Really Rubbish Books

I’ve given up on Donna Tartt’s ‘Secret History’ novel. It’s not grabbing me. I’ve decided to move onto the ‘Thousand Suns’ book. Talking about it earlier has piqued my interest!

It’s important when reading to really look forward to picking the book up and settling down with it. Otherwise, what’s the point?

I am lucky that I work in a library so don't have the anguish of having paid for books I don't like. I love Charles Dickens actual stories, but reading the books is not easy. I started Les Miserables but quickly gave up, the endless descriptions were just so frustrating, I felt like screaming " just get on with the story". I also started the Game of Thrones books (I have never seen one single episode of it on TV) . But I gave up by book 4. Every character I had cared about had died or disappeared without trace and I figured life was too short and there were better books to read. I do enjoy series of books, especially cosy murders. Lazy reading, but relaxing. I avoid prize winning books , such as Booker winners, they tend to be too "clever" by far, or "up themselves" as we say in the north. I really did enjoy Richard Osman's book. Not the best book ever, but nice to read something that focuses on older people, and I really fancy living in the home where it was set.

Foxglove77

The Ship of Brides I found really hard going but felt that I had to finish the voyage with them. Harrowing tale based on truth.

I enjoyed that Foxglove!

JulieNoted, oh, thank goodness.
I began to wonder what was wrong with me!!

Haha, glad to have restored your faith in yourself Callistemon

Fanny Cornforth. I promise you my book is not rubbish.
It's called The Love Affair by me Karen Steele and it's on Amazon e book free and paper back. Its a novel based on a true story. If you do read it I really would appreciate knowing and hoping that you loved it. Karen

Thank you Karen
I will definitely have a look
I'll get back to you x

The Great Gatsby. Pure drivel.

I hate ‘Lois the Witch’ by Elizabeth Gaskell. I was forced to read it at school.

OMG NO‼️ * Blossoming* please wash your mouth out with soap and water right now. Or at least give your index finger a good scrub. The GG is just an amazing novel. No further discussion allowed. Sorry.
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I’d rather tattoo my eyeballs with a rusty nail than read it again, quite frankly ?

Alima

Raven Black by Anne Cleeves. I plodded on and finished it, never again. So many people on GN rate A C, I will never again be able to read any by her.

Her Shetland series is much better than the Vera books, even though I'm a fan I didn't like Raven Black, some of the Vera series are hard going.

Your post title has just reminded me of an incident years ago. There used to be a book seller at our local car boot sale, and I asked him to recommend a book, which he did. I can't remember the title unfortunately, but it had the most horrific realistic rape and murder scene. It really upset me that he'd recommended it, I never went back to him.

Dickens' David Copperfield , so many pages covering the early life , then a mad rush at the end that was such a disappointment...I thought Dickens must have just got bored.

Hobbit and the Ring series, my late PH raved about The Hobbit 50+ years ago, I've tried a number of times but can't get into them. I have a record of 15 minutes watching the films too.

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Apologies the laughter was for Blossoming.
Teach me to go off & make my Horlicks!

Friends said "You must read The Kite Runner!", and one of them lent me a copy. I kept reading it, hoping for a happy ending, but it left me feeling really depressed.
A book that really annoyed me was Dan Brown's 'Angels and Demons'. The science of anti-matter at the beginning was thought-provoking, then it was a bit grizzly in places but kept me gripped. However the ending was so ridiculous, impossible and against any physics I ever learnt that I felt really let down and cheated.

Tom Jones had to read it for book club once , cheated and watched a dvd of the film. It actually gave me headache reading it

I enjoyed The Goldfinch. Many books which I felt I should enjoy I just didn't. Dr Zhivago, The Great Gatsby, anything by Tolkien. To my sorrow I found The English Patient unreadable as it is one of my absolute favourite films. I have tried the above books at different times to allow for my age or life situation, but nope, still dislike them. I also do not like The Pilgrim series and used to turn.thd radio off when it was serialized on radio 4. I love the Far Pavillion and it is due for a re-read; I find different things every time I read it (3 so far). I have, over the years, wrestled with many different prize winning novels, Booker and others, and without exception have found them to be awful. I did read and enjoy both of the Hilary Mantel Cromwell books and enjoyed them.

50 Shades of Grey - that book, the entire series, and the author is just abominable! Some of the worst writing I've ever had the misfortune to read, and a complete misunderstanding of the bdsm lifestyle. The author actually bragged that she had done zero research into a subject she knew nothing about. Well I do know what I am talking about and it is a neverending embarrassment that this pile of crap was, at one time, the best selling book in the UK!

Re "fifty shades" it had the longest list of requests ever in the libraries of the city where I work. At one point getting on for 100 people were waiting to read it and we had several copies. I never did read it, but it was obvious from the state of the pages , which were the juicier parts!. I was also quite surprised to find a copy in my DDs bedroom, though they were young adults at the time!???

I read A Thousand Splendid Suns when it first came out. I thought it was really good and tremendously sad though I don’t remember it detail now. Perhaps it’s a book I’ll revisit.

Really enjoyed I Am Pilgrim - wasn’t enamoured at all with “Where The Crawdads Sing” and it was weeks in the Top Ten.

I’ve not read 50 Shades of Grey, but I can’t imagine I’d enjoy it very much, but read Great Gatsby when I was in my late teens, and loved it.