2020's Worst & Most Disappointing Books [CC]

[@Ponderingbooks]

100% agree that long chapters leave you going “ugh, I need a break.” Some long, some short mixed together is awesome. All long leaves me exhausted.

[@JessOwens]

Yessss, when it’s a 30 pages chapter I get frustrated

[@JFPennywise]

Even the names of the characters in Beach Read annoyed me. January and Augustus, really now

[@JessOwens]

YES. HATE IT

[@losermillie]

It’s one of the reasons I DNFed An Absolutely Remarkable Thing- April May, REALLY 🙄

[@becky9194]

Totally agree - life is too short and there are too many books not to DNF a boring book!

[@JessOwens]

Amen 👏🏾

[@jordanbanks82]

I would love a whole video from you of just lightning round hot takes. Or like reading the most mixed review books on your tbr. Something where we just get the book tea in your signature style

[@JessOwens]

😂😂 this is a great idea

[@lmac3869]

2020 was the year that I started to dnf. That whole mess of a year left me with no patience for terrible books.

[@JessOwens]

YAS

[@read_with_anna]

I’ve always had a hard time DNFing a book, especially if I read half of it. I feel compelled to finish it at that point. I own a lot of unread books so I’m trying to focus on getting through a lot of them this year. I’m going to be a lot more easy on myself about letting myself stop reading something if I don’t like it. Luckily, most of the books were bought second hand, so I don’t feel like I completely wasted my money.

[@JessOwens]

Sometimes it’s easy for me to DNF and other times not. Especially if I spent money on it 😂

[@thereadingmushroom1936]

I started DNFing books recently. But only when they're too horrible or boring. Bad books that are still enjoyable in a "trashy TV show" kind of way I'll finish as long as they entertain me. I might also go on with a book, if I have hopes that it will get better later on.

[@JessOwens]

Yesss, sometimes it’s fun to read a “trashy” book

[@bebella9005]

Long chapters are very hit or miss for me. A lot of the time they make me read more, because I can’t stop reading in the middle of a chapter; but other times they’re such a drag. I feel like it really depends on how much I’m enjoying the book, I guess. Great video 💕

[@AlexieBees]

I am not sure if you have read this book yet or not but maybe a good shirt book recommendation for you if you are interested. But I just finished the Tattooist of Auschwitz and it was such a good Historical Fiction. It talks a lot about hope in the concentration camps as well as really touches the horrible things that happened to them there. I loved it so much and it opened my eyes to a lot of history that my school growing up passed and didn't care to tell me about. Highly recommend! It's a super short quick read I believe if you just read the main story and nothing added like the research and thank yous the author adds at the end it was only 213 pages long.

[@martinat9261]

I love this book too.

[@JessOwens]

I’ve heard of it but haven’t read it yet

[@happylittlebooks1345]

I DNF'd SO many books this year.. officially, it was like 41, but it was probably higher than that. I tried to read a bunch of stuff that had been sitting around on my TBR for forever, and my tastes have definitely changed. As much it is sad you didn't like Dani Brown, it gives me hope because I did not like Chloe Brown, haha.

[@JessOwens]

Yas, DNF those books 👏🏾 I think you’ll love Dani Brown then 😂

[@reading_with_k]

WHYYYYYY does The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes even exist?! I'm still not over it.

[@JessOwens]

I don’t know and I’m still mad 😫

[@ThisSecretCat]

I wanna say I read BUNNY, but that would imply reading comprehension was involved. And let me tell you, I have no idea what happened in that story. It felt like a fever dream.

[@JessOwens]

Sometimes I wonder if I really read it 🧐🤣

[@StephsRomanceBookTalk]

Nigel is so active in this video, lol. Pay attention to MEE 🤣🤣🐶🐶

[@JessOwens]

So thirsty for attention 😂

[@lectumarta]

this video brought me joy. You are talking about disappointing books but not being rude and actually giving reasons and also telling people to do whatever they want. You are an angel

[@JessOwens]

Thank you ! Books that I don’t like may work for someone else.

