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OK, name them here Elizabeth of York, Alison Weir The White Princess, PG Twilight, Stephanie Meyer Children of Liberty Paulina Simons A handful of long-forgotten romances. |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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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Last Edited on: 2/4/15 3:53 PM ET - Total times edited: 1 |
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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. |
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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:
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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:
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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. |
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