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If you have been reading my past monthly book reviews you know that I love books and I love giving recommendations. But I have also read some terrible books, some truly awful ones. I have also—dare I say—liked reading bad books. It can be kind of fun sometimes. So here are some of my favorite, least-favorite books, books that I found so bad that at times I could not get through reading them, and other times I had to just laugh at how outright bad they were.
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
The Casual Vacancy tells the tale of a little town in England called Pagford. The story begins with Barry Fairbrother dying, unexpectedly, in his early forties. The absence of Barry there is now a new spot on the parish council, which sends the town into a frenzy. The story follows different families and children of the town and their experiences after the death of Barry.
I really wanted to like this because it’s J.K. Rowling, but it was bad, like really, really bad. I could not even remember the story line until I looked it up again, not because the book was necessarily forgettable but because it really did not have a real plot line. I also think that J.K. Rowling was trying way too hard to “go adult” and make the transition from a children’s book series. At one point in the book, Rowling depicted a character by describing his penis, which was super unnecessary and weird and a strange attempt at writing an adult novel. I would give this book 1 star, and honestly that is being nice.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Theo Decker is 13 years old when he survives an attack that kills his mother. In the wake of the attack, Theo finds himself taking a small and price-y work of art. The rest of the book follows the rest of Theo’s life and how this small piece of art affects Theo’s life.
Everyone seemed to love this except for me. I’m actually pretty sure it was hailed as one of the greatest 21st century works of literature, but I really could not stand this book. It was 773 pages, and I did not feel like the plot even began until maybe page 500 or 600. I was incredibly bored the whole time and kept asking myself what the point of the story was and why I was still reading it. The redeeming quality of the book was that when the plot does start, it was almost a good story, but that really did not change the fact that I felt that I wasted 500 pages of my life before that. 2 stars.
Glamorous Disasters by Eliot Schrefer
Noah is a poor, small-town boy who got himself into Princeton. After graduation, to start paying off student loans and to continue living in New York City, Noah becomes an SAT tutor for New York’s elite. Noah confides in the reader, sharing the scandalous stories of his tutees, the crazy families, the rebellious teens, and his new life in a big city.
This is the kind of book that makes the best beach read. The stories were not well written and really lacked any substance but were so thrilling to read. This book was like Gossip Girl meets crazy reality TV. It is definitely a guilty pleasure and definitely a terrible read, but if you want a book to laugh at after a night of dense readings for class this is the best choice. 2.5 stars.
And there you have it — my least favorite books of the year. Were any of yours on this list? Let me know!
Image credits: Goodreads