Reading books improves your vocabulary and conversation skills, allowing you to articulate problems more clearly and professionally. but for this to happen, you have to read the right books.
therefore, you must know the difference between good and bad books. This article brings you a list of the eight worst books cited by different reputable critics in various media outlets.
You are reading: Top ten worst books
what makes a book good or bad?
When it comes to choosing what to read, we all have our preferences. what may be good for you may be bad for someone else. therefore, there is no absolute principle to define what is a good or bad book; it depends on what interests you. however, there are several aspects of a book that determine whether or not it is a good read. these are some of the things that make a book good or bad.
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plot
The readability of a book is largely determined by the way the author structures the plot. a divine plot also keeps the reader hooked from the first page to the last. Many readers don’t want flashy plots, so keep everything flowing together smoothly.
Readers hate it when an author tries to play the red light green light game on them. You should ease the story into a natural way, allowing your readers to understand every part of the story. a good plot should not reveal everything at once. instead, you should create the element of suspense, without messing with the reader’s mind.
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characters
characters are among the most significant elements of a book. in any case, a story cannot be told without characters. therefore, interesting characters will make a book more fascinating. if the characters are dull and dry, they turn off the reader, no matter how good the plot is.
Don’t forget that some readers are more character oriented and want to have a direct connection to the characters. therefore, if a book doesn’t allow the reader to connect with the characters on some level, it can be considered a bad book. a good book allows you to follow your favorite characters and watch them grow, make mistakes, conquer and remind you of your own business.
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world creation
If a book can make you forget where you are, then it’s a good book. plus, a good book should take you wherever the action is taking place. for example, if it’s space or some hidden place far away from civilization, you should feel like you’re right there.
A good book should give you the same feeling you experience when you dream of going down a steep staircase. you wake up when you are about to go down the stairs. and sometimes you will think that you have woken up when in reality you are still dreaming of waking up. So if a book doesn’t help you get lost, it’s probably no good.
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write
a book with so many grammatical and spelling errors is a quick turn off. shows incompetence and lack of professionalism. a good book should make you feel like you’re listening to a great song with sweet lyrics. if a book is well written, you will be motivated to read it again and again.
the 8 worst books ever written
here is a list of the worst books ever written. The list is based on the public and critical opinions of some well-respected authors and book critics.
1. the twilight saga (stephanie meyer)
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Released annually from 2005 to 2008, this book is a series of vampire-themed romance novels, two companion novels, and a novella, written by American writer Stephenie Meyer. it is considered one of the worst book series in history. tells the story of Bella’s teenage years when she falls in love with a 104-year-old vampire, Edward, and finds herself in a world she never thought existed.
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Immediately after its first release, many readers didn’t know who to root for between Edward and Bella. the book also divided critics and communities around the world, with teenagers (its target demographic) not wanting to put it down while everyone else was trying to. even after inspiring a successful movie franchise, this book series is still not popular. Many adult book critics disapproved of Meyer’s writing, underdeveloped characters, and poor plot.
2. 50 shades of gray series (e.l. james)
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some people consider this book to be almost pornographic garbage. Though it starts out as a piece of fan-fiction, this erotic thriller series follows the deepening relationship between Anastasia and Christian (the eponymous Mr. Grey), as he introduces her to erotic practices and role-playing involving bondage, restraint , domination and submission, sadomasochism. , and other related acts.
Although this book was very successful, especially due to frustrated housewives, topped the best-seller list worldwide and inspired a series of semi-successful movies, it was heavily criticized by the literary world, along with members of the bdsm community, who detested the depiction of bdsm and dominatrices.
Some readers stated that the book left their inner goddesses shocked by the writing style, wording, and overall poor quality of the book. other reviewers claim that if this book ever had a plot, story, or even an erotic vibe, it was lost in a sea of poorly chosen words.
