Worst Books of 2023

It's the 4th day of #lalamas and today we're getting negative 🎄

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[kerryonmywaywardson]

I felt the same way about Cassandra Khaw's Nothing But Blackened Teeth. Some of the language was pretty, but I had no clue what the sentences were telling me. Which is hard in horror when characters are literally being chased by ghosts.

[Mari_]

I agree with A House with Good Bones. I was so confused throughout the whole book. It felt like a fever dream, the kind which you know you’re dreaming and just want to wake up but couldn’t

[jf]

The Push was recommended so much for mothers, and I feel like it would actually be enjoyed way more by non-mothers. As a mom, I didn't "relate" to it at all and in fact felt unsettled (not in a good way)

[celineneumann]

Just finished The September House and the dialogue was actually one of my favorite parts, I loved getting such a deep glimpse into their complex family relationship and history through their conversations ♥️ Found it through you and thought it sounded like smth up my alley :D

[aprilhutchens]

Oh no I loved "The September House"! Super weird because I normally don't love haunted house books. It felt very "Needful Things" meets "Dolores Claiborne" to me. ☺️

[NakiasHideaway]

Kayla, you are so good at summarizing your thoughts. I get why you didn't like every single book that you talked about. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[eleanorhenderson]

My most disappointing / worst was The Secret History and I’m so sad

[katecollins]

Hi Kayla! I know this maybe isn’t ~your thing~ but would you ever consider linking or listing where your clothes are from? Our hair color is basically identical and I love everything you wear!

[riomadre]

My favorite video of the year!! Yes, I love snark 😅

[VenLouie]

this and the reading books from childhood series, like u really did ur thing with those ones

[JanAgaton]

it's the way almost all of the ones ive read on this list were 4 or 5 stars 😂 but tbh agreeing on A Twisted Love Story is a win for me 🤷🏽‍♀️

lol i almost want to read all your worst books to test our opposite tastes

[candybear]

Aw loved the push 😅 I have several of the others on my tbr…

[theotherveronica]

my most disappointing this year was Sharks in the Time of Saviors. i originally gave it a two star because i felt like the problems i had with the book might’ve just been personal (didn’t connect with the characters, felt like nothing happened, underdeveloped magical realism) but then i found out the author isn’t indigenous Hawaiian. the book is about a native Hawaiian family and the complicated relationship they have with their homeland. so to find out that the author isn’t actually native Hawaiian but is telling us this story and allowing us to believe he’s native Hawaiian didn’t sit right with me so i bumped my rating down to one star.

[kadamowicz]

I feel like I need to love T. kingfisher…but I just am not their audience😢

[chelseareadstowolves]

Kayla, Are you going to read The Whispers by Ashley Audrain?

[BrebearMckae]

The end of house with good bones was what made me not enjoy- before that was fine, but the end just felt too rushed for being a short story

[kristenchumley]

Not The Push on this list! It was one of my best of the year back when it first came out. 😢 Then again, I also liked her new book The Whispers and I seem to be the outlier there.

[loretal]

here's how it goes: you love the books that i hate and you hate the books that i love, this is the perfect rec video for me

[angylcantread]

I felt the same about A House with Good Bones!! The pacing really bothered me

[judithcakelover]

The Writing Retreat was one of my worst books of 2023.🙈