Ahh, we had a square on last year's card that was 'fooled by a pretty cover' and it would be perfect for this. I don't *think* it's on this years.

My problem would be that I would never finish if I didn't enjoy the book.

Allyson Noel did a series that I started reading. I think it was the Immortals series. I *loved* the first book in the series. Really did, and was so looking forward to reading the next one. And none of the rest of that series, or the spin off series, ever came close to the same amount of enjoyment for me. So that's my disappointment.

One of the last audiobooks I listened to was The Unseen World by Liz Moore. I'd seen a Goodreads friend of mine mark it as to-read, and the title and summary seemed interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try. It didn't start off too bad, but about 4 hours in I was still waiting for it to pick up the pace, or to have some kind of interesting plot point. I got bored, and by hour 10 (out of 14) I found myself actively hating it. I forced myself to finish, but couldn't help feeling like I'd wasted time that would've been better spent on something else.

Ugh I feel like most of my most hated books were forced upon me when I was in school.

Why are all the books they have you read so depressing?

Is it to get you ready for how painful real life can be or are they just trying to make sure they kill any want you have to read anything other then your textbook? The ones I thought of off the top of my head was The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck, The Day No Pigs Would Die by Peck, and Shane by Schaefer. Not only did we have to slog through them but then they made us watch the movies. I fully concede that these books are (mostly) well written and pose some good questions but they are also so sad, and kind of boring. Why don't they have fantasy, mystery, or sci-fi books as required reading?

This is something I have a problem with...I get suckered in by pretty covers all the time, and then the book ends up sucking. Like this one.

As for worst reads, this is probably one of my most hated books. It enraged me.

Yeah fooled by a pretty cover... last year it was Rhoda Edwards Fortune's Wheel. My post about it said:



I was sucked in by that. I liked the way her head was chopped off so she's sort of ambiguous. I liked the text over the image and the short review from TLS on the front, instead of in the blurb at the back, And by the synopsis:

"Returning to the subject of her first highly acclaimed novel on Richard III, Rhoda Edwards in Fortune's Wheel has brilliantly captured the adolescent Richard  - loyal, loving, and a victim of the Wars of the Roses.
His conflict is tragic. As Duke of Gloucester he is torn between loyalty to his brother, King Edward IV, and gratitude to the man who raised him, the Earl of Warwick, whose daughter Anne Neville captures his heart. This love -slowly at first and then totally and passionately- overcomes the awesome political forces of the Plantagenet King Henry VI and the machinations of the King of France, Louis XI.
In Fortune's Wheel Rhoda Edwards' novelistic skill is once again matched by her extensive knowledge of English history. These figures of a courtly yet brutal past relive the fortunes of their lives in moving and sympathetic detail. Ultimately it is a testament to the power of a young man's love against all adversity."

Also by the fact that her first book on Richard III, 'Some Touch of Pity', was a book I really enjoyed last year. I fully expected then to be captivated by this. Sadly the writing didn't live up to the comment on the front or her previous novel. Her 'extensive knowledge of English history' took over from the actual story in places, so I got bored. I stuck to it though and reached the end. Rather disappointingly it ended quite abruptly I thought. It was like some parts of the story had been dragged out when they could have been glossed over, then the pay-off at the end was glossed over when I wanted more! Thus it felt unbalanced. I really feel the relationship between Richard and Anne Neville was done much better in Philippa Gregory's The Kingmaker's Daughter and the TV series The White Queen.


At school it was "I'm the King of the Castle." I don't even recall the author but it was required reading for an exam. I tried reading a chapter at a time, I tried forcing myself to read it, I think I may even have tried losing it. And I know I never finished it. Read just enought to get through the exam questions and relied on my better knowledge of the other books on the list to pass.

That is a pretty cover, though, lol. Shame the rest wasn't as good.

Yeah I had high hopes for it as I'd enjoyed another book by her but it just didn't grip me!