[@RobinReads]

i love that you can't remember why you dnf'd some of these books. i can't even remember the books i dnf'd last year because i think i tried to erase them from my memory.

[@JessOwens]

Some of those dusty books left my mind so long ago 😂

[@parmahmac6073]

Beach Read. Ugh. I hated the characters and I hope they don’t have book children. 😆

[@JessOwens]

LOL YES😂

[@JulEnglefaris]

Lmao - the shade

[@stubbornlybookish5555]

I admire how much you dnf, that's a top tier skill in my opinion. I don't dnf often but I dnf The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes with a swiftness. I got fifty pages is and just couldn't be bothered.

[@JessOwens]

I should have DNFd that book 🥴

[@Ponderingbooks]

Nigel needing all the love and snuggles and attention in this video just 🥰🐾

[@JessOwens]

He’s very needy 😂

[@gambit613]

The Wives was my worst book of 2020. I had to use an audiobook to finish it (which I very rarely do), and the ending was just absolute garbage. I’m glad someone else thought it was terrible too!

[@JessOwens]

That ending was TRAAAAASH

[@Ponderingbooks]

I LOVE the audiobook for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. I felt like Harry Lloyd did a fantastic job, and it seemed fitting to have “Viserys” tell this Targaryen story. 🥰 Part of me hopes he will do the audiobook for Winds of Winter since Roy Dotrice passed.

[@JessOwens]

I plan to read it one day 😂 hopefully George will give us Winds of Winter soon 😭

[@sdrawkcabemdaer5]

I loooooved Vicious and Vengeful so I tried A Darker Shade of Magic and was also underwhelmed. Buuut I bought a pretty box set (before reading any of them, whoops) so now I feel obligated to finish the series, even though I've been stuck halfway through book 2 for over a year now 😅

[@BooksToAshes]

I DNF'd The Night Circus too before I knew it was so hyped. It seems almost everyone loves it but I didn't connect to it at all.

[@JessOwens]

I just don’t get it 😭

[@Lysis99]

I dnf a lot of books but I don't track them. I just remove them from Goodreads. My worst books this year was "well played" (I loved "well match"), "love and gelato", "Memorial" and "chestnut man". I was so disappointed by "the silence of the girls". It's supposed to be about Briseis in the Illiad but by midpoint the author starts to write from Achille perspective and we are more and more stuck with him, away from Briseis.

[@Katwood101]

The book shelf thing in Beach Read bothered me too!!!! Took me out of the moment.

[@JessOwens]

YES !!! Exactly

[@jcsreader]

THANK YOU!!! Normal People was bloody dreadful. No punctuaion is just one of the problems. Let's talk about that stilted dialogue when you are able to figure out who was talking to whom. Ridiculous.

[@skullfullofbooks7398]

Hated Beach Read. I stopped when a character implied a quid pro quo was in order because their boss gave them time off. Nope, "jokes" like that don't sit well with me.

[@JessOwens]

There were so many little things I didn’t like in that book

[@RaspberryDevil]

Ohhhh, a few books here are on my tbr, so it's interesting to hear your perspective on them. I still need to learn the art of dnfing books though :') I remember taking my time with the night circus and while I enjoyed it, I can tell that it's not for everyone. Though the setting would be so nice on screen :D

[@JessOwens]

I definitely agree The Night Circus would be a great adaptation

[@belenbravo9743]

Omg the night circus is a fave of mine but I get so much why people don't like it so when I recommend it I make clear the strong and weak points. About grown I haven't read it but it really doesn't sit right with me that the story is so similar to that real one (I don't know about it) but the author said it's not based on it. Good to know that about Beach read as I wanna read it this year.

