It’s time for the (tenth!) Literary Giveaway Blog Hop. This is an event taking place from Saturday February 8th until (and including) Wednesday February 12th. It’s hosted by Leeswammes,
So what do you need to do enter the giveaway? All that you need to do it leave a comment. I would very much appreciate it if you would follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or via whichever blog reader is your preference, but it’s not necessary. A winner will be randomly selected on Thursday, February 13th. The giveaway is open to anyone.
The winner will be able to choose from ONE of the following:
-A book that has been reviewed on this blog
-A $20 gift card to Amazon
-One Penguin Hardcover Classic (see full list here, they’re very pretty)
As I said, all that you need to do to enter is to leave a comment on the blog. To avoid overly generic comments (and to make my comment moderation more fun), you could tell me what is the worst book you’ve ever read.
Thanks for participating!
Linky List:
flannel and folklore 
So glad you’re doing the hop and offering such an awesome giveaway! I’ve put down some terrible books without finishing, but it’s actually really hard to think of the worst book I’ve completed. It would probably have to be one of the later Twilight books or some iffy YA.
LikeLike
Love Wins by Rob Bell. He twists Christianity, but does so very cleverly…deceptive. I never write in books, but was so angry reading that book, I actually wrote arguments back at him in the margins.
LikeLike
It would be a tie between “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and “50 Shades of Grey”. What can I say fantasy in any form doesn’t agree with with me :-p
LikeLike
Oh my! I just love those penguin clothbounds! I’ve started collecting them now that I completed my collection of the children’s ones. With only Jabberwocky and Frankenstein so far, there’s so many to chose from.
LikeLike
Whoops got carried away and forgot worst book because I don’t really have one 😦
LikeLike
Wow, this is one seriously awesome giveaway. So each blogger does their own giveaway? That is a great idea!
Yikes, worst book. There are a few contenders, but Heart of Darkness keeps coming to mind. Guess I’ll have to go with that. 🙂
LikeLike
Yep, every blogger participating gets to choose their own prize and run the giveaway as they see fit. It ends up being a lot of fun.
LikeLike
Oh what a difficult question. I’ve attempted to read some really horrendous books in the past year or so. There was one that was so horrid, I couldn’t get past the first few pages. I apologize that I can’t remember the names of any of those books at this moment. Most of them were self-published, and were not edited before publication.
I follow you via email. michelle_willms at yahoo dot com.
LikeLike
Worst book? There are plenty I started and didn’t finish, but the most recent that I actually finished and disliked from beginning to end was Gone Girl.
LikeLike
The worst read for me was a book about unschooling (which I was actually very interested in!) which was riddled with judgmental and downright offensive statements toward parents who educate and/or parent differently. I just thought it was completely unnecessary – there are ways to promote your style and methods without completely putting down those who make different choices. I won’t even name the book for reasons I’m sure you understand… *sigh* That’s when I started to give myself permission to DNF books.
Thanks for hosting this giveaway!! 🙂
LikeLike
Fiction: Dragon Bound/Fifty Shades for obvious reasons. I also couldn’t stand The Other Boylen Girl!
Non-Fiction: Babywise (someone gave it to me and it was like a car crash, couldn’t look away) and The Baby Whisperer (ugghhhh)
I want that Little Women Penguin Classic!
LikeLike
I’m in! Ugh, the worst book? I guess I must have read some horrible romance novel at some point in my life but I’ve read some books that I’ve hated, although perhaps some people would be mad if I say it’s the worst. To be specific, I really didn’t like Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel or The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz-Zafón, they are very different books but they didn’t get along with me at all.
LikeLike
(#10)
LikeLike
you know…I can’t recall the worst book….but my pet hates are when dialogue is described for e.g.: she shrieked…or gasped etc …lazy lazy writing! and would please like the amazon voucher…all the fun of choosing!!
LikeLike
That’s a hard one, since if the book is bad enough I tend to throw it across the room and be done with it. I’ve read a few stinkers that I stuck with to the end, though–something by Jane Green comes to mind.
LikeLike
I can only think of two books that I’ve thrown away in disgust – Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs (was just making me feel sick…) and Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James (a badly written, rambling and tedious work of Austen fan fiction from a usually well-regarded author!).
LikeLike
This is my first time participating in the Literary Blog Hop and I must say I am both nervous and excited.
Worst book i ever read? …. I think i’d be unlikely to finish something i hated. I recently read Douglas Coupland’s new book WORST. PERSON. EVER. It was highly disappointing, but the worse book i’ve ever read? That would be a little harsh.
LikeLike
I can’t remember worst book – either I get disinterested as its not my genre or something like that. Not an actual dislike of the book. I’ve never won an Amazon voucher. If it can be used for kindle purchases I’d like that one.
