Jennifer I just discovered your channel and I am glad I did. Your reviews are absolutely fantastic-concise, insightful and honest. Especially appreciate your Classics videos. Thank you for the incredible content. Happy new year!🎉
One of the most disappointing reads of the year is Demon Copperhead; the characterization of poor Demon was not believable. It was as if Kingsolver combined the worst cases in Dept of Social Services with the worst living situations for children and created Demon. It was over the top and forced to elicit sympathy from the reader. The descriptions of life in Appalachia was abysmal. I got much more out of the topic of opioid abuse from Dope Sick and The Empire of Pain than from this work of fiction. And I have really loved a lot of Barbara Kingsolver's books! But not this one.
I got the audio book and by the end of the first chapter, I knew I could never listen to it. The narrator has a completely phony, weird southern accent. Why can't they find an authentic southerner to be the voice? But I may still try to read the book. I love David Copperfield, so I want to give it a fair shake.
Here's to another fantastic reading year! You know you're doing something right when you can say you didn't have enough books for a "worst books of the year" video 🥳
Thanks for the wrap up. I did endure a couple of clunkers on audio. Unless something is a true classic, I will DNF and donate a hard copy book that just doesnt resonate with me. I used to feel bad about that but no more.
My disappointments were Memoirs and Misinformation by Jim Carrey and Dana Vachon, The Night and its Moon, Grapes of Wrath, A Fine Balance, Edith Wharton's Ghost Stories, and Good Omens. I think I might enjoy Good Omens more watching the show. I think some of these I wonder if I should have known better that these wouldn't work for me.
I DNFd Serpent and the Wings of Night on page 12 when she was “describing” what the MC was wearing. It was a choreeeee. Her writing is just not for me, I like things being described and she felt the need to spell it out. I just felt kind of like she thought I was stupid when I was reading it.
George du Maurier, who wrote the novel "Trilby" was Daphne du Maurier's grandfather. I'm so sad to hear it disappointed you so ... I have a gorgeous first edition of it but haven't yet read it. Maybe it'll be one of those books that I admire for simply being a beautiful looking book on my shelf. I hope to get to it this year! If it starts going south for me, I'll know just to DNF it.
Yep, i felt the same about serpent and the wings of night...i just could not understand the hype and i am yet to read the second one...i am actually going to read carissa broadband's other series to give her a chance. Which is odd because i really really loved fourth wing...lol maybe i just lowered my expectations but fourth wing i really loved....i am still trying to figure out how i am loving it so much. Emely Henry is just not an author i want to read ever...just like Ali Hazelwood...just not for me.
Watching this bought back a memory. I had Tribly downloaded and tried to read it. I got to chapter 2 and I was done. I also finally read Dracula, after a soft DNF 2 other times. I finished it and I was kind of indifferent to my whole reading experience. It just didn't live up to the hype, at least not for me😐.
Nay I also didn't like The Serpent and the Wings of Night, it was by no means a bad book, but for its plot, it was relatively boring I also tried to read Girl Eating but I dnfed it 20% in, it was like watching the ice melt 😂
Thank you for your frank opinions about these books. I will be removing Clytemestra from my GR tbr. It is very disappointing when the marketing doesn't match the book. It does feel like a literary bait and switch. The worst book I read this year was The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco. I threw it in the trash after. Not even the recycling. The trash.
My worst books of the year were not that bad. They just weren't really good. They were all nonfiction. I had a good reading year in terms of the quality of books I read.
Jennifer I just discovered your channel and I am glad I did. Your reviews are absolutely fantastic-concise, insightful and honest. Especially appreciate your Classics videos. Thank you for the incredible content. Happy new year!🎉
Thank you so much!
One of the most disappointing reads of the year is Demon Copperhead; the characterization of poor Demon was not believable. It was as if Kingsolver combined the worst cases in Dept of Social Services with the worst living situations for children and created Demon. It was over the top and forced to elicit sympathy from the reader. The descriptions of life in Appalachia was abysmal. I got much more out of the topic of opioid abuse from Dope Sick and The Empire of Pain than from this work of fiction. And I have really loved a lot of Barbara Kingsolver's books! But not this one.
I have started it this morning.. 😅 so far I'm thinking the prose is way too dense for me
100%
I appreciate Kingsolvers writing but found it unbelievable that Demon could have such a good sense of humor in his situation.
