Really Rubbish Books

And mine.

DiggingDoris that’s my view of RR’s books as well.

Ruth Rendell books are a mystery to me. (no pun intended!)
Having read more than 20 of her books I have decided to only read her Wexford stories in the future. Her other novels have a strange, weird theme usually and have a scenario that is ludicrous. I love a thriller but it has to be a little bit plausible.

Apologies to RR fans but I shall be giving a pile of her tales to the charity shops.

The Shetland series was definitely the jewel in the crown Calendargirl

I agree Saetana I often find Booker prize winning books beyond my ken. Maybe I'm overtaxing my limited intelligence

sodapop

I didn't like the first book of Ann Cleves new series either, it was really depressing I thought. So memorable I can't remember the title.

‘The Long Call’ I think it was, The Two Rivers series?

I agree, I read it and not overly impressed.

Ann Cleeves said in her blurb that she hoped we would take to the new detective like we did Jimmy Perez in Shetland, but no charisma came across.

I'm ploughing through this thread but haven't read it all yet. So far no one has mentioned Joanna Harris. I think that's her name. "Chocolat" I didn't connect with at all, then there was another one about blackberries which left me equally cold.

I can’t get into Hilary Mantel’s books either. I once heard her on the radio rubbishing another author’s books and wanted to tell her out that not everyone rated hers.

Ooh thought of another one - Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall - read great reviews about it so picked up a copy from the library. Couldn't get beyond a couple of chapters - her writing style is really not my cup of tea, to put it politely. I often find books that have won awards are nowhere near as good as they are cracked up to be.

Narcissus and Goldmund is one of my favourite books, difficult to get hold of though. I eventually got mine from an old bookshop. I like Sara Baume unusual books.

Agree. Thursday Murder Club boring....boring....?

Greyduster

I’ve decided to abandon The Three Body Problem for now. I’m sure someone much brighter than me will understand what on Earth is going on, but I really can’t. You can’t win ‘em all.

I’ve just remembered another I couldn’t make head nor tail of.
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. What the heck was that all about?

Oops, you your!

dogsmother

Oh lord and now I can’t spell too ?

I read this before you previous post and thought "hmm, she should have said 'either' not 'too' " . And then I read the other post and the penny dropped, haha!

No apologies needed, mine was just a winky, light-hearted comment

Oh lord and now I can’t spell too ?

Julienoted
Duly noted, apologies. I am forever going off thread, to do with mainly having my head in a book or on a screen to often.

Just My Luck. Received it at Christmas. Can’t remember the author and I gave it away. Apparently she has written loads of books and having them published at a rate of one a year!,!

I’ve decided to abandon The Three Body Problem for now. I’m sure someone much brighter than me will understand what on Earth is going on, but I really can’t. You can’t win ‘em all.

eazybee
I don’t think she would have liked that either

Sara1954 and Maggiemaybe



As I said to my friend, You could have shortened it to Stacey.

I think I’m inclined to agree with your daughter there, Sara1954.

Eazybee

I am one of those people. I wanted to call my daughter Eustacia, she thinks she had a lucky escape.

Greyduster

My daughter gave me a copy of “The Hunting Party” last year because she said it had good reviews. It’s about a bunch of shallow, unlikable yuppies who get snowed in at a hunting lodge they have rented in Scotland, and one of them is murdered. Half way through I would cheerfully have volunteered to help the murderer see off the rest of them too, in short order. Stereotyped characters, poor writing and more holes in the plot than a Swiss cheese!

That did make me laugh ??

Maggiemaybe I think I must have rubbish taste too - so many classics and prize winning books I just can't get on with.

And like some other posters if the book is badly written with numerous spelling and grammar mistakes I get distracted from the plot and find myself rewriting it in my head.

You have to persevere with Captain Corelli, past the first 100 pages, then it gets into its stride and is worth reading.

Never been able to enjoy Thomas Hardy, which is sad as I live in Dorset, and know people who wanted to call their children Eustacia and Bathsheba, or even Jude.

Sorry, that probably should have been in reply to Maggie

Vicky
I disagree with everything apart from Catcher in the Rye , I’m not sure why it was such a ‘must read’ book. I think I read it in a day, while home with a sick child, and was completely underwhelmed.