Our Least Favorite Books - 2024

Published Monday, December 2, 2024

At this time of the year it seems like everyone is making lists of the best books of the year, but we thought it would be interesting to talk a little about books that were our least favorite. Most readers end up with a few books each year that they didn't like. Sometimes it's because they thought, based on description of the book, it was a different kind of book. Other times the book just did not stand up to expectations. Here are our favorite least favorites of the year.

The Giver
by Lois Lowry

I devoted some of my summer reading to catching up with youth classics. Given how well-loved this book is, I had high expectations, but sadly the story didn’t meet them. The characters were flat and not terribly likeable, the world-building was full of lapses in logic, and the ending was just, well, okay.
- Charlie

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Clean
by Alia Trabuccu Zerán

I didn’t like how this book flowed. I guess this type of plot mixed in with flashbacks just does not work for me. I also didn’t like the ending, I feel like it did not tie up the last details.
- Rachel

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Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Future
Merlin Sheldrake

I really wanted to love this book because I have become fascinated learning more about the mycelial network (fungal threads that facilitate plant and tree communication underground), but the author was just too long-winded for me. I think I’ll try some documentaries instead.
- Cary

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The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality
by Amanda Montell

From the title, I expected it to be more research-based but, it ended up being more of a memoir with small sections about magical thinking mixed in. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was just a memoir.
- Jacqueline

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The Invisible Library
by Genevieve Gogman

I know this was my least favorite book this year because I kept putting it down. The genre of fantasy is not my first pick, but I have read some fantasy and enjoyed it. This book, however, is just too fantastical. There’s time travel, chaos, dragons, vampires, fairies—you name it. I need just a shred of reality in my fantasy books. However, I am sure fantasy fans would enjoy this book.
- Sally

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The Millionaire Next Door
by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko

While this book did contain some sound financial advice, it contained too many gender stereotypes in its hypothetical examples. The millionaires are always men making big business moves, while the women are homemakers/caretakers who clip coupons. It was impossible to finish for this reason.
- Kristi

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My Beloved Monster: Masha, the Half-Wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me
by Caleb Carr

Because I have rescue cats who have made my life more meaningful and enjoyable I was curious about the author's experiences. The book was interesting but overly wordy in its descriptions.
- Mary

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Demon Copperhead
by Barbara Kingsolver

This one was a difficult read for me just because of the heavy content. I rooted for Demon's success, but found it hard to keep reading through all of his struggles (caused both by his unfortunate situation and his own poor choices). This was my first Kingsolver book, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who's looking for a lighthearted escape.
- Ronna

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Nothing But Blackened Teeth
by Cassandra Khaw

This title caught my eye due to its enticing cover and fun setting for a haunted house, an abandoned Japanese mansion. It fell flat for me in its suspense building and characters. Some might like this novella for its quick introduction to Japanese mythology and quick descent into a possession, but it sadly didn't scratch my itch for the creepy and dark.
- Emily

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Lights Out
by Navessa Allen

The overall idea of the book seemed interesting, and honestly, it was! However, the author's writing style is where the book lost me. It often felt that the author was trying to be relatable with the reader, making references and jokes that feel more uncomfortable than funny. Some situations felt like they happened because the author wanted it to be part of the story, but did not actually fit into what had been set up.
- Aubrey

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The Women
by Kristen Hannah

When a book stays on the New York Times Bestsellers list for 10 months, I expect an extremely well-written book. So, yes my expectations were very high which probably contributed to this being my least favorite book of the year. While I was very interested in the premise of this book, I wasn't able to finish reading it. I am clearly in the minority!
- Katherine

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Pretzel
by Margret Rey (Author), H. A. Rey (Author, Illustrator)

I did not like Pretzel because the message it sends is problematic and outdated. The story suggests that persistence in pursuit of someone’s affection is always rewarded, which can feel uncomfortable by today’s standards. While the illustrations are charming, the plot is just weird, centering on a dog whose defining trait is his excessive length. The way Greta’s opinion changes feels forced, and it undermines the idea of respecting personal boundaries. Overall, the book has not aged well and fails to deliver a positive or meaningful message.
- Gwen

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Mother-Daughter Murder Night
by Nina Simon

The pacing was too slow, the characters lacked depth, and it was marketed as a mystery, but the plot lacked the usual intrigue of a mystery and was more concerned with the healing process of a family.
- Denise

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Waiting for Godot
by Samuel Beckett

This tragicomedy in two acts was originally performed in 1953. I listened to the audio book and did enjoy the humor. But I still wondered why it has significance to the writing world. According to wikipedia it "symbolizes the absurdity of existence, the purposelessness of life, and how suffering increases with the passage of time.". Too heavy for me because of its hidden philosophical meaning. The play, however, is still being produced on Broadway. Look for Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter on Broadway playing the parts of Estragon and Vladimir in the fall of 2025. You may remember Keanu & Alex from "Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure".
- Kelly

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The Bone Season
by Samantha Shannon

Set in a future London where supernatural abilities exist and are vilified by the powers that be, this fantasy takes a dive into a criminal underworld, in which the protagonist is high rank. I found myself lost almost right away with the amount of unexplained terminology and jargon. I wish there had been a bit more exposition from the start to help me get acclimated to the world Shannon created. This is the first book of the series, and I don’t see myself reading on at this time. However, I did learn that I read the originally published version of the book (2013) – there is now a revised edition as of 2023, so while I haven’t checked to see if this element has improved in the latter, I would recommend anyone interested in trying this series to start there, especially as the fifth installment is to be released in February 2025.
- Kristen

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Evenings & Weekends
by Oisín McKenna

There wasn't anything specific I didn't like about it. The story just felt a little flat. It just was meh for me.
- Erin

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About the Author

Katherine is the Digital Marketing, Collections, and Communications Specialist and has been working at EPL since 2008. She loves books, especially ones with unique plots and those written so well that she can't put them down.