I truly don't understand how Fourth Wing is as hyped up as it is. I can understand liking the concept and being curious about where the story may go, but it was so juvenile and honestly read as if it were unedited. But, as many others have said, a cool thing about booktube is everyone having their own opinions on books and getting to discuss why we all like different things.

The way fourth wing and red rising were two of my fave reads of the year😂 I love how we all have different tastes!!

I know you’re not British. Viscount is said V-eye count. So, Marquis would be Mar-key. Marquess is Mar-kess. Viscountess is V-eye- countess. That’s just in case you read more of these! Great video!

Fourth Wing was so bad. Yet I am attempting to read Iron Flame (it’s so much worse, and soooo long…). I just don’t understand how so many people say these are their favorite books of all time. But we all have different opinions of books and that’s what makes booktube so much fun. I still want to check out red rising and the Priory series, I’m hoping that I will like them. 😊

I’ve never seen someone dislike red rising too!! I didn’t get the hype and it was so boring for me!

I didn't like the first Red Rising book either but I was completely hooked by Golden Son. I feel like that book is the one that would really define whether or not you're going to like this series. Please give that one a chance, and if you still don't like it, feel free to drop it! :D

Our reading tastes are so similar that I was surprised to see My Best Friend's Exorcism on this list! Actually one of my top books of the year. But it was also my first Grady Hendrix book so I didn't have any expectations. I found it to have very Buffyesque vibes so it really worked for me. I love your sweater! You look like a cupcake (in a good way).

I tried to read Fourth Wing when it was HYPED ended up dnf-ing. I have two friends who read it & I was surprised that they loved it so I will give it another chance. I was too critical at first & trying to find faults instead of trying to enjoy it so I’ll read it when I am in the mood for a romantasy book. And if it doesn’t work out for me again then that’s okay!

Fourth Wing was just so bad.. makes me want to cry from frustration lol 😂😂😭😭

I was so disappointed by the wishing game too . I can’t relate to the Red Rising disappointment though! 😄

Give Riley Sager another chance! Often I find that the most recent release from an author is pretty different from their first few books (especially when they got popular). I have been reading Sager since his first book, and I really, really recommend Final Girls.

It's always fun to watch these end-of-the-year videos! It's amazing how we all respond to these books differently. --I enjoyed the first Red Rising book (which makes me feel like I'm in the minority sometimes!), but am really looking forward to Golden Son. My least favorite books from this year. I say least favorite, because most of the books I read were at least 3 stars. For me, that's a decent score on my personal rating system DNF: Little Witch Academia (granted, I'm not the target audience at all). 3 stars: A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow 3.25 stars: Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth Thanks for sharing!

Ha! I felt the same way about "The Only One Left". I swear I have whiplash from those last few pages. But sadly, that's what Sager does (I'm lookin at you "Home Before Dark")

You were actually pretty ruthless in this video Regan, I love it!! 😂😂

I NEED to know where your lamp is from!!! It's gorgeous!

Worst books I read in 2023 (badly written, just bad all around): * Fourth Wing * The Housemaid * The Hawthorne Legacy (sequel to The Inheritance Games) Biggest disappointments of 2023 (well written/not objectively bad, just didn't love it): * Babel (ready for the pitchforks) * The Traitor Baru Cormorant

I felt the exact same way about Red Rising, I ended up DNFing it around 40% of the way through. I keep hearing that I need to get through the first book and the series is incredible from the second book on. Not sure if I'll be able to pick it back up but I could be convinced!

Would LOVE a video where you go through all your favorite historical romance books, movies, tv shows!!!! ❤ love your channel, you have the best recs!!!

even though it’s your worst of 2023 books, this was interesting and entertaining to watch! my worst of 2023 is fleishman is in trouble (way too whiny for me). i was a bit underwhelmed by the ex hex and i didn’t care for any of the characters in neon gods. 🤷‍♀️ have a lovely day + happy reading!💜

Viscount is pronounced vai·kownt. I used to always read it as viss-count too.

I HATED Red Rising. And I've read a lot of SFF. Also, gave Fourth Wing a weak 3 stars.

i love these videos! for whatever reason, there's something so fun about ranting on books i didn't enjoy! also, 100% agree with you on Fourth Wing!

