THE WORST BOOKS OF 2023 \\ all the books I DNF'ed, popular disappointments & one star reviews 👎🏻

[@Brandie_La_Bibliophile]

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow was definitely my worst book! I saw people saying they were screaming crying throwing up reading it so I paid TWENTY TWO dollars and it was absolute garbage… I couldn’t have cared less about the characters and they had a boring weird relationship. You mentioned most of my most hated books so I’d say I totally agree lol

[@livslibrary]

So relieved I’m not the only one. 😅

[@TheMalamutePack]

Same

[@KAZHE63]

Colleen Hoover is just a no for me. Not going to even bother any more. I DNF’d Babel 😬

[@ReaderandWriter.]

I see her books take up an entire end cap, like please. Give us something else please.

[@BookGoesMyHeart]

Finally someone who agrees with me about Babel 🙏 Never understood the hype after reading it!

[@chappellroanplsgotomanilaibeg]

you have a different taste in genre and it's okay!

[@giantcupofcoffee]

Reading Babel is like being lectured by someone ten years younger than you at a house party, about stuff you already agree with. Kuang isn’t old or experienced enough to be lecturing other academics (her target audience) that way. The friendship in Tomorrow3 was too toxic for me to root for them to make up for the millionth time. A Wilderness of Stars is a sci-fi western, a genre that’s too obscure, especially for YA readers, to jump into without more explanation around the fringes. Like if you didn’t watch Firefly, Deadwood, or Westwood, you won’t have context for it. It was 100 pages too long and the wrong concept/genre for the YA readership. Comfort Me with Apples offended everyone lol. I’m not Christian and I maintain that it’s really lousy for authors to surprise readers with religion.

[@Silverraine1]

You put into words exactly why I felt so bored trying to read Babel even though I loved the premise.

[@chelsimullen65]

You articulated exactly why I found Babel to be insufferable!! I could barely finish it. 1 ⭐️

[@19Rena96]

My biggest book disappointment in 2023 was Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies. I was incredibly excited to read it when i got it, but i ended up DNF'ing it after 200 pages or so. I didn't like the writing style, nor the story and was bored pretty much the entire time. One of the biggest issues was the romance though. No chemistry or build up, like it came out of the blue and the love interest was unlikable. Man.. i was so disappointed, i still am :(

[@livslibrary]

Oh man! I’m excited for that one still, but so sad you didn’t end up loving it!

[@BookGoesMyHeart]

Fully agree!

[@Angelareadsalot]

I would feel bad making a video like this, too, but honestly these vids are so helpful, especially from someone who shares a similar reading taste to mine. Thanks for taking one for the team! 😅

[@bluetheon]

A thriller that has themes about insomnia and sleepwalking that I thought was really good is All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham 😊

[@arlievaughn]

I couldn’t get through Babel either. I don’t care for fiction books with a lot of politics and footnotes. This had both.

[@Sobeykin]

I also DNF'd both Babel and, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow - we have such similar thoughts and feelings on books!

[@ruth7855]

I did not like Babel at all. I have read numerous dark academia books and I love them- generally. I was disappointed that an academician could so blatantly fail at using the idiom of the period she writes in. People in the 1800’s did not speak in 21st century idiom. I would hope anyone writing using that time period would read some literature of the day.

[@mariannerose9290]

I absolutely agree with you about Comfort Me with Apples! I had no idea what I was getting into, I hated where it went, and I would love to go back and undo it.

[@livslibrary]

Definitely wish an “unread” button existed. 😂🤭

[@shawnamonroe]

🙌 I am also not into Colleen Hoover. The characters are toxic

[@macaylahbortner913]

Such a fun idea!! Have you read anything by Ashley Audrain? I think you’d really enjoy her books! I read The Push over summer and finished 2023 with The Whispers. I’d probably recommend the whispers first! Happy new year and happy reading ❤

[@livslibrary]

The Push was one of my worst books the year it came out. 😆 I’m not opposed to trying another one of hers in the future though!

[@shawnamonroe]

What Moves The Dead was one of my least favorite books in 2022. Not for me either

[@lauraa1345]

These videos always help me to avoid books I probably wouldn't like, since you and me have a similar reading taste😅 So thank you, Liv😁 I hope you've had happy holidays so far🤍

[@Silverraine1]

The ones I've read from your list are What Moves the Dead which I gave 5 stars (I loved the quirky characters, the humor, and the writing style), Little Witches which was just okay, and I wish I could un-read Comfort Me with Apples!

