The 10 Most Disappointing Books I Read in 2019

I spent a lot of time reading in 2019. I read more than 80 books, and most of them I enjoyed very much! However, there were also some flops. It’s inevitable that there will be some disappointments along the way, so I no longer let myself feel bad when I decide not to finish a book or cannot post a glowing review. But, just because I do not like a book doesn’t mean that no one else will, so I want to share some of the books I did not enjoy this year, in the hope that someone else might see something they like. Most of the books on this list I did read completely, but for some reason they simply were not to my taste.

In absolutely no particular order, the 10 most disappointing books I read in 2019 are:

1. The Bakeshop at Pumpkin & Spice by Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell, & Allyson Charles – Contemporary Romance, Halloween novella collection
2. Lisette’s List by Susan Vreeland – Historical Fiction (1940s French countryside)
3. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman – Fantasy
4. The Persistence of Vision by Lisa Gery – Historical Fiction
5. Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott – Classic/Historical Fiction
6. The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill – Historical Fiction (late 1800s)
7. The Shadowverse by John-Clement Gallo – Young Adult Science Fiction
8. Last Girl Standing by Marjory Kaptanoglu- Young Adult Science Fiction
9. The Firefly Dance by Sarah Addison Allen, Kathryn Magendie, Augusta Trobaugh, & Phyllis Schieber – Recent Historical Fiction (mid-1900s), short story collection
10. Northanger Abbey Marvel adaptation by Nancy Butler – Graphic novel adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic

I want to make it entirely clear that I am not posting this list to shame these books or their authors. I made this list so that some of the books I read this year but couldn’t post a positive review of could still get a little air time here. Also, I think it’s healthy to acknowledge that I spent time on things this year that did not end up being great. It’s okay to read something and not like it. Saying I disliked a book is not a personal attack on anyone, and is a necessary side of book reviewing that is often ignored or feared. I don’t enjoy talking about things I do not like, but that doesn’t mean that it is bad or wrong. In fact, I think it means I have an appropriate attitude towards things like this. I hope you find this list beneficial or at least interesting! If you would like to hear the reason behind a certain book being on this list, ask away!

Until the next chapter,

Jana