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Top 5 books you would not recommend


KAY

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And I am the first to disagree I love the Hobbits and their friends. This is a fun read and a bit of fantsy too. You go with them on their journey and help them along the way. Well thats what I think :lol:wot a sad git!!!:D

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I could add an arsenal of books to this thread, including:

 

Ken Follett - Code to Zero

Ged Simmons - The Gravedigger's Story

Sue Townsend - Rebuilding Coventry

Tony Parsons - The Family Way

 

.. also (from what I hear) absolutely everything written by Barbara Cartland

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Just about every one of his books can be summed up thusly:

 

Twenty-something man falls into a relationship with someone he doesn't really love, for the sake of regular sex. She gets pregnant. He resents her for it and goes out on the wee with his mates, meets another woman (usually of Oriental extraction) and sleeps with her. His partner has a baby and he decides to be a good dad. Partner finds out about affair, throws him out. He misses his child. Gets together with the woman he had an affair with and sorts out weekend access with his ex. The end.

 

Are you sure you just didn't read his autobiography?

 

I'm always amazed his first book is never mentioned in the front pieces of his more current books.

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Just about every one of his books can be summed up thusly:

 

Twenty-something man falls into a relationship with someone he doesn't really love, for the sake of regular sex. She gets pregnant. He resents her for it and goes out on the wee with his mates, meets another woman (usually of Oriental extraction) and sleeps with her. His partner has a baby and he decides to be a good dad. Partner finds out about affair, throws him out. He misses his child. Gets together with the woman he had an affair with and sorts out weekend access with his ex. The end.

 

I quite like these - except his last book - but the others I think dealt very well with the father/son relationship :D

 

I would add to the list Atonement! I could not get into this book at all what was all the fuss about

 

sorry but cant stand the Harry Potter books - again cant see what all the fuss is about?!

 

Lucky Jim - have tried to read this a few times - too boring!

Edited by Kell
double-post. ;)
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I think you'll find that ALOT of people will disagree with you both!

 

*snort* Yeah, me, for one! Thanks for dissing my favorite book of all time! :D

 

I agree with you, Spooncat! I tried reading Atonement, but I could see where it was going and I honestly found it really annoying!

Edited by Echo
jus' had to add a little somethin'!
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5 Lord of the Rings - JR Hartley, or whoever How many trees died to print this? Where's the story? How many songs can a hobbit sing to waste another 100 pages while I cry for all the time wasted trying to plough my way through this pernicious goblinsh!te?

I have to agree with both this and The Hobbit. I couldn't read any of them. I love the story, I just can't stand the writing style - 10 pages describing a field then 3 pages of songs is just too much for me - get on with the story already! If all the songs and extraneous description had been cut out you could have combined The Hobbit with all three volumes of The Lord of the Rings to make a fairly decent novella! :D

 

Strangely, my non-reader hubby disagrees with me on this one - he loved both.

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I only mentioned two books originally, but I'd like to add a whole series:

 

The Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.

 

Very popular Christian lit, in America at least. I'm not really religious but I'm interested in end-of-the-world stuff so I thought these might be good.

 

The characters are flat and all very same-ish, the descriptions of all the exciting end-of-the-world moments are reduced to a mere (dull) sentence here and there and the writing is about the worst I''ve ever read. The authors took a potentially interesting concept and completely destroyed it.

 

It kills me that the authors made a fortune out of selling millions upon millions of these books. I could write better without even trying.

 

First and last time I read anything I find out about from Time Magazine!

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1: Remember me, Harlan Coben.

 

I will never get that time back. The story and characterisation just makes me angry.

 

2: By the light of the moon, Dean Koontz.

 

One to avoid.

 

3: Witch Star, James Clemens.

 

Spend the first four books creating a fresh and original world and mythology then destroy it with mundanity in the last book. Vey disappointing.

 

4: The Beast House, Richard Laymon.

 

The world of books is not reduced with his passing. Harsh, but true.

 

5.Brave New World, Huxley.

 

No, just no.

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1. The Bitch Goddess Notebook ~ Martha O'Connor

Absolute Tripe

2. Lord of the Flies ~ William Golding

Thanks to GCSE English I will never get this time back. I still didn't like it the 3rd time

3. Queen of the Tambourine ~ Jane Gardam

This one wasn't finished

4. Little Face ~ Sophie Hannah

Just a poor book, boring really

5. Perfume ~ Patrick Suskind

I gave this book so many chances and kept reading until I gave up half way through, utterly pointless. Then they made a blasted film!

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I have to agree with both this and The Hobbit. I couldn't read any of them. I love the story, I just can't stand the writing style - 10 pages describing a field then 3 pages of songs is just too much for me - get on with the story already! If all the songs and extraneous description had been cut out you could have combined The Hobbit with all three volumes of The Lord of the Rings to make a fairly decent novella! :D

 

Strangely, my non-reader hubby disagrees with me on this one - he loved both.

I loved the fantasy of The Lord Of the Rings. I was also fascinated by the author's imagination. I also love descriptions of beautiful or dangerous scenery, it paints a picture for me. When I read LOTR, I hadnt heard of the Hobbit, so it took me a little while to realise they were all "little" people. Wonderful book

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I too must disagree wholeheartedly about Lord of the Rings. Like Echo, this is my all time favourite book. How can you dis such quotes as, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us"? The scene between Smeagol and Deagol shows two wonderful characters. The fellowship story shows a gripping journey full of friendship, betrayal, and great scenes such as Boromir's death, and the end of all things. The books would not be the same without the descriptions. Tolkien created a whole new world, and a beautiful world full of character at that. I love Tolkien's world, his real, and not so real characters, and his sheer brilliance.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My least favourite books are:

 

The Harry Potter books . ( I know a lot of people love these so sorry if I offend!)

 

Captain Corellis Mandolin. I just didn't like it and find it hugley overrated.

 

Popcorn by Ben Elton. Hate Ben Elton novels and thought this one was awful!

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I hate to label books as bad or not worth others' time 'cause their are different strokes for different folks, but there have been a few that are not worth my time.

I might get flak for this, but I hated The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Also, I wasn't a huge fan of the Memory of Running by Ron McLarty even though it had its interesting points it was so painfully slow for me it took forever to read. There is a bigger list, but I gave them to my local library and have suppressed them from my memory.

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not sure i could think of 5 but 2 spring to mind right away.

 

 

1. mad frankie frasers book, unless you have a great understanding of the london crime underground you wont know half of what he is going on about (i have never seen a book with SO many footnotes) i gave up in the end.

 

2. Dracula - long, drawn out and a boring ending.

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1. Richard Dawkins: The God Delusion

2. Khaled Hosseini: The Kite Runner

3. Karen Joy Fowler: The Jane Austin Book Club

4. Maeve Binchy: Star Sulliven

5. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Half of a Yellow Sun

 

I wouldn't recommend any of these books

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1. Richard Dawkins: The God Delusion

i currently have this in my 'books ive read a few pages of and then left then read more of then left' pile. i have to say its a struggle so far (think i got about 20 pages in) seems to be written for someone who feels atheist but feels guilty about it from what i can see. as an atheist who is fine with it, the book just does not speak to me.

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