Book Buying Addicts Anonymous discussion

For me it's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. I bought it because my sister likes the series and I found it for a quarter at the library so I thought I'd grab it and check it out myself. It was the most boring book I have ever read. There was really no mystery in it at all and the characters were totally flat. So far, this is the only book I've given 1 star to on Goodreads.

How about you? What books have you bought that after reading them you really regretted buying them?

Get Lucky.

The Secret of Lost Things

Seriously, the worst book ever written. Hated, hated, hated it.

I rarely have DNF books, but the worst one most recently and I bought it as well was A is for Alibi - I know lots of people love the series, but for me, it just fell flat and I hated it...I made it about 1/4 of the way through before giving up...I didn't buy Twilight (borrowed for the library), but only made it through 3 chapters of that

The Town That Forgot How To Breathe

The Town That Forgot How to Breathe sounds rather intriguing, Terri. What's it about?

My worst book is one I saw reviewed positively on a book show: A Confederacy of Dunces. It's supposed to be a classic, but I found the characters so horrible and the story so dull I couldn't finish.

The Davinci Code. This book was one of the most awful pieces of literature I've ever forced myself through.

Kristopher

Probably Acorna by Anne McCaffrey. I'm glad I only spent a dime on it at a rummage sale. I couldn't finish it.

That doesn't surprise me, Kristopher. I yawned through the Da Vinci Code movie and only got a couple of pages into his Angels & Demons novel before deciding there must be an instruction manual somewhere I hadn't yet read that would be more interesting.

I would recommend book-shelf instructions. :) the popularity of his books really makes me worry about the intelligence of the American public!

The Hunger by Whitley Strieber is one of the worst books I have ever read, followed closely by Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice. Both were horrible.

Neither my mom nor I cared for Acorna and I never understood what was so great about the Da Vinci Code. I've always said that the only reason the book was so popular was because The Church couldn't keep it's mouth shut. I think that most people only read the book to see what all the fuss was about & if The Church had ignored the book it would have been simply another book.

I didn't finish Twilight either. I got about 150 pages in & then I watched the movie, which I thought was rather boring. Couldn't finish the book after that.

The Time Travelers Wife for me was painful

Sundays at Tiffany's made me feel like I was stupid, because the premise was just so ridiculous, and I thought I was missing something the whole time. I kept waiting for the nonsense to clear up, and it never did.

I thought The Da Vinci Code was kind of cheesy, both the film and the book, but they were interesting enough to me to finish.

I wish I could remember what book this is, but I tried reading a book about a girl who lived near the sea, and there was a magical element, where when she was ramping up some witchy powers, her tri colored hair would braid together...it was written like "her silver, bold, and bronze tresses swirled together"...it was so awful.

Eat Pray Love too

The Sociopath Next Door. I think it was written by one.

Heather wrote: "The Time Travelers Wife for me was painful"

really? Cuz Im thinking about buying it. I thought it was a bestselling novel? :/

Straight Talk with Gay Guys

Gossip Times Three
i didnt enjoy it a tid bit! Enough said.

Petra X wrote: "The Sociopath Next Door. I think it was written by one."

Actually, Petra, I liked that one. I was trying to see if my husband fit the definition (sadly he did) & there's not a lot out there on the topic. I wouldn't have read it otherwise but if you're actually in that situation, it's a very helpful resource.

Nurulainibm wrote: "Heather wrote: "The Time Travelers Wife for me was painful"

really? Cuz Im thinking about buying it. I thought it was a bestselling novel? :/"

Not that bestselling means everything! But I did enjoy it. I liked her next one, Her Fearful Symmetry, even more. Lots of people absolutely hated that one. So it could be just my weird taste!

Jenny wrote: "The Town That Forgot How to Breathe sounds rather intriguing, Terri. What's it about?

My worst book is one I saw reviewed positively on a book show: A Confederacy of Dunces. It's supposed to be ..."

A Confederacy of Duncesis the exact book that jumped to my mind as well. I rarely quit reading in the middle of a book...but I just could NOT force myself to finish this one. I had heard so many good reviews and so many people said it was funny but it held NO appeal for me at all.

just could not get through it..thought it was going to be amazing biggest let down one day i might finish it....maybe

Do not disgrace ur bookshelf with this disaster of a book!

There are many! Off the top of my head:

The DaVinci Code - borrrring
Eat, Pray, Love - tedious navel gazing
All He Ever Wanted by Anita Shreve

The book I just couldn't stand and had to force myself to finish because I had hoped it would get better was "The Road". I do not understand the hype of that book at all. A total snoozefest!

I try to forget them as quickly as possible. lol

Worst book I've ever read.. It was just wierd.

Nyla wrote: "

Do not disgrace ur bookshelf with this disaster of a book!"

Nyla---it wasn't THAT bad......

Nurulainibm wrote: "Heather wrote: "The Time Travelers Wife for me was painful"

really? Cuz Im thinking about buying it. I thought it was a bestselling novel? :/"

Aw - I loved it. So did my friends who read it. Go for it!

One I regretted buying was Blood Engines - I made it about two chapters and wanted to slap the author. Happily, I didn't buy Da Vinci Code - someone loaned it to me because she wanted to know what I thought of it. I told her. That was one book she didn't have to worry about loaning - I couldn't give it back fast enough.