[@rebekahmackenzie]

Aaaw Little Witches looked so good.

[@livslibrary]

I know. 😭😭😭

[@Brianaduvessa]

I DNFd Undertaking of Hart and Mercy and I thought it would be a hit. I work at the morgue and this seemed to check all boxes. Very disappointing.

[@Lindseymoreno12]

I haven’t done babel yet but the poppy war was a struggle for me.

[@livslibrary]

Now I’m scared. 🤭

[@michelled.3849]

I actually don’t like when there’s too much dialogue

[@kays_library]

Did you finish The Atlas Six? 👀🙊 I am so interested to hear your thoughts!

[@livslibrary]

Oh my gosh how could I forget about that one?! 😂 I’m honestly not sure if I’ll ever come back to it. 🥲

[@keiichifuruya]

Just stumbled on your channel as I was looking for lots of wrap up videos. It's hilarious because your first three books you mentioned (Bable, TaTaT, WMtD) were ones I read and enjoyed 😂 but i totally respect your opinions, and will keep watching your videos as I like your style. ☺️

[@livslibrary]

That’s hilarious! Haha, I appreciate you being here regardless & hopefully you find we have some books in common! 🙌🏻

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

The only one I’ve read from your list is the writing retreat 😬

[@livslibrary]

Consider yourself lucky. 😂

[@rinid3125]

The worst book I read this year was Codi Gary's, "A Cat Cafe Christmas". The plot line was sooo predictable, the characters were stereotyped, and I saw that ending coming after the first few pages. Glad I got it from the library, instead of buying it.

[@livslibrary]

That’s sad! I’ve been so eager to get to that one. 🥲

[@ReaderandWriter.]

Oh man I just dnf'ed the wall of Winnipeg and me, Belladonna, Never, Assistant to the villian. I should have dnf'ed If We were villians. Ninth house, forget it. Still loving the Winterhouse mysteries series, though. Thanks!

[@livslibrary]

I couldn’t make it through Ninth House & We Were Villains either. 😭

[@kristi4439]

Looking Glass Sound and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow were both HUGE disappointments for me. I haven't read anything else by Catriona Ward, but I hopefully will like her other books. Gabrielle Zevin, I'm 100% good on. I don't need any more frustration from her lol.

[@livslibrary]

I hope you like Needless Street if you ever try that one!

[@TheMalamutePack]

I hated Tomorrow and Tomorrow and tomorrow too, I don’t get the hype at all

[@jordan44116]

I didn't care for the Writing Retreat its on my worst books of the year along with Verity, Comfort me with Apples, She Started it and The Spare Room.

[@Ms.SpookyNerd]

Great video. 📚☕❄️⛄

[@literatelyalees]

I DNF’d Tomorrowx3 too 🙈

[@livslibrary]

I just couldn’t. I was so bored. 🥱

[@ReaderandWriter.]

The concept sounds boring. Just how it gripped people, it was a bore for me.

[@astoldbykat]

The worst book I read this year is easily "Empire of the Vampire" by Jay Kristoff. I read 500 pages out of about 700, and by that point it just felt like I was slogging through. The world was interesting and the ideas were good, but the execution was just not for me. I was sick of all the misogyny, and the way the female characters were written and incorporated into the story.

[@livslibrary]

That’s so sad! I love his Nevernight series but we’ll see if I ever get to this one. 😅

[@sian9720]

Hated the Chateau as well. Gave it one star I think

[@livslibrary]

Same 🤭😂

[@pomsandbooks]

I have to say that you are the first person I have heard that didn't love Tomorrowx3. (Meaning booktubers that I watch. Obviously if I go on Goodreads I'm sure I would see plenty of low reviews.) I haven't read it yet because it honestly intimidates me lol, but I will say that The Storied Life of AJ Fikry was my best book of 2022. I highly recommend that one! It is such a sweet book.

[@livslibrary]

I loved the movie! 😍

[@pomsandbooks]

@@livslibrary I actually had no idea that it was a movie until this morning when someone was doing their best books video and they mentioned it! I’ll definitely have to check it out!!

[@LaynasBookshelf]

I tried to warn you about Rotten Apples 😂

[@livslibrary]

You weren’t wrong. 😂😂😂

[@jodydiou]

Just my opinion but The Poppy War is so much worse than Babel.

[@livslibrary]

Oh no. 😭🤭