Worst book you have ever read

[ozzy]

I've actually enjoyed my science textbooks as far as that goes. Of course I read my textbooks for fun in high school so...

I wish I had more time to read mine for fun. I'm sure I could enjoy them but I just feel too rushed. And lets face it. Harry Potter is just so much better at keeping my attention. :)

[rameumptom]

I'll have to let Orson Scott Card know that you are saying mean things about his writing! I personally like his writings overall, but realize that not everything is going to be superb.

Worst book? My geometry book in 6th grade.

[ADoyle90815]

For me, the worst book was Twilight, sorry. I didn't even finish it and I refuse to read the rest of the series or watch any of the movies. I prefer the classic vampire stories, where the vampires do not sparkle. Yes, I've read Bram Stoker's Dracula, and I enjoyed it. I read for fun, and like Thomas Jefferson, "I cannot live without books." My parents always had full bookcases, and now I do as well, it's not something to be ashamed about.

[Guest The_Doctor]

I'm not a fan of any of Tim LaHaye's writing.

[TheActualLiz]

Atlas Shrugged: so many of my libertarian friends venerate this book as a brilliant work of philosophy. HOGWASH! i can give the book credit for creating a vivid dystopia and some cleaver use of propaganda.... but John Galt's speech made my hears want to bleed (audiobook on this one if that still counts)... seriously... an hour and a half of "a=a" and "reality is real' UUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!

A Light in August: supposed to be a great book with cleaver literary style.... hated every second of it.

[Dr T]

I'm not a fan of any of Tim LaHaye's writing.

I read the Left Behind series and got into the story in the first hand full but then it just became a "who will die next" as the main reason I kept reading them all. I enjoyed them for the most part.

[Tarnished]

I actually like Orson Scott Card's books as well, and I have read most of the Ender series, I just haven't gotten extremely deep into the Bean spinoffs. Card is an unusual writer though and some of his books are a bit out there, but definately not the worst reads I have ever had.

P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast's book "Marked" was awful, and from what I have heard the other books in the series are awful as well. Basically it is a vampire based series geared toward teen to young adult readers. The whole thing is riddled with bad writing, sexual encounters and blatant anti-Christian allusions. It was one of those books where you read it hoping it will get better at some point.

A close second is "The Sword of Shanarra" which though I am sure it is a fairly decent Fantasy book, it was basically "The Lord of the Rings" except with a Sword instead of a ring. The whole thing smacked so deeply of the author basically copying someone else's story that I had a very difficult time reading it much less enjoying it. Because of that book I have pretty much stayed away from the rest of the series.

Also pretty much anything Angela Carter writes I stay away from. After randomly opening one of her books (that I had for a class I took) and randomly reading a passage to a group of friends, I decided that I would probably never read her stuff again. The random passage by the way described infant sexual abuse. From my experiences with her work from that class (which after the first book I never read any of the others) I have come to the conclusion that the author was obsessed with sex and filled her books with sickening descriptions of it.

[MorningStar]

I hated Lord of the Flies and wouldn't have read it if it weren't a requirement for my English class.

[applepansy]

I'm actually surprised that Steinbeck is still required reading in Utah High schools. Especially Of Mice and Men. Good Grief. I hated them (not just bored) when I had to read his books when in high school. And I protested my children reading them when they were in high school. He can't possibly be the only author who addressed the life style of the depression.

Tarnished: Try the rest of Shannara. I have them all ...in hard back. LOL I'm a big Terry Brooks fan. I read the Sword of Shannara back in the late 70s when it first came out and have kept up ever since.

My kids loved his books too. I agree the first book is a bit like Tolkien in that there is a sword and not a ring. As you get into the other books you will find that its more about a family trait and responsibility to the world of Shannara than just an object. They really aren't any closer to being like Tolkein than any other series which create another world. I found his books easier than Tolkein for my children to read. My oldest son wore out my first set so I had to buy a second. I can't get my children to read The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. They get bored with the pages of description (the part I love).

