Book Bag | My Most Disappointing Reads
Whatever the reasoning behind it, these are the books that let me down the most.
So let me be clear about what this list is and what it isn’t.
This list IS a compilation of books that let me down the most.
This list is NOT a list of the worst books I’ve ever read.
The worst books deserve their own list and trust me, I am working on it. The books on this list are the ones that I was excited to try, had high hopes for, maybe they are books by author’s I’d read and enjoyed before and once I read these, my expectations came crumbling down around me like an avalanche of disappointment.
If you loved any of these books, I love that for you. I may even envy you a little bit, depending on which books we’re talking about. These are just bummers for me so let’s get started.
There is No Devil by Sophie Lark
So this one hurts me to admit. This is the second book in the Sinners duet by Sophie Lark. I had so much fun reading the first book (There Are No Saints) which made the second book extra disappointing for me. While the first book was intriguing in that “can’t put it down” kind of way, the second one face-planted in comparison - especially when the smut started being extra cringey (see below)
“eat my pussy, daddy… send me into outer space…”
The Troop by Nick Cutter
So I have spent the last 2 years hearing about this book on BookTok. So, I was excited when we finally selected it for a monthly read for book club - then I read it. I cannot stress this enough: I did not connect with or care about any of these people. Could not have cared less if I tried. I might try another book by Nick Cutter in the future but this one was such a let down.
Horseman by Christina Henry
I was recommended Near the Bone by Christina Henry and I gobbled it up. I read it in one sitting, I gave it 4 stars and I was so excited to see that she had more books for me to read. Then, I grabbed this one and while it was fine, I wanted the same level of enjoyment that came from Near the Bone and I just didn’t get that. Which is a shame, since this is a Sleepy Hollow reimagining.
Hers by Dawn Robertson
I follow this author on TikTok and I know this is hard to believe but she is actually not problematic on there! At least, not that I’ve seen anyway. I like her, I like her content - I actually found her because someone said we physically resemble each other - and I was excited to try out her books and see if I liked those too. Sadly… I did not. The typos, the “not like other girls” FMC and the cringey smut (see below) almost put me in a coma.
“I wanted to suck on her nipples like an infant feasting on its mother.”
“he is lapping up my cream and nibbling on my pearl.”
“muff diving”
Anything by Colleen Hoover (but more specifically, Verity)
Given the fact that I had already read It Ends With Us when I reached for this, you would’ve thought I would have gone into Verity expecting to be let down. However, since this was said to be more thriller, less romance, I actually held out hope. That was a mistake, but we all make those from time to time.
Crave by Tracy Wolff
This was the first monthly selection I made for Weirdo Book Club (the book club) and it was so stupid. It was clearly just a half baked, thrown together amalgamation of every other YA fantasy of its kind. To fail so publicly like this, I may never emotionally recover from this. Please accept my formal apology if I made you read this with me 2 years ago.
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
Another disappointing book club pick, although not everyone disliked it so I guess that helps. For me though, this book took a weird, weird turn that I wasn’t expecting and did not enjoy. You know I appreciate a good weird book but this wasn’t the good kind of weird. It was the disappointing kind.
My Best Friends Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
I still haven’t quite figured out how I feel about Grady Hendrix in general. I really liked The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires so I reached for this next thinking I was about to potentially love it even more than that! The 80’s vibe and demonic possession are things I love but sadly, I did not love this book. It was probably fine, a 3 star, sure. But when you’re expecting to love something and then it’s only ok… that sucks.
Anything by Sally Rooney
Last but definitely not least when it comes to disappointing reads… Sally Rooney. I started with Beautiful World, Where Are You? and tried so desperately to read Normal People in hopes of saving this author from the do not read pile. Sadly, neither of these are for me which has led me to believe that I am just not a Sally Rooney girlie.
I so badly want to be a girl that enjoys this kind of book. The directionless slice of banal realities with no plot to hold it back… however, I am not that girl. I need a plot, I need stakes, I need something to hold onto so I don’t slide off into the void. Normal People didn’t even have quotations in the book. Everything was just… written like narration, even when people were speaking to each other. Count me out forever.