The Book Was Better discussion

A question came up in another group I am in, and I wanted to start a thread here to see what everyone here has to say about this topic.

What is the worst book you have ever read? Give us a quick reason so we can understand where you are coming from, but please keep in mind your favorite could be someones least favorite! I look forward to see what terrible books we all come up with!! ;D

First two books that come to mind are and . I wrote a pretty nasty review for Vanished. *hides*

The reason I did not like them mostly had to do with misleading descriptions. I thought both of them would be exciting mysteries, but in reality they were mostly focused on romance. The Night She Disappeared did not even give a motive for the kidnapping! And I did not finish Vanished because I could not take the mushy romance any longer.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

For me this book was just awful! I already knew the musical well by the time I read it, and was just bored to tears by the weird things happening in the book and the way it was written. I remember being on a flight to/from Texas while I was reading it and the girl next to me if i liked it and I told her quite honestly I was trying to read as fast as I could so I could be done with it and never have to read it again! Glad someone has the sense to make the crappy book into a wonderful musical though! ;)

My older sister loves the musical, but left the light on at night for a week after reading the book!

Rebecca - exiled elf maiden wrote: "My older sister loves the musical, but left the light on at night for a week after reading the book!"

Wow! Interesting... It did not scare me or anything really, granted I read it when I was like 23, but yeah....the musical is amazing! One of my top 5 for sure!

Dana wrote: "Rebecca - exiled elf maiden wrote: "My older sister loves the musical, but left the light on at night for a week after reading the book!"

Wow! Interesting... It did not scare me or anything really..."

Yeah, I think she was younger than that. I don't remember how old she was exactly. It was several years ago

My brother loves anything Maguire. He has his own collection of his books. I've never gotten around to finishing it myself. His style of writing is boring to me.

Here's mine:

- this book still makes me so MAD up to this day.

I loved the book Wicked! I was disappointed in the play except the amazing sets and costumes.

I hated The Road by By Cormac McCarthy. I found the first few pages so boring. It has gotten loads of positive reviews but since I couldn't make it to page 20 I will never be one of them.

Petition: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions...

caallas wrote: "I loved the book Wicked! I was disappointed in the play except the amazing sets and costumes."

Interesting!! Did you have exposure to the musical or book first?

I know another worst book. And absolutely everyone will disagree with me and hate me for saying it is the worst.....

I could not stand The Book Thief. People kept telling me that the narration was odd at first, but you can get past it and get into the book. I never could get past the narration. It was like I was being held at arm length away from the characters and it never let me get into the story.

So, with characters I was not allowed to crawl inside the skin of, and a slow as molasses plot, I read until I could not force myself to pick up the book again.

That's all I'm going to say. You can breathe a sigh of relief. I am done ripping everyone's favorite book apart.

For me the narrator was never an issue, but I have a friend who said it took her AT LEAST 100 pages before she was okay with it... I guess the narration choice in books really makes or breaks it. I'm sure you are not the only person with this opinion, just the first person I personally met with that opinion! ;)

I was at about 200 pages when I did not pick it up again. I think that book is either one you will love or hate. Unfortunately, it was not love for me.

Would u pick up something else by Markus Zusak? I love his book called The messenger! I read this became a fan of his work. It's about a guy who isn't extraordinary and he stops a bank robber. Then this playing card is delivered to him with an address on it. And he becomes the messenger, helping ppl without them knowing who is helping them. U should give it a go :)

so before I became active on Goodreads, I went off the NY best selling list. With that being said, I bought the first book Of 50 shades of Gray...... :-[ that was the most horribly written book I've ever attempted to read. I didn't read the synopsis before buying the book and I should have. The writing style was juvenile and the story line was ridiculously cheesy. I couldn't finish the book and when I hear someone raving about 50 shades I know they're not real readers and just followed the band wagon. I don't understand how the author received the publishing deal for this trilogy. JUST HORRIBLE! I will even refuse to watch the movie when it comes out. It was as if the book was written by a 6th grader. Stupid, stupid, book.

I never wanted to read 50 shades and never will. So much hype on it turned me off completely!

I'll said 50 shades because it usuario just horrible, too cheesy , and poorly written.

the girl is estupid and clearly have a mental problem.

We had to read Of Mice and Men at school, and it was really bad. It started bad and I thought it was kind of wierd. It got better in the middle (but still not good, though) and then it ended teribbly. We read a translation, so maby that made the book worse, but I hated it.

Sam wrote: "Would u pick up something else by Markus Zusak? I love his book called The messenger! I read this became a fan of his work. It's about a guy who isn't extraordinary and he stops a bank robber. Then..."

I might consider it. I have read some other authors where one book of theirs I loved and another book I didn't. So I will consider reading The Messenger.

Alma wrote: "We had to read Of Mice and Men at school, and it was really bad. It started bad and I thought it was kind of wierd. It got better in the middle (but still not good, though) and then it ended teribb..."

I did not hate the book....but when it finished I literally threw my book across the room!! I think it made it worse that we had read Great Gatsby about a month prior and I did not like the ending of that one either! haha

Sam wrote: "Would u pick up something else by Markus Zusak? I love his book called The messenger! I read this became a fan of his work. It's about a guy who isn't extraordinary and he stops a bank robber. Then..."

I have heard good things about that book! Might have to get it a look once my "to read list" is a little smaller....ha! like that will ever happen! ;)

haha I can for sure understand that one!! I have been putting off The Fault in our Stars for a while for that very reason! haha

Rebecca wrote: - I did not hate the book....but when it finished I literally threw my book across the room!! I think it made it worse that we had read Great Gatsby about a month prior and I did not like the ending of that ..."

