Do I even dare to say it? 😅 The will of the many. It was fine, I just don't get the hype. Borderline YA. 🤐 Ancillary sword, because I loved the first book and the second and third books were different in tone and scope. The spear cuts through water, I loved the first half, I thought it will be a 5 star. Then the middle part lost me and it didn't regained my focus. It wasn't bad, just disappointing after that strong start. Empire of silence. It was fine, I just don't get the hype, again. Assassin of reality. Too much focus on a not great romance for my taste. I also DNFed The grace of kings and I also had very high hopes for it.
Yours Truly - I was appalled by the 5 star reviews 😂 This close to okay - or how to stuff 3 hallmark movies in a book (and do sth “surprising” at the end) Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands 🫣 - same blueprint as the first book, main character did not learn a thing…
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. From time to time I like to read a romace book, which is in good taste, it's funny etc. And mostly I liked their books but here ugh I was so annoyed from the beginning but I kept pushing through and it kept getting worse and worse. Lust based romace and rich people family drama. Brrrr
"Five Broken Blades" by Mai Corland. Maybe it's on me, but I didn't know it was supposed to be a romantasy? Leading up to me buying it, people just talked about the synopsis, which also didn't even hint at just how much romance was in it. So I was expecting an action-packed intrigue, and what I got was just a lot of miscommunication and awkward romantic interactions mixed with disappointing action scenes.
A Fate Inked In Blood is probably my most controversial dislike of a book lol. I forced myself to 25% and then DNFed. I’m not a big romance reader but I love Viking stuff. It wasn’t well written. The FMC is annoying and very “not like other girls,” which I hate. I’m also super petty and it really bothers me when books set in like medieval or Viking times use modern slang. It’s not enough to DNF usually but I really dislike it. Edit: I forgot I also didn’t like Paladin’s Grace, which everyone LOVES so maybe my taste is just bad lol
I feel you with "Divine Rivals." I read it and its sequel in January, and by the end I was just thinking "....That's it?" People kept going on about how "beautiful" and "wonderful" the letters aspect of the story was, and I've honestly seen other books do it better. The worldbuilding was seriously lacking, the romance felt too fast and over the top for me, and it just ended up feeling...meh.
"Why would I punish myself with 1000 pages before it gets better?" exactly my feelings about "Way of Kings"... I read around 400 pages (that's a whole book already) and was so bored but people kept saying it would get amazing around the 800 page mark and I just couldn't do it. I don't think I will ever get the hype for Sanderson but that's okay. Other disappointments include "How High We Go in the Dark" by Sequoia Nagamatsu and "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" by Suzanne Collins.
yeah, part of the hype around Interview With the Vampire was because the author REFUSED to allow ANY input or interpretation of the book by ANYONE; not fans, not publishers, not show writers, NO ONE. any thoughts or actions from the characters that she did not come up with herself were FORBIDDEN - legally. while she was alive, ms rice would actively threaten legal action against anyone that wrote fanfiction about her books. three days after her death was announced, fanfictions started popping up everywhere, and within a few months the ~refreshingly~ homoerotic show started being made and came out before a full year had passed. so yeah, lots of history contributed to that popularity lol~
I liked yours truly because the justifications the author gave for the miscommunication convinced me. the book won't work if the reasons aren't enough for the reader. the thing whit cozy books is that you have to read after a sad book, to lift up the morale. timing is everything
Just found your channel and you have a new subscriber! So glad for your thoughts on the Book of Flora! I loved the first book and it felt like it could be a standalone and I was really unsure about reading further due to reviews I was seeing. This definitely solidifies that for me.
I just finished it and thoroughly enjoyed it, though it had some problems. But I didn't get who did the aunt Katherine kill? Can someone please remind me.
@@joannapats6843 can one person read The Christmas book without reading the second novel (the train one)? I've read the first one and want to read the Christmas one now.
I am glad to hear someone else did not enjoy the Spellshop. I took a chance - not my typically read - and while I enjoyed some of the magically ideas I felt like I spent the second half of the book either going up the cliff stairs or down them.
The Spellshop is helping me get out of a reading slump, but I can definitely see how some readers wouldn't enjoy it. I did just pick up one book I know was your favourite read of last year, and is also the favourite read this year of the other book channel I watch, and that's Blood Over Bright Haven, which is on sale on Kobo and Kindle for $2.99 in Canada. Looking forward to reading that one next year!
