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Original poster

Books to avoid

217 replies

Redglitter · 23/07/2015 22:37

Plenty of threads for recommendations but what books would you advise people to avoid

For me it's 'Her' by Harriet Gray

A total non story with a dreadful ending. I actually thought my kindle had forgotten to download the last chapter. Don't know if the author was running late for her deadline or what but ugh avoid

OP posts:
thunderbird69 · 24/07/2015 16:26

I agree with Cloud Atlas - trying to be clever and failing

One Day - the clichés were nauseating

I've got The Girl on the Train to read, I am not expecting it to live up to the hype!

Rollermum · 24/07/2015 16:24

I love some mentioned up thread: Cloud Atlas; Norrell and Strange.

I wish I had avoided:
Us. Didn't care about the characters, dull.
The Wind Up Bird Chronicle - disturbing.
Midnight's Children - long, weird, indulgent, boring.
The Third Bridget Jones - can't remember the title but it was unfunny, tedious, unnecessary.

sooperdooper · 24/07/2015 16:24

Jojo Moyes - Me before you, awful, patronising nonsense that implied that no-one in the real world knew how to behave normally around someone who was disabled, utter crap, hated it

Gone Girl, I'll never get those hours of my life back :(

50 Shades - don't know if this goes without saying but repetitive, badly written misogynistic claptrap

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 24/07/2015 16:21

'The Outcast' felt like a poor copy of, 'Atonement' to me - and I absolutely hated, 'Atonement'!

DayLillie · 24/07/2015 16:20

The savage garden by mark mills

I read it because it was a Richard and Judy Book club recommendation.

Pretentious load of anachronistic twaddle with lots of pointless and unbelievable sex shoe-horned in. The garden building was by the bye.

R&J bookclub also pretentious twaddle.

hippospot · 24/07/2015 16:18

The Finkler Question

EmberRose · 24/07/2015 16:16

One day by David Nichols. Spent the whole time waiting for them to get together and then that ending happens. 2 days I'll never get back.

Takver · 24/07/2015 16:13

Both Great Apes and also the Book of Dave by Will Self. I don't mind crap books, put down, move on. He writes really well written books that stick in the mind but I found both deeply unpleasant and depressing in a bad way. (I don't mind dark books usually)

SirVixofVixHall · 24/07/2015 16:12

The outcast by Sadie Jones. I feel mean as it was her first novel, but it is terrible.

PunkrockerGirl · 24/07/2015 16:09

Yy to Girl on the Train. Really didn't get what all the hype was about.

SirVixofVixHall · 24/07/2015 16:06

Oh yes and we need to talk about Kevin. Horrible ghastly book.

SirVixofVixHall · 24/07/2015 16:05

Gone girl was rubbish. i did make it to the end but Lord knows why.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 24/07/2015 16:05

We Need To Witter On About Kevin

A Prayer For Owen Meaney - so, so overlong. Would have made a far more satisfying short story.

Pat Barker's, 'Toby's Room' - for somebody who is supposedly a critically acclaimed writer, she doesn't half write some shite.

Kate Atkinson's, 'Human Croquet' - bloody awful

'And the Mountains Echoed' - I cannot tell you how much I hated this book. It was like the writer had set himself a tick list of 'issues' which must be covered to make it have mass appeal and be deemed a thought provoking and worthy read. It wasn't - it was a steaming pile of crap. I loathed it.

ThursdayLast · 24/07/2015 16:04

Oh yy to the recent Marian Keyes bear. Is it me or is basically the same as The Other Side of the Story?

Love The Time Travellers Wife and Life After Life though Smile

Muskey · 24/07/2015 16:02

The minaturist really stupid plot

DonnaKebab66 · 24/07/2015 16:00

PS I adored Brick Lane :)

DonnaKebab66 · 24/07/2015 15:59

Life of Pi. I will never get the time back I wasted reading it. Pile of shite.

Ditto for the Time Travellers Wife. More shite.

?Something about bones by some American writer, about a dead child looking down on her family and friends? Even more shite.

Hare with the Amber Eyes-oohh look at my ornaments. Better than a dose of Temazapam to help you sleep.

Madame Bovary-suggested by my book club-everyone loved it bar me who couldn't get past the first few pages.

DuchessofMalfi · 24/07/2015 14:11

Maud - I managed about two pages of A Quiet Belief in Angels before giving up. I'd forgotten about that one. Not my cup of tea at all.

Oh and Brick Lane by Monica Ali - boring. Struggled through to the end, but wished I hadn't bothered.

CoteDAzur · 24/07/2015 14:05

Re "Books to avoid" - I'd put in that list any heavily-marketed, over-hyped book by an unknown author that suddenly becomes a bestseller. I'll happily wait a year or two, then read it if it's still talked about as a great book.

CoteDAzur · 24/07/2015 14:04

"Cloud Atlas. Like WTF?"

Like, great book that you didn't get Wink

maudpringles · 24/07/2015 09:19

A quiet belief in Angels - relentless misery

TobikkoRoll · 24/07/2015 08:59

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, don't know why I succumbed to the hype - I thought it was awful. Poorly written and just what was the point of the main character?!?

Also have not enjoyed The Miniaturist, no revelation and no satisfaction Hmm

LeBearPolar · 24/07/2015 08:51

Girl on the Train was just meh after all the bloody hype. She gave me the rage too.

The latest Marian Keyes - i used to like her because although I don't like chick-lit, she has a sharp humour. I can read Rachel's Holiday over and over again. But she's just gone soft now: it's basically your run of the mill stuff.

slkk · 24/07/2015 08:37

I think lovely bones is for teenagers. I loved the time travellers wife gripping though I read the first half grumbling and tutting that it was a 'stupid book, stupid idea' but somehow couldn't stop reading. Loved it.

33goingon64 · 24/07/2015 06:43

The Dice Man. Misogynistic crap.

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