Are you tired of reading overrated bestsellers? Do you wish someone would tell you to read this not that? Find out which books are worth the hype and which to skip.
Wow! It’s been five years since I launched what would eventually become Booklist Queen.
If you don’t know my story, I started as a lifestyle blogger with my sister. We wrote about motherhood, work, and travel. On a whim, I also wanted to write about books because I’m a big reader.
My very first post after our launch was entitled “Read This Not That.” I went through my prior year’s reading and picked 7 overrated bestsellers and paired them with books I recommended you read instead.
Thus, a tradition was born. (Also, it became very apparent very fast that readers did not care about my boring life but craved my book lists.)
So every March, I look through my previous year’s reading and pick 7 bestsellers that I don’t think are worth the hype. Then I try to find seven books to recommend instead. I used to only pick the “Read This” books from my last year’s reading. I still try to, but I figure it’s better to pick a perfect pair, even if I read it a few years ago.
Obviously, it’s all a matter of opinion. You might not agree with me. The funny thing is, plenty of readers go and read the “Not That” books specifically to see if they agree or not. But in my opinion, these are the overrated bestsellers you should not waste your time on.
Dark Academia
The Secret History
Donna Tartt
The dark academia book that started it all, Donna Tartt’s debut novel is a modern Greek tragedy that details the moral fall of a group of students at a private Vermont college. Classics professor Morrow only admits a handful of select students to study Ancient Greek. After determinedly breaking into this close-knit group, Richard Papen is surprised to find a world of highly flawed characters losing their grasp on morality. Secrets, lies, betrayal, and eventually murder become justifiable actions as they slip further and further in their descent into evil.
When I first read it, I wasn’t very impressed with The Secret History. However, the book has stayed with me over the years, and I think I would love it more on a reread. Just a warning, Donna Tartt does not know how to write short novels. The Secret History is a massive tome, but then the story is a saga that envelopes you as you read.
The Cloisters
Katy Hays
When Ann Stillwell gets a summer job working for The Cloisters, a gothic museum studying divination, she finds she enjoys researching the history of fortune-telling and tarot cards. As Ann gets caught up in the drama of The Cloisters, she finds a 15th-century deck of tarot cards that may actually tell the future. Desperate to make an academic breakthrough, Ann must decide who she can trust and how far she is willing to go to make her name in the world.
I’ve been seeing Read with Jenna’s book club praise this book up and down social media, and I just don’t get the hype. Admittedly, Hays does a great job painting the perfect dark academia setting. However, the story itself was glacially slow, full of unlikeable characters whose motives didn’t really make sense. Unless you are obsessed with academia, I’d skip this overrated bestseller.
Domestic Thriller
All Good People Here
Ashley Flowers
When she was six years old, Margot’s next-door neighbor and best friend, January, was murdered in their small hometown. Now a big-city journalist, Margot returns home to help care for her uncle when another girl disappears. Convinced the two cases are connected, Margot begins to wonder how well she knows her neighbors as she searches for the truth.
I was completely captivated by Ashley Flowers’ debut novel; it’s one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time. Every time I thought I had figured something out, a twist would come and catch me all over again. With excellent pacing, plenty of red herrings, and believable characters. All Good People Here was easily the best thriller book of 2022.
The Family Game
Catherine Steadman
Up-and-coming novelist Harriet Reed is ecstatic to be marrying Edward Holbeck. Although he’s been estranged from the Holbeck family for years, Edward’s engagement sparks the family to want to draw him back in, especially since he’s the heir to the family fortune. What seems like a lovely family reunion turns dark when Harriet is given a tape confessing to a murder. Now the game is afoot, and Harriet isn’t sure what part she is expected to play.
It took me an entire week to read The Family Game, and not because of its length; I disliked it that much. Although Steadman’s thriller has plenty of action, the story just rubbed me all the wrong ways. For starters, Harriett has this weird fascination with her father-in-law that’s downright creepy. Even worse the glaring plot holes and illogical motivations had me wanting to chuck the novel across the room.
Detective Too Close to the Case
Exiles
Jane Harper
A year ago, Aaron Falk traveled to the South Australian wine country to celebrate the christening of his godson, his friend sheriff Raco’s son. But the event was canceled when Raco’s sister-in-law vanished that weekend, leaving her baby asleep in the stroller. Now Falk has returned for the rescheduled christening, noticing cracks in this once well-knit group prompting the disclosure of long-kept secrets.
This was a hard choice to make. I almost picked the first book in the Aaron Falk series, The Dry, which I would recommend reading first if you can. However, the third book, Exiles, felt like a better parallel to The Last Party, as both detectives are intimately connected to the cases being investigated. I will say, the beginning of Exiles was a struggle. I had a hard time getting into the setup and was often confused by the initial flashbacks. However, once I was into the mystery, I thought it was perfectly executed, slowly peeling away clues layer by layer.