Awesome vlog ‼️💯💜 I can totally relate with you not liking A Day of Fallen Night as I can’t get past chapter 1 of Priory of the Orange Tree. I dnf’d Malice at the 32% ch.26 because he had no idea what I had read. I feel like I have to read Malice physically or buy the audiobook. Should I give Malice another chance ? I also love seeing everyone different opinions about books 😅😊

Here's my worst books of 2023 Crossroads of twilight by Robert Jordan Normal people by sally Rooney The reunion by kayla Olsen The flatshare by beth o'Leary A chain of iron and gold Camp zero by Michelle min sterling End of watch by Stephen king Misrule by heather walter sequel to malice Poster girl by veronica roth I read red rising several years ago i didn't enjoy it not at all

I have a question about Frugal Wizard (and I’m not a Sanderfan coming for you.) I read a lot of fantasy and I’ve been thinking of Frugal Wizard as a fantasy. I also, however, read a lot of traditional, detective fiction. Your video made me ask myself if, unlike most fantasy readers, I liked Frugal Wizard because it hit not as fantasy but as detective fiction and I had not realized that before now. Could it be that we, as fantasy readers, are casting this book in the wrong genre light because it’s Sanderson? I can’t quite tell. I may just be crazy.

Love theoretically by Ali Hazelwood is one of my worst books of this year, yet so many people love it, I just don't get it!

Immediately subscribed when I saw we read similar books in 2023! I also wholeheartedly agree about the end of The Only One Left. I went from having a good time to rolling my eyes so fast 🙈.

Omg finally, someone that agrees with me on red rising

Love your reviews…so sad you didn’t love One Dark Window. I loved it…one of my faves of the year! Maybe Two Twisted Crowns will redeem the series! ❤

I had SO much fun with Fourth Wing and loved my reading experience but I couldn’t give it a spot in my top 15 video because it is not a well written fantasy! Just finished Iron Wing and … meh 😂😂

Thank you, for saved me from forcing myself to finish Red Rising and Forth Wing, After you introduced me to Robert Jackson Bennett (who is now one of my favorite authors) I trust your book taste.

Plz don’t judge this masterpiece of a series off that first book Red Rising I beg you read Golden son plz plz everyone is Meh on Red rising except a few.. the strong Female writing is one of the best parts going forward as well hope you continue plz

Great video! I do still want to try some of the books thar are on your list haha, but I appreciate your opinion. I'm also in the minority of not liking Fourth Wing, though I attemped to read Iron Flame and dnfed at 50%, just couldn't do it. Other books that unfortunately didn't work for me this year were: Pachinko, The travelling cat chronicles, The seven sisters, This is how you lose the time war, The 22 murders of Madison May, The violin conspiracy, A discovery of witches and Stay with me. 😊

OMG I literally was laughing at the last pages of "Last One Left" too! I also had trouble keeping up with all the surprises and twists and turns...absurd indeed

Wishing Game is not good. Lucy's relationship with the kid is super inappropriate. She tells him she loves him and is physically affectionate with him at school! There was also almost nothing about the actual contest and I was so disappointed about it because that's what it's marketed as..

I like how even in your worst reads videos, you're still really positive and bubbly 😄 I say much worse things about Fourth Wing 😂

I LOVED The Wishing Game. One of my favs of the year.

I read three trilogies this year where each book was not as good as the previous one, so the stories went out with a whimper. The Five Warrior Angels by Brian Lee Durfee, The Drowning Empire by Andrea Stewart and Rook and Rose by MA Carrick. Rook and Rose had the best finale of the three but was still a bit of a disappointment.

I was really worried when I saw "My Best Friend's Exorcism" on this list of the worst books as it was one of my favorites, but I can understand the idea of being disappointed with what a book wasn't. I do totally agree with "The Only One Left" though. Far too many twists at the end and an attempt to connect literally every character in that book really made that book fall apart in the final hour.

I got sucked into the hype of Fourth Wing too. It was such a disappointment for me. The writing style drove me crazy, not in a good way either. I liken it to if you went to an action movie that was nothing but trailers. I’m pretty sure I won’t be reading iron flame, nor anything else she’s written. Ohhhh, Priory is on my want to read list. I’m intimidated by the size of them, so I’ve held off so far. I’m rethinking now. Wrath! OMG, I just fell off my chair😂. I haven’t started this series yet, but I have Malice on my must read list for this year, along with Hunger of the Gods.

I read all of RIley Sagers books this year because I loooved The Only One Left. Loved the mystery and the slowly revealing of everything. Adore his writing. Except for The House Across the Lake, I hated hated the main character from page 1

I appreciate the bookmarks instead of one long video.

Oh my gosh, yes! I’m so happy to hear someone else didn’t like Wishing Game! I was expecting it to an adult variation of The Westing Game… and it was not. I mean, was there even a real competition? And the actual story just felt forced to me. And unrealistic. It was so disappointing because it could have been so cool. I gave it away.

