the worst books of 2021 😬

[@elizatash]

DNFing is such a lifesaver. I used to feel guilty for doing it, but now I realize life is WAY too short and there are too many good books out there to waste time on one I just don't connect with.

[@holdenbeach4ever]

I agree! I give a book 50 pages and if I don't like it by then I lay it down.

[@poisonedyoyo]

For the present time I am not DNFing anything unless it's a genre I shouldn't be picking up in the first place, or if it's got too many gross stuff happening in it. Which is why I am determined to finish this worst book of the year for me, The Ones We're Meant to Find, with its mega-lame characters. The funny thing is, Chorus Rises was so bad and I read it last month so I was like, "NO way could another book I read this year be worse than this." But of course the very next book heavily promoted on Booktube was that.

[@sknight2810]

Agree! I dont have alot of 1-2 stars bc i dnf boring and unlikable ones

[@niveditadhankhar]

videos like this make you realize that your favorite book could be someone else's worst read ever and ITS OKAY, ITS FINE, ITS NOT A BIG DEAL. learning how to respect other people's opinions is literally what such videos teach us. Loved it! I love the way Hailey can be so comfortably open with us regarding the books she absolutely hated and WHY, makes me feel like good close friends :') Good going girl

[@MahsaHammatBahary]

"There are no bad books, only bad people" - I'm dying 🤣🤣🤣

[@AshXXMayftw]

When it comes to series that adds onto an already pre-established story, I feel the best course is to not follow the original characters, but instead diverge into another aspect of that world. For instance, after the original Percy Jackson series ended the author started a new series called Heroes of Olympus. This series followed a new group of main characters that not only felt different from the original cast, but also expanded on the lore without breaking it in two. And when the original main characters do return they add to the story without taking much attention away from the new cast.

[@campbellmae]

rick riordan did an amazing job with that! i’m always upset leaving my comfort characters behind, but the way he made me care about the new ones and also including the og’s made me so happy

[@AshXXMayftw]

@@campbellmae Yeah. It's pretty rare that I actually like sequel characters as much as the originals, but I did end up liking them both pretty equally by the end.

[@barbarianvee]

I'm a huge fan of DNFing books I'm not enjoying. I get downright depressed by a bad book, it's not worth it...

[@LochsLibrary]

sammeeee i’ve gotten so much better at DNFing when i don’t like a book

[@poisonedyoyo]

I'm a writer so I kind of feel I have to finish books so long as they're not a genre that isn't for me. Like if I pick up a thriller, then yes that could be a DNF. But as a writer, drinking words is a thing and sometimes that means scarfing down rubbish.

[@thejenmath]

I forced myself to finish a much-hyped book that I really wasn't enjoying and then I was in a reading slump for a month and a half. We definitely need to normalize DNF-ing.

[@LochsLibrary]

@@thejenmath 💯 💕

[@kellyreadingbooks]

“Someone has to” 😂😂😂😂 Hailey that was savage right out of the gate and I am so here for it. LOL OMG ONLY BAD PEOPLE 🤣🤣🤣🤣 the energy

[@twentyneduns8017]

this isn’t a book i hated, i just hated the ending of - white smoke by tiffany d jackson. i was so disappointed cuz the book was fantastic and i was ready to give it 5 stars but the ending was terrible. i was reading it at work and i turned the page over, realised there was nothing else, and thought “that’s it?”

[@FuruNaruBleachluvr7]

I absolutely loved the ballad of songbirds and snakes! It was one of my top reads of 2020 lol. I love watching your videos because I enjoy you and your insights. But I also like seeing point of views that are different than my own 😊

[@katieallen6438]

me too! my jaw actually dropped when she mentioned it because I loved it so much but that's probably because The Hunger Games is one of my favourite series

[@kamrynchristine3302]

I hate when authors add on to completed series! Especially if it’s YEARS after the original books were published it always feels like a cash grab to me..

[@Taryn_G98]

I think Songbirds and Snakes was very interesting from a philosophical standpoint - raising questions of how far someone is willing to go to remain a part of society - but that’s not what a whole lot of people who liked The Hunger Games were going into that book looking for.

