 Hey guys, it's Liana and I'm here today to talk about the worst books of the year. So I was going to try to stack them up and hold them up for you to show you them, but I've gotten rid of probably half of them so I could only hold up half of them. So I decided not to hold up any because I'm lazy. So I've got six books to talk about today, which are all terrible, but I've decided to do it in the order of progressively getting worse. So they're all bad and they're all the worst books that I read this year, but we're going to go from best to worst, best of the worst because they're not good. But you know what I mean? It's going to be the least bad to the most bad. I think that's the best way to say it. So yeah, without further ado, I don't think I need to explain this. These are books that I did not like. Oh, I guess disclaimers. So you're supposed to say it's okay if you liked them, even if I didn't, which I think goes without saying. But if you liked the books that I'm about to talk about, that doesn't mean that you're a bad person. Just means that we don't have the same taste. Okay, great. Now you probably won't be shocked by this list because for all the books on this list, I have either filmed a rant review for it, like a full one, or I have at least ranted about it in a wrap up in the month in which I read the book. So if you've all been paying attention to my channel, then you probably already know what's on this list. And you're just going to hear me say the same negative things again. Okay, okay. Six books. Let's go. Sixth on the list. So because number one would be the number one worst, right? So we're going to do six, five, four, three, two, one. Okay. So number six on the list is The Diviners by Libba Bray. This is a more recent read. Um, I, I'm already going to, I already know I'm going to struggle with explaining some of the books that are from the more closer to the beginning of this year. The Diviners is a recent read and I did not like it. Um, I did give it three stars, I think. It was a generous three because it was like, because two seemed too low, but three felt very generous. You don't know. The Diviners is a YA book that is about like supernatural paranormal psychic type stuff in 1920s New York, which sounded like a cool premise. I was excited to read it in Halloween month because it seemed like it'd be my jam. And it was really long and drawn out, quite like boring and dragging at times. The main character, the main main character was insufferable, selfish, like absolutely wretched human. I could not stand her. She was such a spoiled brat. And the author decided to use every single bit of like 1920s jargon slang throughout the book, but especially when Evie was, Evie, Evie, whatever her name was, was talking, I could not with her. And then there were some good moments and some of like, like the concept of the book I still like. I just didn't enjoy the experience of reading it. And there were bits of it where I liked what was happening, but there was just too much happening. And like, it was just all over the place and none of it was developed enough. And the characters that I did like, we didn't spend enough time with. If I just, I've heard that the next book in the series is better, but there's so many other books that I would rather read. So I've never heard anyone say anything negative about this book. So I was shocked because I've only ever heard praise. So I was like, I'm guaranteed to like this. And I was like, what? Is this the book that everyone's been reading? Because, okay, number five, right? Number five on the list is The Falconer by whoever that's by. I gave that away. I think it's Elizabeth somebody. I might be way off on that. So The Falconer is why a fantasy that's like Irish myth steampunk thing going on, which I knew about the like Irishiness. Oh wait, maybe Scottish. Is it in Scotland or Ireland? It's been a while. I read this like the last spring, I think. Is it Scotland? I don't remember. It's Celtic-ish. Anyway, yeah, the cover, it just looks like Merida with a dagger. And I was like, yeah. And then I didn't know about the steampunk thing. So when that started happening, I was like, oh, well, okay, I guess that's fine. The steampunk thing did not add to the story. In fact, the world wasn't really a steampunk world. It did feel like Victorian-ish kind of, is it Scotland? I think it's Scotland. And there was just like randomly steampunk things thrown in just for shits and giggles. They would be, it was like totally courtly society and totally everything is like how you'd expect in like historical fiction famously. Except that out of nowhere, instead of having normal tea, they would have this weird steampunk machine making tea for them. And we would just have a paragraph about that. We just like took a break from the story to talk about that contraption and then went back to the story. It's like if you're at someone's house and it's like a house party and everyone's like talking about politics and religion and all the things you're not supposed to talk about and having a good all time. And out of nowhere, the host is like, I got this curig. Can I tell you about how it works? It's got these ponds and it does this cool thing. And we've been loving it. And everyone's like, okay. So back to politics and religion. The book