I struggled with Priory and probably should’ve DNFed. The fact that you loved that one and thought Bone Season was boring and not well developed means I should probably just cut my losses and burn my copies.
The only two books that I’ve read from this list are The Spellshop and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. The first I would describe as an atmosphere read…no real romance (thank God), just a bit of flirting, not too much plot, but I enjoyed the setting and escapist feel to the book. The second book, I listened to and enjoyed, although I didn’t care too much for any of the characters. But, I enjoyed the style of writing.
I only managed to finish it, because I was listening to it as an audiobook. I almost got sucked into buying to physical book because of the purple pages. I’m glad I didn’t and borrowed it from the library!
I also listened to this one as an audiobook - it was not bad, but the level of anxiety and catastrophizing in this book was pushing some buttons for me (I’ll give the narrator props for excellent voice acting.) I’m also not a huge fan of overly naive FMC, but that’s a personal preference.
Love coming here for your recommendations and rants, and to see when our opinions match. Agree that The Book of the Unnamed Midwife was 5⭐️; The Book of Etta was a grudging 3⭐️ and turned me off reading the third. I only liked the first part of The Other Bennet Sister and found her characterization of some of the people unrecognizable; the second half of the book got bogged down in sad sack Mary. Currently reading Blood Over Bright Haven due to your recommendation and am LOVING IT. However, as no one’s opinions line up perfectly, have to say The Green Bone Saga was one of this year’s disappointments-I never saw what moved you about the trilogy, as I was uninterested in the warring families plot lines and disliked almost every character. 😢
Everything you said about yours truly YES! I have it four stars bc I truly loved Justin and him struggling with communication made sense but I can never get behind a grown adult hearing a conversation and instead of actually TALKING to the person you just make up this whole scenario and yes that spicy scene sucked. All the build up for it to happen THEN?!?’
I fully agree on „The Bone Season“. I love „Priory“ and „ADOFN“ by Shannon (they are 2 of my favorite books of all time!) and „TBS“ was just a huge letdown for me. Maybe I’m too old for the book idk, but I found the (19y/o) main character quite insufferable and exhausting. Also, the love interest at the end felt weirdly out of place. I also had problems imagining the whole setting, I constantly felt like I was missing something…
@@BookswithEmilyFox i totally get your criticisms though, it got frustrating at times, but i had never felt so seen/understood in my anxiety and seeing how easily briana accepted it and helped him... it totally won me over
I feel you on The Spellshop, but had the same experience with almost all cozy fantasy of this year. (Teller of small Fortunes and House of Frank for example were the same). Can you recommend a good cozy fantasy that you were invested in?
Disappointments: How to Blow Up a Pipeline - literally only three longgg chapters, when I could persist it was very thought-provoking, but not that accessible The World We Make by N K Jemisin - I believe she said she lost steam for the planned trilogy and made it a duology instead, and it shows. I think she should have just left the series unfinished at one book. Artemis by Andy Weir - same criticisms as you and others have. Tatami Galaxy - really liked the idea of it but I think the translation really didn't work for me. And it's such a pretty cover too 😭😭
Agreed on Frugal Wizard! I DNF it pretty quickly because I just could not get into it. I tried for Sanderson but just couldn‘t. I fear Yumi might be going the same way for me because 39% in I had to put it on hold for now.
I read like none of these books, but I love your commentary. My most dissappointing books were mostly popular ones, I ended up hating and honestly questioning other peoples taste in: My sister, the serial killer; the Virgin Suicides; It will end like this; the Awakening. Different from that category, but nonetheless dissappointing, because I kept hoping (in vain) for some light at the end of the journey was: the Poppy War Trilogy
Out of these I’ve only read The Bone Season and The Frugal Wizard’s Guide and I have to say I agree with you. Both were disappointing compared to the authors’ other books.
I wanted to like The Bone Season but I feel like the focus was on the wrong thing, overcomplicated in some ways and not enough in others. I made it to around 80% and realized I didn't care what happened.
Most disappointing -Salvation Day by Kali Wallace -Ararat by Christopher Golden -Come Closer by Sara Gran -Crier's War by Nina Varela -The Nluest Eye by Toni Morrison -One Dark Winfow by Rachel Gilig -The Familiars by Stacy Halls -A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L woods -The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett -The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood -We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
I gotta say, The Way of Kings is my most disappointing book of the year. It took me 9Months to get to 300 pages. I was so bored. It was very repetitive, so much sitting around and talking. Shallan was only in the book for like 2 chapters and then was ignored for the rest of the time that I read. (I stopped shortly after making it to 300 pages) That book did no earn it's 1k pages, very few books do.
