reading the LOWEST rated books on my tbr... according to GOODREADS

are the lowest rated books on my tbr actually bad? let's find out!
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[@kate-ne]

Meg you had so many good conversations on this video, really appreciate your comments about diverse authors receiving lower ratings because I do feel like that is an something we, as readers, need to keep in the back of our mind when we're criticizing what we're consuming. ⛈

[@megwithbooks]

thank you!! i definitely agree that it's something all readers should think consciously about!

[@justineslibrary5853]

Such good timing, I just finished rewatching Kayla’s old reading the lowest rated books on my TBR so I’m so ready 🙂

[@isabellavalentine7268]

Witches steeped in gold was such a promising read, but you’re right- there was so much going on and none of it added up for me. I drew maps and everything and I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening

[@allisonsmith5846]

The lowest rated book I've read has a 2.88 average and I gave it 5 stars. It's so interesting how that can happen. So sad you didn't like Witches Steeped in Gold. I read it earlier this year and fortunately really loved it, but I definitely agree with the critiques. You should read your highest rated books next to see if they're actually as good as people say. ⛈

[@megwithbooks]

i'm so glad you loved witches!!! i wish i had toooo

[@libraryofkaris]

you've made me feel so validated about dnfing witches steeped in gold last year. i didn't even make it as far as you, i got to page 117 😭

[@megwithbooks]

hahah tbh i should've given up then too

[@gabbyreads]

I love this vlog so much!! Such a fun concept to read the lowest rated books and see if it’s deserving of that rating! I’ve been so uncertain about The Perishing 👀

[@megwithbooks]

hahah i would give it a go!! it's an interesting book but deffo not perfect

[@roz3908]

I love seeing videos like this because it's just so interesting seeing how someone's reading tastes align with the average. It feels like a good reminder that not everyone's taste matches and even if a book has a low rating (or even a really high rating) doesn't mean it's going to work for you. Like you were talking about with The Perishing, it's about finding the right audience for the book and the right marketing of the book. ⛈

[@holliloves9963]

Is it weird that I really enjoyed seeing you DNF?! Like, I definitely feel dnfing books you don't like shows respect for your time and energy. ⛈️

[@megwithbooks]

hahaha new me!

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

Being the type of reader that often loves books most people hate, I always find these videos very interesting to watch

[@megwithbooks]

me too👀

[@KatieColson]

You made my decision to unhaul Witches Steeped in Gold so much easier 🙏

[@megwithbooks]

hahah i think it's the right decision sadly

[@jennifercrumbling8851]

⛈Loved this video and the honest and open look at books that others might not like -- you really never know when a book will speak to you and spark an emotion that others might not get from it. Always worth a try!

[@megwithbooks]

it's sooo true!! the beauty of books and reading is that we all like different things!

[@shawnelizabeth3236]

I’ve read There’s Someone Inside Your House, but I spent the entire time trying to visual exactly where it was located because it’s set in northeast Nebraska and that’s where I’m at. So anytime highways were mentioned, I was doing the math. Haha.

[@megwithbooks]

hahah i do stuff like that too whenever i've read something set near me!

[@bookswithamymarie]

Such a fun video idea! ⛈ I love this idea. I need to go look at what my lowest-rated books are now

[@SM-fy4ij]

Some of the lowest rated books I’ve read are some of my favorite books of all time. So that gives me unreal trust issues ⛈

[@megwithbooks]

hahah we're just differenttt

[@rachel-rx6ol]

i dnfed witches steeped in gold and had the exact same reaction! it made literally no sense at all. i didn’t mind stephanie perkinks first horror but it is very much a slasher rather than a mystery/thriller. if you go in with that headset, it was easy and fun ⛈

[@megwithbooks]

yes!! ppl should deffo know it's a slasher going into it otherwise i can imagine it might be a bit disappointing

[@Amyduckie]

I didn't know I needed a cornflake brownie in my life, but now I do. 🤤

[@megwithbooks]

it was soooooo good!!

[@witchymary5246]

Considering I was one Of the three people that gave Hide five Stars I am very tempted to pick up the Woods are always watching...

[@megwithbooks]

honestly i would give it a go!

[@louisedoeslife]

Currently reading Catherine house thanks to your recommendation! I’m 40% in and enjoying it so far but feel like my rating could go either way depending on where the story goes

[@megwithbooks]

ahhh yay i'm glad you're enjoying it and hope you continue to!

