WORST BOOKS I READ IN 2020

here's a list of the worst books i read in 2020, giving you a bit of a review and some of my critique. This year the list was rather mild because I had a great reading year, woohoo!
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Hi! My name is Leonie and I am a 23 year old girl who loves talking about books! From YA to non-fiction to classics, I read it all (although fantasy will always be my fave). I live in the Netherlands and go to university, but make booktube videos in my spare time :)
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[@SabinesBookNook]

best disclaimer, EVER.

[@jwinkies3011]

"Please don't sacrifice me to the gods" 😂😂😂

[@NeilBruder]

Indeed! What a brilliant disclaimer montage :D

[@hernanmejia3554]

agree. that was some cool piece of editing.

[@ACupofNicole]

That “did I miss something??” feeling happens to me so often and it makes me feel DUMB So thanks for the validation 🥺

[@laurenjuliabooks]

I feel this!!

[@hamandeggs23]

I got that when I read The Silent Patient! I didn't like it...

[@constanzatricallotis9308]

"Dont sacrifice me to the gods" lmfao😂

[@Lokster71]

Having gone to an English all-boys school I am prepared to stick my neck out and say that Lord of the Flies isn't as unlikely to happen as you might think. It is one of the reasons I don't like it. As a chubby glasses-wearing boy when I read it at school Piggy's fate seemed all too close to home to me.

[@IoanaRaduIoRa]

You'd be surprised that this scenario actually happened in real life. And I think you'd be happy to know, that it didn't pan out like in Lord of the Flies : www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/09/the-real-lord-of-the-flies-what-happened-when-six-boys-were-shipwrecked-for-15-months

[@Lokster71]

​@@IoanaRaduIoRa It is an interesting case that, but I fear my school had less of a kindly ethos.

[@MonnyArcade]

@@IoanaRaduIoRa That story is totally unlike the LOTF situation in that: - the boys all knew each other beforehand - there were only 6 and therefore did not develop "mob" culture - they were natives and already had pre-existing survival skills and a totally different culture (not white british school boys!!) I mean those are the main differences but they're hugely significant. I'm a teacher in a normal state school and I read lord of the flies last year and was horrified by how believable it all was. You have to think of it as small steps that led to awful things rather than the boys specifically going out to be awful. It just happens like that. You see it at break time and are glad that break is only 20 minutes. But if break time were days, week long... well...

[@theliopleurodon]

I'm not gonna lie, I watched that lava lamp for 10 mins and didnt know what you were saying. I'll have to go back now

[@safkempers9367]

I'm sorry but the lava lamp was the star of this video! So nostalgic, I want to get one now

[@gemzreads]

the disclaimer was literally so funny 😁

[@SnorriSnibble]

The thing with Lord of the Flies is - yes, it's fiction and therefore over the top, but it's not impossible for something similar to happen. People, especially young boys, can be so cruel. I just read an article about homophobic bullying in school for my class and it somehow reminded me a lot of Lord of the Flies. I had my own issues with Lord of the Flies, but the idea behind it and the execution in the book was pretty interesting, in my opinion.

[@MinnieJuce]

Me watching the video.... Constantly rooting for the lamp

[@badateverything5392]

As someone who works with children and teens... "Lord of the Flies" would happen if you just let them run their own society.

[@MonnyArcade]

My counter-argument against you for Lord of the flies: *Are you a teacher who has ever supervised break duty for 11-16 year olds?* If the answer is no, then you simply can't understand. We've been there. We've seen the horrors that schoolboys can do to each other in 20-30 minutes, not even days or weeks. I was on the scene one time that required ambulances. (Yes, plural. And this is a /nice/ school!!!) I've only been a teacher for 5 years!! And look, it's never /intentional/. It's always just... an escalation. And that's what happens. *If you are a teacher, you must be blessed never to have experienced any of this sort of stuff.

[@r4.v3n]

I love this comment

[@carolinesch.]

I also hated the discussion in class about Lord of the flies

[@Sarana.]

I feel like Lord of the Flies is very much a you’ll either hate it or love it kind of book. If I go on goodreads, it’s one of the only books I’ve read that has received such a varied bunch of reviews from people I’m friends with, either 1-2 stars or 4-5 stars. A lot of people seem to have strong feelings about it and it’s rarely an “yeah it was ok” type of book. Personally I’ve read it twice and for me it’s one of my favourite books ever lol.

[@YW2324]

Maybe ill read it one day. Ill se 😊

[@aishaelayoubi3079]

I completely agree with “Truly Devious” and I’m so glad I’m not the only one who felt that way. It was a fun ride, however it left me very disappointed. None of the “twists” were foreshadowed and just came out of nowhere, and the characters felt shallow and underdeveloped by the end of the third book. It could have all been packed into one book.