I also did not love One Dark Window, but I liked book 2 waaaay more. Maybe because my fav character gets a pov, and a new romance for which I rooted way more than the one in book 1. So yes, I would recommend to continue :)

I hated Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. It was written by someone with no understanding or knowledge of the workings of our monarchy for people with no understanding or knowledge of the workings of our monarchy and is riddled with inaccuracies. Incidentally, with regards to Bridgerton, I take the opposite view. The drama series shows this country as a multi cultural haven which it was not in the early 19th century. I find Kate to be deeply unpleasant and I have no idea what Lord Bridgerton sees in her. Her sister I found whinny and bratty. The characters in the book I found much more pleasant. In addition Viscount is pronounced V-eye-count. :)😊

16:03 Omg I remember seeing you rave about this series. I now cant remember if I missed a vlog where you read Wrath or if perhaps it wasn't vlogged...I now need to check. 😢but its such a bum er to hear that it is super cheesy

can anyone recommend me a book like The bridge Kingdom asthetic, and story, like too much sea, islands, rain

I also disliked Red Rising! The writing felt like a complete knockoff of the hunger games with Darrow being one dimensional and a mary sue. I also don’t understand why Darrow was so obsessed with fecal matter, I swear it was always in the descriptions so I DNF’d

I am so glad to see somebody else did not enjoy The Wishing Game either. I keep seeing it on top books of the year and for me it was one of the years’ disappointments.

no i feel the same about the Riley Sager book HAHA like WHAT😭 was that

Just a friendly PSA, you don’t say the S in Viscount, you pronounce it vi-count ❤️❤️

OMG thank you One Dark Window felt so unfocused there were a lot of elements that I liked but it felt rushed and the love story was absolutely lame.

Oh no! I’m 60% through Wrath and terrified to finish now lol. I’ve loved the first three and have been slowly been making my way through Wrath because I’m not ready to be done with these characters. 😬

I was also thoroughly underwhelmed by My Best Friend's Exorcism! I see a lot of praise for it, but it really didn't land for me.

You can’t say you don’t like red rising if you haven’t had at least read the second book if you don’t like the second then yeah quit but book 1 doesn’t give it the reputation it has

I DNFd Red Rising and I dnf sooooo rarely

I read Red Rising expecting to marathon right through the trilogy but it was quite underwhelming…. Not the worst as you said but definitely forgettable 😕

You make some good points about Fourth Wing!

This was how I felt about the Wishing Game too! I thought it was a great idea but the execution was not what I was looking for

I agree with Frugal Wizards... I also read the Faithful and the Fallen this year and loved the series as a whole, but I do agree the last installment isn't the best in the series for sure.

I love watching these videos because of how different our tastes are. I personally LOVE the whole Red Rising series but I do have to say that the first book is my least favorite in the series. Fourth Wing was bad, but it was such a guilty pleasure for me. I think is because I am a sucker for books with dragons in them. Now the second book made me die a little inside. But I just had to finish it out of curiosity. The rest of the books on your list I have not read and after looking them up, they are staying not read by me. 😂

Frugal Wizard's Guide is on my TBR. You've made me nervous.

I loved the only one left, but I am laughing so hard because I totally can see your viewpoint. There were so many reveals and twists in the end, It gave me whiplash.😂

Riley Sager definitely has a type, but The Only One Left and The House Across The Lake were his weakest imo. Try Lock Every Door, or Home Before Dark. ♥️

I didn’t love fourth wing either! So much hype around this book and it fell flat to me. The violence made no sense to me either. Like why? I didn’t get it

Oof I was with you until The Viscount Who Loved Me. I preorder the book, which I did read before the show came out.

I was also pretty disappointed by Frugal Wizard Guide. For me i think my expectations were just too high because it was Sanderson, if it had been an author i hadn't known and loved, i think i wouldve found it more fun.

I would recommend that you keep going in the Red Rising series, the first book was the outlier among the series. Especially the last two.

I couldn't get more than 2 chapters into that Brandon Sanderson book. I tried multiple times. The writing is weirdly disjointed

I tried to finish Fourth Wing but I had to DNF at page 150 or so…it was just SO bad. Almost as if it was written by AI. I’ve heard that people who primarily read romance but who never read fantasy are the ones who enjoyed it. Maybe the fact that it was the first story they read that included both, it was interesting to them? I have no idea.

I too was so disappointed by the Bone Shard Emperor. I loved the first one but the second one just ruined it for me. It was such a let down

Probably my biggest reading disappointment was Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. I had high expectations, but I had to dnf by page 500 because at that point it felt like I was slogging through the story.