[@ginalynn1064]

I'd love to see you do this again but don't wait years and years lol. Make it a series of 2 or 3 videos and then tier rate all of them including books that you rated low even though the rest of goodreads didn't

[@thoranacreates]

I'm also at 200 some book son my TBR... so we'll be overwhelmed together haha

[@moonbook12]

I am thinking of doing for my blog a post where I'm reading books that I faced my bookish fears

[@meganclemons9604]

The first book that I read last year has a 2.88 rating on goodreads. I gave it a 4 star because it was not what I expected it to be, but I still thought it was good because the ending completely changes your perspective on everything in the first 400 or so pages. I am thinking about rereading it sometime to see how I feel knowing the twist now.

[@megwithbooks]

ooooh which book was it?

[@meganclemons9604]

@@megwithbooks The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring. I have read and enjoyed both of her books actually, but they both have low ratings on Goodreads. Her other book White Fox is a YA mystery with some mixed media elements.

[@ElizasBookshelf]

Oh my gosh this makes me interested to see what my lowest rated books on the TBR is 😂🙈

[@kaytlinhenderson9206]

Love your reviews! ⛈️

[@ErklaerMirDieWelt]

⛈️ The lowest rated books on my Goodreads TBR are some obscure textbooks and a self published book by a friend of mine, all with 0 ratings. The real lowest rated is Wetlands by Charlotte Roche at 2.84. It got a lot of buzz when it came out in 2008 and there is a movie and a play by now but I guess most of it was the shock value (It's about a woman with hemorrhoids who describes her bodily functions in great detail). The book itself seems to be mediocre.

[@samvanprooyen]

I have that same edition of Pride & Prejudice on my goodreads shelf and it also comes up first when I sort from lowest to highest rating! I don't understand 🤷‍♀

[@KristinKravesBooks]

I hated the ending of The Woods Were Always Watching. Was ridiculous! I had fun with There's Someone Inside Your House though!

[@CurrentChapter]

Before you read my review, I went back to Goodreads to see why I didn't like Witches Steeped in Gold because I didn't remember anymore hahaha it was such a high anticipated book for me too last year!! ⛈

[@AnitaRutKristjans]

I just finished reading the lowest rated book on my physical TBR (Madam by Phoebe Wynne with a 3.27) and I loved it, 4.5 stars! I can see why other people don't like it but I ate it up and read it in a day and a half.

[@megwithbooks]

ooh i've always been super interested in that book! i'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[@AnitaRutKristjans]

@@megwithbooks yes I definitely recommend it, kind of gives me Catherine house vibes!

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I was NOT a fan of Stephanie Perkins Horror at all 😤

[@frogggirl2]

The "worst" book on my TBR is "things have gotten worse since we last spoke" by Eric LaRocca at 3.06. Still very excited to read it!

[@a.b.2405]

None of the books on my tbr has a rating under 3.5 stars.

[@mlhbeagles]

I agree on your review of The Pershing!! I read it recently, and I felt like Lou's story was 4 star but the future timeline dropped it down a star for me. It was confusing, and I wanted to skip Sarah's chapters. It WAS well-written, and I may pick up others by this author for sure.

[@TheThreeBookshelves]

I used to love Chuck Palahniuk, and several of his books are the lowest rated I've read! Tell-All (2.87) and Pygmy (2.97) are THE lowest on my Goodreads, and yeah, I'd agree; those were pretty horrible. A few up the list there's Snuff (3.21) that was one of my favorites of his, so go figure. One that surprises me is Hide by Kiersten White, with an average of 3.35-I gave it 5 stars and it'll be in my top five of the year!

[@bethmetcalf3447]

Maybe the lowest books on Goodreads are there because people just didn’t like or enjoy the book. When I pick up a book to read, I pick it up because of the genre & the story, not because of the author. The only time I look to see who the author as a person is, is when they become one of my all time favourites. I never pick up a book because the author is of any colour, it has no bearing on the story being told in the book therefore it’s unnecessary. To be totally honest, I just don’t care about what colour or nationality an author is. I read a book and I either like it or I don’t. To me it’s all about the book, the story being told & only the book. If people make a big deal out of an authors nationality or skin colour, it turns me off the book because the book is not about that stuff; it’s about the story inside the book and to me that’s all that matters. People make such a huge deal about small stuff and really we’re all God’s children and that’s also all that matters to me. Maybe I’m an odd duck (definitely 😂) but at least I’m a happy little old duck reading her books and enjoy life the best that I can🥰 ⛈