[@mackm1094]

I didn't know Suzanne wrote another book omg where have I been 😮. I like how you don't mock the books while you talk about why you don't like them. You seem like a really nice and respectful person. Glad I subscribed ❤️

[@katieallen6438]

the Ballard of song birds and snakes is great if you're a big fan of The Hunger Games I hope this video didn't put you off trying it. it was one of my favourite books I read last year but then again I am a huge hunger games fan

[@erinsbooks]

The Ballad of SongBirds and Snakes is my least favorite book of 2020 and 2021. I agree with you that it wasn't needed to be written and I did not need that much President Snow, either.

[@kimberleyvdw4]

I loved The ballad of songbirds and snakes 😅 Def agree that it didnt need to be written, but THG is my absolute favorite and I love "villain" origin stories, so I really enjoyed it

[@iiannie_waffles9437]

And that’s the cool thing about books! Both me and my cousin are avid hunger games fans. Both if us were so excited that we got more about our favourite world. While I loved it deeply, my cousin dnf-ed it.

[@FuruNaruBleachluvr7]

@@kimberleyvdw4 I loved it too! One of my fav books of 2020

[@maciedixon3983]

I kinda of enjoyed the end but the rest was just meh

[@Sarah-dv1eh]

The people we meet on vacation was one of my least favorite books this year and so many people loved itttt, I was very confused

[@TheK4R0u]

Montreal drivers, Montreal traffic, Montreal road work, Montreal road's state, Montreal parking space.... literally everything sucks 😭 ... stay safe Hailey, thank you for all your hard work this holiday season ♥️

[@elizatash]

Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was okay for me, but now I REALLY want another one continuing the timeline from Tigris' point of view. I NEED to know how they got from where they were in that book to where they were in Mockingjay.

[@iiannie_waffles9437]

I loved it. I want more just nit in that timespan. I like the middle ground to be imaginative.

[@rileyxchaos]

Thanks for the warning on this is kind of an epic love story. I also loved Felix Ever After but infidelity is a huge reading turn off for me

[@abbeyroche2983]

I read "Sapiens" because everyone told me it was such an insightful book and I hated every sentence of it 😂

[@Sarah-ot6ot]

I started DNFing books this year as well. And it made such a change! The last years I didn't read more than 20 book or so, only because I tried to power through books I did not enjoy. And after finishing those I was sometimes put off reading so badly, that I just didn't pick up a new one for days, sometimes weeks. But this year, I was more ok with just not finishing. If I did not like a book, I put it away and just started a new one. That's how I'm currently at book 82 of this year :D But this sentiment "I'm already so far in, I can't DNF it know" I so totally understand. I had this with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I just did not like the book, but hearing from everyone how they loved it made me really want to finish it. I had the high hopes it would get better the further the story went... and then I only had like 100 pages or less left. So it would've been a shame to DNF it then^^

[@abbey5699]

Wicked lovely by marissa marr. Checked it out from my local library; couldn't make it pass the first chapter. It was rough. On a brighter note, these bookmas videos are so fun to watch. I love hearing your commentary on the books you've read!😊

[@fatimasajid9224]

3:55 Ohh Hailey on fire.. loving your vibe girl! ♥️♥️

[@Meimisaki2001]

I have dnf’d one book but that’s because I’m not mentally in the place for it now. I’ll get back to it soon

[@abbyboyd5097]

they both die at the end is my worst read of the year. the plot was nonexistent and it was BORING. depended far too much on the ending, which wasn’t even good itself

[@keti.rg.editzzz]

The worst book I read this year is “The priory of the Orange tree” I was so excited to read it but it was so boring so I DNF it. Such a disappointment

[@mandyd2h530]

I DNF’ed Kind of a Big Deal as well. I felt guilty about it because it was a gift someone bought from my wishlist but it wasn’t what I thought it would be and I just couldn’t get through it.

[@Books_BrewsandBeyond]

At the end of the day, everyone's book tastes are different so it's all good to not enjoy certain books. I actually ended up dnfing a few more books than I thought I would this year which was a shame but I just didn't enjoy them so I thought no point in continuing to read them.

[@tmich010]

omg DYING 😂 I had to watch this a second time because it was too good! So glad it's Bookmas season again! :)

[@quirkypages697]

There is a reason why I find our reading tastes kinda similar, so many of your recommendations have worked for me. I didn't really enjoy tbosas too, lol.

