: "This week I read an absolute stinker, but I am not going to link to it because it's unlikely you will come across it. But suffice to say that in one on-page sex scene they got confused between weat..."

I wonder if it was a poorly done "filed off the serial numbers" work that the author originally wrote about different characters (or worse, cribbed from another writer)? Those are, indeed, hard things to get confused about.

[Alicia]

.. whether, not weather. FFS.

[Alicia]

Sara wrote: "I wonder if it was a poorly done "filed off the serial numbers" work that the author originally wrote about different characters (or worse, cribbed from another writer)? Those are, indeed, hard things to get confused about. ..."

I think that's probably exactly what it was, but I don't care to read more of their work to find out!

[CDB]

Do you sometimes read a book and hate it so much but don't even entirely know why, because you've read worse books but still haven't hated them as much? That happened to me this weekend. The Guest Book by Sarah Blake.

[Bonnie G.]

CDBS wrote: "Do you sometimes read a book and hate it so much but don't even entirely know why, because you've read worse books but still haven't hated them as much? That happened to me this weekend. The Guest ..."

Oh, absolutely! Sometimes its a tone or messaging. I introduce you to a prime example of this for me -- by far the most angry a book has made me, The Husband's Secret https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bonnie G.]

Three Women. No. No! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[CDB]

Bonnie G. wrote: "Three Women. No. No! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

I took myself off of the library wait list for Three Women last week after having seen enough comments to convince me it would only make me more ragey than I already am. Am feeling even more affirmed now!

[Bonnie G.]

lol. Glad to help steet you away. Usually I am of the ymmv camp when I don't like a book, but this one is offensive to my core values and to general decency. How did it get published?!

[Bonnie G.]

My honorary worst of the year goes to a writer of historical fiction who I liked enough at some point that I bought tons of her books at library used book sales over the years. This year I decided I was going to read them or throw them out. I read some, I read parts of some, and I ditched the rest. Here are the reviews for the books I read or attempted to read by Stephanie Laurens:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alicia]

Bonnie G. wrote: "My honorary worst of the year goes to a writer of historical fiction who I liked enough at some point that I bought tons of her books at library used book sales over the years. This year I decided ..."

Hooboy. They sound like real stinkers.

And to the person who criticised your review because "shouldn’t we support successful women?" errr... not necessarily.

And for your research, my actual breasts have never swelled noticeably with arousal.

[Bonnie G.]

Alicia wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "My honorary worst of the year goes to a writer of historical fiction who I liked enough at some point that I bought tons of her books at library used book sales over the years. Th..."

LOL, I mean a little increase in blood flow is one thing, but its not like a cup size or anything -- nothing is spilling or popping out of garments. I mean, maybe there are people for whom this is a regular occurrence. Maybe my partners haven't put in the hard work?

[Alicia]

I always thought the breasts popping out were due to heavy breathing. Which makes much more sense than *that* much swelling.

[Bonnie G.]

Alicia wrote: "I always thought the breasts popping out were due to heavy breathing. Which makes much more sense than *that* much swelling."

That would be some really heavy breathing! Like an asthma attack! Still I agree that it makes more sense than elephantine engorgement.