Your least favourite book... and why?

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Good luck with that Phrynne!! O.o!!

[Kelly]

I read alot of Classic books. The books I would say I found difficult to keep reading would be


and


However I decided that I will probably read the Girl Who played with Fire to see if it is any better. The first book didn't become interesting until about half way through.

[Mish]

Hi Kelly I've read the whole series and they all don't start until half way through. You do need to persist with it....good luck :)

[Kassassinn]

Emma by Jane Austen. I had to read this book for school and initially I was very excited. I'd never read an Austen book before and wanted to see what the hype was about. Honestly, it was one of the most boring books I've ever read. it would just get to an exciting part then would have a whole chapter about eating cake or something.

[★ Jess]

Michael wrote: "I got the series in my bookcase and have been reluctant to read them."

I own all three as well, & am quite excited to read them :)

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

★ Jess wrote: "Michael wrote: "I got the series in my bookcase and have been reluctant to read them."

I own all three as well, & am quite excited to read them :)"

The stories and the characters are good but the books are a bit wordy. They are much much better than the movies were though!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

There has been some discussion about Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn being one not liked. Feel free to comment about it here if you like...I personally didn't like it; the ending ruined the whole book for me I'm afraid. Of course for those who haven't read it, I'll not say what that ending was, and I also know that a lot of people enjoyed it too!

Another one I had trouble with is That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott. I've put that one down as "will get back to" but I doubt I will!

Any thoughts on books you really didn't like and why from others?

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Quite a number of low reviews Michael, but also a few 4 and 5 stars too. Others agreed with you on the confusion too.

[Zara's Retreat]

I absolutely hate Room by Emma Donoghue. I've tried to read it twice - both times for a bookclub book - and I really didn't understand it. The language seemed to be a mix of a very underdeveloped five year old and adult language (the 5 year old used what could be classed as adult words). Not my favourite book at all.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

That's funny Zara, as I loved that book! We did it for bookclub too, and I really enjoyed the book from the perspective of the 5yo boy! Funny how tastes are so different:)

[Zara's Retreat]

Brenda wrote: "That's funny Zara, as I loved that book! We did it for bookclub too, and I really enjoyed the book from the perspective of the 5yo boy! Funny how tastes are so different:)"

I agree Brenda it is amazing how different people have different ideas of the same book. I know someone who preferred the movies of the 'Love Comes Softly' series when I hated them. lol

[[deleted user]]

One I finished but wished I never wasted the time to read is Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. Not so beautiful but a whole lot of disaster in my opinion. I cringe to hear teen reviewers swooning over the male protagonist. He's misogynistic and violent and I just think its a terrible role model for teenage romances. This is one book I won't be encouraging my teenage daughter to read.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Jennie - Daystarz Books wrote: "One I finished but wished I never wasted the time to read is Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. Not so beautiful but a whole lot of disaster in my opinion. I am a..."

I agree with you Jennie. I enjoyed the book but my review reflected my thoughts. I definitely wouldn't bother to read the next one though:)

[Patricia]

On the Island
I bought this as an ebook. I was home sick with a nasty cold. There was a book discussion in another online group and several people said this was light and fun...which was just what I was looking for so I downloaded it.
OMG it is the biggest load of trash ever.
I read it in 2hrs and if I could, I'd have those two hours of being sick back in order to erase this from my memory.
Even here it consistently gets 5 stars...I have NO idea why, it's horribly written and has a ridiculous storyline. It reads like something I could have written when I was 15.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Patricia wrote: "On the Island
I bought this as an ebook. I was home sick with a nasty cold. There was a book discussion in another online group and several people said this was light and fun...whic..."

Wow, so many 4 and 5 star reviews Patricia! I haven't heard of the book, but lots of people seem to have loved it! You poor thing, I bet you were wishing you could have liked it!

