I have been a busy bee this week and haven’t had time to look at a book or the blog. It’s been bad times but I finally have a free hour, and what’s better than a Top 5 Wednesday to get back in the blogging swing?
Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Ginger Reads Lainey and currently hosted by Sam of Thoughts on Tomes. I have found another Top 5 Wednesday I’m interested in! More tea shall be spilt this week, mwahaha.
2018 was a pretty good year for reading but some of my reads stick out in the worst way. From ‘meh’ all the way to throwing the book across the room. So let’s get into it:
Nightblood by Elly Blake
I feel like I’ve grown a lot from when Frostblood came out to Nightblood being released. The series just didn’t grow with me. I loved Frostblood, the fantasy and the relationships. In Nightblood I realised just how controlling Arcus is and it just ruined the book for me.
Shadow Play – Jill Ramsower
I was so looking forward to Shadow Play, it was a fae urban fantasy based in my city. I have learned the problem with a book being based where you live is that you can be put off by any small details that are incorrect. The story was sadly not enough to save it for me.
Empress of All Seasons – Emiko Jean
Empress of all Seasons had such potential, the synopsis had me. The first twenty pages sucked me in. The village Mari grew up in was the most interesting part. I feel it would have been so much better if it was a duology. It just felt rushed.
The Truth and Lies of Ella Black – Emily Barr
The Truth and Lies of Ella Black wins the award for most hateable main character. Ella has no redeemable features. She treats her parents like dirt and has the worst attitude. There is the worst case of insta love in this. When this happened I chucked the book across the room, I was done.
I can’t actually think of another disappointing read, so my year must have been pretty good!
Did you have any disappointing reads in 2018?
Main characters definitely need to be likable in order to care about them! It must be bad for you to have thrown the book 😂
LikeLike
It was rough, the only book I’ve ever thrown!
LikeLike
My disappointing reads? Oh, definitely when the surface breaks, ash Princess, the hunger games, the 100, we were liars. And there might be even more, but I can’t really think of them right now.
LikeLike
Aww so many though I’ve heard a lot about the surface breaks being disappointing!
LikeLike
If main characters are likeable, I probably won’t enjoy the book. Unless there’s a really good redemption arc. Also, rushed endings are are awful.
Happy readings! 😉
Tânia @MyLovelySecret
LikeLike
I’m the same I have to somewhat like the main character no matter how morally grey they are!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh i’ve seen empress of all seasons around and thought it was really good but I’m sad it wasn’t what you expected. But thank you for the heads up!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You could really like it, let me know if you read it!
LikeLike
I’m another reader who loved Frostblood as well but haven’t gotten around to reading Nightblood yet despite the entire series being released. I was probably lured in by that cliffhanger at the end of book one. I didn’t realise Empress of All Seasons was a standalone read. I love duologies personally and wish more authors would consider a duology, it would cut out that boring middle book syndrome. Sorry these didn’t work too well for you, hopefully you’re currently reading something fabulous!
LikeLike
I loved Frostblood, was kind of meh – good with the second then the third I just couldn’t deal with.
I’m reading N0S4A2 by Joe Hill and it’s pretty good so far!
LikeLike
I did have a few disappointing reads last year. I think some I expected, but others I was surprised about Where the Crawdad’s Sing. It wasn’t TERRIBLE but it wasn’t as good as a lot of people told me it was. I think my WORST read for the year was The Sometimes Sisters.
LikeLike
I’ve seen Where the Crawdads Sing around a lot it looks interesting, That happens with hyped books though you always have too big an expectation for it to reach!
LikeLike
I had many disappointing reads in 2018. I should make a list too😂. Its a shame for empress for not growing on you. Have a nice 2019 though.
LikeLike
I always find peoples most disappointing reads so interesting! Hope you have a nice 2019 too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
the only book on my radar in your list is Empress of All Seasons and I am sad because I’m really excited for the book! Hopefully the pacing doesn’t feel rushed to me when I read it.
LikeLike
I hope you still enjoy it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wait, Empress of All Seasons is a STAND ALONE?!?!?!?! I thought it was a series! Sorry you didn’t like it though – I love when the pacing is good and not rushed, but oof. I didn’t have a bad reading year until I got to the last two weeks of 2018 and then everything went downhill from there. 😭
LikeLike
Aww no worse way to end the year!
LikeLike
The Empress of All Seasons is on this list?! Oh no, I was thinking of picking that one up. Like you said, the synopsis sounds amazing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The synopsis is pretty good, I guess it just depends on what you want out of the book, you might enjoy it more than I did!
LikeLike
I am so sorry these ones were disappointing to you! I didn’t actually know Empress of All Seasons was a standalone – I was so sure it was going to be a series! I think I can see why it was a bit rushed in that case
I was very disappointed by Sherlock Holmes stories when I read them!
LikeLike
Aww no I’ve read a couple of the Sherlock Holmes stories when I was younger but haven;t got back to them. I’ll need to see if I enjoy them now as much as I did before
LikeLiked by 1 person