[@JessOwens]

I think going into Beach Read with the right expectations will allow you to enjoy it so much more

[@pamzaragoza-quinones7918]

Had to rewatch the first few minutes of your video because I was just mostly looking at Nigel haha! What a cute (and needy) doggo huhu

[@JessOwens]

He’s quite the distraction 😂

[@ericarowanarts]

I've noticed a growing trend of book marketing being absolute trash! It's like they wanna hook your wallet so they create flashy covers and campaigns for books that are so misleading that has no regard for what the book actually is. In turn, readers end up disappointed and frustrated. It's upsetting. That being said, thank you for giving such balanced reviews of these books and when you weren't able to pinpoint your issue with a book you stated that. Sometimes a book just doesn't do it for you and there's no real ~reason. Loved this video!

[@JessOwens]

Thank you ! And yes, marketing lately has been 🥴🥴🥴

[@jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

You're brave doing 2020's Worst & Most Disappointing Books, Gavin from "How to Train your Gavin got a lot of stick from various authors on twitter for his video on his Worst & Most Disappointing Books for his "negativity" , these kind of videos ruffle a few feathers. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes I see on a lot of these lists.

[@JessOwens]

😂😂 if anything, Gavin’s video made me want to do it even more

[@twofoldbooks3037]

I'm glad you quit a book you didn't like, but your review of the Paolini sold me on it! Lol!

[@JessOwens]

🤣🤣🤣🤣. It’s a good book, just a long one

[@bookishdi]

Deadly Education was such a disappointment because I loved Spinning Silver and Uprooted, but I couldn't even make it past the first chapter because it was legit just one long info dump

[@JessOwens]

An entire book of info dump 😒

[@rileybartlett5834]

I dnfed Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James. I was so excited about the premise and the basis in African folklore, but it was slow. I was going to struggle my way through it, but I was so angry about the transphobia in the hyena scene that I decided to stop.

[@skullfullofbooks7398]

Oh yeah that hyena scene broke my will to try to finish the book.

[@JessOwens]

I’ve heard so many people DNF’d or didn’t like that book

[@rileybartlett5834]

@@skullfullofbooks7398 there were already so many horrifying things in that scene. We didn't need the transphobic portrayal of the hyenas. So many of the scenes in that book were gratuitous and unnecessary.

[@rileybartlett5834]

@@JessOwensThe book is a good example of a gay man being totally tone deaf in regards to trans issues.

[@rileytuawai7241]

Damn, you basically summed up my feelings at this point on A Darker Shade of Magic. Im trying to like this book after finishing The Invisible Life of Addie la Rue and LOVED it. But Im so tempted to DNF this one.....but that means no point in reading the rest of the series. I think i'll persevere unless the downhill becomes a steep decline, im giving up. Move on theres better books out there as you say!

[@alanshadastrokeanddiedinho2897]

I've heard so many bad things about; Night Circus. I was going to read the book like four years ago. You should do a page 112 test. In a writing contest the judges read page 112 of a manuscript rather than the first ten pages because an author will put more time in the first ten pages rather than in the middle. Sounds like the way Chris Paolini wrote.

[@JessOwens]

Never heard of that, I may try it !

[@pepperreads8125]

You are one of my absolute favorite creators but we have SUCH different taste in books 😂. Some of my favorites are House of Leaves, This is How You Lose the Time War, and The Night Circus! The only other book you included in this list that I’ve read was Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes which was 100% blah to me so at least we agree on that!

[@JessOwens]

Hahahahahahahahaha 😂😂😂😂

[@brunatonella]

omg I loved the night circus so much, I'm sorry it didn't work for you :( About DNFs I had a few, but usually when I decide to abandon them I just delete them from my virtual shelf bc I know I'm not gonna go back to them, it never occurred to me to count them in my reading goal 🤔

[@JessOwens]

I want to love it but it’s not for me 😫

[@JulEnglefaris]

My cousin, whom I love dearly... her favorite book of all time is The Night Circus. I tried to read it and halfway through I just couldn't take it anymore. I think I'd rather let a badger chew on my arm than attempt that book again.