[Patricia]

I used to think the author paid people...seriously.
It really is that bad.
Two people on a desert island, there's a "breadfruit" tree.
The writing:
Today we ate one breadfruit and went for a walk, Then ate 2 breadfruit and had a swim, ate 3 more breadfruit and went to sleep.
Today was raining so we didn't go for a walk, just ate 2 breadfruit. Then it rained. Ate another breadfruit...

Arrrggghhh, I wish I was kidding.
Actually if you want a good laugh, filter to the 1 star ratings, some of those are hysterical.
There's one by a GR member Nikki on 08/08/2013 which almost has me crying with laughter!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Seriously!!! Oh dear!

[Tango]

A book I struggled to read was Carpentaria. The writing was beautiful, but the story was less than riveting. Not to mention being way too long.

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Do you remember whenEat, Pray, Love was the number one book to read. I hated it from beginning to end. Another one other people seem to love and I can't stand is Beautiful Ruins

[Dale]

Brenda wrote: "There has been some discussion about Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn being one not liked. Feel free to comment about it here if you like...I personally didn't like it; the e..."

I was another who tried but didn't read That Deadman Dance. Took it back to the library. Same with Roomwhich I know Brenda and others liked. Sometimes I think it depends on the mood we are in at the time ad also what we have read before it. After reading a really good book it is hard to read something that doesn't grab the emotions and senses. Another that drove me crazy was The Truth About You, yet again I know other people like this author and this book. Wouldn't do for us all to be the same.

[Angela]

Phrynne wrote: "Do you remember whenEat, Pray, Love was the number one book to read. I hated it from beginning to end. Another one other people seem to love and I can't stand is [book:Beautiful Ruins|..."

I totally agree Phrynne! What a load of self-boasting rubbish. I kind of had the feeling she was trying to make the audience jealous the whole time; either that or telling us that if we all had cash growing on trees we too could find enlightenment through pasta.

[Angela]

Another one that I couldn't get on board with, despite the hype, was The Memory Keeper's Daughter.

The first 10 pages were good, and then the storytelling was so droll I ate my way through it like I was chewing cardboard. Great story, rubbish writing.

[Rita]

I had to read this thread to make sure my books weren't on it! Probably my least favourite was Jane Austen's Emma - one of the few books I didn't bother to finish.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Phrynne wrote: "Do you remember whenEat, Pray, Love was the number one book to read. I hated it from beginning to end. Another one other people seem to love and I can't stand is Beautiful Ruins as well! And when she released a new one recently, I said NO WAY!!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Rita wrote: "I had to read this thread to make sure my books weren't on it! Probably my least favourite was Jane Austen's Emma - one of the few books I didn't bother to finish."

Emma is a book I haven't read Rita!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Angela wrote: "Another one that I couldn't get on board with, despite the hype, was The Memory Keeper's Daughter.

The first 10 pages were good, and then the storytelling was so droll I ate my way th..."

I was half and half with this one, I think I gave it 3 stars. The story idea was great though:)

[[deleted user]]

My other one I disliked and didn't finish was The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas I loved the premise and had been really looking forward to it but the profanity was just way over the top for my liking.

[Liam || Books 'n Beards]

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is probably the main one to spring to mind from the past year or so.

Ugh.

[James]

Sally wrote: "The Catcher in the Rye

I always thought it would be amazing due to the high esteem it is held by so many people. I didn't read very much before giving up. Boring, whiney little charact..."

I loved it.

[James]

Mark wrote: "Coelho does a sagacious guru shtick. The only problem is that he has no novel insights and substitutes manufactured pathos and meretricious emotional manipulation. A lot of people like it, though..."

Could not agree more.

He's so boring they could use him to bore underground from here to New Zealand!

[James]

Brenda wrote: "Angela wrote: "Another one that I couldn't get on board with, despite the hype, was The Memory Keeper's Daughter.

The first 10 pages were good, and then the storytelling was so droll ..."

I love the idea too & the film. Not the book.

