Retired Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Moby Dick just takes for ever to get to a plot or anything of interest, who said it was great or classic, this is worst book every written Oh kay maybe not the worst but seriously, I am spoiled with a modern short attention span. I want to get to the point the action etc by chapter 2 not chapter 22:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 I tried to read Ethan Frome this year and couldn't get into it. :( I watched Liam Neeson in Ethan Frome years before I read the book. I guess that helped me get through the book as I was able to picture Liam Neeson the whole time I was reading. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 The Shack. I can't say I hated it, but I did have to force myself to finish it. I thought it was my problem since I'm LDS and the ideas in the book are so different from what I'm used to. I'm relieved to see that I'm not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangearrow Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Oh, I loved Outlander!!! And the next book or two. After that, I really lost interest, and actually just could not finish the latest book that came out (I really dislike the Lord John books, and you really need to have read those for the latest Outlander book to even make sense). but, it's definitely a romance novel. Does the author try to insist they are historical fiction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I have never read a more predictable book. Yes, I got the parody...I got the jokes...I just didn't like it. Edited December 24, 2009 by Tap, tap, tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom3tn Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 I watched Liam Neeson in Ethan Frome years before I read the book. I guess that helped me get through the book as I was able to picture Liam Neeson the whole time I was reading. ;) I'll have to try that. I think I can sit through a couple of hours of Liam Neeson. :drool5: :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 The first one was bad enough, but I actually saw the movie before reading the second one, and it took it from bad to bad AND boring. I have gotten impatient with books that I'm not enjoying or at least benefitting from. I don't finish usually compulsively finish books I don't like anymore. But DD read all the Twilight books avidly and loved them, and I felt I should read them so that we could discuss them. So there you go. I am currently reading a book I'm hating, for my book club. It is "Olive Kittredge". It won a Pulizer Prize, and I have to say that I really don't know why. It is the all depressing all the time network book. It's decently but not superbly written, and I have been to Maine quite a bit and it doesn't feature the weather/climate nearly enough to be realistic. In fact, it doesn't 'feel' like Maine at all to me. But I'm slogging through it for my book club. Other than that, this has been a pretty good year for books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom3tn Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 I just read that Susan Sarandon is going to be in the movie of this. I didn't really enjoy the book, but I think she's a superb actress/person, so I'm interested in how they film it. Here's the trailer: http://www.lovelybones.com/#home I hope that they don't include the part where she "possesses" that other girl so that she can have s3x with the guy that she likes... I really liked the book, but thought that the author went too far with that part. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontier Mom Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 The Shack Hands down. No question. (And I'm actually not even talking about the theology.) :D Same here:iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontier Mom Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Wicked. From all I'd heard about it I was really excited to read it but I couldn't get past the first chapter. Well, I made myself finished but it was not worth the effort for me. Glad I'm not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose in BC Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Ah... Outlander. I didn't comment on that because the OP asked what was the worst we'd read this year, and it's been years since I lost several hours to that preposterous assemblage of loo roll only marginally disguised as tome. I didn't like it either. It must be an love it or hate it book. . . I picked it up from library because so many people raved about it. I read 2/3's of it but couldn't finish and have no desire to try and finish it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in GA Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I have never read a more predictable book. Yes, I got the parody...I got the jokes...I just didn't like it. I reread this a couple of years ago when ds was reading it and felt the same way about it. When I first read it as an 18 or 19 year old I thought it was riotously funny as did ds. Guess it's an age thing. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 My worst book this year was Louisa May Alcott:A Modern Biography by Martha Saxton. Ugh, talk about long and drawn out. Plus, most of the book centered on her whack job father! He was a pompous *ss. Really, after reading this I felt so badly for her - her life seemed the opposite of Little Women - perhaps that is why she wrote it? Another book I read and didn't care for was The Book Thief. So many people love this book but I couldn't figure out why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanAR Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Another book I read and didn't care for was The Book Thief. So many people love this book but I couldn't figure out why. :iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Another book I read and didn't care for was The Book Thief. So many people love this book but I couldn't figure out why. I can see that - it was bitter to swallow. And the writing style was unique. Bordered on poetry, imo (it was one of my absolute favs last year). Made me cry like a baby more than once. And then when I read it again, I still cried in all the same places, just harder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Well, the worst book I read this year was Healing Eczema: Nutrition, Detoxification, Anti-Stress Coping Skills And External Practices To Heal Eczema by Christina Nevada. The book is mostly a cut and paste job from a website, and it is poorly edited. (Not to mention, I'm unaccustomed to seeing emoticons in a book!) The upside though is that there were some good suggestions. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 I can't believe how many people dislike Jodi Picoult- some of her books are better than others, but I think she's really good. I had never read her before this year, but after reading Nineteen Minutes, I read most of her other books. I really like how she gets into the heads of so many different people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thea Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 I couldn't finish She's Come Undone. It definitely falls on my worst list, but that was a few years ago. I'm sure he was a lovely teacher! He was a great teacher---- :D [Re: Wicked] Well, I made myself finished but it was not worth the effort for me. Glad I'm not alone. Ugh. I despised Wicked. That was last year. [RE: The Book Thief] I can see that - it was bitter to swallow. And the writing style was unique. Bordered on poetry, imo (it was one of my absolute favs last year). Made me cry like a baby more than once. And then when I read it again, I still cried in all the same places, just harder. Like poetry. I never thought about it like that, but you're right. I loved The Book Thief... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Siblings Without Rivalry Quite possibly the worst book I've ever read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) I'm embarrassed not to have enjoyed it... Moby Dick. Don't be embarrassed. It's the book that ruined Melville -- bankrupted him. Ironic, as completing the book was sort of his "white whale" -- something he pursued until it ruined him. His contemporaries HATED it, and it wasn't until some artsy-fartsy people came along in the 1920's and rediscovered the book that it gained popularity. I loathe the book! I was an English major and got stuck reading the darn thing 3 times! I had to read it once in high school and twice in college :tongue_smilie: Edited December 24, 2009 by jujsky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 I think the worst book I read this year was something called Dessert Queen. It was a biography about some British lady in the 1920's (I think) who traveled and studied the middle east. It was for book club. The middle east doesn't particularly interest me. The lady didn't particularly interest me. The writing was poor. It honestly had the potential to be decent, but the writer sucked away any hope of that. I don't think anyone liked it. I think I got 1/3 of the way through and gave up. The other boring book I read was something about the creation of the Oxford-English Dictionary. I think it was called The Professor and the Mad-Man. Again, it was mind-numbingly boring, and also a book-club pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quad Shot Academy Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Siblings Without Rivalry Quite possibly the worst book I've ever read. :iagree: So many people love it, but I could not hate it more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allearia Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 I find it funny that four of the top most hated books were my favorites this year. I agree with everyone about Wicked - ugh! I loved the play so I made myself finish the book but it was truly terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 For me it was As I Lay Dying by Faulkner. I tried, but just couldn't do it. Debbi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 (edited) I dunno 'cause I only last a few pages into a terrible book! There are too many books I really want to read, to get far into ones that don't grab me. I enjoyed all of our read alouds except that I didn't enjoy Sophie's World as much as I thought I would, and I wanted to stop it half way through, but the kids insisted I keep reading to the very end. I hope they don't find out there is a sequel :) Which one? Solitaire Mystery? I didn't enjoy Sophie's World at all, but I loved Solitaire Mystery! The Christmas book, forget what it was called, was good until the end. Nothing like a bad ending, is there? Can't remember the title of the worst book I read this year. I had a baby in January so spent the first couple of months on the couch, nursing, and reading brainless novels coz I didn't have a brain. I know there was a few books about middle aged women feeling discontented