[@JessOwens]

LMAO. SAME

[@danielleoliver1734]

I’ve heard so many people talk about grown but this is the first time I’ve ever heard it’s dual timeline

[@JessOwens]

It’s definitely interesting and fast paced

[@booklover466]

A darker shade of magic got on my nerves overall especially Lila or Laila?? Forced myself to finish it just because it was a book club pick of the month 😪 it was an awful experience!

[@JessOwens]

Lila is beyond annoying

[@MsAwesomeSaucey]

Yes! Why choose Snow when Finnick is there? Lol, but I really enjoy how you know what you like and dislike and aren’t apologetic about it! ❤️

[@JessOwens]

I shan’t apologize for not liking something 😂 but seriously WHY NOT FINNICK 😭

[@bookishkj6733]

Even though you read chunky fantasy and I... don’t... I feel like we have really similar taste. Cause the books I’ve read that you mentioned I also hate. Which makes me super wary about reading Bunny next month. 👀

[@JessOwens]

If you read Bunny..... I don’t know. I - DONT DO IT 😂

[@wendyfairfull8967]

I thought I was the only person on earth that DNF’s The Night Circus and didn’t like A Darker Shade of Magic. Thank you for making me feel validated. I love your channel. Books and Nigel content? *chef’s kiss*

[@JessOwens]

Thank you ! 🥰

[@LynxieDove]

I liked Elantris, but agree with what you said about it, especially that religious guy! I loved the Darker Shade of Magic trilogy, but I enjoy hearing/reading negative reviews of my favorite books.

[@PlantBasedBride]

I LOVED Bunny 😂 One of my favourite reads of 2020

[@JessOwens]

😂😂😂

[@SydneyKav]

I love DNFing books and really appreciate seeing others talking about it, there are far too many books in the world to keep reading rubbish books - I’ve even stopped hate reading books these days. Love a disappointing list too because it gives a real overview so thank you for this and your energy!

[@JessOwens]

💙💙

[@JulEnglefaris]

I was cracking up at you talking about the sex scene in Beach Read and how unrealistic it was because of the involvement of the bookshelf X-D

[@JessOwens]

IT BOTHERS ME STILL

[@danichiong6727]

It's gotten back-to-back call outs, but you cannot dissuade me from reading House of Leaves, I paid $20 for it! 😆 But really, I'll always read a book until the halfway point. If I'm still hating it after that, then it's a DNF candidate.

[@JessOwens]

I paid $20 plus shipping for that damn book, so I’d at least try to read it too 😂

[@stephanieplansandreads]

I'm Team Chloe too but I did like Dani. Looking forward to Eve but Chloe is definitely my fave so far!

[@JessOwens]

Yessss Team Chloe!

[@TheGoofy1932]

Night Circus, Honey Don't and Well Met were all DNF's for me too. I got through Beach Read but it was Not good, and I just don't understand all the hype. Nigel is giving us his best as always though. 😂 🐶

[@TheGoofy1932]

Definitely agree with you on the Chloe and Dani Brown assessment. Personally, I'm a Dani Brown girl. Chloe was OK (3 stars), but I didn't like the romance as much. Where I gave Dani 5 stars, and feel it was robbed in the Goodreads best romance category. That horrible Jennifer L Armentrount thing that I DNF'd won.

[@JessOwens]

Shady ass Goodreads Awards 😒 but I hope we all love Eve Brown !

[@christinacarter5018]

I'm saving my final decision on a Deadly Education after reading the second one. Depending on what they do for that one will determine if the first was remotely worth it. I listened to the audiobook so I think that's why I was able to make it through. It was an average book for me. 3/3.5. House Salt did it for their bookclub pick.

