Challenge: 50 Books discussion

If the comments in the DOA thread are anything to go by, we're a persistent group who will give any author the benefit of the doubt until the very last word. We must have collectively read some very sorry stories in 2011.

Are there any you want to name to your top worst list?

I know, I know. No one wants to be a meanie. However, sadly, some books feature disgusting content, terrible writing or are just plain boring. These were my worst:

After Dark
Bitterroot
The Looking Glass Wars
The Iron Thorn
Forever

* Not including any titles I couldn't force myself to finish.

Yeah, I hesitated to post, but how about how, sadly and strangely, some books just aren't worthy of accolades, and instead are very ho hum? I have to nominate Motherless Brooklyn. (Not rotten, but not worth eating, I gave it 2 stars.)

The only book I finished this year which had no irredeemable qualities was Bloodlines
City of Fallen Angels,Gentlemen Prefer Succubiand Fantasy Lover belong in the 'what was I thinking?' pile too
I had a few more poor reads but they all had something about them that made it worth it, these ones not so

I only finished 2 books this year that I actively disliked, giving both 2 stars. They were both for challenges/games in other groups, so I had to see them through to the end.

The first was The Colorado Kid by Stephen King. Wow, what a stinker! King is very hit-or-miss for me, but when he's good, he's very, very good. Well, Mr. King must have a curl in the middle of his forehead, because when he's bad, he's horrid. This was a detective story written for a loose multi-author series, and it was a case of "making the donuts" if ever there was one. I chose to read it originally because it is the book that forms the basis for the TV show Haven, which I adore...and as I am not a TV person and thus don't have cable, I actually wait weeks for each episode to go up online on the show's official site. (There are 3 or so shows I do this with, so for me to follow a show means I really like it.) Well, I should have stuck with the show. The book was simplistic, dull, predictable, and full of hackneyed, generic language. Blech.

The other I finished but didn't enjoy was Ghost World, a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes. Now, I love graphic novels. I often like Daniel Clowes. I really enjoyed the movie based on this title. But the actual gn itself? Not so much. It was bleak in a bad way, full of self-absorbed, whiny characters I couldn't root for in any way.

I am not one to finish a book I'm not enjoying at all, unless I've committed to it for a group.

Hands down "Prey" by Linda Howard. Excruciatingly bad book from someone I used to love.

No one stars this year, thankfully. However, I definitely expected better of some of the books I gave two stars, namely Baltasar and Blimunda, The Book of Evidence, and Goblin Market. Baltasar and Blimunda was especially disheartening, as I've had another one of the author's books on my TBR list forever. Now I'm having second doubts about whether to read it.

Of books I finished this year, . . .
-feed, M.T. Anderson. I know, I know, this is supposed to be loved by every smart reading person. But it was scattered and preachy and I really disliked it.
-The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity, Mike Carey and Peter Gross. It perverted Harry Potter to make a highly mediocre comic.
-The Bite Before Christmas, Heidi Betts. I should have known better than to buy a book from the romance section at Wal*Mart. There was just really no story here, although there were a lot of creative ways to say penis.

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Could not even finish it, because it was so dreadful

Morgan wrote: "The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Could not even finish it, because it was so dreadful"
Me too! It was horrible. I tried about four times and I just couldn't do it.

Ginger **Rhayne Storhm** wrote: "Morgan wrote: "The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Could not even finish it, because it was so dreadful"
Me too! It was horrible. I tried about four times and I just couldn't do it."

I ended up throwing it at a wall! I scared my cat in the process!

Morgan wrote: "Ginger **Rhayne Storhm** wrote: "Morgan wrote: "The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Could not even finish it, because it was so dreadful"
Me too! It was horrible. I tried about four times and I just could..."
I think that's the best use for the thing. Sorry the cat had to suffer:)

Ginger **Rhayne Storhm** wrote: "Morgan wrote: "Ginger **Rhayne Storhm** wrote: "Morgan wrote: "The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Could not even finish it, because it was so dreadful"
Me too! It was horrible. I tried about four times a..."

Don't worry. I didnt hit him. Just a bit startled!

My stinkers of the year were Starting from Happy: A Novel by Patricia Marx, Homicide My Own by Ann Argula and Undead and Unfinished by MaryJanice Davidson. Don't ask me why I even bothered to finish them.