[@heatherburke9583]

Still dying with curiosity on where i can get earrings like leonie

[@TheBookLeo]

i get my earrings from Monki, Mango, &otherstories and Regal Rose!

[@JessiCa-zq2tw]

The earrings she has on in this video are the regal rose sun & moon celestial huggie hoops. I actually have the exact same pair which I got from ASOS! 🌞 🌙

[@SabinesBookNook]

I’m scared to continue reading Kingdom of the Wicked lol Love the lava lamp in the background and your enthusiasm about blobs

[@freya7084]

I was so invested with that lava lamp lol

[@aimun5255]

A Deadly Education was one of those books that have so much going on yet NOTHING at the same time, just so. much. info. Arghhhhhh It's one of the few times I wished there was much more romance going on bc that was legit the only part I ended up caring about

[@AF-gd7fh]

I'm also obsessed with this books. I can definitely understand the issues people have but it's one of my favourite books.

[@Ashleigh_Absurd]

I love lord of the flies. It's very much a symbolism book and how human instinct is raw and more animalistic which I really like but I also studied this in high school but just found I adored it after as well. But I totally get why people wouldn't

[@myonnareads]

i too, was catfished by The Shadows Between Us. it was supposed to be my perfect book as well

[@sampurnasaha1069]

Felt the same about the Kiss Quotient ... the steam was never ending

[@TheGreatDevlin]

Hmmm. Even though these aren't recommendations, you talked about them like a regular person instead of a normal booktuber. So I kinda wanna read half of these now.

[@theliopleurodon]

What? What do you mean 😂

[@AnEmbarrassmentofBooks]

I 100% agree with you about The Shadows Between Us - what a disappointment of a book. This is one of those books that I just can't understand why so many people love it.

[@larazivko]

I am living for the disclaimer 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@ewaldkostergunnsisko3491]

Gotta love that the lava lamp has a better story arc than some character do. As for worst book of the year it would have to be Robinson Crusoe, it was sooooo boring.

[@meenyard]

highlight of the video: THE BLOBS

[@milleemills]

my issue with the shadows between us is that they literally “fell in love” in TWO MONTHS like he’s the king and supposed to not trust anyone ever, but yet he falls in love with a random girl in two months???

[@emmah1750]

To me I dislike books that move fast in that way. Like how usually one of the people involved will already be ready to sacrifice everything and themselves for that one person! I understand love but god sometimes it goes so fast!

[@milleemills]

@@emmah1750 exactly, i feel like she could’ve dragged it into a sequel or made the book just a little bit longer and added main points that actually made sense for them to be in love

[@MikyM88]

Oh,i also deslike the more insta love,mostly prefer the slow steady slow burn type so it takes away of the reading joy when i read instalove and giving up everything for a dude/girl u just knew.

[@jessip8654]

Wow, two months is a super slow burn for YA! Usually it's like 48 hours and they're willing to die for each other.

[@emmah1750]

Emmalee Miller totally!

[@sarahpetty1606]

Your explanation of why the Winternight series did not work for you finally articulated why I did not love the Bear and the Nightengale! The characters and their povs were too distant! I have read many books that I just did not connect with because they did not have close character POV and I have never been able to figure out why before! I always characterized it as not connecting with the writing style (which is true, but not helpful). So thank you for the great insight because it has helped me articulate better what I prefer in fiction!

[@farheenhassan2437]

every book in this list was either my favourite or my anticiapted books!!! yikes. loved the video though, ur so casual and fun seems like sitting in a cute coffee shop talking about books

[@luizappicanco]

Whoever says Lord of the Flies couldn’t happen clearly didn’t go to my school or spend enough time with children. It’s one of the best political allegories I’ve ever read.

[@nanaandrash65]

I was watching the lava lamp the whole time So now i have to watch it again ❤️

[@ostrichreads7715]

My most disappointing book of the year was The Nothern Lights 😭 I had to read the spark notes entry on it after finishing to understand what was happening. I read the ones for the other books as well & was glad I didn't make myself suffer through the entire books 2 & 3! How did people read that series as children? Fascinating.