[@TheHexedLibrary]

This was a great video! I realllllly didn't like The Woods Are Always Watching but There's Someone Inside Your House was pretty good! The Netflix movie IMO had a better ending/killer reveal than the book, but it was still good. I DNF'd Witches Steeped in Gold earlier this week. My biggest issue was that I felt like the author was too smart for me. There were too many words I didn't understand and I'd have to keep looking things up and it took me completely out of the story. I chose to DNF it because I don't rate books I DNF.

[@megwithbooks]

yes i agree re witches! i think there was sooooo much potential and the worldbuilding/culture in the book seemed so interesting but it was just *a lot* from page 1 onwards

[@chaseburch1351]

The lowest rated book I have read is The Echo Room by Parker Peevyhouse, which has a 3.26 on Goodreads and I gave it 3.5 stars. And the lowest rated book on my TBR is Trials of the Four Olympians by Rebecca J. Sotirios which has a 2.84 on Goodreads.

[@KapowskiReads]

The lowest rated book on my tbr was Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth and I absolutely loved it and gave it 5 shiny stars I also wanted to love Witches Steeped in Gold but I got a bit confused with all the characters, I ended up having to take notes 😸

[@Soolepoh]

I only rate the books I dnf when I properly hated them because they were problematic. For the rest I just leave them with blank stars.

[@_LN_]

I was eagerly waiting for somebody to read this book already :)))) I DNFd it in the first 200 pages, didn't understand shit as well :)))

[@megwithbooks]

lmaooo twins🥴🥴

[@KateHayv]

I feel like…. Me and you could be besties 😅

[@isabellavalentine7268]

The lowest rated book on my TBR is The Atrocities by Jeremy Shipp at 3.21, followed by Madam by Phoebe Wynne at 3.27

[@greeneggsandsambooks]

The Perishing is the lowest rated book I've ever read too, but I loved it. It wasn't a full five stars, but I loved the social commentary in it so much. I was very confused at first but somehow it just worked for me. I think it was marketed poorly, which contributed to so many low ratings 😕 But some people were giving it one star because they read to "escape reality" not to read about reality.... but they picked up a historical fiction following a black mc so idk what they expected lol

[@thewitchyreader6131]

Great Video!

[@elskabee]

most of the lowest rated books on GR on either my read or TBR are books people were forced to read for school which both understandable and kinda sad

[@BellesLibrary]

I didn't realize witches steeped in gold had such terrible ratings!

[@hopeherbooks9044]

The Woods are Always Watching is one of the worst books I've ever read you're so brave for this

[@jennybeach3673]

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[@jadenv6351]

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[@moonbook12]

At 0:33 (joke) back in my days

[@lambbees104]

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[@jsalnut]

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[@dobetterwithchristian4472]

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[@amylouise7289]

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[@notthemostread]

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[@nherbooks]

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[@glendaw5221]

I love your accent no matter the content. But. No. Witches.

[@katelynbrown6167]

❤️❤️❤️

[@rae2488]

💛💛💛

[@rae2488]

🌩🌩🌩

[@georgieh7351]

Based on what I've seen, I don't think readers on the whole are giving BIPOC authors the chance to make more trope filled classic YA. Like let YA represent more people even if it's cringy!! Also I've seen too many white girls doing the whole 'if the character isn't white I can't relate and therefore can't enjoy it' 💀 recently, so like... maybe we need to examine our implicit biases and do the work. To clarify this isn't specifically about Witches but more diverse YA in general.

[@megwithbooks]

i completelyyyy agree!! i've chatted in vlogs before about how I don't think it's a valid criticism of books by BIPOC authors to say "oh it was sooo cliche, filled with YA stereotypes", because it's so important that those authors get to write those stories now when they historically haven't been granted access to do so! i think that 3/5 of the lowest rated books being by authors of colour is based on attitudes like that, unconscious biases and unfortunately BIPOC authors are also at a greater chance of being victims of purposeful low ratings when ppl haven't even read the book!

[@vicsbooknook]

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[@danielleoliver1734]

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[@kacysanderson9543]

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[@lisabscreativeworld9238]

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[@crushgoil]

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