EDIT: There is only one book I've tried to read three times and can't get past the third chapter. I get an awful black feeling when I try to read it. The author is one of my favorite, Taylor Caldwell. The book is called I, Judas. In the forward she states she had access to the Catholic churches archives. She also wrote Great Lion of God about the Apostle Paul and Dear and Glorious Physician about Luke. Both books were well told historical fiction and they made me want to study the New Testament more. Some of her other books are darker and harder to read. Her books are out of print. I'm not sure you can find them in libraries but used paperback book stores usually have copies of her books.

Edited October 19, 2010 by applepansy
addition

[MichaelCraig]

Don't know about worst book but the I can tell you the craziest, but in kind of a cool way, was "The Shack" by William Young. The first part was really hard for me being a parent but I got thru it, then the crazy stuff started. It's fiction of course and for entertainment only but after getting thru it I actually enoyed the relationship part. Not that I think of Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit of being IN ANY WAY like the characters in the book, it made me think. So many people seem to put all three of them in a "box". Kinda like Heavenly Father is an old man with a long white beard sitting in a big chair on a cloud somewhere. Also making Him like He's untouchable I guess because He's so awesome. It is my personal feeling that He wishes for us to have more of a father/son or daughter type relationship with Him. Calling on Him when we fall down or even when we have a good day. Keeping Him at the center of our lives like we did our earthly Dad's when we were oh....5-9 yrs old. I'm lucky cause I never matured any farther than that mentally any way...so my wife says!!!

Edited October 19, 2010 by MichaelCraig

[ZappBrannigan]

Worst book ever Gerald's Game by Stephen King. I still get shudders thinking about it.

[TL10]

The Chrysalids was the worst for me. The book takes place in Newfoundland after a nuclear war, yet none of the Newfoundlanders have a Newfie accent! They have a friggin' British one! Poor research evident!!!

Lord of the Flies is also another one. Very depressing.

However, no matter how hard you try, you'll never get any worse than the crap known as Twilight. Sadly, quite contrary to belief, holding up a cross will NOT make it go away.

In other news, The Book of Mormon has yet to be tested as a vampire repellant.

[Seanette]

Dr. Zhivago someone please explain how that is a good story....I though it was sad, extrememly sad...cheat on your spouse and everyone thinks it's romantic

"Bridges of Madison County" has the same problem IMO. Haven't actually read that, since I'm not into "chick lit", and when I found out that the "love story" was adulterous, I felt no desire to read it.

[RachelleDrew]

Despised Twilight. When I first heard it was about vampires I was all about getting a chance to read it. I was like "Cool! I love vampires, and this is gonna be awesome!"

I had to force myself to finish. It was just beyond stupid.

I will also always hate "War and Peace"...not because the book was bad by any means. I just have a terrible memory of that book. So much so that I need to vent about it to this day. In the sixth grade, our school had implemented the AR program into our Literature class. Our teacher decided to make it a competition in the class to help us get used to the way it worked. A book's point value was dictated by the course level of the book. By the end of the year I had the highest "points" in the class for books read/tests passed, and was quite proud of this. Until one of the genius kids in my class toppled me by just a few points. In an attempt to get ahead of her again before the year ended I tackled "Great Expectations" (which my sixth grade brain barely comprehended. but I did pass the test..)

The morning after I passed the test I was feeling pretty victorious, until I saw her checking back in the book she had just tested on...."War and Peace". I knew I was defeated the minute I saw it. It was the highest point book at the time. I was such a sore loser over that one. I will always know "War and Peace" as the book that defeated me in the sixth grade.

[rameumptom]

A close second is "The Sword of Shanarra" which though I am sure it is a fairly decent Fantasy book, it was basically "The Lord of the Rings" except with a Sword instead of a ring. The whole thing smacked so deeply of the author basically copying someone else's story that I had a very difficult time reading it much less enjoying it. Because of that book I have pretty much stayed away from the rest of the series.