Yes, I know that a lot of people likes it, but I'm not so mutch for "bad" books. ("Bad" as in "bad things happening)Haha

I replyed to the wrong comment before, so I made a new one. And I know that you can edit the comment, but I didn´t think of that... ;)

And I actually likes The Fault in our Stars, even though it´s a very sad book. I look forward to the movie, but I´m going to cry a lot! Haha

I just finished TFIOS last night and yeah lots of tears were shed! I loved the story, the characters, the way he writes about a subject so emotional. I will write more in the other area but it was well worth the tears :D

Dana wrote: "caallas wrote: "I loved the book Wicked! I was disappointed in the play except the amazing sets and costumes."

Interesting!! Did you have exposure to the musical or book first?"

I read the book first.

Sam wrote: "Would u pick up something else by Markus Zusak? I love his book called The messenger! I read this became a fan of his work. It's about a guy who isn't extraordinary and he stops a bank robber. Then..."

I read I am the Messenger twice. The first time I would have given it a 3 of 5 stars. The 2nd time I read it for a bookclub and would have given it 5 of 5 stars. And it was one of the best discussions we ever had.

Rebecca - exiled elf maiden wrote: "I know another worst book. And absolutely everyone will disagree with me and hate me for saying it is the worst.....

I could not stand The Book Thief. People kept telling me that th..."

I think what grabbed me most about The Book Thief was that the narrative was so unique.

caallas wrote: "Dana wrote:
Interesting!! Did you have exposure to the musical or book first?"

I don't know if that would have a big effect on it for sure, but it could be. I came from a love of the musical and of theater in general, and since the book did not have a lot of elements in that I loved most, it make it hard for me to get through. It was also a lot darker than I expected. Some of it was cool, but overall it just was really drawn out in the middle section and that made for a bad book in my opinion! Glad to know you liked it though. My sister also really enjoyed it when she read it.

Funny, I also have a theater background and usually love a musical. I've been a local theater judge for many years and now one of my children works as a theater tech. What I liked most about the book I think (it's been a long time)was that the Wicked Witch became a sympathetic character. I really felt for her.

I agree!!!!! I love that she is "evil" and all that, but really...you feel for her and want things to go her way! Such a wonderful story in that way. :)

Re: Wicked. I can't stand Maguire's writing style but my brother loves it so much. I'm a bigger fan of the musical. (I'm the same with Gaiman's works but I tend to get through them better than with Maguire's.)

LOL 50 Shades is good fun if you read it in the mindset of reading fanfiction. Even then, it's not very good but it's less awful then when you take it seriously.

Yeah, maybe it was the writing style that killed Wicked for me.... I for sure did not want to read Son of a Witch of any of the others in that world after finishing Wicked!!

Dana wrote: "Yeah, maybe it was the writing style that killed Wicked for me.... I for sure did not want to read Son of a Witch of any of the others in that world after finishing Wicked!!"

I had my brother cliffnotes me the story of the next books lol. I just got bored easily. Especially when it came to Nessarose's parts.

I think my sister kept reading, but I did not care enough to ask her about it. Wicked was one case where I wish I would have just left well enough alone and NOT read the book at all.... :/

LOL I was gifted the musical tie-in version with all the pretty pictures and stuff. I was intrigued then disappointed.

OOH! I had the one with the photos too!! I think those few pages were my favorite part of the whole book!! ;) I also have a copy of The Grimery that looks at the behind the musical stuff. So amazing!! <3

YES ME TOO! <3 My brother has the trade paperback edition with the green edges. I got him Maguire's latest book, signed and all. Ugh, the things sisters do hahah.

haha Exactly!! It was funny, my dad tracked down The Grimery for me when I was in college and when he finally found it and then bring him out this rattly looking book he about died!! Then he realized it was just made to look that way since it was supposed to represent her spell book and he felt better about spending the money on it! When it told me the story at Christmas I just cracked up!!

There are two books, I just could't finish them. watched the movie first, then tried the book. I nearly died from boredoom.
Also this book: . Can't express myself............ Awfull

Artemis Fowl. The most boring thing ever.

I didn't actually finish it.

There hasn't been a book which I haven't finished but I have to say that 'the other queen' toke me a long time to finished, it just didn't really capture me like some of Phillipa Gregory's other books.

Edward the Energetic Dog wrote: "There are two books, I just could't finish them. watched the movie first, then tried the book. I nearly died from boredoom.
Also this..."

Damn I bought the WWZ book thinking it would be extra history that the movie didn't cover. Was it like a text book? did u finish it? I'm starting to think it will take me a long time to get to this book now :(

Sam wrote: "Edward the Energetic Dog wrote: "There are two books, I just could't finish them. watched the movie first, then tried the book. I nea..."
I don't know about you but I didn't like it. And no, I didn't finish it, read a half of it.

FantasyFan J wrote: "Artemis Fowl. The most boring thing ever."

I just recently read this, and really liked it! It was a little slower than some thing I read, but still enough Irish stuff thrown in for me to love it, since I went to Ireland when I was 15. However, one of my campers tried to read it right after me and quit it... So I guess it's maybe a love hate book!

I would probably say Starcross just because I just stopped reading it and wasn't into it anymore.

Fearless! I was intrigued by the cover and summary of the book so a friend bought it and lent it to me to read. I tried and tried to stay strong and read the book but it was just SO TERRIBLE! The book I was using was 3 books in one and I couldn't even make it past the first small book in the series! (Which btw had 36 other books in the series!) i was bored by the poor writing and lack of plot.

36 books in a series!??!?! Oh my goodness!!!

I know right!! And the books weren't even good and there was 36 of them! So crazy