[@JessOwens]

I’m tempted to read the second one but I don’t know 😫

[@christinacarter5018]

@@JessOwens A buddy read might make it better and more enticing to actually read. I'm really hoping there is something more to this story but I do have a feeling it's going to be the exact same story with some different monsters in a different year. I think it would need some serious character development and an actualbuilt out plot to redeem the series.

[@ivariable]

I started Bunny because it sounded so up my alley, but I couldn't stand the writing style so I dnf'd it after a few pages (which I almost never do), I always feel slightly guilty that I didn't give it more of a chance whenever it's recced so I'm happy to see someone who hated it lmao

[@silvertongue231]

The prequel should've been about Cinna the man who turned Katniss into the mocking jay or it could've been about district thirteen before they had to go into hiding. I agree we do.not need a perspective from snow. Or it could've been about Katniss's father.

[@sarahsperusals]

"kell has a coat and lila is the worst" yup. that's literally the entire trilogy

[@JessOwens]

🤣🤣🤣

[@WildeBookGarden]

okay THANK YOU, I was so disappointed in Well Met! And I hated Sally Rooney's other book Oh that's so cool that you love What the Wind Knows! I feel like that one is super underhyped, I read it in 2020 and really enjoyed it. Oh interesting!! I really liked Elantris but it's not my favorite by Sanderson. I can definitely see how Hrathen's (sp??) chapters wouldn't work for everyone though! I went back and forth on him - I thought he was well-developed but some of his POV chapters were frustrating for me. I wanted his change of heart/perspective to happen WAY sooner. Okay because I'm nosy - do you mind spoiling the romance trope you're bored with from Aurora Burning? lol. I don't plan to read the series but like I said, I'm nosy 😂 I read Daughter of the Pirate King a few years ago and was so bored and disappointed!! It's such a hyped series and I couldn't understand why. And the MC was so irritating too. YES that title thing!!! why would you do that as an author?? Really enjoyed this, Jess!! sorry, I feel like I always leave such long comments on your videos because they're so interesting and I have so much to say 😂

[@JessOwens]

Hahaha I love it ! I was sad to not like Well Met 😭. And yes I’d Hrathen’s change of heart happened sooner and a lot of things happened sooner, I would enjoy it more 😂 *****spoiler for aurora rising series**** It’s the “mated trope”. So two of the characters discover they are mates and I hate it soooo much

[@Katesbookishnature]

I want to read To Sleep in a Sea of stars soooo bad 😭 glad I got the heads up on from your review! It is definitely a biiiig book

[@JessOwens]

It’s soooo long😫

[@FromJulieReads]

I am so sad TSIASOS is on your list but I completely get where you are coming from - it was long and the pacing dropped a couple times... and you know I agree with ADSOM 😂 my most disappointing/worst reads were definitely All the Light We Cannot See, If We Were Villains, and The Book of M... all 2 stars 😅🙈

[@JessOwens]

I have All The Light We Cannot See and I’ve heard such mixed reviews .. idk if it’s worth the read

[@louisity]

I don't typically read prequels and if I feel that a series is established then I keep it that way. I don't have plans reading Ballads Of Songbirds and Snakes. 📗🐍

[@JessOwens]

Don’t waste ya time

[@shibasandshelves]

I struggle with DNFing, I only had one DNF in 2020 (Witches of Ash and Ruin) and even that I pushed myself to about 85% before I gave up. For the most part I feel like I still get value from working through why I don’t like something. Also, I feel like I’ve seen so many people loving Dani Brown more than Chloe and I thought I was a loner in preferring Chloe. Like, I still enjoyed Dani’s story waaay more than most romance I’ve tried but Chloe just had that spark for me. That said, This is How You Lose the Time War is the only romance I’ll ever reread - it’s a perfect book and so therefore you’re obviously completely wrong in DNFing it and I will go to my grave crying about it ✌️🥲🪦

[@JessOwens]

Team Chloe !!!! Sometimes I struggle to DNF, mostly if I purchased the book or it’s super hyped but I just don’t have time to finish a book I’m not enjoying for the most part

[@GabyGabsBooks16]

I had similar thoughts about Bunny by Mona Awad. I feel like everyone who reads it loves it, and it’s refreshing to see a different opinion on it.