I’ve heard this from a lot of people! I was curious about it but I think I’ll steer clear.
I got the audio book and by the end of the first chapter, I knew I could never listen to it. The narrator has a completely phony, weird southern accent. Why can't they find an authentic southerner to be the voice? But I may still try to read the book. I love David Copperfield, so I want to give it a fair shake.
Here's to another fantastic reading year! You know you're doing something right when you can say you didn't have enough books for a "worst books of the year" video 🥳
I love your commentary so much!!!! ❤
Oh thank you! 💕
Thank you Jennifer
I have read a lot of disappointing books this year, sadly.
I think the most disappointing one for me was of mice and men by Steinbeck.
I hate that for you! Hopefully 2024 is better.
Thank you, if I never get around to it , it’s ok
Thanks for the wrap up. I did endure a couple of clunkers on audio. Unless something is a true classic, I will DNF and donate a hard copy book that just doesnt resonate with me. I used to feel bad about that but no more.
My disappointments were Memoirs and Misinformation by Jim Carrey and Dana Vachon, The Night and its Moon, Grapes of Wrath, A Fine Balance, Edith Wharton's Ghost Stories, and Good Omens. I think I might enjoy Good Omens more watching the show. I think some of these I wonder if I should have known better that these wouldn't work for me.
Oh no😢 i loved clytemnestra lol
I DNFd Serpent and the Wings of Night on page 12 when she was “describing” what the MC was wearing. It was a choreeeee. Her writing is just not for me, I like things being described and she felt the need to spell it out. I just felt kind of like she thought I was stupid when I was reading it.
That’s interesting because I felt the same way! I thought she held my hand a little too much.
George du Maurier, who wrote the novel "Trilby" was Daphne du Maurier's grandfather. I'm so sad to hear it disappointed you so ... I have a gorgeous first edition of it but haven't yet read it. Maybe it'll be one of those books that I admire for simply being a beautiful looking book on my shelf. I hope to get to it this year! If it starts going south for me, I'll know just to DNF it.
Yep, i felt the same about serpent and the wings of night...i just could not understand the hype and i am yet to read the second one...i am actually going to read carissa broadband's other series to give her a chance. Which is odd because i really really loved fourth wing...lol maybe i just lowered my expectations but fourth wing i really loved....i am still trying to figure out how i am loving it so much.
Emely Henry is just not an author i want to read ever...just like Ali Hazelwood...just not for me.
I also loved Fourth Wing! But I just didn’t get the hype here.
I felt so isolated in disliking beach read so much. this is a breath of fresh air.
I’m glad someone else felt the same! I also felt isolated in disliking it.
I didn't like it either 😂
Watching this bought back a memory. I had Tribly downloaded and tried to read it. I got to chapter 2 and I was done. I also finally read Dracula, after a soft DNF 2 other times. I finished it and I was kind of indifferent to my whole reading experience. It just didn't live up to the hype, at least not for me😐.
I also didn’t get on with Dracula at all!
Nay I also didn't like The Serpent and the Wings of Night, it was by no means a bad book, but for its plot, it was relatively boring
I also tried to read Girl Eating but I dnfed it 20% in, it was like watching the ice melt 😂
RIP Trilby 😂😂😂😂
Thank you for your frank opinions about these books. I will be removing Clytemestra from my GR tbr. It is very disappointing when the marketing doesn't match the book. It does feel like a literary bait and switch. The worst book I read this year was The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco. I threw it in the trash after. Not even the recycling. The trash.
I’ve heard such mixed things about the Prague Cemetery!
@@jenniferbrooks it's vile content-wise. Every disgusting thing is in there. Eco's writing is engaging. But yuck.
Omg 120 books a year 🤯🙌👏 impressive
Yep, 'Trilby' was very much not reading in my opinion.
Woman, Eating was my worst book of the year. So disappointing.
It’s validating that we both felt the same about this one 🤣
Mexican Gothic and The Gathering Dark, an anthology of Folk Horror. Both were boring and unbelievable.
I couldn’t stand Mexican Gothic either!
😊
My worst books of the year were not that bad. They just weren't really good. They were all nonfiction. I had a good reading year in terms of the quality of books I read.
Same! It’s great when that happens because it meant a pretty good reading year.
I wasn’t a big fan of Mexican Gothic. I was really expecting to enjoy it, but…mmmm…nope.
I also really didn’t like Mexican Gothic!