with their lives so choosing to go off and have affairs, just for something to do, not even because they are attracted to the bloke. Urgh. I hate books like that and don't understand why there are so many published. I don't even know why I finished reading them. Too baby brained to think of not reading them, maybe? Oh yeah! And a short story by Virginia Woolf. That was a real let down. I'd been feeling guilty for years for never having familiarised myself with her work. She's really famous, yeah? So must be good, yeah? It had a bad story line, bad punctuation and bad editing. I have been assured that the rest of her work is just the same, so I shan't ever read her again! Rosie Edited December 25, 2009 by Rosie_0801 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 (edited) I loved Girl with a Pearl Earring.But it had such a lame ending!! Oh, I just remembered another lousy book. Part of a trilogy about Mr Darcy, by Pamela Aiden. The first book was ok. The second half of the third book was ok. The bit in the middle was the most un-Austen crazy mess! Argh!! I've been watching Jane Austen movies recently and wouldn't mind some inspired sequels but after those books, I'm too afraid to try any others! Oh, and The Great Gatsby was one of the most pathetic books ever! The characters were so loathsome I couldn't even enjoy disliking them! Rosie Edited December 25, 2009 by Rosie_0801 Still working my way through the thread, heheh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Well, its probably not fair, because I never finished either one, but Outlander (Gabaldon) Same experience here~ the first chapter nearly snagged me, but it became just too unbelievable. Didn't the main character miss her husband, umm, at ALL? I tried reading ahead, but I found even the steamy scenes tedious. Apologies to those who love this book! I just couldn't do it. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 For me it was As I Lay Dying by Faulkner. I tried, but just couldn't do it. Debbi I really appreciate Faulkner, but probably wouldn't have followed through with him were it not for a college prof who skillfully guided us through the labyrinth. :001_huh: Once you get used to the cadence of the writing, you may enjoy a revisiting. All the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 A funny about The Shack. Last year, for Christmas, I realized 5 minutes before we were leaving to go to dh's family for Christmas that I didn't have a gift for BIL. He loves to read. Someone had given me The Shack. I hadn't time to read it and I just grabbed it, stuffed it into a bag for him and gave it to him. Well, the more I heard about this book, the more embarrassed I became that I gave it to him. I am afraid to face him this year:001_huh:. :lol::lol: LOL... guess what book MIL gave us for Christmas? Hubby told his mom he will not be reading it. She has suggested books for me to read and I really find them mind-numbing. I may give away this book (unread) in a white elephant gift exchange. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 (edited) I agree with many of the bads (I've never read Twilight or The Shack) except Wicked. It's one of my fav books of all time. :D I though of another that is on my despised list: Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. That didn't ring the least bit convincing. Although I did enjoy Little Alters Everywhere. But those books are so 5 years ago. Edited December 26, 2009 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 We Were the Mulvaneys. I tried, twice, to get through it.:glare: It was maddening! I felt like throwing the book against the wall and shouting, "Shut up about the %#(& farm already!" OMGoodness! That is so funny! :lol: I live near JCO's hometown and she nails this area. But not all her books appeal to me so IKWYM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I though of another that is on my despised list: Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. That didn't ring the least bit convincing. Although I did enjoy Little Alters Everywhere. But those books are so 5 years ago. I tried to read this, too, and just couldn't get into it. It was so popular and everyone seemed to love it. Glad to know I'm not the only one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 My mom highly recommended it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I dunno 'cause I only last a few pages into a terrible book! There are too many books I really want to read, to get far into ones that don't grab me. :iagree: If I don't like a book by the time I get to Chapter 2, I stop reading it and find something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieM Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 YES, better than Twilight. I loved the humor in them. And I love love love Eric. I am definitely Team Eric! I completely agree on all counts! I am really enjoying the Southern Vampire books and also think they're better than the Twilight books (which I also enjoyed). However, Charlaine Harris' Shakespeare's Trollop tops my list of worst-read for the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I though of another that is on my despised list: Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. I liked it at first, then I got to the awful part that made all of the books so horribly awful. After that, I hated them all. Blech. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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