[@JessOwens]

I wish I did but it was just nonsense

[@brees3]

Finally! Someone else who couldn't get into This is How You Lose the Time War. I thought I was the only one.

[@JessOwens]

I wanted to love it

[@spinningiris]

That's so funny, The Night Circus was one of my favorites of last year. It is slow paced and there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but I am a mood reader, and it just happened to be the right book to read at the right time for me.

[@blehblehblehdracula]

GIRL your dog. I heard a whine and thought it was my kid LMAO.

[@smellofwinter]

“And I don’t know what gripped y’all but it did not grip me.” Ha! That part got me 😂.

[@JessOwens]

🤣🤣🤣

[@biankatoth1786]

Yeah agree with Darker shade of magic, it seemed very YA that I don't really read anymore. The characters were blend and they didn't interest me (I read all the 3 books).

[@JessOwens]

Yes, so YA and bleh

[@SBrown-og3nr]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who tried The Night Circus twice and couldn't finish it either time. And that Aurora Burning was boring compared to Aurora Rising. We're going to have to agree to disagree about Beach Read. And Take A Hint Dani Brown (though I agree you either love Chloe more or Dani, and I loved Dani so much more than Chloe). 😁 I do think Darker Shade of Magic pales in comparison A Gathering of Shadows and A Conjuring of Light, though I did overall enjoy it.

[@JessOwens]

I wish I could love The Night Circus but nope

[@Shella132001]

Haha I loved Bunny. The whole time I was reading it was a wtf experience. So I respect hating it.

[@JessOwens]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Ponderingbooks]

I DNF’d Starsight by Sanderson last year. Debating trying it again before the third one comes out. I was just not having a fun time with it like the first.

[@JessOwens]

Oh nooo! I loved Starsight

[@dimerymichaels3539]

Blahhhhhhh totally agree on the sun down motel. I didn’t see the hype and I didn’t think it was scary at all! 😣 Was kind of normal and boring.

[@JessOwens]

Very normal very boring

[@asdfghjklasdfghjkl321]

I wonder because I read Red, White, & Royal Blue and I was extremely disappointed??? There was things in it that I was supposed to like but didn't??? Basically through watching your video and it really made me think if I should actually reread the book in a year to see if I change my mind because of things going on in the world so I'm being really cynical at the moment or if it's actually the book itself 🤔😭

[@JessOwens]

I DNFd that book 🤣

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

thank you! everyone loves the time travelers wife but its so creepy in so many ways.

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

I know this isn't fair, but when I see books by people like Chris Paolini, I assume it was published because they were popular in the past. I know that isn't always true, but it takes a lot of praise for me to believe it's actually worth reading.

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

I didn't like a Darker Shade of Magic. I am going to try book two and see if I like it more.

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

I ordered Deadly Education but it got canceled because of supply. I ended up being glad because of the critic I'd heard. I am still very intrigued, but I think if I can get past the first-year-hype-temptation, I'll manage to avoid it haha.

[@JessOwens]

EXTREMELY CREEPY. I tried book 2 after ADSOM and couldn’t get through it. I wonder if the second Deadly Education book will be better 🧐🧐🧐

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

@@JessOwens the big reason I figured I'd try book two of ADSOM was bc it's narrated by one of my fav narrators. I'm hoping it might help me get into the story.

[@Flaceee]

I used to never DNF books, but wasting your time reading something you dislike is *not* the move.

[@JessOwens]

Too many books! So little time !

[@JashanaC]

Omg Nigel's little fussy whine 😆 TOO CUUUUUUTE Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes can straight up choke.

