My 18 Least Favorite Books of 2024
Before I start, let me apologize for the fact that I said the next post would be this one, and instead you got 10 Reflections on 2024. I wrote that post first and tried to schedule it for later in January, but I failed to notice that I had chosen the year 2024 instead of 2025, and so it published automatically. Thank you for bearing with me as I figure out how Substack works.
Everybody is sharing the best books they read in 2024. I have that post in the works, but first I thought I’d share my least favorite books of 2024.
I’ll begin with nuancing this to death.
These were all 2 or 3-star books for me. The difference between a 2 and 3 star book is that I found the writing to be lacking. A 3-star book might have fine writing, but it just wasn’t interesting or just wasn’t anything special, in my opinion. Books that were overrated got 3 stars, because I recognize that they are not inherently bad books, but I just didn’t enjoy them (and felt like I was supposed to). Then there are the books I can’t even remember. They got 3 stars at the time I read them, so they weren’t terrible. But months later I don’t even know what they were about. Finally, rounding out my least favorite books of the year are the ones that others very well may have given 5 stars. They are not poorly written and I recognize that they are “good” books. But I wasn’t the audience or I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind when I read it. My ratings are only a reflection on what I thought, and I am a flawed human being who doesn’t like everything.
Books that I really did not enjoy
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
This was a psychological thriller that a bunch of people were talking about. I try to read a few of these a year and have read some that I’ve liked, but this wasn’t one of them. It felt predictable and I didn’t really care about any of the characters.
How (Not) to Save the World by Hosanna Wong
I read this book as part of a study I did with a friend. I didn’t necessarily disagree with the author’s theological beliefs, but I did not enjoy it.
This is a fiction book about a mother who is motivated to take revenge after her son is injured in a school shooting. I gravitate toward dark reads, so the topic itself was not the problem.
When I Was Your Age by Kenan Thompson
This one definitely had the biggest gap between how excited I was and how much I did not enjoy it. I grew up watching All That and Kenan and Kel and have always thought Kenan Thompson was hilarious. This memoir tried really hard, and it was interesting to hear about how he got on both shows, as well as his broken and then reconciled relationship with Kel Mitchell.
Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday
I believe discipline is important. This book had some good anecdotes, but the basic gist was that if you just try hard enough and have discipline then you’ll be able to accomplish what you want. While the principle of “you reap what you sow” is biblical, this book felt like it would have been a wet blanket for anyone who has ever struggled with mental illness or difficult circumstances outside their control.
Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn
As you will come to find out, I have been drawn to books about the Holocaust and Nazism since I was in single digits. This one was about the Lebensborn, children taken from their families to be raised in Nazi orphanages to become examples of the perfect Aryan race. I didn’t connect with the characters.
Twilight Territory by Andrew X. Pham
This was an audiobook that my library was letting everyone borrow without waiting. I believe it was during a month that was focusing on Asian-American writers. It was one of those long epic sagas, and it took place during a period of history in Asia that I was almost completely unfamiliar with. That part was really interesting.
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey
I really wanted to like this one, because I loved the author’s previous two books I’ve read (The Boy on the Bridge and The Girl With All the Gifts).
The world has effectively ended and a woman is trying to survive with a ragtag group of people.
This one was made into a show that I think was pretty popular when it was on. Essentially, a bunch of people disappear (a la the Rapture) and it’s about everyone who is left. It is a basic exploration of grief and loss and what it does to people.
Books that were overrated
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
I read The Road and consider it one of the best post-apocalyptic books I’ve ever read. I decided to continue my Cormac McCarthy journey. This book was just… weird. I have heard some people say it’s their favorite McCarthy book. I don’t think we would be book friends.
Please don’t come at me. I have enjoyed several of Kristin Hannah’s previous books, especially The Great Alone. I was excited to read this one because I haven’t read many books about the Vietnam War. The parts of the book that talked about the war were fascinating, and it was obvious Hannah had done her research. The parts of the book that involved the main character grew increasingly annoying to me. I felt like this book was an example of an author doing too much telling and not enough showing.
The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor by Flannery O’Connor
I got to see a screening of a new indie film about Flannery O’Connor this past year, and I also live near her childhood home, so I felt like I should go ahead and read some of her stories. There are some stories that are really powerful. There are others that are confusing and didn’t age well.
Books I can’t even remember
I’m not going to write about either of these, because I truly don’t remember what they were about.
Books for which I wasn’t the audience or it just wasn’t the right season
The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon
Sharon McMahon is someone I truly admire. Her presence on social media is one of the best things to come out of the pandemic. I was excited about the audiobook, which she narrates. I just couldn’t get into this. It was about little-known figures in history, and she masterfully ties all of their stories together over several hundred years. I listened to this during one of the hardest periods of 2024 for me emotionally, and maybe the book was just too optimistic and positive. It grated on me. That said, many other people would probably love this book and I’d encourage you to give it a try.
Don’t Mom Alone by Heather MacFadyen
This is another book that was well written, but just wasn’t for me. I am a mom, but there was very little in this book that I didn’t already know. I think it is better suited for new moms or moms of young children. I agreed with everything she said. It just didn’t offer me, as a mom of almost 15 years, much new information.
I do not have ADHD, and so listening to the audiobook felt like reading a book written by a squirrel. It jumped around a ton, which I understand is appealing to those who do have brains different from mine. If you have ADHD, you should read this book.
Have you read any of these? I’d love to hear what you thought, even if you disagree with my conclusions. Regardless of how I felt, I appreciate and honor the work each of these authors put into their books!
The only one I’ll still read is the small and the mighty. I can leave the rest.