did that multiple times. And I was like, why is this here? This does not seem relevant. And the world isn't very steampunky in a way that like affects the plot. It's just like here and there is a gadget. I was like, why? It was very insta-lovy. There was a character that I thought I was supposed to be shipping her with. And when that started happening, I was like, oh, maybe I can do kind of like this because I was pretty bored until that happened. And then that ended up not being the character we're supposed to ship. It was this like grumpy gruff, like hates himself. Faye dude. And I was like, aren't we doing this again? Oh my God, I've seen this. And it's always cliche, but at least I've seen it done better here. I was like, are you kidding me? This really? There's no chemistry. There's nothing here between them. It's just like weirdly brooding and angsty. And you like threw those words in there and thought we would salivate. I didn't. And then the end, I shit you not. It literally ends on not a cliffhanger, like mid-scene, like commercial break in an action TV show when they're like about to like fall off a building or about to get stabbed or about to get shot. And then they're like cut to commercial. And like you have to wait three minutes, but then they come back to it. The book ends like that. And I was like, uh, am I missing some pages? Like I've seen cliffhangers, but this you just stop. It's just mid-action just stopped. And I was like, fuck this book. Forget it. I'm not reading the next book. This is terrible. So yeah, that's, that's the falconer. Next on my list is, uh, oh Clockwork Dynasty. I can't, I don't really have anything like that ranty to say about this. I read it during Booktubeathon or 48, 24 and 48 or I don't know. I did like a couple of readathons this year. And I read that during one of them. What's it booktubeathon? Maybe cause it was definitely for a challenge that was like reading a book that's like about something you'd want to do. Cause it's, that's why I originally bought it. Cause it's about like an anthropologist and it's like mixing two timelines of like 1700s Russia with present day, this like an anthropologist archaeologist person. And then I again, it's like steampunk and there's these automatons from the 1700s. And like those timelines are converging. And I was like, oh, that sounds so cool. It's like historical Russian anthropology. Like this sounds like it would be my jam. It was painfully boring honestly. And it felt like it was like trying to do something epic, but it didn't. Like I kept feeling like the author, the way that they would phrase things. It felt like this is supposed to be somehow significant and deep. And I was like, it's not. It's just boring and weird. And I just feel kind of like cold and empty reading this. Like there's no soul. It's just this, it was a really weird book. And it had nothing to do with anthropology honestly. So like the anthropology major in me was annoyed because I was just like, how dare you? How dare you? This is not what anthropologists do. So I was, yeah, I was just annoyed and just kind of empty feeling after that. So it didn't think it was that well thought out or that well built. It didn't make that much sense. It just, it seemed very much stuck up its own ass. And I was like, I don't remember who wrote Clockwork Dynasty, but you shouldn't read it. So don't look it up. The next book on my list is Heart of the Fae, which I have now, despite saying that I wasn't going to film a rant review, I have like a couple of videos now where in which I have ranted and I'm about to again. So despite the fact that I have not done a rant review, because it's an indie author and I refuse to do that, to film a rant review about an indie published book. For the third time, I'm going to rant about this book. So that might be worse than just filming one review and being done. But whatever, here we go. Heart of the Fae by Emma Hamm. I read fairly recently and I knew it would be a fantasy romance. So like I knew to expect the romance and whatever. And it's the Irish mythology beauty and the beast retelling with romance. The plot made no sense. The dialogue was so weird. Like no one talks like that. And the characters would just say things that like either didn't make sense just like in the way that like people just don't talk like that. But also often didn't make sense in that like they weren't even talking about this. And all of a sudden they're bringing something else into it because the author needs the plot to develop this point. It felt like the author was writing, writing, writing and was like, oh, I haven't highlighted enough how they feel about XYZ or I haven't mentioned enough what they think about XYZ. So while I'm here, just shove that in because that's where I'm at. And you're like, wait, why are we talking about this right now? Did someone bring that up? What's happening? Which like on a first draft is fine, I guess, because you're just like, oh, before I forget, let me put that in. And then when you reread, you're like, yikes, that's not where that goes. Let's rearrange it. That never happened. First draft got published is what it feels like because there's a lot of typos too. And oh yeah, the author several times. So I know this is not a typo several times. Use the word anyways with an