[@JessOwens]

He’s so dramatic 😂 And yes. That book should not exist 😤

[@niebieskie2]

hi lady!! I enjoyed this video so much. Love that you don't beat around the bush. I DNF like the book is on fire, so I really didn't have any disappointments, and if I did I already forgot LOL

[@JessOwens]

😂😂😂 yasss, DNF those books 👏🏾

[@angelacapel3177]

I loved This is How You Lose The Time war, but I can totally see why it might be not someone's cup of tea!! I DNF'd Beach Read. I got to chapter 12 and just had to give up.

[@joyahawkrose3984]

I am hoping to work on DNFing books this year, but I don’t do it often

[@JessOwens]

Sometimes it’s for the best

[@IdealEpitaph]

I also DNF’d The Night Circus!

[@JessOwens]

🙌🏾

[@JessieMaeBooks]

We love a DNF queen 👑 haha this is something I’m determined to get better at this year

[@jenniferkrohnbourgeois71]

I really wished I had DNFed House of Leaves when I read it.

[@JessOwens]

Toooo long and too much boring mess 😂

[@heyimsasa]

jay kristoff's writing made me go on a bipoc diet (at least 95% bipoc writers) and i feel 100000% healthier for it ☺️

[@JulEnglefaris]

LOL go girl!

[@JessOwens]

😆😆😆

[@anovelbeauty]

It's so funny that you connected to Chloe way more, I connected to both Dani and Zaf a ton so I just liked that one more.

[@JessOwens]

🤣🤣

[@plan4sweet_t36]

Agree with you about Grown. It was the only 2020 disappointment. I DNF’d Legendborn and Midnight Library.

[@JessOwens]

Oh nooo, I really enjoyed The Midnight Library

[@amutoriku]

Your experience with To Sleep in a Sea of Stars sounds like my experience with the Eragon series. Paolini would just describe the same thing over and over again when he really didn't need to. Those books didn't need to be as long as they were. I have a feeling he just thinks sci-fi/fantasy books NEED to be written long to be good or something. I read A Darker Shade of Magic last year too and loved it, but the next one sounds so boring! And I'm not interested in whatever will develop between Lila and Kell. I read their relationship as completely platonic so the slight references to romance felt forced to me and I'm so tired of forced romances. As for books I didn't like I have to say The Ten Thousand Doors of January (I had to bring this one up since you mentioned characters named January 😂). I finished it yesterday but I'm counting it as a 2020 read cause I started it last month and the only reason why it's taken me so long to finish is because it was so boring! I don't DNF books but I really wanted to for this one. The characters were so bland and it felt like nothing happened for over half the book other than backstory. It was also incredibly predictable.

[@JessOwens]

Nooo, another character named January ? Can’t read that now 😂

[@litnana8916]

I dnf'd the night circus & well met too. Totally agree that it's ok to dnf & move on!

[@JessOwens]

Yes 👏🏾

[@ElizabethNicoleSchwartz]

Oddly enough I DNFed The Honey Don't List at first as well but then ended up going back to it like a few days before 2020 ended and ended up thoroughly enjoying the second half. That book was a weird experience.

[@JessOwens]

🤣🤣 sometimes it be like that

[@annaeliseteresa6135]

If you're able, the audiobook for Take a Hint, Dani Brown is really what sold it for me. Would recommend!

[@JessOwens]

Oh I’ll try that next time !

[@cuppa.books.]

Is Nigel getting back at you for saying he didn't contribute in the live 😂 I have absolutely no idea if I dnf'd any books last year, there's a lot about last year I don't (want to) remember 😂

[@JessOwens]

Yes he is 😂

[@JulieTheReader]

I watched this after my first DNF of 2021. (Freshwater: beautiful prose, lots of layers, but too heavy and disturbing for me now). Felt such a chord when you brought up A Deadly Education. I borrowed it on audiobook right when it came out because I had really enjoyed Uprooted and Spinning Silver. I could not get through the first chapter because I was bored by the exposition, so I didn’t even make it to the hair thing. Worst book last year I finished: probably Babyji, which follows a 16-year-old girl in Delhi thinking about where to attend university. The majority of the book is about her juggling sexual relationships with 3 different women (one of whom is a classmate she assaults) and I think it’s supposed to be funny??