That’s so funny, in my review for Yours Truly, I also thought it stumbled at 80%. It changed my feelings on the book since I was really liking it prior to that. I also think it gave me book PTSD because when reading Just for the Summer I kept dreading the third act conflict. I couldn’t fully enjoy it.
I have high hopes that you will enjoy 'Yumi and the Nightmare Painter' more than the first two secret projects. Obviously great woldbuilding and it feels more mature than the other ones, while still keeping a light note
I know you also love I Who Have Never Known Men and highly recommend The Wall by Marlen Haushofer. A woman is walled off from the world and lives her life with a dog, some cats, and a cow. The vibe is very similar to iwhnkm in terms of introspection but her relationships with the animals meant so much to me. Beautiful book I know I will reread.
While I am sad "The Grace of Kings" did not cliked with you, I am glad you gave Ken Liu another try with his short stories. Maybe the 2025 SF Triller from him will be more up your alley.
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler. So much potential, execution was mid which I probably should've expected because the premise is not something easy to do well. But what I cannot forgive is writing main character like a horny 14 year old boy insead of adult woman that she was.
English is not my first language either and sometimes I struggle when reading books in English. Can you do a video recommending books for different levels of English? (Probably not a hot topic for Christmas and new year's, but some time in 2025)
2024 was kinda rough, so I have a list to choose from. Maybe Empire of Silence was the most disappointing? But there are a lot of contenders including sequels in series I had previously liked and authors I had read a lot of books from.
All of Sanderson's kick-starters were huge letdowns for me. I adore his staple series (Mistborn, Stormlight) and his others, Warbreaker, Elantris. But the kick-starter releases were huge misses for me, so you're definitely not alone there! I also disliked Book of Etta. But I liked The Bone Season and the Spellshop, so that's where our tastes deviate hahaha!
More for people in the comments section since I know no book is for everyone, but I still highly recommend The Dandelion Dynasty for fans of epic fantasy. If it is for you, it's one of the best fantasy series ever written IMO. Ken Liu is an incredible writer and the series is very high quality, unlike the other fantasy titles mentioned in this video. I'm a Sanderson fan, but Frugal Wizard's Handbook is very mediocre.
Totally agree about The Other Bennet Sister. I thought it was way too long, the love triangle was unnecessary and I didn’t like how Elizabeth and man Charlotte was basically the same as Caroline Bingley!
My biggest disappointments of the year are probably The Shadow of the Gods, A Novel Love Story, Kirsten’s Hævn, Fun Home, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - I had high hopes for all of those but they ranged from okay to bad 😅
About time I found someone who agrees with Me about Yours Truly lol.I didn't hate it by any means but the way these two highly skilled professionals spend half the book refusing to communicate send me off.
I like my vampires sparkley. 😅😂😅 I spit out my coke. If you want to read anne rice i recommend the witching hour. I think it's better than interview with a vampire.
Because of you a gave "My brilliant Friend" chance after chance but couldn't get into it... This weekend though something in the story grabbed me and I couldn't stop reading! I finished it in two days. Did I like it? I don't really know but I enjoyed the experience. Thank you!
Not all of them came out this year but: A Dark and Drowning Tide by Alison Saft The Sorcerer of Pyongyang by Marcel Theroux Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman 1983 by Tom Cox (I'm so sorry small author, it was just bad 😭)
If you want something similar to practical magic but better I’d recommend “garden spells” by Sarah addison allen! I liked it so much more but they’re very similar
"Yours truly" was so disappointing. It could've have been better but she pushed it too far. Part of your world was better but was cute overall. I found out I'm not a romance reader either or the story has to really blow my mind and not look like another stereotypical version of the thousands of Hallmark movie we already have. 😴 That's why I love Outlander, will always be my favorite serie of all times.
I DNFed The Spellshop. I like cozy fantasy well enough, but I could not stand the main character and was not at all interested in hearing about her thoughts or her life.
My most disappointing book from this year it is at the same time the worst book i read (i usually don't have much of both) was The Baker of Aljubarrota. It was supposed to be retelling of the story of Brites de Almeida a woman baker that during a war between Portugal (my country) and Spain, she found six spanish men hidden in her bakery and kill all of them with her bread shovel. So this book was about her infancy until that mythical scene. Yah the book was very bad. She suffers alot through all the book and people are awfull to her. It was a bit of misery porn. Hated it, already donate it to the my library.