*pokes her head out of her blanket burrito* the S in viscount is silent. In the show they say "vicount" with a long i. If you're looking to get into historical romance, I LOVE Joanna Lowell's books. I discovered her this year and devoured all 3 of them!

i love these types of videos! My favorite books are the ones that make people think and usually if a book has no critiques then it wasn't controversial enough! (hope that makes sense lol)

Holy shor you’re the only one who I’ve ever heard that doesn’t like Red Rising! I desperately wanted expected to love it! And I could not get into it at all! I was after 3 tries and 2 years later given a copy as a gift. I may give it another try for sake of not wasting a book and seeing it in physical format vs audio 🤷🏻‍♀️ But, my husband gave it to me I feel like he would like this book!

I'm so sad you didn't like Red Rising, its one of my favourite series ever and for me it only gets better as the books go on, and Pierce Brown's writing only improves too. I hope you like the next ones better!

I feel very similar about Red Rising. If you want a sci-fi with similar vibes but (in my opinion) a more compelling character and plot, I'd recommend the Sun Eater series. I also just can't get into the Priory series. It's one of 2 books I've DNF'd half way through, after my 3rd attempt to get into it. Everything about the book should be a slam dunk for a favorite, but I'm just bored.

Wrath ?!!! Oh no !!! Did not expect that in this list 😢

I also didn't like the Wishing Game for the same reason. We read it for my personal book club and I was the odd man out with not liking it. I felt it romanticized such serious topics and it didn't sit well with me.

I was really disappointed by Bone Shard Emperor too. And the direction the romance went in felt kind of icky 😬

Bro. Fourth Wing was just bad. Overall, I enjoyed reading it, but it wasn’t good

I typically enjoy Riley Sager but I didn’t enjoy his most recent books 😅 Lock Every Door and Home Before Dark are worth it in my opinion!!

My number one disapointment was Divine rivals. It sounded so interesting but turned out to be big mehhh with annoying characters and stupid lovestory. I wanted to read Fourth wing but then i saw some videos about the story, quotes, characters, plot holes, stupid logic and i knew that if i pick it up, it will just annoy me to hell. So i decided to not waste my time. But i'm still amazed about the level of hype over that book. The worst book i read this year was The Love hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. It was so hyped up before and i really was in the mood for some romance which is not in fantasy setting. So i picked that one up. That was just a bad Adam Driver fanfic and i think i still have eye twitch from reading how big he is every single time she sees him. Even the sex scene was bad. I don't understand hype over that book.

Is the faithful and the fallen Series as a whole still worth reading?

Things we hide from the light absolutely tops my list. If you like men who can't take no for an answer or respect boundaries, pls enjoy! *it's one of the few books where I absolutely do not understand how people find it romantic in any aspect. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

For me the worse were 100 years of solitude, fourth wing and then maybe red rising as well. I was a bit disappointed by red rising but I will continue because I am intrigued

Not into fantasy/romance but I love your honesty on book reviews. I often am in the minority on “hype” books. I also stand by my views, but respects others too.

I will say this over again (with all due respect) All the Stars and Teeth and All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace has the same vibe as the The Bone Shard Daughter/Bone Shard Emperor and did it better...

The only one left was so bad. The premise was great missed opportunity.

Character development of corban was one of the most consistent and logical i have ever read where you reading different series? I mean he was at the and who he always has been deep down just and honorable man who cares about people themselves more than greater good so if he is not completly different person from the one we started with it does not count as character development ?

Red rising? One dark window? Riley Sager? :(

Fourth Wing was def a disappointment. I found myself wanting more of the dragons than the humans because they were a lot more interesting :/ Also The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires was a book I did not enjoy. Maybe it was morbid curiosity that kept me from DNFing...but it wasn't my cup of tea. I think my last disappointing read was Convenience Store Women by Sayaka Murata. A lot of people said it was hilarious and loved it but for whatever reason I didn't find it funny. It was fine but I was expecting more because of the high reviews it gets.

For me, if someone is a fan of Fourth Wing I cannot trust any of their book recommendations! If they loved it, we obviously have nothing in common when it comes to taste.

I disliked Priory of the Orange Tree so much that A Day of Fallen Night is nowhere near my reading radar. I love the covers of both books though.

i read the viscount who loved me before the season came out and i honestly hated the extra drama (esp the sisters fighting) they added in the show 🥴

Such a pity you didn’t enjoy red rising. Hope you can enjoy the sequels!

The Only One Left!!! I felt the same exact way, but in the end, it was just... funny.

I had a pretty solid reading year, but I was really disappointed by House of Hunger. I felt like nothing happened until the very end. Oh and I read Tress, but I thought it was so annoying 🫢 It had a whimsy to it that I thought was a bit cringe… The plot was really good, but I was very distracted and irritated by the narration.

The Bridgerton books are a rare example where the show is way better!

Completely agree about 4th wing