WORST, Most Disappointing, and Books I DNF'd in 2024

[@nightreader1264]

If you want cozy, the Hallmark channel. Reading is for adventure, the unusual, thrillers, and mysteries! Totally agree with you.

[@bookmama26]

Haha, agreed!

[@ttowntrekker5174]

Realizing life's too short to waste time reading a book I don't enjoy was a great lesson. We are programmed to finish things but once you learn to DNF it's freeing.

[@bookmama26]

YES! It’s amazing how good it feels to just let a book go!

[@Angelareadsalot]

You made it further in Malibu Rising and People We Meet on Vacation than I did 😂 I DNFd them both within a few chapters, same reasoning as you. I did finish Legends and Lattes and gave it 3 stars. Some of the characters were charming, but I just couldn’t fall in love with it. It was…fine, but I’ve read other cozy fantasies and given them 4/4.5 ⭐️

[@bookmama26]

That is good to know - I felt like Legends and Lattes was the best of the best based on all the hype!

[@SarahAsYouWish]

Over the past few years I’ve learned to DNF freely, and it’s a gift I give to myself. My time is too precious to waste on mediocre (or worse) books. I agree with you on Babel not living up to the hype. It was just OK for me. The People We Meet on Vacation is far and away my least favorite Emily Henry book. I enjoyed Beach Read and Book Lovers because the main characters have a lot going on in their personal lives separate from the romance and miscommunication doesn’t play a big role. Happy reading.

[@bookmama26]

Glad it wasn’t just me for Babel and I was considering picking op Beach Read … I’m glad to hear it doesn’t involve miscommunication, I really don’t like that in books!!

[@HomechoolbythePond]

Book reccomendation for you! Blackout Book Club; it's about a Maine library in a small town during WWII.

[@bookmama26]

On the list - thank you!

[@christinah3332]

I also dnfed Babel. I just didn’t have the brain power for that one. That Emily Henry one I did not like either but I really enjoyed Beach Read so I’d recommend giving that one a try!

[@bookmama26]

Beach Read does sound interesting, so I'm thinking I will probably give Emily Henry another try!

[@wordstogetherwell]

I'm so glad to hear somebody else admit she's not into cozy anything! I feel like such a troll, because as far as I'm concerned cozy is a snoozefest. I also attempted Legends & Lattes and dnf'd.

[@bookmama26]

Exactly - it was so boring 🤣

[@FussFreeBookGal]

I am so happy that I'm not alone with Legends & Lattes..lol..all the rage, I made myself finish it (I'm one of those people 😬), and I didn't hate it but it was boring and meh at best for me 🤓

[@bookmama26]

Glad it wasn’t just me!!

[@esperanzarideu1337]

Can you make a video on clean book recommendations for middle graders (Gr.7&8) that are slightly more mature, but not too gruesome or mature? Thanks!❤

[@bookmama26]

I’m not quite to those grades yet but I use a Facebook group to screen books for content. It’s called Book Reviews for Christian Families.

[@esperanzarideu1337]

@@bookmama26 ok thanks!❤️

[@LauraR00]

Okay! Now I'm curious about that memoir 😂

[@TheBookCourt]

I definitely don't think you would have liked the ending of The Writing Retreat. It's definitely an over the top, salacious book.

[@bookmama26]

Good to hear! I was slightly curious about the end but not near enough to continue 🤣

[@sandra3616]

Most of these books I haven't picked up. The one I did pick up, A Single Thread, I also disappointed in. I was so interested in the craft and that they were working on prayer kneeler and the friendships, but then I sensed where it was going, kind of went ahead to little bets to verify , and knew it wasn't the book for me.

[@bookmama26]

Yes, exactly my feeling on the book!!

[@zachreads]

I almost can't dnf, I'm at 167 finished 2 dnfs lol. I gave the Blade Itself 5☆, but I get not liking it. Ppl say Vacation is Emily Henrys worst book, most rec Beach Read or Book Lovers.

[@bookmama26]

Haha, it is hard to DNF but it does feel really good sometimes!! I might give Beach Read a chance!

[@journeythruwords4619]

I’ve only read Meissner book. It was set in 40s London, but I thought it was very modern. I wouldn’t have known it was the 1940s if I wasn’t told. Yet this one sounds interesting because eugenics is alive and well in our world. However, with your opinion and my lack of love for her past book . . . bummer.

[@apak78]

Great video. I wish I could DNF books, but I am a completer, so these videos help to clear the clutter, so I can get it right the first time. Just one comment - there is a bit a of a paradox here - you loved the Thursday Murder Club in your previous video but you dislike cozy murder mysteries. TMC is the epitome of cozy mysteries, I am not a big fan, but I do not dislike either, a bit bland, too cozy...

[@bookmama26]

Haha, yes I caught that too when I was filming. For me the difference is the characters, I really enjoyed the old people in TMC. When I think “cozy mystery” I think of a quaint small town with a bakery owner main character who solves the mystery 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@Books.N.Roses26]

So I love Susan Meisner too but I have really been struggling with Only the Beautiful. Which one is about the London Bombing by her

[@bookmama26]

I think it was called Charmed Life - it has a picture of a women in a green dress on the cover!

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

Oh my, the ending of Babel - you didn't miss anything except more stuff to rant about!

[@bookmama26]

So glad to hear that!!

[@bookishmammabudgets]

I also DNF'd The Writing Retreat

[@bookmama26]

It was so bad!!

[@Earlymorningbookworm]

I love Emily Henry. People is probably my liked less than all the others of hers. Her other three are 👌🏻 Cozy is my bread and butter 😂 I think I just love knowing what I’m going to get. And usually it means a series I can settle into for a while.

[@bookmama26]

I love settling into a series ... so far I would say the only cozy series I like is Thursday Murder Club. I've heard that about Emily Henry books, so I think I will try Beach Read - the synopsis sounds the most interesting to me!

[@almablinn9755]

I only read one book from this list. Only The Beautiful. I did enjoy it, but my husband didn't like the separate stories as well because he had a hard time keeping track. I thought the condition she had was really interesting. I'd never heard of that before.

[@bookmama26]

I forgot about her seeing colors - that was pretty cool!

[@mdsagould]

I wish I had dnfd People We Meet on Vacation.

[@karifacer]

Malibu Rising was the first book I have read by that author, and I too was so thoroughly disgusted by all the Hollywood junk that I could not finish it. Even the sibling boys and their lust/love lives were too much for me. I was super bummed. I ended up skipping over most of it toward the end just to get the basic storyline and find out how it ends. The only reason I kept reading was because I was on a plane and had no other entertainment.

[@bookmama26]

Yeah, I did a lot of skimming by the end and wasn’t really satisfied with the conclusion 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@Greta.Anderson]

Babel was my most disliked book of 2023. I finished it but really hated it and that doesn’t happen often for me.

[@bookmama26]

Oh no! Bummed you didn't like, especially since it is such a BIG book!

[@HomeschoolwithRachel]

Yes, Malibu Rising was disappointing. I completely forgot about A Single Thread until you mentioned it at the end. Infidelity books are a big thumbs down for me. It could have left that bit out and been so much better.

[@bookmama26]

Yep, once I heard it involved infidelity I put it down!

[@ndreader]

I got through all of Babel and I liked the first half but the ending I hated!

[@bookmama26]

Oh that is good to know - I was worried I missed something!

[@megan3407]

No cozy for you. Noted. 😄

[@bookmama26]

🤣

[@YW2324]

Babel isnt really something im interested in reading.