It’s so true I tried to love the divine rivals duology and the first one wasn’t bad but the second one I DNF’ed it at 60% was sooo boring. Nothing was happening for so long! I don’t understand how people loved it so much even winning Goodreads awards
Yeah the more I think about Yours Truly.. the more annoying the miscommunication becomes. But not the spicy basement sceneeee. Definitely horrible timing though hahahaaaa
I'm here for the rant! Most disappointing book of 2024: "We Used to Live Here" Marcus Kliewer. So incredibly bad. And "The Other Valley" Scott Alexander Howard. Great concept, but painfully boring. Guess I'm going to have to re-read "Interview With The Vampire" because it's one of my favourites. However, the subsequent books the series 👎.
It's the best time of year!!!! Disappointed and ranty Emily!!!! Cannot wait for the worst list, always my favourite! Spellshop bored the hell out of me. TIWTV really could have gone so hard with the gay and yet. Plus I've never forgiven Anne Rice for her being so ott about fanfic
I understand not liking Interview with the Vampire and all the criticism is valid. However, the book doesnt even scratch the surface of the "world". The Vampire Lestat is soooooooooo much better and I adored those books when I was an angsty teenager! Also, I know this is an unpoular opinion but i could not get into the TV series. I dont mind some adjustments, but moving it from 1700s New Orleans to 1900s New York completely changed the story - i want to see the book on film. If youre going to change the story that much, just write a new one.
Honestly interview with the vampire is the definition of pretentious, and I think AR is a decent author, even though she is a bit messed up in the head lol, the witching hour book is pretty cool, but this book is a bunch of nothing, the protagonist has no agency and is a philosophy that leads nowhere, it is exactly what it is, a written trauma dump. yeah the show is better because finally things happens and the protagonist works lol
Which books disappointed you this year? Rant away!!
Do I even dare to say it? 😅
The will of the many. It was fine, I just don't get the hype. Borderline YA. 🤐
Ancillary sword, because I loved the first book and the second and third books were different in tone and scope.
The spear cuts through water, I loved the first half, I thought it will be a 5 star. Then the middle part lost me and it didn't regained my focus. It wasn't bad, just disappointing after that strong start.
Empire of silence. It was fine, I just don't get the hype, again.
Assassin of reality. Too much focus on a not great romance for my taste.
I also DNFed The grace of kings and I also had very high hopes for it.
Yours Truly - I was appalled by the 5 star reviews 😂
This close to okay - or how to stuff 3 hallmark movies in a book (and do sth “surprising” at the end)
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands 🫣 - same blueprint as the first book, main character did not learn a thing…
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. From time to time I like to read a romace book, which is in good taste, it's funny etc. And mostly I liked their books but here ugh I was so annoyed from the beginning but I kept pushing through and it kept getting worse and worse. Lust based romace and rich people family drama. Brrrr
"Five Broken Blades" by Mai Corland. Maybe it's on me, but I didn't know it was supposed to be a romantasy? Leading up to me buying it, people just talked about the synopsis, which also didn't even hint at just how much romance was in it. So I was expecting an action-packed intrigue, and what I got was just a lot of miscommunication and awkward romantic interactions mixed with disappointing action scenes.
A Fate Inked In Blood is probably my most controversial dislike of a book lol. I forced myself to 25% and then DNFed. I’m not a big romance reader but I love Viking stuff. It wasn’t well written. The FMC is annoying and very “not like other girls,” which I hate.
I’m also super petty and it really bothers me when books set in like medieval or Viking times use modern slang. It’s not enough to DNF usually but I really dislike it.
Edit: I forgot I also didn’t like Paladin’s Grace, which everyone LOVES so maybe my taste is just bad lol
Now that you've finished reading all of Jane Austen books, could you please do a video raking them ? To least favorite to most favorite
It's totally on the list!
i clicked so fast. I'm here for the rants.
As someone who works with doctors, book smarts does not always translate to social/interpersonal smarts lol.
I feel you with "Divine Rivals." I read it and its sequel in January, and by the end I was just thinking "....That's it?" People kept going on about how "beautiful" and "wonderful" the letters aspect of the story was, and I've honestly seen other books do it better. The worldbuilding was seriously lacking, the romance felt too fast and over the top for me, and it just ended up feeling...meh.
