I bet you think I’m going to write “put the book down and go for a run!” which, although a fabulous idea, is not what this post is about. It’s actually about just putting bad books down. Are you the type who can walk away from a crappy book or do you have to see it though?

Put the

I’m sure you can guess that I have zero issue with stopping a book mid-sentence, when I just can’t take one more agonizing word. In fact, I get annoyed that I wasted my time and eyeballs on it in the first place.

I’m here to save you some time and money by listing my least favorite books of the year. They also make great gifts for people you don’t like.

The Truth and Other Lies | Sascha Arango

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I’m not sure who recommend this book to me or when, but I made it 29 pages before I decided I definitely hated it. It began with such intrigue and suspense and quickly turned into something just odd and uninteresting.

The sentence that did it: “If it’s a woman, keep it to yourself. And now let’s go look for the marten, shall we?”

Don’t even get me started on what a marten is. Trust me, you don’t care.

Right around the time I gave up on this disaster, a friend not only recommended an excellent book (The Good Girl), but also invited me to her book club to discuss it. If I know her like I think I do, the “book club” will be mostly eating, drinking, yapping and quickly discussing only the most interesting parts of the book. I cannot wait.

Among the Ten Thousand Things | Julia Pierpont

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Here is a common theme – it started out really great. They always do. After page 91, and after all the secrets were seemingly revealed, it quickly sped downhill. When it came to what should have been the meatiest part, the characters fell flat, were predictable and dull. No thanks.

I also felt the main female character was a coward and I just cannot deal with that mess.

The sentence that did it: “That, as far as Simon was concerned, settled it…to steel the family from judgement by a fifteen-year-old-old boy named Donald.”

That’s right. Donald decided the turning point for the family.

Unfortunately for me, I went from this train wreck to The Truth and Other Lies. It was a dark time.

Luckiest Girl Alive | Jessica Knoll

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Full disclosure: I loved to hate this one. I read the entire thing in about five days and thought about giving up on the incredibly easy to loathe main character, TifAni FaNelli, many times. Yes, even her name is utterly hatable. It’s also at the root of the story. This is exactly why I couldn’t turn away and just had to finish it.

The sentence that almost ended it: “I had six leisurely years to get where I am now: fiancé in finance, first-name basis with the hostess at Locanda Verde, the latest Chloé hooked over my wrist (not Céline, but at least I knew better then to parade around in a monstrous Louis Vuitton like it was the eighth wonder of the world). Plenty of time to hone my craft.”

The sentence that reeled me back in: “There is something about seeing someone from behind, something about the way people walk away, that I’ve always found unnervingly intimate. Maybe it’s because the back of the body isn’t on guard the way the front is – the slouch of the shoulders and the flex in the back muscles, that’s the most honest you’ll ever see a person.”

Once I finished it, I leaned heavily toward being glad I did. However, I think I could have just as easily given up on it and somehow managed to continue breathing.

The best books, as you may know, leave you changed and breathless.

On this one, you will have to decide for yourself.

[Tweet “Saving you time and money on the #worst #reads of 2015. What do you think? #readallaboutit”]

Tell me – do you stop reading bad books or read them to the end once you start?

What pick do you disagree with and why?

What is your worst read book of the year?

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