LikeLike
(#15)
LikeLike
Thanks for offering this Rory! One of the worst books I’ve ever read? Tough question! I absolutely didn’t like reading Dead Dreams by Emma Right, which I’ve read for a booktour last year. I’m definitely a lot pickier about participating in booktours since that..
LikeLike
Ooooh, the worst book I’ve ever read… maybe The Devil’s Larder by Jim Crace? The blurb and the hype made it sound like a kind of seductive, decadent cross between Like Water for Chocolate and a Joanne Harris novel, but it was actually far too preoccupied with bodily functions and gross-out moments. The whole thing just… ick. ICK.
Also, I am going to have so much fun picking a prize if I win. SO MANY GOOD IDEAS AND PRETTY BOOKS! 🙂
Ellie (emp501@hotmail.co.uk, or @BlondeBookGirl on Twitter)
LikeLike
Hmm worst book I’ve read would be some Lauren Barnholdt book whose name I don’t remember right now. It was dumb.
Thanks for the giveaway!
justjanhvi at gmail dot com
LikeLike
whenever i venture into romance/erotica it seems to go wrong. the worst one was probably ‘hunted’ by Evangeline Anderson, where a twin sister gets kidnapped by aliens. when her sister and friends discover where she is, they don’t immediately go in to rescue her because ‘she might be having sex’…*massive facepalm*
LikeLike
I’m afraid I will get tomatoes thrown at me, but Pride and Prejudice is not a favorite. Yes, hated it!
LikeLike
If it’s any consolation, Pride & Prejudice is not my favorite either. I need a little more…anything in my novels.
(#20)
LikeLike
In recent memory I would have to say The Art of Fielding. But I’m sure I’ve read worse and just blocked the memories.
LikeLike
I don’t often finish books that I don’t like but I have to admit to being terribly disappointed with Allegiant by Veronica Roth, I loved the first, the second was pretty great too, but the last was just terribly disappointing. And you, what was your worst read? (Thanks for the give away!)
LikeLike
PS my email address is purplerob2 at gmail dot com
LikeLike
Thanks for participating in this awesome blog hop. Thanks also for the great prizes (decisions, decisions, decisions!). The worst book ever read? Can’t really recall the “worst” book read, but one that I simply didn’t connect with in any way was a non-fiction read from a few years back, F**K IT: THE ULTIMATE SPIRITUAL WAY.
LikeLike
Thank you for the fabulous giveaway!!!! YAY!
Worst book I’ve ever read. . . that’s a toughie, but you know what? I think that the worst book I have ever read was one I said yes to from an author who pitched it to me. It was so bad but I couldn’t say it because it was a compilation of her mother’s diaries from when she was dying of cancer. . . but there were soooo many problems. Like the “author” (BTW if you’re MOM wrote the diaries, YOU’RE not the author, you can be an editor, but MOM’s the author, GRRRRR!) would explain stupid crap that I knew already but I had no idea who half the family members were, and in one instance I wondered if there was a gay couple since the husband and wife had generically ambiguous names. Why wouldn’t that be explained? Later I found out they weren’t gay, but a man and a woman. . . okay, I’ll stop now. 😀
LikeLike
Thanks for the giveaway! I really enjoy your blog. One of the worst books I read was A Fierce Radiance. Just not my thing.
LikeLike
(#25)
LikeLike
Worst book is Revenge Wears Prada. Horrible!!!
LikeLike
Definitely the romance novels my friend at University insisted I would love (because she loved them so much). I even read more than one because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
LikeLike
I’ve realized that books that evoke such a strong negative reaction in me to cause me to hate them are actual well -written, because they do cause me to feel so strongly. One example is The Way the Crow Flies. That novel disturbed me so badly that I detested it for years, until I realized that it is only because the disturbing factors were so well-written that they seemed real. I would never re-read it, but I do give the author credit for succeeding in her goal.
I’d have to say the book that I regret finishing because I felt like it stole my reading time and maybe melted my brain a little would be 50 Shades of Grey. For me, this book was highly forgettable and evoked barely any emotional reaction, other than maybe a slight sense of pity for the girl character. Ok, I’ll stop ranting now. 🙂 thanks for the giveaway!
LikeLike
Great Giveaway! I’d say my least favorite book ever was The Scarlet Letter. I know..it’s a classic and all that but I took a class in college that was solely on The Scarlet Letter and we had to write a 20 page paper on it and by the time that class was over I loathed the book. And this was back when there weren’t computers and backspace…I had to use an electric typewriter and white-out…awful memories of that book lol
LikeLike
What a great selection for a giveaway!