Agree 100%
"Why would I punish myself with 1000 pages before it gets better?" exactly my feelings about "Way of Kings"... I read around 400 pages (that's a whole book already) and was so bored but people kept saying it would get amazing around the 800 page mark and I just couldn't do it. I don't think I will ever get the hype for Sanderson but that's okay. Other disappointments include "How High We Go in the Dark" by Sequoia Nagamatsu and "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" by Suzanne Collins.
yeah, part of the hype around Interview With the Vampire was because the author REFUSED to allow ANY input or interpretation of the book by ANYONE; not fans, not publishers, not show writers, NO ONE. any thoughts or actions from the characters that she did not come up with herself were FORBIDDEN - legally. while she was alive, ms rice would actively threaten legal action against anyone that wrote fanfiction about her books.
three days after her death was announced, fanfictions started popping up everywhere, and within a few months the ~refreshingly~ homoerotic show started being made and came out before a full year had passed. so yeah, lots of history contributed to that popularity lol~
totally agree about IWTV! the show is much better. I also feel like Rice is very long winded.
I liked yours truly because the justifications the author gave for the miscommunication convinced me. the book won't work if the reasons aren't enough for the reader.
the thing whit cozy books is that you have to read after a sad book, to lift up the morale. timing is everything
Just found your channel and you have a new subscriber! So glad for your thoughts on the Book of Flora! I loved the first book and it felt like it could be a standalone and I was really unsure about reading further due to reviews I was seeing. This definitely solidifies that for me.
I absolutely LOVED Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, but if you don't like the author's humor, you REALLY would not like the sequel 😅
It's honestly a fav of last year. Reading the Christmas novella right now and having a blast
I just finished it and thoroughly enjoyed it, though it had some problems. But I didn't get who did the aunt Katherine kill? Can someone please remind me.
@@joannapats6843 can one person read The Christmas book without reading the second novel (the train one)? I've read the first one and want to read the Christmas one now.
I am glad to hear someone else did not enjoy the Spellshop. I took a chance - not my typically read - and while I enjoyed some of the magically ideas I felt like I spent the second half of the book either going up the cliff stairs or down them.
I DNF this one. Too much instalove, too little books.
The Spellshop is helping me get out of a reading slump, but I can definitely see how some readers wouldn't enjoy it. I did just pick up one book I know was your favourite read of last year, and is also the favourite read this year of the other book channel I watch, and that's Blood Over Bright Haven, which is on sale on Kobo and Kindle for $2.99 in Canada. Looking forward to reading that one next year!
Hope you'll love it as much as I did!
I struggled with Priory and probably should’ve DNFed. The fact that you loved that one and thought Bone Season was boring and not well developed means I should probably just cut my losses and burn my copies.
I loved Yours Truly... but the bad communication at the end took a star off for me... so irritating.
The last minute drama wasn’t necessary!
The only two books that I’ve read from this list are The Spellshop and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. The first I would describe as an atmosphere read…no real romance (thank God), just a bit of flirting, not too much plot, but I enjoyed the setting and escapist feel to the book. The second book, I listened to and enjoyed, although I didn’t care too much for any of the characters. But, I enjoyed the style of writing.
I look forward to this time of year every year Miss. Emily 😆🥰
Finally, someone who has the same feelings as I did about The Spellshop. That was a DNF for me, I just didn’t care.
I only managed to finish it, because I was listening to it as an audiobook. I almost got sucked into buying to physical book because of the purple pages. I’m glad I didn’t and borrowed it from the library!
Oh I found it very meh.
Same same
I only finished it because it was an audiobook and I was on a walk. Otherwise I'd have dipped
I also listened to this one as an audiobook - it was not bad, but the level of anxiety and catastrophizing in this book was pushing some buttons for me (I’ll give the narrator props for excellent voice acting.) I’m also not a huge fan of overly naive FMC, but that’s a personal preference.
Love coming here for your recommendations and rants, and to see when our opinions match. Agree that The Book of the Unnamed Midwife was 5⭐️; The Book of Etta was a grudging 3⭐️ and turned me off reading the third. I only liked the first part of The Other Bennet Sister and found her characterization of some of the people unrecognizable; the second half of the book got bogged down in sad sack Mary. Currently reading Blood Over Bright Haven due to your recommendation and am LOVING IT. However, as no one’s opinions line up perfectly, have to say The Green Bone Saga was one of this year’s disappointments-I never saw what moved you about the trilogy, as I was uninterested in the warring families plot lines and disliked almost every character. 😢
My most anticipated video every year!!! 😂
TheBookLeo did a video - romantasy books that are actually good - that rated the ratio of romance to fantasy - she (and I) like more fantasy in there
Your description for the Spellshop was on point. I found her so, so juvenile and unrealistic and thus boring.