There was some book by L. A. Banks that I bought, and I've posted on here before about how awful it was. I was also not really happy with anything by Tamora Pierce, and any of Laurell K. Hamiltons' books after Obsidian Butterfly (The Anita Blake Series).

In a burst of some madness I actually went out & not only bought DaVinci Code, I bought a hard cover copy. Within a few hours I realized I'd made a huge mistake. So I tried to read it anyway, having spent what for me is a considerable amount of money but the next day at work a friend remarked that she wanted to read it & could she borrow it when I was finished. So I very magnanimously handed her my copy & told her it was hers.
I don't know whether she read it or not but at least I didn't have to look at it anymore.

"waiting to exhale" in hardcover. i had read a review that compared terri mcmillian to alice walker and thought, wow, i need to read her new book. i wish they had compared her to jackie collins or someone like that.

I forgot about that one. I kind of enjoyed it but not enough to feel ok about buying it as a hardcover. Lucky I hadn't heard the comparison to Alice Walker. That is just rude.

Nurulainibm wrote: "Heather wrote: "The Time Travelers Wife for me was painful"

really? Cuz Im thinking about buying it. I thought it was a bestselling novel? :/"

It's one of those books that you either love or disklike I think, I bought it because two of my friends kept on recommending it, but I haven't read it yet

Hmm yeah, but the synopsis kinda tells that the story is good. I wanna buy it but im afraid ill regret later. Ahhh idk! Haha:pp

I bought the Twilight for a buck at a garage sale because I wanted to see what all the buzz was about. I threw the book across the room more times then I read chapters. It was just so bad.

This thread is really funny, as I enjoyed some of the mentioned books quite a lot. :)))
For me I'd say: Nicholas Sparks and Nora Robert books. For some strange reason I've tried them several times and every single time I can't believe I'm putting myself through the pain! I don't even want to see them in my library as they conjure such bad feelings.

Ivonne wrote: "This thread is really funny, as I enjoyed some of the mentioned books quite a lot. :)))
For me I'd say: Nicholas Sparks and Nora Robert books. For some strange reason I've tried them several times..."

SERIOUSLY!?? How can you not enjoy Nicholas Sparks?? I know they are so sad but its a good kinda sad. Right? Lol

Jenna wrote: "Nyla wrote: "

Do not disgrace ur bookshelf with this disaster of a book!"

Nyla---it wasn't THAT bad......"

It was AWFUL! It took me over a month to get throught that book...UGH!

Eat, Pray, Love
wow that woman can whine in so many levels that it's amazing. I'm currently trying to read it... it must be the first book that I just can't finish.

I am so glad that someone else agrees with me! I think it (The Time Travelers Wife) was one of the top five worst books of all time, for me anyway. I hated it throughout and so many people just loved it. I just don't get it. The Gunslinger by Stephen King was really awful too.

I didn't like the Time Traveler's Wife either. For once I thought a movie was better than the book - not that that says very much for either version...

Margeri wrote: "Eat, Pray, Love
wow that woman can whine in so many levels that it's amazing. I'm currently trying to read it... it must be the first book that I just can't finish."

Eh, don't bother. There are too many good books out there to put yourself through the misery of finishing this one!

I kind of liked the Time Travaler's Wife... (trying to hide here);) and also Eat Pray Love, although she really was a bit whiny, I have to admit that!

But I remembered some other books: the Shopoholic Series!!!! it was like a car accident- you really don't want to look but...the protagonist drove me CRAZY! I couldn't believe that I actually read 3 books about that highly annoying, childish, superficial character...I'm glad to say that after one more book of the same author (I guess I never learn) I finally gave up on her! lol

Tracey wrote: "Nurulainibm wrote: "Heather wrote: "The Time Travelers Wife for me was painful"

really? Cuz Im thinking about buying it. I thought it was a bestselling novel? :/"

Aw - I loved it. So did my..."
It definitely is a book you love or hate. I bought it because it was a book for my book club. I think I was the only one who hated it, but some didn't finish it.
Caroline Clemmons
www.carolineclemmons.com

Ivonne wrote: "This thread is really funny, as I enjoyed some of the mentioned books quite a lot. :)))
For me I'd say: Nicholas Sparks and Nora Robert books. For some strange reason I've tried them several times..."

Nora I love, but I dislike Nicholas Sparks. What is with this guy that he 1. promotes extramarital affairs and 2. has dismal, sad endings. What's wrong with writing a book with a happy ending? I do it. If I want sad stuff I'll watch the news.
Caroline Clemmons
www.carolineclemmons.com

the forest of hands and teeth... :(

Tracy Chevalier's "The girl with the pearl earring" - the book was SOOO bad! I was so clear that it was a 40-year-ish old woman, living out some teen fantasy, writing and thinking through the main character. It made Griet overstrung and the whole plot completely unbelievable and the sensual tension seemed cheap like something out of a trashy, bad romance novel.
Only good thing was that Colin Firth starred in the movie, and you were spared the tiresome inner monologue of Griet.

Norwegian Wood.
Seriously awful. I honestly do not understand why this book is so popular; it's truly dreadful. It was like pulling teeth especially towards the end and I was speed reading the last two hundred pages just to finish and get it out of my life forever.

Any book hyped and touted about in the media I avoid like the plague. Mostly these books are utter rubbish; much like big blockbuster films, they more often than not turn out to be a waste of time.