Hello, I'm a purveyor of bad books and make it a point to read ones that catch my interest. It's a bizarre and nonsensical fascination of mine. They can be across a variety of genres and topics. My only stipulations are that I can obtain a physical copy of the work (Digital will not do, for I am a luddite and I like to possess actual copies) and that said book is in English (I do not speak or read any other languages).
I also want book recommendations where the general consensus is awful. Not overrated, not polarizing, not someone's cup of tea. BAD. Straight up bad. Funny-bad or just outright bad. To give you an idea, here are some of the books already in my possession that I have read or will read just to scratch off potential recommendations:
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Ruin Mist series (Robert Stanek)
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The original Maradonia trilogy (Gloria Tesch. Yes, I have the newest Maradonia book and The Secret of Moon Lake)
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Antigua: The Land of Fairies Wizards and Heroes (Part 1) (Larry Ellis, Denise Ellis)
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Empress Theresa (Norman Boutin)
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Org's Odyssey (Duke Otterland)
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The Legend of Rah and the Muggles (N.K. Stouffer)
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Wild Animus (Rich Shapero)
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My Immortal (Tara Gillespie. Yes, I have a physical copy of this timeless treasure)
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The Forensic Certified Public Accountant and the Cremated 64-SQUARES Financial Statements (Dwight David Thrash)
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Stones to Abbigale, This is Why I Hate You, and Reaper's Creek (Onision)
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Save the Pearls (Parts One and Two) (Victoria Foyt)
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We All Fall Down (Rose Szabo)
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Handbook for Mortals (Lani Sarem)
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The Shadow God (Aaron Rayburn)
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Dragons: Lexicon Triumvirate and The Aquarium (Kenneth Che-Tew Eng)
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Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend (Alan Cumyn)
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Rainbow Party (Paul Ruditis)
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The Tale of Onora trilogy (Dylan Saccoccio)
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Trigger Warning (William W. Johnstone)
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Super Mario Bros. 3: Brick by Brick (Bob Chipman)
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The Way of the Shadow Wolves (Steven Seagal, Tom Morrissey)
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Irene Iddesleigh, Delina Delaney, Helen Huddleson, Poems of Puncture, and Fumes of Formation (Amanda McKittrick Ros)
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Crown of Starlight (Cait Corrain)
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Healing Homosexuality (Leanne Payne)
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Coming Out Straight (Richard Cohen)
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The Unhappy Gays and What Everyone Should Know About Homosexuality (Tim LaHaye)
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Does God Love Michael's Two Daddies? (Sheila K. Butt)
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The No Cussing Club (McKay Hatch)
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The World Rose (Richard Brittain)
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At First Glance (Breanna Mae Alessandra)
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The Shadowmancer duology (G.P. Taylor)
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Baldur's Gate trilogy (Philip Athans, Drew Karpyshyn)
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The Eye of Argon (Jim Theis)
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In the Breath of a Moment (Andrew Kieniksman)
These are some of the books. There are more, but I'm already getting long-winded. Bring me your worst book suggestions, if you would be so kind. Any genres welcome.
by Hermit_187_purveyor
20 Comments
Bride by Ali Hazelwood. So popular among the romance community but I was traumatized by “knotting”
Another one: Atlas Shrugged
I’m terrified the romantasy community will come for me, but:
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, I still don’t know how to pronounce the main characters name, is it Xaden as in Zay-den or Xaden as in X-aden?!
If I can’t get the name right there’s little hope of me ever finishing it. I don’t think I can see a word starting with X without going back into the Xaden Spiral.
Isle of Dogs, Patricia Cornwell. The only book I have ever thrown away.
It was a stupid plot, idiotically written, and every character was rabidly ignorant. I suspect she wrote such crap to get out of a contract.
The Scarlet Pimpernel. Movie is awesome, but I had to put the book down when the protagonist literally kissed the ground a girl walked on.
The phenolic keeper. Good concept. So badly writing ugh.She nervously bit her lip.- said this book and every mass market fantasy novel
How the Vortex Changed My Life by Pamela K Kinney
Anything Chuck Tingle, particularly ‘Trans Wizard Harriet Porber And The Bad Boy Parasaurolophus: An Adult Romance Novel’.
A combo of a Harry Potter parody and monster erotica, it’s so bad that it’s almost good, but either way a funny read.
Zodiac Academy.
Supermarket by Bobby Hall is the worst book I’ve ever read.
Death by Rhubarb is a murder mystery crime book about people being poisoned with rhubarb and it’s exactly as bad as you’d expect based on that description.
Run by Blake Crouch was an atrocity. Genuinely terrible
Ladies First: MAGA Hat Romance (Liberty Adams)
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. Truly terrible
Vostok by Steve Alten was so awful i barely finished it.
The Haunting of Clandestine House by Celina Myers
I had sixth grade students that were better writers.
Feather by Olivia Wildenstein
Oh god you unlocked a memory there. I got Wild Animus for free when on campus in UCC in Cork in Ireland and I distinctly remember it being so bad! No suggestion sadly but had a good laugh
I mean, it might be obvious – but Fifty Shades was the absolute worst thing I’ve read! Content wasn’t an issue for me (in fact I was rather looking forward to that), but the writing was so dreadful I just couldn’t get through it. How many times does she “channel her inner goddess” or say “oh my?” I think someone actually did a count, and it was out of control.
Nora goes off script by Annabel Monaghan