3. mein kampf (adolf hitler)
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written in 1925 in landsberg prison, this book has been described by many authors and critics as “the most evil book in history”. its title alone fills some readers with all sorts of emotions, mainly hate and sadness. Mein Kampf, which means “my fight,” was written by the malevolent dictator while he was in prison in 1923.
in this book hitler posits a dangerous jewish conspiracy to gain world leadership and details the evils of marxism, communism, parliamentary democracy and the need for the germans to seize the lebensraum (“living space”) of the East Slavic peoples. . The book also tries to explain and excuse Hitler’s antisemitic views and political philosophies. In 1933, when he came to power, sales of this book reached 1.2 million Reichsmarks, which today is equivalent to 5.5 million dollars.
despite the disgusting and evil propaganda presented in this book, it was one of the most popular books in germany, especially during hitler’s time as chancellor. his ideology led to the second world war, the holocaust and tens of millions of deaths. Since the defeat of Nazism in 1945, many countries, especially in Europe, have prohibited the publication of this book.
However, some countries that had banned it began to publish it with full scholarly introductions and historian annotations. but many still consider it one of the worst books ever written. Your style doesn’t matter in this case, but your message does.
4. the da vinci code (dan brown)
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The basis of this book sounds intriguing: a secret is discovered that will change the face of Christianity forever. however, the author could not translate this idea to paper, even with all the creativity. many critics claim that this book lacks everything apart from an interesting story. From chapters that are too short to a mediocre and amateur writing style, this book is a huge disappointment.
However, the book’s PR and marketing team did an amazing job of coming up with clever marketing strategies to help sell it. the book is also riddled with historical and religious inaccuracies that seem to have been included just to help it fit into the narrative. Although this book doesn’t have the best plot, characters, atmosphere, and dialogue, it can be a light weekend read when you don’t want to stress your brain with heavy literature.
5. the eye of argon (jim theis)
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This 1970 novel chronicles the daring adventures of grignr the barbarian. was written and published by a 16 year old author. since then, the book has become very popular in the science fiction/fantasy literary world. However, this book does not come close to the works of Robert E. howard, who independently invented the sword & wizardry subgenre with its legendary conan the star barbarian or newer fantasy books.
Critics have called this book the worst book ever, especially because of its poor purveyor of prose with a creepy flair. the author has also been criticized for choosing the wrong word and applying it incorrectly. this criticism hit the author hard, forcing him to swear never to write again.
6. the lair of the white worm (bram stoker)
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Bram Stoker, who wrote the 19th century gothic horror masterpiece Dracula and almost single-handedly created the vampire genre, is a celebrated author. however, he has been heavily criticized for interfering with established ideas, such as vampires, the gothic literary genre, transylvania, and lady carmilla in his book “the lair of the white worm”.
some critics claim it used a clumsy writing style and a simple gothic horror story as a plot. this book narrates how ancient evil; a mindless hypnotist, hell-bent on emotionally crushing the girl he loves; a huge kite raised to rid the earth of a strange plague of birds, and receiving extraordinary orders along with its string. some critics summed it up by declaring that the central premise was great but poorly executed.
7. moon people (dale m. courtney)
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This book tells the story of David Braymer as he rises from high school teacher to First Science Officer aboard Moonbase Module 1, through fantastical space battles. he also encounters different alien life forms. however, this ‘novel’ seems to have so many problems. for example, it has a poorly constructed story, hollow characters, and terrible grammar. here are some examples:
• “fill” instead of feel • “know” instead of now • “take” instead of take • “watch” • “you don’t really need me” • “you as boss” • “in your place” • “when he saw dave come in” • “bomb barding” • “first we were going to go to mars”
It appears that the writer had no editor or publisher. or, if he did, they never bothered to read the manuscript before releasing the book to the world, not even a simple spell checker.
8. irene iddesleigh (amanda mckittrick ros)
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Amanda Mckittrick Ros is commonly known as the best worst writer in the history of literature. In this book, she delivers her work of genius, in what many critics consider the worst book ever. This book tells about Irene’s journey through many intense situations, including love interests, uncertain decisions, imprisonment, escape, fortunes won and lost, and many terrible deaths.
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