[@aimun5255]

I didn't like the kiss quotient either but I really loved the bride test? The characters were just more precious and the romance wasn't so insta like the first book

[@imanbell]

The disclaimer was hilarious 😂

[@dex7615]

library of the unwritten was my fave book of the year (only one i gave 5 stars out of 20 books) and you kno that i trust you as a booktuber bc i actually agreed w ur critique of it haha, i think its a trilogy tho (or at least theres a sequel out) so im hoping we get more of the characters in that 👍

[@emonroe26]

Can we please just appreciate the close-up shot of the lava lamp starting while she continues on about the books? *chef's kiss* LOL

[@samsamuels8328]

I am am absolutely with you on Lord of the Flies 👍 One book that kind of disappointed me this year was City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, I just found the story boring and couldn't finish reading it... Happy New Year! I wish you many good books in 2021! ❤❤❤

[@marianadias6769]

Just wanted to clarify that A Deadly Education is actually adult fantasy :)

[@peehurasotra9498]

6:27 honestly same, I'm frustrated w the series but I'll still read it lmao but i kinda see it going down from here because ellingham was the charm and the new book takes place outside it

[@fictionalreality5131]

I felt the same way about The Bear and the Nightingale! I thought I was going to love it but it was not my thing. Also The Shadows Between Us sounds literally exactly like The Wrath and the Dawn 😬😬

[@Emma-sj6wp]

If you want fun fluffy Fairy-Tale retellings I recommend Jessica Day George. I think her books are more directed to Middle School kiddos but, omg Princess of the Midnight Ball is my comfort story👏 (In addition to Six of Crows🙃)

[@LittleMew133]

I think you're quite fortunate in life to be able to be so certain that Lord of the Flies scenario would never happen.

[@er6730]

Maybe she's young enough that she's in the helicopter parent generation. These kids got absolutely zero time to run wild with other kids. I had a great childhood, but certainly learned about my own and others capacity for cruelty and chaos. I leaned into the protective/mothering side of things in reaction to this realization, but when I read the book in high school it all sounded plenty plausible.

[@millyw.5140]

I’m so happy I wasn’t the only one disappointed with A Deadly Education. It was just freakin boring, I didn’t care for the main character, and it was just fighting monsters the whole time. I really wish I got to know the other characters more. I expected so much from it ☹️

[@jessicazmuda7557]

I was also SUPER disappointed in A Deadly Education. I had such high expectations, but I nearly didn't finish it! I'm glad to hear her other books are better, I want to pick up Uprooted, but wasn't too sure after reading A Deadly Education.

[@nasteho6614]

My secret to not being disappointed is to have no expectations at all then I only have myself to blame if I get my hopes up. My meh books for this year were the Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan( not whole lot of zest to it) Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft ( wasn't for me, i am past my steampunk phase) the mystery of the 3 quarters by Sophie Hannah( sorry hon but no one can come close to the Dame Agatha) Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert ( getting too trippy and absentee parent for me) Red Sister by Mark Lawrence ( these assassin nuns best get to murdering real soon)

[@leilacarvalho4404]

I'm going to say that I try to read all the books you recommend and I read Truly Devious bc I got the impression you had liked it from another video and then I really disliked the first book and was confused bc your recommendations are usually spot on 🤔 so NOW I'm discovering you actually didn't like it lol (and to be honest, I decided to continue reading the series and was absolutely ADDICTED to the two other books, so, again, I think we shared an opinion on this one. Bc it's bad, the plot twist is weak and the characters are stereotypical, but I just couldn't put it down 😂)

[@eryng515]

if you are going to get very fired up by me venting about how bad the hunger games are, then read no further: the hunger games: mockingjay. pretty much the entire series. i hated the trilogy and LOVED the prequel. katniss was basically trying to kill me in the books. i think she wanted to kill me more than she wanted to kill herself in the end. i just hated the books. it was an amazing concept but the characters made me want to rip the book apart in anger and let it burn.

[@jamesduggan7200]

Always enjoy your videos so this is no different. I didn't have a worst read this year because they're all the same except for the exceptional ones. tbh I can't remember a worst read going back as many years as you like. There was a John Dewey book that was hard to finish but that might have been a reflection of what I thought Dewey was saying and what he actually was saying.

[@lukesoddlife]

In all fairness, I could see LOTF's having some sense in reality. Like, being around a load of bullies in early high school, I could definitely see how a class of lads would just descend into chaos. Especially if they are that young. Don't sacrafice me to the gods though XD

[@ofwavesandpages]

I have Star Daughter on my TBR because I heard so many great things about it, and I'm sorry to know you didn't enjoy it that much - now I bet my brain will keep postponing picking it up XD Same for A Deadly Education!!

[@caralewis8126]

litro fav book tuber ✨

[@mollymurphy6017]

Ur the first person I’ve seen to have the same opinions on Truly Devious 😩😩 I finished and it was like “this could have been at most two books”

[@shelbylewis8722]

I definitely agree! It is THE example of why mystery novels are meant to wrap up in one book

[@ambermayer7851]

I really liked the first Truely Devious book, but the third book was a total waste of time. She should have just added fifty pages to the second book and covered the stuff in the third book that way.