S and I was like, that's not a word. That's not a word. Yikes. And then the dialogue again, the dialogue would sound weirdly modern and then also weirdly old-timey at the same time. So it depended on the word or the sentence or who was speaking and it would switch back and forth sometimes mid sentence. And I was like, what tone are we going for here? Because they would use all these extra like SAT style Shakespearean words to discuss something and sound, you know, say something with 10 words when you and I would use two. And then within the same page, they would say something weirdly casual and modern. And I was like, what, what? And then there was this whole thing about how, so the main character, she's like a healer, but her, her father, the morees of this beauty and the beast, he's actually, he owns a brothel and all of his daughters are just girls that he's collected who work in his brothel. Everyone is a prostitute except our main character because she's too special. She's a healer. And because she's a healer, then Papa, who is their pimp, is like, nah, you don't do that. You're a healer. So you just do that. And like the author keeps thinking it sound like this. We're supposed to think this is like good for the women because like this is like actually a nice brothel. He treats them well and how liberated of them to like use their bodies for money if they want to. But then also like, you're definitely prostitutes and they're definitely being used by this man who just like adopted girls to be prostitutes to make money off of. And it's like trying to like have its cake and eat it too to be like, how progressive. But also like, no, like, no, this is weird. This is super weird. And I don't feel comfortable with this at all. And the way they talk about him as Papa, I'm just like, oh, but yeah. So the whole reason like our main character goes on submission is because Papa has this like these like blood beetles that she's like this illness that's going around where they live. And that's like the most interesting part of the book is this blood beetle thing. So she needs to find a cure ASAP because Papa is dying. So she makes a deal with a fairy. This fairy is like, go to this island and bring back this dude. If you do that, I'll give you the cure. So the dude that she has to bring back is our beast. And like, there's no chemistry between these two. And when she shows up and it's like, you got to come back with me because I said, because these people are dying. And he's like, who even are you? Like, no. And she's like, how dare he? He doesn't care about anyone except himself. He's the worst. What a beast. And I was like, you literally just showed up at his house and was like, let's go. You got to come with me to save some people you don't know. And he totally reasonably was like, who the fuck are you? Please leave. And I was like, why would you be surprised that he would react like this? Like, that's what I would do. Someone came to my house and was like, I know you don't know who I am, but you've got to go with me right now. Like, oh no, go fuck yourself. So she hangs out on the island convincing him to go. And he's almost instantly like, oh my god, something about her. She's just like, I can't stop thinking about her. And like, the two of them are in lust immediately. And I was just like, why? Why is any of this happening? So it was just like really disjointed. And then like, she spends like so much time on this island just like, just like, will they, won't they? Will they, won't they? And I was like, what happened to Beetle Plague? Like, isn't Papa dying? Isn't Papa dead by now? Like, you have totally forgotten about that. And then like, when the plot needed her to, she would suddenly up and remember like, you know what, there's a crisis. Like, we need to hurry up on this because I need to get back because Papa. And I was like, oh, so we do still care about that. Okay, cool. So it just, the whole thing was just a huge mess, honestly. I don't understand. I saw pretty good reviews. And like, I recently discovered Grace Draven's books, which I really like. And I've never really been into romance. So I read Grace Draven and I was like, oh, you know what, maybe I'm into romance and I didn't know it or I just wasn't reading the right stuff. So Emma Hamm's books, because they were like fantasy romance and the way the covers look, but also just what I saw, what they were about. It seemed like it would be in that vein. I was like, ooh, more like Grace Draven. I was like, good, there's a bunch of these books. Yikes, major, major yikes. The second number two on the list is y'all should know. Crater's Blade by Sebastian de Castell. I very recently posted a very long rant review about this book. And I, I mean, honestly just go watch that review because that book was a disaster. It started out out pretty decent. It's like an adventure where like, it's kind of in the vein or like, I thought it would be, and people always talk about it as being like, lies of Waklamara. And I was like, okay, so we have these like dudes who are like gallivanting and on a mission and blah, blah, blah. And it starts out that way. And then, whoa, it just falls off the rails, yikes. There's like weird coincidences, kind of terrible world building, horrible, horrible representation of women. I cannot