It was Terry Brook's first major novel. I read it in the 1970s. And yes, it made me think a lot of LOTR when I read it also. However, the writing was good, and the ending was different enough to provide an interesting twist to the LOTR trilogy.

Some of his other Shannara books are rather good, as well.

[cathyyg]

I genuinely enjoyed the whole Ender series. Did you know the author, Orson Scott Card, is LDS?

The worst book I ever read - or more accurately couldn't force myself to finish reading - was Moby Dick. The worst one I actually finished was Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein.

[ZappBrannigan]

Have you read Stranger in a Strange land by Heinlein?

[cathyyg]

Have you read Stranger in a Strange land by Heinlein?

Yes, that book merely began the downhill slide that accelerated in Time Enough for Love. I have to say that The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Starship Troopers were awesome, so it's just later Heinlein books I dislike.

[ZappBrannigan]

Starship troopers was awesome. Terrible movie (the mormon outpost Port Joe Smith). I rather liked the book stranger in a strange land, because it spawned a lot of good debates in my high school lit class.

[cathyyg]

I am intrigued by some of Heinlein's concepts in Starship Troopers, particularly the one where you acquire citizenship and the right to vote via military service. I've tried to contemplate how our nation would be differently run if we had that rule. I suspect we'd go to war less often, but more forcefully. No half-assed "limited war" that drives up the casualty count and wastes billions of dollars in equipment. The old "accomplish the mission" mentality, you know. I suspect we'd have a balanced budget, too. Soldiers don't get paid very much, and have to learn to make wise spending decisions. And I'm a screaming liberal IRL, but a veteran screaming liberal.

[Blackmarch]

I think my worst disappointment was the third or fourth book in the ringworld series (Ringworld Throne) by niven. Seemed to be all about sex about every chapter or two (at least up to chapter 5 or so)>.<.

Another big disappointment was Lisanne Norman's series (started off really good and interesting, but went down hill real fast from book two on. I can't remember the title of the first one but one of the titles in the series is Dark Nadir) but I swear she has a fetish for forced sex situations.

Every romance novel i've picked up (total of about 5 so far, all different authors) has been about getting in bed with some guy or girl (naughty scenes included).

Heinleins earlier works tend to be good but avoid his later stuff.

[Blackmarch]

I am intrigued by some of Heinlein's concepts in Starship Troopers, particularly the one where you acquire citizenship and the right to vote via military service. I've tried to contemplate how our nation would be differently run if we had that rule. I suspect we'd go to war less often, but more forcefully. No half-assed "limited war" that drives up the casualty count and wastes billions of dollars in equipment. The old "accomplish the mission" mentality, you know. I suspect we'd have a balanced budget, too. Soldiers don't get paid very much, and have to learn to make wise spending decisions. And I'm a screaming liberal IRL, but a veteran screaming liberal.

Far as i know he's the guy that introduced the concept of overpowered, over armored armor as a viable futuristic military weapon.

[cathyyg]

Romance novels - female porn? I hate them. If I read one I skip the sex; it never adds to the plot. I have chosen to read "christian" romances these days, where the sex doesn't usually happen until marriage and is assumed to have happened, not described. Much nicer! I'm currently reading Karen Kingsbury books. I also like the Amish romances, like Beverly Lewis and a few others write.

When you've been a sci-fi and fantasy fan as long as I have you start running out of things to read. I finished Heinlein decades ago, but only a few of his books are worth re-reading to me. I love the whole Darkover series by Marion Zimmer Bradley and reread all 30 or so of those books every few years. I really like Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and I may have to start reading that series again, to remind myself of all the ongoing plotlines as Brandon Sanderson wraps that series up.

Overpowered armor, yes, but not like tanks, on each individual soldier. Shades of John Scalzi in the "Old Man's War" series.

[Connie]

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

No wait, The Time Traveler's Wife, but i don't know if i can count that one as i refused to finish it.

[Wingnut]

No wait, The Time Traveler's Wife, but i don't know if i can count that one as i refused to finish it.

The movie was pretty bad.