[@quiteallwrite7566]

I feel like you’re the only person who shares my opinion on the kiss quotient

[@jaylabentley5582]

I just finished The Bear and the Nightingale and feel the same way! It is a beautiful story, but just isn’t fun to read in my opinion. I feel like readers connect with the characters more when we can see their thoughts 🥰

[@fallisdying2077]

i think i got a bit too excited when your lava lamp started working😂

[@melisawu3499]

I had the same experience. At least 3 books you had mentioned was such a waste of my times.

[@ataliax95]

"Please, don't sacrifice me to the Gods" 🤣🤣 Loved that!

[@coleton7048]

Please get into The First Law series this year! Please! It's so good!

[@AnniesBookNook]

I also hated Lord of the Flies. And I think I’ll stay away from Naomi Novik’s books... I’ve heard so much negative stuff about them

[@CarolionCHAOS]

I felt the same way about the Bear and the Nightingale! I completely agree about it feeling very distant. I love atmosphere but I could never connect to the characters!

[@elenathegreat]

I feel like I’m the same with most classics I don’t like, I’m like “am I missing something ???”

[@SarahEsmaeWolfe]

everyone is talking about the lava lamp but ignoring the thirsty plants in the background

[@anonymousreader1041]

dont get me started with a deadly education... i thought it was a LOT of info-dumo-slaps......i still couldnt get to the first chapter....

[@shelbylewis8722]

the truly devious series had so much potential but was so frustrating to read

[@Jackolantirn]

'Worst books I read' are my favorite part of Christmas I respect your opinion, but I absolutely loved Scholomance. This is my first Naomi book, too. I really liked the world building. There is quite a bit of exposition at times, but... It didn't feel forced to me. I could probably nitpick about how the school is run, but I still enjoyed the setting. And I actually thought the main character was great. I can totally understand how some readers may not get attached to El, though. She's definitely... different. Transaction-oriented in her social interactions. Rather cold towards others. etc. But she was also raised in an environment where she couldn't rely on anyone besides her mother. To survive in an environment like that, and to survive in a school like Scholomance... You're going to have protagonists who are different. Who operate rather differently than other characters in fiction. I dunno. I was able to get attached to the main character, but I understand how other readers aren't going to be as sympathetic. And that's okay.

[@MichiruEll]

[[Spoiler warning for Truly Devious]] I wouldn't say there was no way to predict the ending of the Truly Devious series. By the end of the 1st book, I turned to my wife and told her it's totally Charles. He's way too nice to Stevie and is the only person always being nice to her. I didn't know how we'd get there, but I was sure we would. That being said, I though the books were kinda boring for me.

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

LOL crying cause shadows between us was my fav 😂😂😂

[@RockMusicFanNicki]

"We have blobs" why did this lava lamp make me so curious 😂

[@pinkcatreads]

I'm with you on The Bear and the Nightingale series. I did appreciate the Russian folklore, but something was missing for me. And I know so many people who rated it 5 stars. And I'm like... 🤔 I guess I agree with you that it felt more like a fairy tale, you didn't really get to know these characters. And the story overall didn't grip me.

[@sushmlta]

oh thank god you didnt like the kiss quotient cause so many people were raving about it and after like the first few chapters i just couldnt take it anymore

[@alexz3t899]

right, i felt like i was the only one who didn’t like the kids quotient for so long

[@eleanor7]

I read Lord Of The Flies in middle school and I always thought it was written to show children how quickly things like mob mentality, violence, and cruelty can happen when civilization breaks down and the powerful go after the weak. How absolute power corrupts absolutely. Kinda like Animal Farm did something similar when I read it in high school. Though I haven't read either in a long time, so I might feel different now. I remember liking them ok, but they were really just meh.

[@pennythoughts1766]

I just stared at the lava lamp the whole time. It was the most exciting part of my day when it started bubbling.

[@JordanEvansMusic]

Awesome video! Also love your environment I dream of having a nice plant room in the future

[@biaruppini9091]

The disclamer part was so fun hahaha. Leo, I was wondering, do you read your books in english? If so, where do you buy them?

