Bookcrossers discussion

I just started a book called "Wild Animus" by Rich Shapero. It consists of one long acid trip by a very sad and lonely college kid. Horrible, don't even bother. I had to quit almost as soon as I started it.

What books have you loathed lately?

Interesting. I've read several books in the past where my overwhelming feeling throught was that I wanted to smack all of the characters!

Several years ago I read "Songs in Ordinary Time" by Mary McGarry Morris, and there wasn't a person in that book I didn't want to smack. Can't imagine why I finished the book, it was awful and depressing.

American Gods started out really well, 25 pages, then got raunchy and weird... I have too many things to read, so I gave it up.

But isn't it a wonder that a book can evoke such an emotion? It should be given some credit for that, me thinks! I haven't read Wild Animus, or She's Come Undone.

When I think of books I've read where I hated the characters so much I wanted to reach in and strangle them, Come Out Tonight by Richard Laymon and The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls come to mind.

I liked the strangeness of American Gods and hope to reread it someday.

I'm not a fantasy or sci-fi lover... it felt like a grown up and R rated (almost X) Percy Jackson, and also reminiscent of Ancient Evenings which I didn't like either... As I said, I'm not big on fantasy.

(My husband loves Stargate, Farscape, Flash Forward and all those fantasy/sci fi shows on TV... I can't be bothered.)

I read Michael Thomas Ford's Jane Bites Back a few weeks ago and found it just wretched. The only reason I even finished it was because I was stuck in an airplane and if I didn't read I would have had to do some work I'd brought with me.
It's hard to express how much I disliked this book...

I've read many books that have irritated me but Anita Shreve's All He Ever Wanted wins hands down.

BarkLessWagMore wrote: "I've read many books that have irritated me but Anita Shreve's All He Ever Wanted wins hands down. "

I know that it is wildly popular, but I could not even get half way through her Red Tent.

Deenbat wrote: "BarkLessWagMore wrote: "I've read many books that have irritated me but Anita Shreve's All He Ever Wanted wins hands down. "

I know that it is wildly popular, but I could not even get half wa..."

Anita Diamant wrote The Red Tent, not Anita Shreve.

I really disliked The Accidental by Ali Smith.

chambejd / Joy wrote: Anita Diamant wrote The Red Tent, not Anita Shreve

You're quite right, of course. I tend to get them confused, I think, because I disliked the Diamant so much and have never read Shreve at all (I don't read modern non-genre fiction very often). Thanks for correcting me.

@Wild Animus -- It was loathed by just about the entire BookCrossing site in 2004, when the author donated tons of books to the site for members to read. He spoke at the first Convention in St Louis.

As to Gaiman -- I adore all his books, even the ones that are way out there. It is my delight that I turned my son on to him. I think the world of the man personally (haven't met him, but he is friends with two dear friends and has done some incredibly kind and decent things.) And if I ever join twitter (which I have no desire to do) it would be to follow his tweets. :)


I am lukewarm about most of the other authors (including the Anitas, who have both disappointed me after initially delighting me.) I loathe the sappiness of Nicholas Sparks. (I wrote an extensive story about it in my review here:http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15...). I dislike the morals/attitudes of other authors (though for some I like their writing, but will no longer buy, now that I know their character.)

Bookczuk wrote: "...As to Gaiman -- I adore all his books, even the ones that are way out there..."

I would like to try again with Gaiman, maybe a different one (any suggestions, Bookczuk?). I am so busy 'catching up' (spent too many years not reading for a number of different reasons) that I'm now obsessed: if a book doesn't hit me right away I'll put it down and try again at another time.

I loved Stardust as a fantasy/fairy tale romance, and may be more your cuppa than something more science fictiony. For total irreverence try Good Omens (written with Terry PRachett). Javaczuk's favorite is Neverwhere, which started as a TV series on BBC and Gaiman went back and wrote the book. Or you could try some of his short stories.

Thanks! Will give those a try when Gaiman's turn comes around again.

Gaiman's "Coraline" is a good one and his Sandman graphic novels are fantastic.

I agree both about Coraline and the graphic novels, but didn't suggest them for someone who is not not enamoured of fantasy/science fiction. Stardust is almost like a fairy tale and might be palatable. Graphics are a taste of their own, I think. But as I said, he's yet to disappoint me.

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. Awful.

I guess I agree with you. For some books, they evoked emotion because of what went on in the book or because a particular character was loathsome. But "Wild Animus" seemed like such a waste of time, I think that was the worst kind of emotion for a book to evoke :)
Bibliocrates wrote: "But isn't it a wonder that a book can evoke such an emotion? It should be given some credit for that, me thinks! I haven't read Wild Animus, or She's Come Undone.

When I think of books I've read w..."

Bookczuk wrote: "@Wild Animus -- It was loathed by just about the entire BookCrossing site in 2004, when the author donated tons of books to the site for members to read. He spoke at the first Convention in St Lou..."
Oh, that's funny, I guess I joined too late to hear about that :)

BarkLessWagMore wrote: "Gaiman's "Coraline" is a good one and his Sandman graphic novels are fantastic."
I've been unable to handle graphic novels at all, not really sure why...

Bookczuk wrote: "I loved Stardust as a fantasy/fairy tale romance, and may be more your cuppa than something more science fictiony. For total irreverence try Good Omens (written with Terry PRachett). Javaczuk's f..."

I liked Neverwhere much more than American Gods, which I also agree started out somewhere interesting and then petered out.

I'm puzzling through a graphic kids novel about Beowulf now. It's gotten high praise, but I'm confused...

Bookczuk wrote: "@Wild Animus -- It was loathed by just about the entire BookCrossing site in 2004, when the author donated tons of books to the site for members to read."

Wasn't too well liked here, either... just went to check it out and there is one 4-star review and all the rest are 1-star and a few 2-star reviews. I think I'll pass on that one...

I like(d) the Beowulf story. Seems like it would be perfect for graphic novel format.

Marley and Me by John Irvine takes the most detested book i have ever read award! Trite, trite, trite!

I can't say I loathed it. I was just so bored with The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers, that I didn't even bother trying to finish it.

Space Viking by H. Beam Piper

Providing further evidence why I loathe Nicholas Sparks:

http://www.cracked.com/funny-4725-nic...

"There are no authors in my genre. No one is doing what I do." Feh. Nicholas Sparks, you are a jerk. But a gutsy one. It takes balls to criticize Shakespeare, Austen and to imply that Hemingway wrote love stories.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/n...

heh - I agree, and thanks for sharing - cracked looks like a neat site

Bookczuk wrote: "Providing further evidence why I loathe Nicholas Sparks:

http://www.cracked.com/funny-4725-nic... ..."

That is so funny Bookczuk! I haven't read anything by Sparks, but if I did it was instantly forgotten!

Thanks for the cracked link - that was a riot. And that's exactly why I've always refused to read Sparks.