[@shutupjesper9785]

1:31 is when it starts btw

[@bercha5689]

The light between worlds was beautiful. If you like being bummed out .

[@barshaislam5931]

My aim of life at this moment is to have book self and that much books like you💜❤️

[@katxl7]

Have you seen the miniseries Chernobyl (2019)? highly recommend.

[@nayeon19__54]

I was kinda hoping that you'd say that the book 'horrid' was just like it's title: horrid 😂

[@paulinetayloe9988]

Can anyone remember the name of the book I can’t remember if it was in one of Haileys videos or not I shan’t to try and look this one book up she said it was a zombie story but some magical dystopian genre where the longer the dead stayed dead and risen the more powerful that zombie would be, I can’t remember what she called it again?

[@jewellstone3117]

I think it was Reboot by Amy Tintera

[@paulinetayloe9988]

@@jewellstone3117 I’ll go look it up sounds good.

[@m.claravalente5501]

I loved blackbird girls!! I think the WWII point of view added so much depth and nuance to the dynamic between the characters in the other timeline, it also presents the effects of intergenerational trauma to younger audiences so artfully. I was so impacted by this book I actually had nightmares about nuclear accidents a few times after I read it, stephen king never got into my dreams, but this book did lol

[@Jennabrown3286]

My worst read of the year was November 9 by Colleen Hoover which was really disappointing because I loved all her other books :(

[@rbrown4378]

the humour in this video is on another level!

[@Katiedora122]

Honestly just glad to see someone else who doesn't like This is Kind of an Epic Love Story. I'd read it when it first came out and had such a bad experience with it, that I haven't been able to pick up any other books by the author even though everyone raves about them.

[@SailorJaszie]

One of the things I love about book readers is how we each interpret the book differently. One may love the book where the other person may hate it.--The cover of Horrid scares me. I am a big chicken to horror.--Getting mad at a driver for being an idiot is totally me lol 😆.--I hate going into a book with a certain concept but than as you read it's a whole different concept.

[@kellyreadingbooks]

I literally read the first 10 pages of Ballad of Songbirds and stopped. I knew I wouldn’t feel invested 😬

[@katiesantamaria6695]

I agree 💯 about ballad of song birds and snakes. I tried it last year put it down for awhile and now giving it another chance. I’m further through and may just finish to get it done at this point. Very disappointed I would’ve been fine too if I never read it it makes me sad

[@LeylaKaratas]

the echo wife is BY FAR the worst book i have read this year (and ever). every time i see it on goodreads on my "read" shelf i get angry that i had the misfortune of coming across this book and wasted my time reading it lol

[@art3mis898]

If you didn’t like This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender , you’d like King And Dragonflies by Kacen Callender . It’s a middle grade , it’s about this boy who’s brother recently passed away but he thinks that he came back to life as a dragonfly. It’s just a really sweet coming of age story

[@jennifereiffel405]

Bravo! a great video! I will try to watch the rest of your Blogmas videos I still want to try Horrid as I read Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno a while ago and loved it! I keep meaning to read more of her books

[@TheKarinaChronicles]

I am enjoying your Bookmas sooo much 💕 Thanks for the daily videos, Hailey!

[@BiblioBlichar]

Mine this year was the shadow and bone series I read it because it’s been on TBR forever since I read SoC and loved it and then the tv was announced so I decided to finally read them. I woulda stopped after the first book but I felt like I HAD to read them to watch the show so I forced myself to… terrible

[@kerstanb]

I agree with Horrid. It was just to unfinished for me.

[@mirandamayo2987]

My worst book of 2021 was Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World. I didn't hate it, but I don't like the dialogue in that book or the first one. I feel like the author tries to make the characters super whitty but it just doesn't work for me. And I didn't like the ending.

[@Faerieshimmer]

Imo SJM has the worst books and will every year :/

[@lr2ldn]

This.

[@kestrelthesoldier]

I love the Blackbird Girls soo much, it was one of my favourite books this year. But I guess everyone has a different opinion and perspective, which is perfectly fine!

[@angelbaby7067]

My sister said she thought jay’s gay agenda was also not good and she said it was boring lol

[@katmaccoll2761]

Kind Of A Big Deal - a friend gave it to me as my secret Santa present so that's the only reason I read it. There felt like nothing bad would actually happen to her, like there would be no real consequences. It was also super repetitive and kinda boring. I agree that there wasn't really any / enough character development.