even stress that enough. And not even bad representation of women, just strange representation of women. Like honestly, like I was, I was less offended than I was like, what the fuck? What the actual fuck is this book even doing? Because I go into it at length in my other review, obviously. But there's like this weird scene where this like, prostitute is raping him to heal him and he's fine with it. And then he leaves and she's sad. And I was like, what is even happening right now? Then like the plot, like what ends up being like the twist is like this massive coincidence that honestly paints some of the other characters as like kind of creepy and weird. And I was like, what is happening? How does this book have like mainly five star readings? Like who is reading this and why do they think this is okay? Because it wasn't okay. It wasn't like it was a good book and then it had like some problematic moments that I couldn't forgive. No, the whole thing was like, what, what, what? So yeah, if you like me, we're on the hunt for another Liza Block one more type story and had this like on your TBR is like a, that'll be one that hits that spot. It will not. It's terrible. Don't read it. Yikes, don't. And then the moment that I have all been waiting for, number one on my list, should have come as no surprise to anyone. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Mass. This book, I don't even understand how it exists. There's so much about it. I also have a full rant review about this that I filmed like right after it came out. It's, if you haven't heard of it or whatever, like I don't know if you've been living under a rock, but this is the novella in the Court of Thorns and Roses series that came out in May this year. It is a book about winter solstice, aka Christmas that came out in May. And it is a novella that cost as much as a normal hardback full length novel. And we were told that it's basically required reading because with this author, that's how it works. There's no novella that's just like a novella, like it becomes required reading. So this, she's finished with the Akatar trilogy, but she's still gonna write books in that universe. This was supposed to bridge the gap between those two series. I don't know what gap it was meant to be bridging because I didn't learn anything of any like plot significance in this novella. I don't understand what I was supposed to learn from this that I would need to know to enter the next book because nothing happened except shopping and fucking and more and more of both. And just, it was bullshit. So we just follow our characters from the Court of Thorns and Roses series as they, after the war in A Court of Wings and Ruin, they're now just in Valaris being like war is over, so time to like hang out and buy gifts for winter solstice and Thera is a housewife now. And her biggest stress is that she's worrying about the budget of the household slash. She also has literally all of the money in the world and is like, what do I do with all this money? And then there's this whole thing about her like not being able to paint anymore because she just doesn't feel it. And then she starts painting again. Like that's a whole plot that by itself is like a whole plot. And like there's this whole thing about like the art studio that she happens upon. They're just talking about like it needs, it's like being sold or like it's in disrepair because like the people like lost all their money in the war and she's like, oh that's so sad. And I was like, you have all the money. Why don't you fucking rescue it? Make a donation. I don't know. Do something about it instead of being like, oh no. Like I was like, you're the queen or whatever. Hi lady, whatever the fuck you are. Do something about it. And meanwhile, Reese and her are fucking, everybody else is like making eyes at each other. The smut scenes were like vomit. Just, oh my god, so gross. And not just gross because like I'm not into like a lot of smut in books. But this was just weird and gross and honestly really troubling in terms of like consent and like male female power dynamics. And like it just like made my skin crawl to read. Like I was like halfway between like laughing and throwing up because I was like, this is like hilarious. That this was published. What were they thinking? But also like, I think I'm going to be sick because what, what even is this? It's disgusting. So it was a dumb book that had no purpose and cost a lot of money. And we'll step out some fancy pretty people shopping and fucking. I don't know why in exams. It's like honestly upsets me. That it exists. I got rid of my copies because I had two copies. Huh, why, why? Anyway, those are the worst books I've read this year. Let me know in the comments down below if you read any of the books that I listed how you felt about them. If you were considering reading any of the books that I just listed and I have now talked to you out of it because Lord I hope I did. If you've read the books on this list and you thought they were good feel free to let me know that too because sure, why not? We can talk about it. You can tell me why I'm wrong. I would love to know what I was missing when I read these books. So yeah, let me know anything and everything in the comments down below and I'll see you in my next video. Bye.