the WORST books i read in 2023 (of the 200+ i read)

“If I wanted to watch a bunch of rich snobs f**king something, I would just tune in to UK parliament live streams and watch the government f**k the country.” Is the best review on a book I have ever heard. Well done 😂

So you disliked Rebecca yarros’ book NOT because she supports genocide and israel in their murdering of 20,000+ Palestinians but because it was poorly written? Noted

Oh my gosh, my nightmare is to be apart of hateritits lol.

I had the misfortune of reading Verity by Colleen Hoover and all I will say is that I am blessed to have only been exposed to her least offensive novel. never again...

What I’ve learned is that if the book is talked about on tik tok constantly, it’s almost certainly atrocious garbage

Yeah i don't like I Kissed Shara Wheeler either, so it's refreshing to hear that another person didn't.

but sometimes no plot just vibes is perfect 🥺 i loved the cruel prince…it's just so fun tbh

i also hated the list!!! but i didn't hate it more than the low-effort cover it got

bro I specifically watched this to see what you had to say about The Cruel Prince because I enjoyed that book, and now I want to go back and reread it, because I do not remember noticing that about the writing 😭

I don’t care The Cruel Prince was genuinely good to me and that’s coming from a certified hater

I heard some pretty problematic things about bett*r h*lp. I am surprised that you promote it.

TBH it breaks my heart a little that you didn't like The Cruel Prince, but it's totally understandable lol. I read it as a freshman in high school and the only reason I finished it was because I had to write a book review on it in school paper. I remember being really tortured by the writing style and worldbuilding as well. The plot is absoultely lacking and, especially in the last book, really frustratingly straightforward.

However, now, fiveish years and two books later, it is absoulutely one of my favorites. It was really refreshing to have a main female character be so underpowered and yet so unapologetically ambitious (contrasting against the stories I read as a kid, such as Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, King Arthur, (ACOTAR!!), etc. where the main character doesn't want to be "leader" but it's their "destined path" and they're naturally good at everything. I totally adore the series for Jude and the complxity of her relationship with her family. And the food descriptions. But the main reason I think we might differ on this opinion is probably quite simple: I read it as a teenage girl, and you are an extremely well-read adult. It's my comfort series for sure though haha

Jack go write your version of The List cos I would totally read that version.

Huh. The Novelist sounds like a very bad parody of Ulysses.

Fourth Wing and Happy Place were my worst books of the year, that I finished, so I'm glad to know Iron Flame was worse. I DNF'd 96 books and have read 170 so far.

I DNFd Chain-Gang All-Stars. Was so bummed because the concept is SO good but i was so bored reading it...

I feel the exact same way about the Cruel Prince. The writing KILLED ME

I'm so sad to see Shara Wheeler on this list. It's my favourite McQuiston novel. I had so much fun with it! I do recognize that it's a pretty American book (with lots of American references and plot conventions) but the characters are just so dang loveable. It's not Jack's typical type of read though so I get why he didn't like it.

HOWEVER, I'm happy to see Romantic Comedy on here because that book was truly terrible. I didn't care about the characters at all. The romance was boring. and the whole COVID part was just so unnecessary.

I adored Idol, Burning; hater jack let me respectfully support my girl!!

What I think was meant to be gleamed from it (and what Usami talked about in her footnotes) was how usually, people use idol culture and the “crazed fangirl” trope to paint all fans in the same image of young girls who see these idols as their boyfriends. But the main character doesnt stalk her idol, doesnt hate his girlfriend, and doesnt actually want to ever meet him in person. Rather she only seeks comfort and solace in her idol, and found a sense of rhythm to her life through the group. Mundanity was difficult for her neurodivergence, and she often was scolded as “lazy” and “stupid” when rather, presented with her interest or hyperfixation, she could remember extremely detailed facts and have complex thoughts! ((Also picky note for a person whose hobby this is: the book focuses on JPOP culture and NOT KPOP culture, but there is some overlap).

To be fair I think I held this book close to my heart because throughout covid, my rediscovery of my love of kpop really helped me during periods of isolation and aimlessness. Schedules, song releases, and variety shows helped me keep track of the endless days and gave me something to look forward to and put energy into when my life felt on hold. I think it’s a book to give a more realistic and less talked about version of idol culture and human connection 🤍

I've read over 100 books gunna try 200 in 2024😊

Tbh I so disagree with his opinions here I’m probably gonna make a tbr list out of this video 😂

I love iron flame.