[@samantha2254]

The worst book that i read in 2020 was the howl's moving castle

[@MailinMeg02]

I thought I was the only one who didn't like that book! I feel like everyone else loves it

[@elineleonora3814]

literally just ordered kingdom of the wicked lmao now im scared

[@SunriseFireberry]

Lava lamps, which are more for creating a psychedelic mood than giving forth light, were trendy back in the late '60s til '78. They are a re-trend now. Their inventor, Craven Walker, was also known for making underwater nudist films. Take from that what u will. :-) Had no use for Lord of the Flies. Hated the bullying. Not at all keen for heavy overuse of the already overused orphan trope either. Ever read Catcher in the Rye/Salinger? Didn't like that one neither. :-)

[@legumesss]

I love the cover of A Deadly Education so much, but sadly it sounds like it wouldn't be a book for me either

[@Jackolantirn]

I dunno. I know some readers didn't get attached to the characters, but I did. The main character is definitely... different. She's definitely not very sociable; more transaction-oriented in her social interactions. Values self-reliance. But she was raised in a cold environment, where the only person who cared for her well-being was her mother. A main character who is definitely... different... from your typical protagonist. And yeah, not all readers are going to sympathize with her. But other readers, including myself, did get attached. The setting is rather dark, though. Kids get sent to a school full of deadly monsters, and they only graduate if they manage to survive. And there is certainly quite a bit of action. But I dunno. I just disagree with Leo about the characters being uninteresting. Everything else she said is probably fair.

[@AF-gd7fh]

@@Jackolantirn I loved the characters. It's one of my favourite books ever.

[@ashleyrichards8009]

I’m currently reading A Deadly Education. I started it 3 weeks ago and am still in the first chapter bc I feel like she drowns you with info.

[@RebeccaBooks]

I really want to read truly devious soon but I feel like I’m going to find it cringey idk why

[@hopemills3908]

Seeing the lava lamp makes me want to buy one... I haven’t had one since I was super young.

[@iz2885]

lord of the flies was a miss for me too LOL almost every i know read it for high school (sp did i) and they talk about it fondly... which concerns me a bit considering the topics in the book 🤔

[@olivegranola]

YAY WE GOT BLOBS! i love the lava lamp i think it needs to make a return

[@oulaosmanabou5382]

Worst book for me was definitely The Hating Game

[@carolinesch.]

Best disclaimer

[@memobrown7288]

Hahaha so glad the lava lamp cheered up!

[@andrearentel]

would you consider maybe doing an audiobook recommendations video? love your channel!!

[@user-pn9lv2qj4j]

Could anybody make a list of her worst book names? So that we can see them all in a catagorized way

[@denaj6711]

I always hated Lord of the Flies, happy someone else does too.

[@ash81818]

Me, who was about to start the bear and the nightingale: 😬😬😬

[@ZenDecos]

The plants need water 🤨

[@tick-tackgirl335]

Try maradonia and the seven bridges saga. Its old, but a good laugh.

[@beesfriends]

i didnt start video yet but NOOOO i love lord of the flies :( i had obsession over this book years ago

[@beesfriends]

but i didnt have to read this for school

[@beesfriends]

but i didnt have to read this for school

[@velvethunder]

Feeling nostalgic with that background..

[@yazdapachamarida2313]

There actually had been a incident like lord of the flies where teenagers had been stuck on an island for a longer period of time, and they started to cooperate peacefully

[@mohibullah9269]

The worst book I read in 2020 was Twilight

[@simonepreussner]

My worst book of the year (not counting my 3 DNFs) was probably Adam Stemple and Jane Yolen's novella "The Last Tsar's Dragons". It has the historical background you expect when you hear the title: it takes place in the time of the Russian Revolution. And the fantasy spin is that the tsar has Dragons. And I probably should have known better than having high hopes for this, looking at the goodreads rating. My two main gripes are: the dragons are in the title but very much only a background thing in the story and oh my.... I really hated the historical inaccuracies in this one. I get it, it's historical fantasy but I think historical fantasy, especially when you use mostly real historical people as characters, works best when at least the historical people stay mostly in character.

[@danielapiovesan3791]

Things about the Lord of the Flies that no one talks about: the author tried to rape a teenager with the excuse that the 14 YO WAS "DEPRIVED BY NATURE" (www.theguardian.com/books/2009/aug/16/william-golding-attempted-rape ). Also, I hated that book as well.

[@TheBookLeo]

what the heeeeeck

[@HollyByGollyBooks]

The twelve dislikes on this video are the people who were butthurt about the standstill lava lamp. Your reason for disliking The Bear & the Nightingale is the same reason I am soooo nervous to read that one!! I don't know how much I would like the fairytale writing! But it sounds soooooo good, so ugh! I have no idea hahaha. HAHAHA The Shadows Between Us... I was totally trash for that book even though I KNOW it was bad. It was definitely pitched waaayyy different than it actually was, it reminded me of the "dark" version of The Selection LOL

[@jeimyreid]

that disclaimer is giving me life haha