The Last Party
Clare Mackintosh
During the New Year’s Day polar swim, the body of wealthy real estate developer Rhys Lloyd washes up in a small Welsh town. After an awkward one-night stand together, local detective Ffion Morgan must work with English detective Leo Brady to discover how killed Rhys. But the more they discover about Lloyd’s life, the more they realize that almost everyone has a reason to want him dead.
I attended a murder mystery event hosted by Clare Mackintosh and when I learned she is a former detective, I knew I needed to read her latest detective story. In my American ignorance, the Welsh names were impossible to pronounce and I wish I had listened to the audiobook version instead of reading it. I loved the setting, but as a whole, the book ended up being an underwhelming boilerplate mystery with glacially slow pacing and a murder victim who turned out to be too evil, the absolute scum of the earth.
Teenage Drama
Goodbye Days
Jeff Zentner
For Carver Briggs, a text message changes his life in an incident. But his text distracts his friend just enough that all three of Carver’s best friends are killed in a car accident. Already feeling guilty, Carver feels the anger from the family members of the boys killed. Yet when one boy’s grandmother asks him to spend a Goodbye Day with her to say a proper goodbye, Carver struggles to handle his emotions along with those of the grieving families.
Jeff Zentner does an excellent job of writing coming into adulthood teen dramas. Whenever I start reading a book described as a tear-jerker, I always assume that knowing it is going to be sad will stop me from crying. Well, that didn’t work out for me. I sobbed throughout Goodbye Days, fully immersed in Carver’s grief.
Looking for Alaska
John Green
Unpopular at his current school, Miles Halter is ready for adventure when he attends a private boarding school in Alabama. Immediately Miles is nicknamed Pudge and falls head over heels for Alaska Young, a gorgeous, sexy prankster whose reckless behavior changes all their lives forever.
To be honest, I spent the entire first half of Looking for Alaska rolling my eyes at Green’s unrealistic fantasy version of the “cool girl,” who feels more of a stereotype than a reality. (Which Green then went on to replicate in Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines.) Although I hated how Green glorifies teen smoking, the twist at the mid-point at least steered the book toward a thoughtful discussion of the consequences of recklessness. Still, I think this was definitely an overrated bestseller.
Mom’s Hidden Past
Black Cake
Charmaine Wilkerson
Estranged siblings Byron and Benny are brought back together by their mother’s death. For their inheritance, they find a traditional Caribbean black cake and a voice recording from their mother. Eleanor’s message tells the turbulent story of her life, one full of secrets and a long-lost child that will leave the siblings questioning everything they thought they knew.
Wilkerson does an excellent job bringing to life the complicated family dynamics underlaid with the powerful story of Eleanor’s life. A great choice for a book club, Black Cake touches on a lot of hot issues that would make for a lively discussion.
The Love of My Life
Rosie Walsh
When Emma falls seriously ill, her husband Leo begins to research her life for her obituary. The more he digs into his wife’s past, the more he realizes everything she told him about herself is a lie, including her name. Now Emma must convince Leo that he really does know her, but first she must tell him about the other love of her life.
Despite all the buzz around Rosie Walsh’s latest novel (including a Good Morning America book club selection), I was disappointed with The Love of My Life. Don’t get me wrong. Emma’s story is extremely poignant and memorable. However, the first half of the novel constantly hinted at the “big secret,” which was more of an annoyance than a hook. Although this slow-burn domestic drama picked up in the middle, the ending slowed back down, making the pacing seem all off.
Mutations
Brilliance
Marcus Sakey
Marcus Sakey delivers a grown-up dystopian book series where 1 percent of the population has developed supernatural powers. Federal Agent Nick Cooper’s special ability is to track terrorists. His latest target: another “brilliant” intent on provoking civil war. But to track his target, Cooper risks crossing a line that would betray everything he believes in.
Brilliance is a high-action thriller that did skimp on the character development front. However, the first book was certainly entertaining, perfect as an escapist read. Plus, it is the perfect Read This Not That parallel to Black Crouch’s Upgrade. Yet, I give this recommendation with a grain of salt. The book was fun, but not brilliant. However, I didn’t think the second book lived up to its predecessor and I never did get around to finishing this series. Regardless, anything is better than Upgrade.
Upgrade
Blake Crouch
In a future where the world has been ravaged by the unintended consequences of gene editing, Logan Ramsay works for the Genetic Protection Agency, tracking down unauthorized gene editors to atone for his family’s role in the disaster. When an explosion infects Logan with a virus, he undergoes a genetic transformation and now must use his new abilities to stop it from happening to anyone else.
I’ve enjoyed Crouch’s smart sci fi thrillers previously, but Upgrade might be too smart for its own good. I was bored to tears throughout the entire book, which failed to make DNA science interesting, and I actually don’t mind reading fat science books about genetics. Even the action scenes were putting me to sleep. I’m honestly ashamed to say I even finished the book because it was that dull.
Unreliable Narrator
What Lies in the Woods
Kate Alice Marshall
At age eleven, best friends Naomi, Cassidy, and Olivia spent the summer roaming the woods. Until Naomi was attacked, surviving 17 stab wounds, and the girls’ testimonies put a serial killer in prison for the death of six other women. Except, they lied. Now Olivia wants to tell and Naomi must discover the dangerous truth of what really happened in the woods that summer.