Everything you said about yours truly YES! I have it four stars bc I truly loved Justin and him struggling with communication made sense but I can never get behind a grown adult hearing a conversation and instead of actually TALKING to the person you just make up this whole scenario and yes that spicy scene sucked. All the build up for it to happen THEN?!?’
Also how she reacted at the end was so childish I’m sorry
I fully agree on „The Bone Season“. I love „Priory“ and „ADOFN“ by Shannon (they are 2 of my favorite books of all time!) and „TBS“ was just a huge letdown for me. Maybe I’m too old for the book idk, but I found the (19y/o) main character quite insufferable and exhausting. Also, the love interest at the end felt weirdly out of place.
I also had problems imagining the whole setting, I constantly felt like I was missing something…
finished reading 'yours truly' like fifteen minutes ago and loved it 😂
LOL I feel like it might be my most unpopular opinion in this video!
@@BookswithEmilyFox Spoil it for me?
@@BookswithEmilyFox i totally get your criticisms though, it got frustrating at times, but i had never felt so seen/understood in my anxiety and seeing how easily briana accepted it and helped him... it totally won me over
I feel you on The Spellshop, but had the same experience with almost all cozy fantasy of this year. (Teller of small Fortunes and House of Frank for example were the same). Can you recommend a good cozy fantasy that you were invested in?
Disappointments:
How to Blow Up a Pipeline - literally only three longgg chapters, when I could persist it was very thought-provoking, but not that accessible
The World We Make by N K Jemisin - I believe she said she lost steam for the planned trilogy and made it a duology instead, and it shows. I think she should have just left the series unfinished at one book.
Artemis by Andy Weir - same criticisms as you and others have.
Tatami Galaxy - really liked the idea of it but I think the translation really didn't work for me. And it's such a pretty cover too 😭😭
I completely agree with you about Yours Truly.
🙌 FINALLY 🙌
I second this. I disliked the tropes and the complications to the tropes. So much drama and stupid choices…
Agreed on Frugal Wizard! I DNF it pretty quickly because I just could not get into it. I tried for Sanderson but just couldn‘t. I fear Yumi might be going the same way for me because 39% in I had to put it on hold for now.
Ive come to the conclusion Sanderson is a 50/50 chance for me, and Frugal was in the noooo
I love his adult high fantasy… everything else is more iffy
Finally, someone acknowledges old Anne Rice is not actually that gay. 😂
I hate the world today, and completely and utterly loved this 🤣. Thank you.
Always great hearing your opinions … good or bad 😂❤. You did have a couple on your list that I haven’t read yet. We shall see how it goes!!! LOL 😝
I read like none of these books, but I love your commentary. My most dissappointing books were mostly popular ones, I ended up hating and honestly questioning other peoples taste in: My sister, the serial killer; the Virgin Suicides; It will end like this; the Awakening. Different from that category, but nonetheless dissappointing, because I kept hoping (in vain) for some light at the end of the journey was: the Poppy War Trilogy
Out of these I’ve only read The Bone Season and The Frugal Wizard’s Guide and I have to say I agree with you. Both were disappointing compared to the authors’ other books.
I wanted to like The Bone Season but I feel like the focus was on the wrong thing, overcomplicated in some ways and not enough in others. I made it to around 80% and realized I didn't care what happened.
Most disappointing
-Salvation Day by Kali Wallace
-Ararat by Christopher Golden
-Come Closer by Sara Gran
-Crier's War by Nina Varela
-The Nluest Eye by Toni Morrison
-One Dark Winfow by Rachel Gilig
-The Familiars by Stacy Halls
-A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L woods
-The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett
-The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood
-We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
I gotta say, The Way of Kings is my most disappointing book of the year. It took me 9Months to get to 300 pages. I was so bored. It was very repetitive, so much sitting around and talking. Shallan was only in the book for like 2 chapters and then was ignored for the rest of the time that I read. (I stopped shortly after making it to 300 pages) That book did no earn it's 1k pages, very few books do.