[@JessOwens]

A Deadly Education is all exposition 😒

[@THEBOOKABLESS]

Love your channel :) DNFing is where is at, give it a try if its not good move on, your money is not wasted because you can still review the reasons you DNf and help others save their money!

[@thelibrarianofalexandria6200]

I finished Night circus but skimmed a lot of it. I agree not a good book. This is how you loose the time war I dnf in 2020 as well. I had the same thoughts on the brown sisters books.

[@jadyk.231]

I coincidentally just watch the R. Kelly docu-series on Netflix and grown sounds exactlyyyy like some of the survivors experiences. Also I totally agree about A darker shade of magic...I thought I was gonna love it bc the premise is so cool but the story is quite forgettable.

[@itsapaigeturner8919]

I really need to get better at DNF’ing. I don’t even want to think about the time I’ve spent trying to get through books I wasn’t enjoying! 😅 I feel like even just with the title “Beach Read” is deceiving. I did enjoying this book generally, but I also definitely believe that this books wasn’t positioned correctly.

[@JessOwens]

The title is so deceiving ! And DNFing is a gift !!

[@kara7861]

I felt the same about To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, way too long. With Aurora Burning I think that the first book in any of his series is good while the next two are always a letdown. He has a great idea but can't carry through till the end of the series. Ve Schwabs books are often times beige. I dont know why people are obsessed with that book? I thought The Night Circus was extremely boring It drug and made no sense. It was a bunch of words without a purpose. Im glad im not the only one that didn't like these.

[@Abookandacup]

It's so funny I had the opposite impression for To sleep in a sea of stars haha, I struggled through the first 50% a bit more, and enjoyed more the second part lol. I don't remember what I DNFed (lol I DNFed for a reason!) but one of the books I enjoyed the least was a heart so fierce and broken. Felt like I lost my time there...

[@JessOwens]

😂😂😂 I’ve heard of those books and don’t have an interest in them

[@Abookandacup]

@@JessOwens yeah don't lol

[@meganandrews4573]

I have that exact same Hydro Flask! Even the same color!

[@Emma-sj6wp]

Corny Snow's whole villain arc is "I'm poor pity me" Like baby, so was Lizzy Bennett and she got a man out of it. You killed a bunch of people so I have no sympathy. Also have you The Ten Thousand Doors of January? I really enjoyed it but its a bit flowery like The Night Circus 🙃

[@nylorac1984]

I did not enjoy Beach Read either. I heard it wasn't going to be a light story like the cover implied, but that wasn't what didn't work for me. I didn't enjoy the book because it was a book essentially about writer's block and I found that theme to be boring. I didn't enjoy the romance between January and Gus either especially since Gus was giving these hot and cold signals. I don't know if I like a romance where the characters feeling are all in their heads and a lot of assumptions and misunderstanding are left on the table. Bottom line i feel like homeboy should have stepped up his game and made his feeling a whole lot more clear. I couldn't care less about either book the authors were writing.

[@JessOwens]

Yes yes yes. The theme of writer’s block is so uninteresting and both characters needed to just talk to each other 😤

[@mlibbym]

I liked Beach Read, but I definitely understand the cover setting certain expectations - the tone of the book was a lot more serious than the cover implies. Also, I dont agree that the hero actually did his side of their bet. He went on romancey things with her to get her "research process," but in the end he wrote his Lit Fic, not romance, and January ended up just writing womens fiction instead of romance. If you're not going to go with the premise, why even include it?

[@JessOwens]

That’s a great point about Gus!

[@ArchivesOfJina]

Elantris put me a year long book slump last year. A YEARRRRRRRRR

[@JessOwens]

🥴🥴 it’s sooo slow