[Dale]

Jennie - Daystarz Books wrote: "My other one I disliked and didn't finish was The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas I loved the premise and had been really looking forward to it but the profanity was just wa..."

I never even went near that one. Knew I wouldn't like it.

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

I agree with almost everyone so far except about Emma. I love that book second only to Pride and Prejudice

[Andrea]

Phrynne wrote: "I agree with almost everyone so far except about Emma. I love that book second only to Pride and Prejudice"

It took me 3 years on and off to get through Pride and Prejudice, and yet I didn't mind Emma. (Perhaps there is something wrong with me...)

[Elaine]

One book I tried a few times to read but really couldn't get into was The English Patient. I kept thinking that I just wasn't clever enough for it. The other one is one a few of you have already mentioned That Deadman Dance. Not sure if I'll ever give them another go. Life is just too short.

[Lisa]

Life of Pi . Everyone around me adored it. I finished it (after alot of skimming) but certain parts of it were just too obscure and unbelievable to me.
Also Warm Bodies just took itself too seriously. There is nothing sexy about zombies, no matter how hard the author tries to convince you..

[Mark]

Lisa wrote: "Life of Pi . Everyone around me adored it. I finished it (after alot of skimming) but certain parts of it were just too obscure and unbelievable to me.
Also [..."

Yes! I loathed it!

Tyger, tyger, speaking rote,
To a cretin in a boat,
What pretentious writer's eye
Dared frame this asininity?

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Mark wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Life of Pi . Everyone around me adored it. I finished it (after alot of skimming) but certain parts of it were just too obscure and unbelievable ..."

William Blake turns over in his grave. Love it!!!

[Liam || Books 'n Beards]

Lisa wrote: "Life of Pi . Everyone around me adored it. I finished it (after alot of skimming) but certain parts of it were just too obscure and unbelievable to me."

To be fair I'm pretty sure the unbelievability is part of it.

[James]

Liam wrote, "To be fair I'm pretty sure the unbelievability is part of it."

I don't believe that.

[Liza]

Zara wrote: "Brenda wrote: "That's funny Zara, as I loved that book! We did it for bookclub too, and I really enjoyed the book from the perspective of the 5yo boy! Funny how tastes are so different:)"

I agree ..."

Yes, funny how tastes are so different.. probably lucky really, otherwise we'd all want to borrow the same library books! I adored Room!

[Liza]

Brenda wrote: "Phrynne wrote: "Do you remember whenEat, Pray, Love was the number one book to read. I hated it from beginning to end. Another one other people seem to love and I can't stand is [book:..."

Ditto, Ditto... how self-indulgent can a person get???

[Dale]

Mark wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Life of Pi . Everyone around me adored it. I finished it (after alot of skimming) but certain parts of it were just too obscure and unbelievable ..."

Same here.

[Mish]

The Memory Keeper's Daughter - I concur. Great plot but the characters lacked any spirit or personality. The writing was quite dull.

[Dana]

Hi all (my first post).
I purchased a lovely copy of Wuthering Heights because I was absolutely certain I would adore it, I didn't. I did finish it but spent all 385 pages resisting the urge to hurl it into the fire.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

That's a shame you didn't enjoy Wuthering Heights Dana... I hope you didn't throw it into the fire!

Welcome to the group, it'd be great if you headed over here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... to introduce yourself, so everyone else could say hi:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

We did Michael!!

[Dana]

Thanks for the welcome. No I didn't hurl my copy into the fire, in fact it remains on my "Classic" bookshelf, along with some I truly adore (Jane Eyre, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice).

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Dana wrote: "Thanks for the welcome. No I didn't hurl my copy into the fire, in fact it remains on my "Classic" bookshelf, along with some I truly adore (Jane Eyre, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice)."

I'm glad Dana;)

[Andrea]

My least favourite book was Chasing Harry Winston Biggest lot of drivel I have ever read! I can't beleive I actually finished it to be honest!
Another one that I hated was Eat, Pray, Love didn't finish that one!