[@louisity]

I don't have plans reading the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. 🎼🐦🐍

[@anastasiahagey5674]

My worst book of the year that I truly wish I didn't buy was The Witch's Heart & I absolutely loathed The Lonely Hearts Hotel

[@monab.7933]

What's wrong with The Witch's Heart ?

[@TheThreeBookshelves]

Songbirds and Snakes was my second least favorite of last year (beat out only by the even more infuriating long-finished series continuation cash grab, Ready Player Two). I honestly can’t believe it was written by the same author as The Hunger Games.

[@jordanreadsalot]

I understand why a lot of people didn't like The ballad of Songbirds and Snakes but for me, it was amazing cause what a lot of people were expecting was not what I was expecting and I think that's why I gave it 5 stars plus I thought his background and the other characters were interesting.

[@alexisd8190]

I am hoping that I enjoy Love is a revolution by Renee because I've got it for Christmas haha

[@sknight2810]

Out of topic but does anyone’s book gets brown? Like not gradual browning of pages but mine has freckles and brown spots and it spread to the inside of the pAge like a plague. I did nth but keep them in my bookshelf! Some i didnt even touch but i pulled out and the edge are all browny and spoty..

[@random23287]

I also tried reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and I just found Cornelius or however you even spell his name to be extremely irritating and like egoistic, I just couldn't handle it. I also read Red Queen (I know I know, extremely late to the train) and didn't like it, made the mistake of reading the second book which was a complete waste of time. It's one of those books you should just quit the minute you don't like it cause it doesn't get better. I also read Furyborn which wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't as great as some people make it seem.

[@WrestlingwithBooks]

THE REINDEER IS A COUNTDOWN, NOT THE DATE! My life makes so much more sense now! 🤣🎄💖

[@monica.laurette]

As someone who LOVED The Hunger Games I felt the same way about the prequel. It just was not needed for me, it didn't change really any opinions of mine. It only made me want to know more about Grey.

[@georgiefarr1094]

I only read this last month but The Grownup by Gillian Flynn (a 72 page book) was the worst book of 2021. Its been out since 2015 and oh my god I can't begin to explain how much I hated this book so much. Not reading it ever again. I am going to give Gillian Flynn's books a go because they have been out for quite a while and I'm very interested in Gone Girl 😁😁😁 And I also DNF The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. This is Kate Middleton and Prince William inspired retelling (Kate and William are my favourite couple) and I DNFed it at 25 pages because I didn't like the writing style and it was also boring. And I am so gutted I DNFed but it was the right decision and I gave it to a charity shop so hopefully someone else can maybe enjoy it 😊

[@debbystragier2154]

Just want to let you know that the time stamp for ‘this is kind of an epic love story’ is named ‘felix ever after’ instead of ‘this is kind of an epic love story’. Also i agree with your review on the book.

[@holdenbeach4ever]

I almost survived the list 😂 I didn't love Horrid, but did enjoy it.

[@Emmisio123]

A funny thing is, the way you describe the light between worlds, makes me think it is a book i would really enjoy 😂 even though you're describing why you hate it

[@amberkernaghan1585]

I have heard some of these books while some I haven't heard of. There is only three books in this video that I have but I haven't read yet. And the funny thing is those three books I'm not sure about reading because of what I have heard about them. I will read these three book but not sure when because I might enjoy them at a later date.

[@jennderqueer]

My least favorite would be a tie between White Ivy and The Collective. Both boring, both had stupid endings.

[@ashlynhale3369]

Malibu rising was one of my least favorite books and one of my most disappointing because I had such high hopes since I love Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo!

[@lanas4016]

kind of an unpopular opinion it seems but i actually enjoyed the ballad of songbirds and snakes quite a lot!

[@onmalsshelf4800]

Least favorite book that I didn’t DNF was Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams

[@inklings1998]

Wait...why did I think that you already read and loved The Light Between Worlds a couple years ago? I have been slogging through it (currently) by telling myself that Hailey loved it. 🤣

[@caylaellsworth5354]

I know this is late but I love your bookshelves.

[@elizatash]

OMG, I so agree on Horrid. I LOVE horror, but it just wasn't for me.