That’s so funny, in my review for Yours Truly, I also thought it stumbled at 80%. It changed my feelings on the book since I was really liking it prior to that. I also think it gave me book PTSD because when reading Just for the Summer I kept dreading the third act conflict. I couldn’t fully enjoy it.
I have high hopes that you will enjoy 'Yumi and the Nightmare Painter' more than the first two secret projects. Obviously great woldbuilding and it feels more mature than the other ones, while still keeping a light note
I know you also love I Who Have Never Known Men and highly recommend The Wall by Marlen Haushofer. A woman is walled off from the world and lives her life with a dog, some cats, and a cow. The vibe is very similar to iwhnkm in terms of introspection but her relationships with the animals meant so much to me. Beautiful book I know I will reread.
That’s a good recommendation. I loved that book too!
I loved that one too!
While I am sad "The Grace of Kings" did not cliked with you, I am glad you gave Ken Liu another try with his short stories.
Maybe the 2025 SF Triller from him will be more up your alley.
I love your rants.
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler. So much potential, execution was mid which I probably should've expected because the premise is not something easy to do well. But what I cannot forgive is writing main character like a horny 14 year old boy insead of adult woman that she was.
Live for hater content from booktubers tbh
A lil bit of salt is very healthy 👌
I had the same reaction to Interview w a Vampire. I finished it but it was torture and made me feel so grossed out with the descriptions of Claudia
English is not my first language either and sometimes I struggle when reading books in English. Can you do a video recommending books for different levels of English? (Probably not a hot topic for Christmas and new year's, but some time in 2025)
2024 was kinda rough, so I have a list to choose from. Maybe Empire of Silence was the most disappointing? But there are a lot of contenders including sequels in series I had previously liked and authors I had read a lot of books from.
All of Sanderson's kick-starters were huge letdowns for me. I adore his staple series (Mistborn, Stormlight) and his others, Warbreaker, Elantris. But the kick-starter releases were huge misses for me, so you're definitely not alone there! I also disliked Book of Etta. But I liked The Bone Season and the Spellshop, so that's where our tastes deviate hahaha!
More for people in the comments section since I know no book is for everyone, but I still highly recommend The Dandelion Dynasty for fans of epic fantasy. If it is for you, it's one of the best fantasy series ever written IMO. Ken Liu is an incredible writer and the series is very high quality, unlike the other fantasy titles mentioned in this video. I'm a Sanderson fan, but Frugal Wizard's Handbook is very mediocre.
Totally agree about The Other Bennet Sister. I thought it was way too long, the love triangle was unnecessary and I didn’t like how Elizabeth and man Charlotte was basically the same as Caroline Bingley!
I loved the other Bennet sister - so good.
My biggest disappointments of the year are probably The Shadow of the Gods, A Novel Love Story, Kirsten’s Hævn, Fun Home, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - I had high hopes for all of those but they ranged from okay to bad 😅
Agreed on Yours Truly. Was just alright for me and I barely remember the plot already (and just read it a few months ago).
About time I found someone who agrees with Me about Yours Truly lol.I didn't hate it by any means but the way these two highly skilled professionals spend half the book refusing to communicate send me off.
I like my vampires sparkley. 😅😂😅
I spit out my coke. If you want to read anne rice i recommend the witching hour. I think it's better than interview with a vampire.
Because of you a gave "My brilliant Friend" chance after chance but couldn't get into it... This weekend though something in the story grabbed me and I couldn't stop reading! I finished it in two days.
Did I like it? I don't really know but I enjoyed the experience. Thank you!
Not all of them came out this year but:
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Alison Saft
The Sorcerer of Pyongyang by Marcel Theroux
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
1983 by Tom Cox (I'm so sorry small author, it was just bad 😭)
If you want something similar to practical magic but better I’d recommend “garden spells” by Sarah addison allen! I liked it so much more but they’re very similar
@BookswithEmilyFox oooh thank you, that looks perfect 💜
My Biggest let down was Magnolia Parks which I dnf'ed. J'avais l'impression que les critiques étaient dithyrambiques.....
"Yours truly" was so disappointing. It could've have been better but she pushed it too far.
Part of your world was better but was cute overall. I found out I'm not a romance reader either or the story has to really blow my mind and not look like another stereotypical version of the thousands of Hallmark movie we already have. 😴
That's why I love Outlander, will always be my favorite serie of all times.
