The CLUNKERS of 2023

For the 18th year in a row, here's the place to post your "clunkers" of the year: the books you just couldn't get through, the ones you threw across the room, or the books you finished but really disliked. Go ahead, tell us how you really feel! :-)

Post one or several and tell us why it gets your vote as a clunker.

Worst of 2006

Worst of 2007

Worst of 2008

Worst of 2009

Worst of 2010

Worst of 2011

Worst of 2012

Worst of 2013

Worst of 2014

Worst of 2015

Worst of 2016

Worst of 2017

Worst of 2018

Worst of 2019

Worst of 2020

Worst of 2021

Worst of 2022

Remember, one reader's clunker is another reader's treasure!

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling
It is a confusing, twisted mix of themes of climate change, gender inequality, migration and class.

The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson
It looks like this book was originally published 3/2022 and then again 7/4/2023. I'm guessing it was in hopes of receiving better reviews. The characters are so un-relatable and passive aggressive. The story is outrageous with an unresolved, ridiculous ending.

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin
The author's emotional breakdown and suicidal thoughts while writing this book provides insight into the inconguence and confusion of her debut novel. Her struggle to finish and publish her debut novel in the aftermath of her mental health breakdown almost seems worthy of its own story.

The Drift by C.J. Tudor
It is gory apocalyptic thriller which began with enjoyable deceptive characters which only resulted in an anticlimatic ending given the clearly impossible scenario.

ABC is playing the ball drop

Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. SHOULD have loved this but felt the characters were thin, the world building superficial and the feeling of trying too hard permeated the book. Also bizarre pacing with a glacial pace for the first 2/3 of the book and sudden escalation into the climax and denouement in the last 1/3.
I'm so sorry, I know other people loved this book.

>4 thelorelei:

I'm so sorry, I know other people loved this book

No need to be sorry, people have different tastes. Besides, I looked at the reviews here and there are a fair number of 2 and 3 star, not to mention some 1 star, reviews. So you are, apparently, not alone!

>4 thelorelei: You're in a safe venting zone!

I found This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel really annoying. I don't want to explain why because it makes me sound like an intolerant person, which I'm not! The book just wasn't a good fit for me.

I found Babel by R.F. Kuang too dense to be an actually enjoyable novel. It read more like a PhD thesis, which is not what I want to read when I'm relaxing.

Long Live the Post Horn by Vigdis Hjorth was one of the most boring books I've ever read. Infinite Country by Patricia Engel came a close second in boring books I have read.

Finally, it falls to me to explain that although I think Dostoevsky is a great writer, that maybe reading Notes from Underground is a bad choice when you're so depressed that you're considering self-harm. I did not self-harm, but I did stop reading the book and called a crisis line. No Dostoevsky during winter months, that's the lesson here!

>7 ahef1963: Well that is powerful writing! I'm glad you knew when to stop and what to do!

My least favorite book of the year was Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather. It bored me and I was happy when Death finally came!

I was also disappointed by Quicksilver by Dean Koontz. It wasn't the worst ever, but I'm used to not being able to put down his books while this one felt sort of pointless and repetitive.

Two real clunkers were The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict: https://www.librarything.com/work/25944708/reviews/248410384 and Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano: https://www.librarything.com/work/28731380/reviews/254446545

>5 lilithcat: You are absolutely correct; what the heck am I doing? It's the inhibited midwesterner in me. I stand by my review, lol.