Hm. Worst book ever. Can I be controversial? I couldn’t even finish ENDER’S GAME. I know. I know.
LikeLike
(#30)
LikeLike
Well .I’m pretty tolerant towards book but I think Always You by K. Moseley was pretty awful.
LikeLike
Nice change to ask us about the WORST book ever. Yes, this makes it more fun and we can also vent!!! The Elegance of the Hedgehog!!!!! I didn’t even need to hesitate there.
What an utterly SILLY and pretentious piece of drivel. Till today I still do not see the point of this book.
LikeLike
I definitely did NOT enjoy reading The Pearl by John Steinbeck.
Thanks for the giveaway!!
LikeLike
Worst book I blogged about was “The Time Traveller’s Wife”. There are worse books out there, only I never finished them …..
LikeLike
Mr. Weston’s Wine.
I couldn’t even finish it.
Yuck.
LikeLike
What a great giveaway! I’d love love love to win a penguin hardcover classic! I’d like to have all of them one day. I can’t remember any bad book, I think it’s because I’ve been pushing those memories away ;).
LikeLike
This is the coolest giveaway hop and prize that I have ever encountered. Thank you for hosting. 😀
LikeLike
Twilight is my worst read. I don’t even know why I read the series.
LikeLike
My worst book ever, goodness I don’t know one would definitely be How to be a woman by Caitlin Moran such rubbish!
I also love the penguin clothbound classics I have a small.collection so would love to add to it.
LikeLike
The worst book I ever read was American Psycho – seriously, it is disgusting and not even well-written. I was between disgusted and bored all the time. Sickening repulsive book.
Well, now I hope I can be lucky enough to win a cool book here hehehe
Thanks so much for the giveaway and the chance to win – ;3
personaldeath (at} gmail {dot} com
LikeLike
I love the Jabberwocky edition! I’m reading a pretty bad book right now: Empress of the Night. But the worst book I’ve ever read was Lost by Gregory Maguire.
LikeLike
(#40)
LikeLike
This is great reading through everyone’s worst books!
I’m hesitant to write mine in case it’s too cruel, but I was assigned a book called The Abominable Gayman when reviewing for PW. My editor thanked me for taking one for the team. A close second (whose title I forget) was described to me by the same editor as “an Amish Christmas romance”
LikeLike
a book from tracy chevalier named Girl with a pearl earring, i can’t tell that the book is worst, but it just don’t match my expectation. lot of my friend praised this book so much and that’s makes me believe that it was good, but instead having a historical fiction, i just found romance throughout the book, sadly i don’t like this book.
LikeLike
I forgot to tell you that I would love a copy of Les Miserables from penguin clothbound classics. thanks for the giveaway
LikeLike
Ow wow the worst book…. 50 shades of grey I guess which is a lame answer. I loathed The Zookeepers Wife. Threw Lord of The Flies out of the window (which sucked as it was on my Kindle) and do not come close to any Gabriel Garcia Marques any more after an attempt to read Love in the Time of Cholera.
LikeLike
Worst? I’m sorry for who loves it, but for me, Angela Carter’ The Magic Toyshop was a totally nightmare… Thank you for the giveaway, you have amazing prizes :)!
LikeLike
I don’t finish really bad books but one book I hated – because the theme of bullying was so powerful and so close to home – was Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
LikeLike
Had to be THE LIFE OF PI…endless, pointless, and featured an ending that made me want to club myself in the head!
LikeLike
I see from the books you reviewed that you like the same types I do.
LikeLike
Also, I tend to forget the bad books I read. Except I do have a few I’m going to donate to the library because I didn’t like them: NO WAY BACK by Andrew Gross, UNDER THE WIDE AND STARRY SKY by Nancy Horan, LIFE AMONG GIANTS by Roorbach, HEARTBROKEN by Lisa Unger, THE TENTH WITNESS by Rosen, COLLATERAL DAMAGE by Brooke, and NEVER GO BACK by Lee Child.
LikeLike
My Bachelor’s degree is in Literature and in order to get that degree, I had to take various lit courses: Afro American Lit, Shakespeare, American lit before 1800’s, American lit after 1800’s, Women’s Roles as Victims in Literature, Detective fiction, etc. I read many different books that I would consider good solid literary reads. Since reviewing, I have read some really bad books, sad to say!! Most of the bad books I’ve read really just needed an editor which some Indie authors avoid like the plague. A good editor who can proofread and steer the story in the right direction is all it would take.
LikeLike
The worst book I ever read was Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea when I was about 13. I was so used to choosing my own books and enjoying them and had never come across such sparse writing, bereft of beauty. Dire, it took me another 30 years before I would try him again.
LikeLike