"...the book is already out of this house!" 😂
House of Leaves. So interesting to learn about, so boring to read. Stalled at page 40 (and it’s 700 pages).
I DNFed The Spellshop. I like cozy fantasy well enough, but I could not stand the main character and was not at all interested in hearing about her thoughts or her life.
Have you read Amin Maalouf's "Le premier siècle après Béatrice" (1992)? Interesting commentary.🧡
My most disappointing book from this year it is at the same time the worst book i read (i usually don't have much of both) was The Baker of Aljubarrota. It was supposed to be retelling of the story of Brites de Almeida a woman baker that during a war between Portugal (my country) and Spain, she found six spanish men hidden in her bakery and kill all of them with her bread shovel. So this book was about her infancy until that mythical scene. Yah the book was very bad. She suffers alot through all the book and people are awfull to her. It was a bit of misery porn. Hated it, already donate it to the my library.
I loved Divine Rivals and The Spellshop! 😂
It’s so true I tried to love the divine rivals duology and the first one wasn’t bad but the second one I DNF’ed it at 60% was sooo boring. Nothing was happening for so long! I don’t understand how people loved it so much even winning Goodreads awards
Bone season was terrible- I hated it ten years ago
Most disappointing for me was the Ministry of time (awful !) and the familiar ( fine story but the hype really let me down)
Totally agree about Benjamin Stevenson book. Reading it was like watching grass grow.....awful. done with the author!
Yeah the more I think about Yours Truly.. the more annoying the miscommunication becomes. But not the spicy basement sceneeee. Definitely horrible timing though hahahaaaa
I’ve read 7 of these and agree with 6!
I'm here for the rant! Most disappointing book of 2024: "We Used to Live Here" Marcus Kliewer. So incredibly bad. And "The Other Valley" Scott Alexander Howard. Great concept, but painfully boring.
Guess I'm going to have to re-read "Interview With The Vampire" because it's one of my favourites. However, the subsequent books the series 👎.
I had to DNF we used to live here- literally nothing happened and I was halfway through the book
I’ve been meaning to read divine rivals since it came out 😅
Its not terrible, its just a bit disappointing a 3 star read I'd say.
Love ur lipstick and red shirt Emily so cute! ❤️💚💚🎄💚❤️❤️❄️❄️❄️📖📖📚📚📖📙📙📙🌨️🌨️📚📚🎁❄️🎄🎄❤️☃️☃️🎅🏻🎁❄️🎄❤️☃️☃️❤️🎅🏻🎁🎁🎁🎅🏻🎅🏻
It's the best time of year!!!! Disappointed and ranty Emily!!!! Cannot wait for the worst list, always my favourite!
Spellshop bored the hell out of me.
TIWTV really could have gone so hard with the gay and yet. Plus I've never forgiven Anne Rice for her being so ott about fanfic
I understand not liking Interview with the Vampire and all the criticism is valid. However, the book doesnt even scratch the surface of the "world". The Vampire Lestat is soooooooooo much better and I adored those books when I was an angsty teenager! Also, I know this is an unpoular opinion but i could not get into the TV series. I dont mind some adjustments, but moving it from 1700s New Orleans to 1900s New York completely changed the story - i want to see the book on film. If youre going to change the story that much, just write a new one.
There's a tv show?? 😮
I'm glad someone else disliked Divine Rivals.
I need you to hate read The Friend Zone by Jimenez. Wanted to throw my kindle! So bad on so many levels.
But i liked spellshop
8:00 i couldn't get past the first 30 pages
I was so hopeful 🥲
My worse book of the year.....Bear by Julia Phillips.
Honestly interview with the vampire is the definition of pretentious, and I think AR is a decent author, even though she is a bit messed up in the head lol, the witching hour book is pretty cool, but this book is a bunch of nothing, the protagonist has no agency and is a philosophy that leads nowhere, it is exactly what it is, a written trauma dump. yeah the show is better because finally things happens and the protagonist works lol
I tried to read the sequel to divine rivals and I didn’t realize how poor the writing was. dnf for me.
I also found Interview with a vampire SO boring- I ended up dnfing it.
The way half of the books in this video are in my TBR ...🥲
Divine Rivals one of my favorites I am sorry it didn’t work out for you ❤️☃️🎁🎅🏻📚💚📚🎁📙📖💚📚❄️🎄🎄❄️📚📚🌨️🌨️❤️❤️🎁❄️📚📖📖📖📖