I could not read past like 10 pages with the cruel prince. i hated the writing style so much and just was annoyed? to be fair I just really am not the target audience, I don't read/like fantasy very much and maybe I'm a bit too old for it (22) lol. I just wanted to give it a go since it was so hyped but I should've researched it more before getting it. it just really wasn't for me.

Your right, pretty good actually was pretty bad actually!

I hated Trust Exercise and feel validated that you did too. It received so much attention the year it came out and by the end I felt like I'd been totally jipped.

How do you read 200+ books in a year 😭 I've barely read 4 books on 2023

Now that's an excellent video. this is what I came here for. loved this roasting session, especially every once in a while, I recommend.

I absolutely loved The List, I thought it was funny, interesting and clever, one of my faves of the year

I love the sarcasm and hate. It’s hilarious

My least favourite book of this year was This Is How I Roll by Debbie Michiko Florence. The MC is just so unlovable and the plot is so predictable.

As someone who dnfed Chain Gang All Stars and only hear good reviews. Thank you

finally someone who hates the cruel prince as much as me. I've read the whole series hoping the writing style and plot would get better but NO. It is AWFUL

The Cruel Prince performance by Jack is the PEAK level of his nerdiness.

i think we can all agree we could listen to jack hating on books for days; the puns, the dad humour, the chuckling after every mean comment and burn, they are all so fun to watch/listen to. i can't.

I only got to page 123 of iron flame before I decided to dnf it because I was boreddd to death and it really made me question my rating on fourth wing 🤔

The worst book I read this year was Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I felt that it was written by someone with no understanding of the workings of our monarchy for people with no understanding of the workings of our monarchy. I could not finish this book despite two attempts at reading it.

love the concept of the video, but i can’t help noticing that most of the books on your hate list are by female authors😬

With ☮️ and 🫶🏼
🫰🏼good vibes only🫰🏼
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No I’m kidding, the vibes here are rancid 😷👹

I'll have to say "The Housemaid's Secret" and "Lovelight Farms", my last two reads, and it's already one of the worst books I've read this year.

I tried reading The List...got so far as “her phone was lying near her like an abandoned lover” and noped out.

personally i didn't like the buddhist of suburbia but maybe i just didnt get it idk

Chain Gang All-Stars in this list is crazy. Actually unsubscribing

I love the contrast between Jack talking about the potential of Chain Gang All Stars and Fake Accounts where he just prefaces with "What kind of fuckery is this??" 😂😂😂

First of all, I love you and your account so much ❤️. Secondly, I reallllyyy wanna hear your thoughts and opinions on ACOTAR series. Pls give it a try.

I could write a book longer than Pucking Around on how much I despised the 60% I read of Pucking Around.

Worst book of my year: The Female Quixote by Charlotte Lennox. I have lost money and time, and I want them back. I felt becoming more and more crazy with that despicable character that Arabella is.
Also, Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, a huge disappointment, as the plot sounded great, but the delivery is abysmal. The author couldn't choose between feminism, qeerness, threesome, neo-colonialism, war; so she decided to put it all together without it making any sense. Plus, badly written.
Also, 2084 by Boualem Sansal, a book finding its success in the current trend of Islamophobia and a very loose, not well-constructed critique of totalitarianism. An insult to good dystopias out there, a distinctive lack of imagination and talent for writing.

“I have a book recommendation for them, and that’s THE BIBLE” I CACKLED😭😭

Hater ass reviews are actually so great 😭😭 this is the kind of review I NEED

Chain gang All-star's is to much like squid games imo

for me the worst book of the year was common decency. im so disappointed because it had so much potential and all of it was wasted. the story is about two women living in one building - siobhan and lily.
lily is obsessed with siobhan, shes jealous of everything the other one has. she stalks her, watches her constantly, even breaks into her flat. and what? nothing. breaks into her flat and then goes back to hers. nothing.
it. did. nothing. to the plot.
it couldve been SO interesting to see how we could be jealous of someone, their looks, style, behavior, life, partner, friends, yet we dont how what their life is really like. i think everyone can relate to that - we are often jealous of other people, but their life isnt so perfect in reality. yet this book does nothing with that. it goes NOWHERE.
i was truly so disappointed, it easily coulve been one of the best books ive read in a while, and it ended up being the most irritating one.