Emma Reads Books: Bookmas Day 28: Worst Books of 2021

Hello Interwebs!

Happy Bookmas day 28! Today we're going to be discussing the worst books I read in 2021. Upon review of this year's books I realized that I only had two books rated 1 and 2 stars so I went through my list for my 3 star books and filled it out so I have a bottom 10 books of the year. This list will start at the top of the list (the best of the worst if you will) and end with the very worst book of 2021. Now, without further ado here are the worst books I read in 2021.

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes (3 Stars): this is a novel about the aftermath of the Trojan war through the perspective of the women involved. This book wasn't bad by any means...it was just boring. Most of the stories being told were boring and repetitive and the interesting ones (like Odysseus's wife Penelope's) have been told over and over again. Not a terrible book but not one I intend to ever revisit.
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead (3 Stars): I wanted to like this one but it just didn't work for me. This is a thriller about a group of friends at their college reunion as they piece together the events that led to one of their group's murder their senior year in college and who the murderer is. The overall story was good but there was something in the way it bounced from the present to the past and through the past that left it lacking for me.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (3 Stars): this was another one I really wanted to like. It's a classic haunted house story but I found it neither scary nor compelling and it got a big meh from me.
Lady Susan by Jane Austen (3 Stars): this was one of two Jane Austen books I read this year. This is written as letters between the varying players to tell a story and I ended up finding it rather hard to follow in the end. I think I prefer the Amazon movie of this (Love & Friendship).
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg (3 Stars): I think this book suffered from my not having read it as a kid and my love of not only the original Robin Williams film but also the two newest films in this world. It was fine but not one I'm clamoring to get for my own son.
Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse by Harper Lin (3 Stars): this is one of very few cozy mysteries I've read this year and while I listened to the whole thing on audio on my way to and from work I didn't find the story very engrossing and have absolutely no desire to read any of the other books in the series. Also there were a lot of unnecessary descriptions of the latte art the main character puts in the coffee drinks she makes.
Lover's Vows by Mrs. Inchbald (3 Stars): this is the play performed in Mansfield Park and I read it as one of the prompts for Jane Austen July. It was fine, it was a play, and it had very little actually story.
The Divines by Ellie Eaton (3 Stars): To be honest I'm not entirely sure why this book got a 3 star rating and the one below got a 2.5 as I think I disliked them about equally. This story also jumps back and forth between the present and the past where the main character went to a school where the students are known as "Divines". Everyone was unlikeable, the story was messy, and the dual timeline was not at all necessary.
The Power by Naomi Alderman (2.5 Stars): another book that I kind of wanted to like but found trite and predictable. In it, women get this mysterious power and then suddenly take over governments and religion and it was very, very predictable in the end. I finished it while in denial about whether or not it would get better.
The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher (1 Star): once again my worst book of the year is a Tarryn Fisher "thriller". I find her books boring and too far fetched and worst of all, they use mental illness as a trope for the villains in the story. I hate her books and this is going to be the last one of hers I read.