Aussie Readers discussion

I'm doing a reading challenge and one is 'a book with bad reviews'. I'm struggling to find anything so I'm asking the Aussie Readers brainstrust to tell me their Best and Worst books.
My best - A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Worst - I give up on bad books so am not sure but probably Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I hated this book, everything about it shouted B Grade although I read another book by this author and it was ok.
Can you help me find 'a book with bad reviews'?

Haha, what a can of worms! It’s difficult to think of something universally panned, but still readable. I wondered if Go Set a Watchman might be a candidate. I still haven’t read it myself. But I just had a look and even within this group, some readers liked it and others didn’t.

Same for the book that first sprang to my mind. I thought White is the Coldest Colour was awful, but again it had fans in this group.

So looking at my Read shelf, I sorted by Ave Rating and by my rating and the one that comes in at the bottom is Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession by Julie Powell. Her first book was great; this one not so much.

Do let us know what you decide on in the end!

PS Your choice of ‘Best’ makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I recently listened to What is is All but Luminous: Notes From an Underground Man by Art Garfunkel. He is the reader in the audio book. It is a bit of a shocker. He reads out lists of books he has read, spells words, and then waffles on and on.

Diana wrote: "I'm doing a reading challenge and one is 'a book with bad reviews'. I'm struggling to find anything so I'm asking the Aussie Readers brainstrust to tell me their Best and Worst books.
My best - [b..."

Here’s one for you. Some liked it but it was very poorly written with a ridiculous plot.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Not universally disliked but sadly a very disappointing book with a beautiful cover 😢

That's not a challenge I would enjoy Diana - I want to love my reads!!!

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff was a 1 star read for me.

So was Aquarium by David Vann

And ON by Jon Puckridge

Sydney Bridge Upside Down by David Ballantyne a 2 star

There are others but I can't think of them off the top of my head :)

I have selected a book that features on a Goodreads list of Worst books and gets mostly one and a few two stars reviews. My sister in the US ordered it for me second hand and it cost $2!
Behind the Bell by Dustin Diamond LOL it sounds abominable

Diana wrote: "I have selected a book that features on a Goodreads list of Worst books and gets mostly one and a few two stars reviews. My sister in the US ordered it for me second hand and it cost $2! ..."

I just had a quick scroll through the reviews ... oh dear.

Diana wrote: "I have selected a book that features on a Goodreads list of Worst books and gets mostly one and a few two stars reviews. My sister in the US ordered it for me second hand and it cost $2!
[book:Behi..."

I hope you get something out of it Diana! The reviews are awful!!

That title does sound unimpressive, but I would think if you're a fan of the tv show you might get something out of it, even if it is trashy?

I have quite a few books I thought awful, yet others absolutely adored them. The Zahir by Paulo Coelho is the most recent to get the one-star treatment from me, and I was not a fan of such popular titles as The Road by Cormac McCarthy or The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough.

The differences in opinion is what makes reading reviews so fascinating to me. Good luck Diana!