The one book that was disturbing for me was Songmaster by Orson Scott Card. I've read books by Card before and enjoyed them immensely, but in this book, his negative views on homosexuality shine through. In fact I was unaware of his views (and I'm going to go ahead and call it homophobia) until I read this book, and then did a little research on him.

Now I'm hesitant to read any more by him, and I have a lot of his on the to-be-read shelf.

The book that was the most uninspiring that I read was Nicholas Denmon's For Nothing. It wasn't wretched, just kind of boring. I finished it, but I considered putting it down several times.

Tayla36 wrote: "The one book that was disturbing for me was Songmaster by Orson Scott Card. I've read books by Card before and enjoyed them immensely, but in this book, his negative view..."

Tayla I say put your money where your heart is. If I can give up Chik Fil A, you can take OSC off your tbr pile.

Donna wrote: Tayla I say put your money where your heart is. If I can give up Chik Fil A, you can take OSC off your tbr pile.

Also, considering I have about 800 books on my tbr pile, I can easily skip the Card books

The Confession of Katherine Howard...I was on a Tudor's band wagon & this book threw me off!

What do you do when you have a book so bad it rates less than one? Do you just quit reading or do we have an obligation to finish and report as honestly as possible. I'm not very good at hurting other peoples' feelings.

Erma wrote: "What do you do when you have a book so bad it rates less than one? Do you just quit reading or do we have an obligation to finish and report as honestly as possible. I'm not very good at hurting ot..."

I do not feel an obligation to finish a book unless:
it was assigned in a college course (I'm way passed graduation now thankfully)
OR
my children want me to read it... I'm looking at you Ms. Meyers. I have thrown more than one of your heavy tomes at the wall, on the floor, across the room. Fortunately my dog is much less skiddish than Morgan's cat. :)

That said, I generally give a book about 100 pages before I put it back on the bookshelf. I have found that (sometimes) books I have dismissed and shelved speak to me if/when I return to them later.

Diane wrote: "Erma wrote: "What do you do when you have a book so bad it rates less than one? Do you just quit reading or do we have an obligation to finish and report as honestly as possible. I'm not very good ..."

Thats good to hear! I have a feeling many animals have had the tomes of Stephanie Meyer chucked in their direction. My cat is a hyper kitten, so he is more than a little bit skiddish!

Erma wrote: "What do you do when you have a book so bad it rates less than one? Do you just quit reading or do we have an obligation to finish and report as honestly as possible. I'm not very good at hurting ot..."

I've had this dilemma, too. If I get 50 to 100 pages into a book and just am not there, I don't finish it. I've had quite a few of these this last year and often thought I should have two lists: "read" and "left in the dust." And perhaps we should document that second list like we do the first one???

Carol wrote: "often thought I should have two lists: "read" and "left in the dust." And perhaps we should document that second list like we do the first one??? ..."

I often think the same thing, Carol!

Carol wrote: "Erma wrote: "What do you do when you have a book so bad it rates less than one? Do you just quit reading or do we have an obligation to finish and report as honestly as possible. I'm not very good ..."
I have a shelf for unfinished books. I want to make sure I remember which ones I couldn't get through the first time, so I don't pick them up again. Unfortunately, my stats count them as having been read. I don't know how to get around that.

Susan wrote: "Carol wrote: "Erma wrote: "What do you do when you have a book so bad it rates less than one? Do you just quit reading or do we have an obligation to finish and report as honestly as possible. I'm ..."

Technically, you could say it was a "read" book. You just read as much as you could without finishing it!

Carol wrote: "Susan wrote: "Carol wrote: "Erma wrote: "What do you do when you have a book so bad it rates less than one? Do you just quit reading or do we have an obligation to finish and report as honestly as ..."

Good point!

Erma wrote: "What do you do when you have a book so bad it rates less than one? Do you just quit reading or do we have an obligation to finish and report as honestly as possible. I'm not very good at hurting ot..."

ALWAYS be honest. No book is universally appealing. You have no obligation to go along with crowd. You'll see plenty of people in the group giving thumbs down to books others have raved about. It's your opinion voice it, you'll be surprised how many people may agree. As to hurt feelings? Faye and I totally disagree about "The Elegance of the Hedgehog", and she still talks to me.

mwah hah hah