[@ifloatupwards]

The worst book I read this year was Storybound by Emily McKay. I DNFed it 100 pages in because I just couldn't connect with the characters. I loved the concept of the book but the execution was not ideal.

[@PopTheButterfly]

I like this sassiness you have! 🤣

[@myronemmaturner]

My least favorite for 2021 so far has been the lost apothecary... i hated this one so much 😬

[@BiblioBlichar]

Yeah I read that and disliked it. It was marketed as nothing like what it actually is leading to a huge disappointment

[@bookishmillennial5297]

I couldn't get into Less and it won a Pulitzer?! Oh well.

[@heathers_happily_ever_afters]

My least favorite book is definitely "She Who Became the Sun" by Shelley Parker-Chan. I gave this a 1 star. This was really disappointing, because it was one of my most anticipated reads.

[@tattooedkittykat]

I definitely agree with Horrid. It was just okay to me. I really enjoyed some parts of the book but the ending left me like...meh. I enjoyed A Lesson in Vengeance more. I know you also mentioned not liking Small Favors as much as House of Salt and Sorrows, but Small Favors was also better than Horrid.

[@poneegrl6735]

My worst of 2021 have been The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien, The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, Untamed by Glennon Doyle, and Any Sign of Life by Rae Carson. Each of them had their own issues, but I just could not convince myself to like them.

[@deetee8100]

Funny, but Lost Apothecary is one of my favorite books. 😁

[@chrisconnors7418]

Day Zero (deVos), The Memory Police (Ogawa) were not good books for me for different reasons. I found the first one shallow and trite; the second one went over my head and didn't make sense. It would be one of the books you'd read in high school and then have to write an essay about what the story meant to you, what symbols were apparent, what was their meaning, etc. It's probably a good book from a literary point of view, but wasn't for me.

[@17caria]

I enjoyed your commentary in this video.

[@ah_here_we_go_again5310]

lmaooooo it’s funny because I didn’t enjoy “Felix Ever After” because I found the characters annoying and difficult to root for. 😅

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

Omg yes kind of a big deal is on my list for worst books of 2021 too!!! So so bad 😩 I have love is a revolution on my TBR 🤡

[@daryanthelibrarian]

omg so true about montreal drivers😂😂

[@ChubbyCheeks671]

This might be an unpopular opinion, but The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami is my worst. Not in the sense that I hated it, but it reads so random and confusing to me. It’s taking me a long time to get through it. Not DNFing because I want to know where this all leads to lol.

[@ElizabethNicoleSchwartz]

Mine is probably controversial but my worst book of the year was easily Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo 😬😬😬

[@shreyab8175]

I didn't like it either 😬

[@maddyc2412]

To Sleep In A Sea of Stars was the worst book I read this year

[@alexistrimble7564]

I didn’t like love is a revolution either

[@lr2ldn]

Worst book I read this year was War Storm by Victoria Aveyard. OMG. That was a slog.

[@ollieb.9731]

My least favorite book I read this year was Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey. Definitely not an author for me!

[@luckeygirl023]

ive read a few of her books and i kept hoping i would start liking them but i think i also realized i just dont love her writing

[@pennydevereux7375]

100% least fav was Tithe by Holly Black, its the only book I DNFed this year

[@madisonmason9179]

Can you a tier list young adult book couple

[@Yuukitsu]

Jay's gay agenda is my least fv too. It was horrible and i really hate it haha 🤣

[@kadamowicz68]

I wanted to throw Get a Life Chloe Brown and Hunger by Roxanne Gay out the window. 🤢👎🏻

[@abbeyroche2983]

That stinks!!! Hunger is on my tbr, maybe I should look into some reviews about it before I commit

[@toyiwechauke8032]

SCYTHE was the worst book I read this year

[@nazaninslife]

Epic love story was awful I don’t even remember what it was about lol

[@stevencarsley2446]

Hi Haily how are you Another good video

[@thejenmath]

Glad I'm not the only one who felt that way about Jay's Gay Agenda

[@scoobydoo_forever]

I physically read horrid and I loved it

[@angelaholmes8888]

Here's my worst books of 2021 The secret history Dragon keeper Witches Steeped in gold The honey don't list The drawing of three by Stephen king Duma key A court of silver flames