Can't have a best books thread without a companion worst books one. These are the books that really reeked, so badly that you couldn't stand having them on the bookshelf and threw them at a cat that kept you awake every night.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown - Aside from the breathtakingly bad research, if a cliche exists that he did not use he most likely will in the next book.
The Third Secret by Steve Berry - So, what's the Third Secret of Fatima? Why, that everything Christianity believes in is wrong! God endorses abortion, same-sex relationships, wanton sex and the Duke Blue Devils, but those dastardly Catholics don't want the world to know this. All from a writer so bad that he makes Dan Brown look good.
The Seventh Carrier by Steve Albano - Unspeakably bad war novel that would have been better if written by a second grader. And the plot is worse than a Syfy Saturday night movie. See, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, they had 7 carriers, not the 6 recorded by history. The 7th was a supercarrier that veered too far north and was hemmed in by ice for 50 years! In 1991, just in time for the fiftieth anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the ship is magically freed and sets out to finish its mission? What have they been eating for 50 years? Each other? Did they single-handedly depopulate the world of seals and walruses? Who cares! Can they be stopped before the planes flown by their geriatric pilots start a brand new war? Good god, let's hope not! The worst thing about this book? It had a sequel.
Can't answer. If I'm not into it at the 100 page mark, I punt.
The Fountainhead
That is unless you enjoy soap operas
I've tried 3 times to read Jack Kerouac's On the Road.
"Ethical Behavior in Sports" by John Calipari (foreward by Bruce Pearl)
I've read a few wrestling autobiographies that were horrible and written with way too much kayfabe (Arn Anderson's occupying #1 on the list).
I thought of one. I thought the follow up to Angela's Ashes (which I loved), 'Tis, was very weak. Many reviews disagree with me.
Read Jane Eyre in high school. What a drag.
(03-26-2011 03:26 PM)georgiatiger Wrote: [ -> ]I thought of one. I thought the follow up to Angela's Ashes (which I loved), 'Tis, was very weak. Many reviews disagree with me.
I haven't read either one, but I've heard others voice the same opinion.
The Sound and The Fury.....hands down for me.
(03-26-2011 05:52 PM)TigerBill Wrote: [ -> ] (03-26-2011 03:26 PM)georgiatiger Wrote: [ -> ]I thought of one. I thought the follow up to Angela's Ashes (which I loved), 'Tis, was very weak. Many reviews disagree with me.
I haven't read either one, but I've heard others voice the same opinion.
The last several chapters of 'Tis, it seemed he just wanted to get it over with. Just kinda flamed out.
They made us read A Light in August in 10th grade. Horrible experience.
Thomas Harris' Hannibal. I loved all the other books, and I loved this one, right until the end, and then it pissed me off. It was like Harris was up against a deadline. You know how you lolligagged around on a term paper until the night before it was due, and you actually had something to turn in, but it was total crap? That's how Hannibal ended. Very disappointing.
(03-27-2011 12:48 PM)Smaug Wrote: [ -> ]Thomas Harris' Hannibal. I loved all the other books, and I loved this one, right until the end, and then it pissed me off. It was like Harris was up against a deadline. You know how you lolligagged around on a term paper until the night before it was due, and you actually had something to turn in, but it was total crap? That's how Hannibal ended. Very disappointing.
Not sure if you've read any Harry Turtledove, but he takes it the other way. Early on he wrote alternate history that was jam-packed with action and good ideas. Then he figured out how to stretch a trilogy into 5 or 6 books. You take a 250 page book and expand it to 500 pages by having people talk about stuff you already know for page after page, usually using corny language.
I never could get into Dune.
(03-27-2011 09:19 PM)KRB Wrote: [ -> ]I never could get into Dune.
Turgid. I never got them either and I read them all, for some reason.
I have to agree with "The Da Vinci Code". I can't really remember being so disappointed in a book. The book came out amidst so much hype, but after I'd finished it, I flipped back through it thinking I surely must have unknowingly fallen asleep while reading and missed many chapters. That was it? That was all? I never bothered to watch the movie.
(03-27-2011 10:37 PM)TigerBill Wrote: [ -> ] (03-27-2011 09:19 PM)KRB Wrote: [ -> ]I never could get into Dune.
Turgid. I never got them either and I read them all, for some reason.
Bah... the first Dune was truly epic. The series quickly went downhill after that. And anything after the third book in the series was completely unreadable.
(03-27-2011 10:37 PM)TigerBill Wrote: [ -> ] (03-27-2011 09:19 PM)KRB Wrote: [ -> ]I never could get into Dune.
Turgid. I never got them either and I read them all, for some reason.
and then there's Sting in the 1984 film adaptation. Looked like he'd been hittin' the "spice" pretty hard
Lone Survivor was an absolute piece of crap as far as writing. I like the idea behind it but it was poorly written.
I got on a kick to read some of the classics I haven't read or didn't read as a kid. The Heart of Darkness is a piece of crap and Walden is boring as hell.
Fahrenheit 451 was very boring.
Catcher in the Rye was okay not great. I don't understand the big deal with it.
Hemmingways "The Sun also Rises" was pretty boring as well.
If I am not interested by page 50 I'm done with it. Fortunately I check most of my books out from the library so I'm not out any money.