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Burned once, won't touch again.....


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Hi, I am sure there was already a thread like this but I couldn't see it....I just wondered what authors you have read one book by which you disliked so much you know you can happily never read another by the same author as long as you live.....I have decided Stephen King is on my discard list. It's quite liberating actually

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Yes, I definitely have at least one of those! For my book group, we had to read Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel, but there was something about the tone of that book I didn't like. It made me feel anxious and it was morose, and when I got to the end I felt it was a story that I didn't have a single emotion about any of the characters and just wanted it to finish. No matter how good any tells me any of her other books are, even the apparent masterpiece that Wolf Hall is, I can't bring myself to pick up another of her books.

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Hmm, I don't think I have had an author like that yet, but Clive Cussler might be my first. :giggle:

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A very kind relative took a chance and bought me a book called 'Worst Case' by a writer called James Patterson a couple of years ago. Easily the most formulaic rubbish I have ever read in a book. Don't get me wrong, I love a good page-turner of a thriller, especilly the Lee Childs books, but this was awful. My first and last read of a James Patterson novel.

Edited by Milo MInderbinder
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Once I made the mistake of reading a Lynda La Plante novel, which came free with a magazine. I really didn't enjoy it. The book had flaws in writing, character and plot. Since then, I haven't dared to read another one of La Plante's novels. Also, after reading 'P.S I Love You' by Ceclia Ahern, I have developed an aversion to her work as well.

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Angela Carter, I read The Bloody Chamber and really didn't enjoy it and was relieved to reach the end.... Didn't engage with any of the stories and felt the language was contrived Not an author I plan to return to...

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A couple spring to mind: Chris Carter, Chris Ryan, Raymond E Feist, Richard Laymon, Tim Willocks. I'd say that Conn Iggulden and Brandon Sanderson are borderline at the moment. And - sorry to all the fans - I read the first Hunger Games book and thought it was poor, so won't be going anywhere near those again.

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Antia Shreve ~ On another book forum she got mentioned a lot and seemed really popular so I did pick up 3 or 4 of her books as I came across them in charity shops. First one I read "Eden Close" was blah, I read the whole thing thinking that at the end it will all be worth it but alas no I was just glad to finish it. I do every now and again look at the other books on my shelf thinkging I should give her a second chance but I just can't seem to do it.

 

after reading 'P.S I Love You' by Ceclia Ahern, I have developed an aversion to her work as well.

me too and this is also a book I find a lot of people recommend to me thinking I will like it
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James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell. I had said "No more!" to them both but gave their next reads a try, just in case either had got over their nonsense.

 

Neither had, so I have said goodbye to both and will never return to them again. :no:

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Given how many books Patterson churns out a year,http://bestsellers.about.com/od/bookfilmlistsbyauthor/a/patterson_books.htm , I do wonder if the rumours I've heard of him just coming up with the outline of the story and then passing the actual writing over to a team of helpers may have a grain of truth.

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Amusing thread! I can't think of one specifically now but there are so many books that I pick up in the library that I start and leave because its boring!

Now that someone mentioned Carol Higgins Clark, I'd have to second that one.

Edited by Delilah
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Mary Shelley and Gustave Flaubert come to mind and I'm not keen to addle my brain reading Steven Erikson again either .. or Henry James but I would never say never to any of them .. that would be a bit harsh. However it would have to be a bad day at the library that saw me reaching for any of their books :D .. and I'm not saying that any of them were bad it's just that me and them didn't hit it off.

 

PS .. plus all those on Steve's 'I liked these best' list ;):P:D

Edited by poppyshake
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PS .. plus all those on Steve's 'I liked these best' list that require an imagination ;):P:D

 

Fixed that for you :P:giggle2:

 

 

Noticing a lot of votes for James Patterson - I have to agree. I've only read one of his books ('Cross Country') and it was dreadful.

Edited by Karsa Orlong
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I haven't read a james Patterson book yet, I don't think any have ever grabbed my attention ever really.

Edited by Devi
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I might have to soon follow you all on boycotting James Patterson. I have started one of his co-authored novels- Sail - and have been shocked mostly at how dumbed down and uninspired the vocabulary is. I was astounded to see the word "thunk" in place of "thought". Is that even a real word? I am going to have to read the whole book as it was a present from my daughter but I am fairly certain it will be my last. So popular too, who would have "thunk" it ? :giggle2:

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I agree about James Patterson. I read Along Came A Spider, which I thought was really badly written. Haven't picked up any books by him since, and I don't intend to.

 

Another author I wouldn't waste time reading is Christopher Ransom. I read The Birthing House by him - it was possibly the worst book I have ever read. Ever. After I finished it, I googled reviews by other people, and pretty much every review I read said how bad it was, so it wasn't just me.

 

And Ali Smith - I read The Accidental by her, and didn't like it at all. It has had some great reviews, and I'm sure she has a lot of fans, but she is definitely not an author that I would want to try again.

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I just wondered what authors you have read one book by which you disliked so much you know you can happily never read another by the same author

 

Coincidentally I'm of the same opinion about Stephen King, but NOT because he's a bad writer. In fact I think he's a genius. But I once read a book of his short stories and was so utterly creeped out by it that I said "never again". It's already dark and scary in my brain; I don't need to make it any worse!

 

There is another one; a self-published author who's enjoyed some success. I downloaded a freebie from Amazon and should have known what to expect when I observed a punctuation error in the title! It was the worst thing I have ever read. Thank goodness it was a freebie.

 

Cheers,

Xander.

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There is another one; a self-published author who's enjoyed some success. I downloaded a freebie from Amazon and should have known what to expect when I observed a punctuation error in the title! It was the worst thing I have ever read. Thank goodness it was a freebie.

 

 

 

Hi Xander do tell!! We love naming names here.

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