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Topic: The worst of 2013

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misfit avatar
Subject: The worst of 2013
Date Posted: 12/24/2013 10:58 AM ET
Member Since: 7/15/2008
Posts: 4,035
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OK, name them here cheeky

Elizabeth of York, Alison Weir

The White Princess, PG

Twilight, Stephanie Meyer

Children of Liberty Paulina Simons

A handful of long-forgotten romances.

yankeechick avatar
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Date Posted: 12/24/2013 11:45 AM ET
Member Since: 7/6/2007
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2013 was a bad year for me in regards to reading, in that I didn't read nearly my usual amount. That said, I've only read one dud, In The Shadow of Gotham by Stephanie Pintoff. Awful. And the sad part is I have the next two in the series!

I also disliked The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell. Another series I am not liking that much, but I have the rest in the series.

Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George was pretty dissappointing, too, and she's one of my favorite writers :/



Last Edited on: 12/24/13 11:54 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
MichiganderHolly avatar
Date Posted: 12/24/2013 8:50 PM ET
Member Since: 6/1/2007
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I didn't really read any horrible books this year, just a few I really didn't care for.  The four that I didn't like to well are:

The Inquisitor's Wife by Jeanne Kalogridis

Bristol House by Beverly Swerling

The Returned by Jason Mott

A Fatal Likeness by Lynn Sheperd

nx74defiant avatar
Date Posted: 12/25/2013 12:50 PM ET
Member Since: 9/14/2008
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The Kings Nun: A Novel of King Charlemagne by Catherine Monroe

Charlemagne & Amelia are very interesting people who deserve a better book.

There wasn't enough interaction between Charlemagne and Amelia. His falling in love with her happened too quickly.

drw avatar
Date Posted: 12/25/2013 9:02 PM ET
Member Since: 8/17/2009
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Certainly not the worst books, but these just didn't live up to their hype for me:

Speaking From Among the Bones (Flavia de Luce #5) by Alan Bradley  I love this series but this installment was just a bit too far-fetched, even for the intrepid Flavia.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller  I read reviews comparing Miller to Mary Renault - I don't think so.

The Lowlands by Jhumpa Lahiri  A beautiful writer who missed on this one.

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff  I know, I know - this book is well loved by many.  There are definitely some very nice moments but just not enough of them.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 12/25/2013 10:39 PM ET
Member Since: 8/17/2009
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I had a number of lousy romances, not worth mentioning.  But in terms of historical fiction that disappointed:

Her Highness, The Traitor by Susan Higgenbotham HF 3/5 -- This just didn't work for me--several narrators with voices so similar that I couldn't keep track of which was which, or even how MANY narrators there were.  The history was solid and thorough, and I like this author, otherwise it would have been a 2.

Time of the Wolf by James Wilde HF 2/5 -- None of the characters grabbed me, it just felt shallow, and ... eh.

YMMV.  I know both got good comments from others on these boards.



Last Edited on: 12/25/13 10:39 PM ET - Total times edited: 2
hannamatt52 avatar
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Date Posted: 12/26/2013 3:00 PM ET
Member Since: 3/23/2008
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Only a couple of real stinkers for me this year:

The Half Hanged Man by David Pilling

Her Highness the Traitor by Susan Higginbotham

Poison in the Blood:  The Memoirs of Lucrezia Borgia by M.G. Scarsbrook



Last Edited on: 12/26/13 3:00 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
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Date Posted: 12/28/2013 1:23 AM ET
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Last Edited on: 2/4/15 3:53 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
ssgilby avatar
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Date Posted: 1/2/2014 10:46 AM ET
Member Since: 4/23/2008
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I had some really great reads in 2013, but for the most part they were "eh."  Not great, not horrible.  Two that stand out as leaning toward the "worst" rather than the "best" are -

Water Ghosts, Shawna Yang Ryan - Just kind of weird and boring.

New York, Edward Rutherfurd - Okay, I don't think any Rutherfurd book is going to be bad, but this one was a disappointment for me.  I never really fell in love with the characters, and there didn't seem to be as many characters as there are in a typical Rutherfurd.  I love how he follows several people and their stories mix and mingle.  I found NY to be, well, boring, and it took me forever to read because I just didn't really care.  LOL!  This one won't deter me from other Rutherfurd books.  I loved London and Paris.  I think NY is just a fluke.

answerquest avatar
Date Posted: 1/2/2014 1:30 PM ET
Member Since: 12/10/2005
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I think I only had one stinker and it was Something Red by Douglas Nicholas. Otherwise, some of my least favorite were:

  • The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (I haven't liked anything she's written so far.)
  • Hood by Stephen Lawhead (Lawhead is a favorite author, but Robin Hood is just overdone and I didn't think he added anything to the story.)
  • Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Just weird)
  • The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (A real disappointment after her first 2 books years ago.)
Doughgirl avatar
Date Posted: 1/2/2014 3:47 PM ET
Member Since: 11/11/2005
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Shelley, I'm glad to read your comments about Rutherford's New York.   I read it a few years ago.  I didn't hate it, but was disappointed.  Given the scope of the storyline - about 400 years - I understand how he couldnt keep up with the continuity of the characters.   But I would just get to know a character .... and then the storyline would jump forward in time and that character's storyline was just dropped.   It was annoying, and because of that I haven't picked up any other book by Rutherford yet even though I own several.

My disappointments this year were:

  • The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
  • The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (the back half of the book was very good, but the first half was tooooo long and boring)
  • The Gilly Salt Sisters by Tiffany Baker (contemporary fiction)
ssgilby avatar
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Date Posted: 1/2/2014 4:53 PM ET
Member Since: 4/23/2008
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Lynne - Don't give up on Rutherfurd!  Try London.  Plenty characters to know and love, all the storylines (that I recall) were resolved, and the story is told in chronological order.  Paris is excellent as well, but he skips around with the time periods, so it's a bit harder to follow.