Books that were recommended to you but turned out to be absolute pointless drivel - the wasted hours you'll never get back - a warning list for others!

[MadreInglese]

These immediately spring to mind:

Kate Mosse - Labyrinth
(also her The Winter Ghosts - should have known after I read one of hers that another would be just as crud)

Paulo Coehlo - The Alchemist

Audrey Niffeneger - Her Fearful Symmetry
(first half was readable then she appears to have taken some strange pills before embarking on the rest of the book)

Stephanie Meyer - The Twilight Trauma Saga

Perfume here, too.

Alongside Hothouse Flower (I am actually getting ANGRY at the thought of it, stupid rubbish thing that took up some of my life!) and The Time Traveller's Wife.

I may get shot down here, but have tried three Anne Tyler books and hated every one of them (only managed a few chapters). And yet she's feted as the most amazing wonderful incredible unbelievable observer of American life in existence. Please someone tell me why.

I loved Memoirs of a Geisha and The Curious Incident with the Dog.... A Spot of Bother, though, was so bland that I for the life of my can't remember what it was all about. How people can claim this as their favourite book is beyond me. Same with White Teeth.

Read Veronika Decides to Die and was completely incredulous. My dog could have written with more depth. If people start gushing on about Coelho's spirituality and how his books have given them a new meaning in life, I go like this: I will never, ever read another book by him even if I get it recommended by every person in the world.

Agree on the need for Hardy's characters to just get a grip. As for Robinson Crusoe, well, there are no words

Read Time Traveller's Wife because it was recommended on here. It was ok, but lacked something, I thought. Which is why I also read the symmetry one, thinking she might've got it now. But no. It's just so weird! And not in a good way, it's weird in a 'let's see, how can I make these characters and this plot as odd as possible so that the readers will understand how great literature this is'. And the ending? Very unsatisfying.

I love children's literature, and try from time to time to read up on things I haven't read before. I started on Little Women a while ago, I just couldn't go on, it was so saccharine. Someone who loves these books, please tell me why I should persevere..

Why do so many people hate Perfume then?

Agree re Ann Tyler - soooooooooooooo dull.

Hardy would be ok if he didn't keep just making the storyline more and more and more incredulous.

the mayor of casterbridge is ridiculous.

he could take out 75% of the twists in the story and it'd actually be ok!

I think the early Anne Tylers are a bit more engrossing than the later ones - I agree nothing much happens, but then they're all about families & relationships & what goes on in people's heads - I wouldn't say dull though, & very witty sometimes too.

god, i think i'm the least selective reader out here. i like anne tyler too. the last one i read was digging to america and i really enjoyed it. however, i'm trying to remember what i liked about it and all i'm coming up with is food and toddlers....

I like Anne Tyler as well. Yet I can never remember which books I've read, what happened in each one or why I liked them

Did anyone mention The Celstine Prophesy?
Bloke at work raved about it and insisted on lending it to me. I had to sneak it back on to his desk to avoid talking about it but he came over to ask what I thought anyway. Embarrasingly bad.

Oops "Celestine"

yes, celestine prophecy got recommended to me too, very bloody paolo coehlo. the same person recommended chicken soup for the soul to me, but i had learned by then.

Glad it's not just me staines. Any book you were recommended that you really loved?

The Accidental Tourist is the most memorable IMO (& not just because of the film!)

I agree Beertricks. But I've read them all and have to wait for the next. Actually, am not so keen on Corduroy Mansions.

I'm reading one right now and every night I open the damn book I think about how utterly rubbish it is and I should get a new book for I am compelled to finish what I started, but it is so awful... the writing, the story, the characters are so cliche. Its Dick Francis/Felix Francis, "Dead Heat". (What you didn't just see was me having to actually get up and go see what the fuck the name of the book was even.) On the cover is "The New Bestseller" and all sorts of endorsements on the inside about how fabulous and riveting it is. Its just awful, but I must finish it. I think the porter did it, so I have to be sure.

I have a confession though; I love Dan Brown!

Let it go GotArt! Just read the last page and save yourself time and effort.

kiki - tons! i had a thread on here a couple of weeks ago for light hearted reads which had some fab suggestions on it. here, but unfortunately i'm too addicted to my iphone at the moment and haven't read any of the books i ordered. my bookshelves look great though.

i loved dick francis when i was a young teenager - thought he was the height of sophistication!

OK I'm off to bed to read my latest Emily Barr. Nighty night. Don'y stay up MNing too long.

I used to love Dick Francis too,& when somewhat older than teenage - he had some good plots & a couple of interesting characters too (1 in particular, an ex-jockey; name escapes me)

I suppose they are the male equivalent of chicklit though

What I don't get about Alexander McCall Smith, is that it seems he has the potential to be very funny, he just never gets there Everything is just mildly amusing in a 'heard it somewhere before' kind of way. He also throws out storylines and potential plot twists without acting on them, which is very irritating. After finishing Corduroy Mansions I just sat wondering - 'and then what?' If you aren't going to develop certain ideas, it would surely be much better not to include them? If it is his intention to leave the reader mildly puzzled and unsatisfied, fine, but I'm guessing it's not.

bit sad to hear of so many Larsson refusniks. Won't tell sis -it will only upset her. and then she will hack into and drain your bank accoounts.

any ian mcewan
time traveller wife
lovely bones- schlocky rubbish
brick lane
any alexander mcall- inane chunter

I do like the lady detective books. They are simplistic, but I LOVE mma ramotswe. Tried one of his others set in Edinburgh, didn't like it at all.