If you are looking for a solid thriller to curl up with this winter, What Lies in the Woods delivers a fun quick read. I was worried the story would be too predictable, but even though several of my guesses were correct, there were still twists I did not see coming. I won’t say it’s the most original thriller I’ve ever read and the characters weren’t the best developed, but it was an enjoyable weekend read.
Stay Awake
Megan Goldin
Liv Reese wakes up in a New York City cab and nothing is like she remembers. Strangers are living in her brownstone, her phone is missing, and her hands are covered in blood with the message “Stay Awake” penned all over them. Two years ago, she was a successful writer in a new relationship. With the news talking about a crime scene with “Stay Awake” scrawled in blood, Liv must run from a crime she doesn’t remember.
The publisher’s description is toting Stay Awake as a complex thriller, and I have to say I think it was a bit too convoluted for my taste. Liv is suffering from a condition that makes her memory reset every time she falls asleep which at times made for a great unreliable narrator but at other times just felt too unbelievable. I honestly suggest skipping this thriller.
What are the Most Overrated Books You Read This Year?
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my Read This Not That list? What overrated books would you add and which bestsellers do you think I judged too harshly? As always, let me know in the comments!
More Read This Not That Posts:
Ann says
Thanks for this Rachael! So much fun!
Now I do not feel as bad not reading some of these.
I took years to read The Secret History. I picked it up several times, but did not get very far. Then when Jenna recommended it/actually she had always said it was a favorite/but, when she actually chose it as a ReadwithJenna pick & created a schedule, I finally tackled it. Like you, it was good, but I wasn’t wild about it. Maybe bc I do not know my Greek mythology?!
The Cloisters was definitely a no go for me.
I’ve had The Exiles sitting. I am guilty of getting on library wait lists & then when I get the books, they sometimes just sit. I get too many at a time. I read The Dry and possibly one other by the author, but may not read The Exiles.
The same has happened with The Love Of My Life. So I’ll be okay not reading. It is due back in a few days.
You’ve intrigued me with All Good People Here.
I am in a bit of a reading rut. My last book was Unlikely Animals, which I liked, but my mind may have wandered. I really appreciated it more when I read the author’s note & she explained her whole process and how all that was going on (there was a lot!!) came to be and why she included such varied topics. It worked!
Nothing has really grabbed me in a while. Just started Rebecca Makkai’s I Have Some Questions For You. Hoping it will be good.
I may need to stop this new release habit I’ve acquired & go back to oldies but goodies.
As I said, I jump on wait lists and my library very efficiently sets these aside for me to pick up. I browsed the stacks a bit on my last visit & there is something to be said for that. So soothing!!!!! Sometimes I’ll pick titles based on blurbs from other books.
Yesterday my haul also included: Go As A River, All The Dangerous Things (these were the new titles) & Mother Country, The Lost Vintage, The Discomfort Of Evening, Dogs Of Summer.
So, as you can see, no lack of material here!
Love your blog.
Ann says
Love that you do this yearly.
I mentioned that I picked up I Have Some Questions For You, the latest Rebecca Makkai, but now I fear this book may end up on a “not this” list as one that did not live up to the hype.
I have barely cracked into it, but the actual writing does not seem great.
So I checked goodreads reviews and sure enough. I do not want to read too much about it, no spoilers, as I may continue and actually like it.
I haven’t read the author before & she seems to be so popular.
Wondering if you’ve read it & your thoughts/without giving anything away.
Forgive me if you reviewed it and I missed it.
Rachael says
I haven’t read I Have Some Questions for You. I was really excited to read it because I enjoyed her novel The Great Believers. However, I have not been hearing positive things from other book bloggers, so I don’t know if I’ll read it. The Great Belivers is about the AIDS epidemic, and so it’s a completely different genre. Writing literary fiction is very different than writing a good mystery.
Cath says
Interesting! I like these kinds of lists and am always looking for new recommendations. I personally hated Exiles and loved The Last Party. Also, didn’t like What Lies in the Woods but did like Stay Awake. To each her own!
Rachael says
Yes, exactly! I love hearing other people’s perspectives. There is a reason these books are popular – lots of people do like them. It just makes it a fun way to spark discussion on these titles.
Debi Morton says
This is my favorite of all your wonderful blog posts. It is so helpful to me because I trust your reviews, and because I read relatively slowly so I definitely don’t want to waste time on a book that doesn’t satisfy. I appreciate that you give good reasons for your selections.
RipeReads says
Loved this! Thank you!
Amanda says
I just wanted to say- I always enjoy your newsletters & reviews. Thank you!
Kim says
I respectfully disagree on All Good People Here. I thought her writing was trite and boring and characters not very engaging and I DNF it. I feel like the hype around her being a podcaster gives her writing more merit than it’s worth. It was a big disappointment for me. Your other picks are pretty spot on for me, however. 🙂