We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is: My Unpopular Bookish Opinions (You can share opinions surrounding being a reader, a book reviewer, etc. OR you could share your opinions on specific books that go against what everyone else is saying. Are there any books you loved that most people didn’t, or vice versa?)
Hello, friends! It’s time for some unpopular book (not bookish) opinions! The last time this was a TTT prompt was back in 2019 and (most of) them still hold true for me today. This time I’m sticking to unpopular book opinions because there are several. I want to say that I the majority of these 3-stars, which to me means that the good and bad were balanced. But I’m coming at this from the angle of “everyone and their mum loved this book and I just thought it was… ok”, hence the “unpopularity”. There are maybe one or two that made me so mad that I thought it deserved the bin… But I’ll keep my harshness to a min as to each their own after all! 🤭
On that longwinded note, let’s get to these opinions in no particular order. Also, please don’t take offense if I don’t enjoy your favourite. I’m not trying to be insulting, this is just my opinion, and we can’t all love the same things all the time!
I’m coming in hot with Quicksilver by Callie Hart. I didn’t hate it but didn’t love it although it seems that everyone else does. The hype for this has been intense and I was expecting to love it too. Sadly, not the case. Check out my full thoughts!
Oof, Malice by Heather Walter was particularly disappointing because who doesn’t love a great origin story? So many people loved this and I was beyond excited to pick it up. Imagine my surprise when I found it gave large-scale “meh” vibes. Check out my full thoughts!
My thoughts on Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco were very unpopular because I found this so incredibly mid that I wondered if everyone else read the same book as me. It took me yonks to finish this and I thought it would never end, lol. 🫣 Check out my full thoughts!
Everyone seemed to love The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid but I had very mixed feelings about it. It started off strong for me but the erratic pacing made me lose steam halfway and it was so hard to connect to the characters! Check out my full thoughts!
You have no idea how excited I was to start Anatomy by Dana Schwartz so I say with deepest sadness that I was shocked by how much I didn’t enjoy it! Sadly, the only gorgeous thing about this book is its cover. 😮💨
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao started as a 5-star but quickly became a 3-ish star read. There was so much potential in this story that I’m sad to say wasn’t delivered. I get why people love it and there were great things about it, but I was whelmed. Check out my full thoughts!
Well, well, well. We’ve come to the series that I wanted to chuck into the depths. I genuinely do not understand the love for the Blood and Ash Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout because it gave me nothing. 😭 It started off well but the decline was steady and strong. I’m not sure why I kept reading it but I was completely done by book 4, lol. No, thank you!
This was another book I was sure I’d love but found disappointing. Again, A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating A Demon by Sarah Hawley started strong, but the overall execution fell flat for me. It felt like too much was stuffed into this that each part didn’t get the space it needed to bloom. Check out my full thoughts!
Ooh, I did not hit it off on the right foot with Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. This is probably one of my most unpopular opinions because this book (and series) is so well-loved by many! I felt zero investment in the story and I loathed the love triangle. That trope will never be for me 😂 Check out my full thoughts!
I didn’t hate this book but I also didn’t love it. It was cosy and sweet but I didn’t connect with Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison the way everyone else seemed to. This ended up being just okay for me and I’m still not sure if I’ll finish the series (although I did love the second book). Check out my full thoughts!
And that’s it for my “unpopular” opinions. Do you think they’re very unpopular? Do you agree or disagree with me? I’m sorry if I didn’t end up loving your favourite book and it found its way on my list today!
dinipandareads 
I completely agree about the From Blood and Ash series! I did really enjoy book one and two but after that I think it should have wrapped up but instead it just went on and on and it really lost me. I did like Quicksilver, but I also didn’t think it was that amazing as the hype suggested. I did really quite enjoy Lovelight Farms though.
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Yeah, I think I enjoyed the second book the most out of the whole series but after that it went downhill so fast for me! 🙃 But the love this book gets really has me wondering what about it is so special that I’m not seeing!? Haha. To each their own though!
I also agree, I liked Quicksilver but I didn’t feel for it the same way everyone else who live and breathe it did. I’ll still defo be continuing with the series~!
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I have not read any of these but a few are on my tbr and it will be interesting to see if i feel the same way as you did. Some books are definitely overhyped and overrated…
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Not all books can be for everyone! I do hope you enjoy all of these as much as everyone else did though 🙂
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So true and thank you, Dini!
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Lovelight Farms was a rare DNF for me. I started listening to the audiobook and just couldn’t get interested so gave up!
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I think I had sky high expectations with that book with how much everyone loved it, so I was bummed when I found it quite difficult to get into as well. Oh well, we can’t love them all, right?
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That’s funny, I really enjoyed Lovelight Farms, but am currently reading the second book and not vibing with it as much! 🙂
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Oh, that’s interesting! I think it might’ve been the tropes that worked more for me in the second book and I also cared for the characters more. Beckett is a bit of my kryptonite 🤭 I hope that you end up enjoying it more as the book goes on!
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I did really enjoy Beckett… 😉
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I haven’t read any of these, but I’ve been procrastinating reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess for a long time now. I’m not sure why I haven’t picked it up yet… but I do NOT like love triangles either so now I’m worried that I won’t like the book either.
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I honestly don’t think I would’ve picked this up if I had known that it had a love triangle. It wasn’t that I just don’t like that trope in general but I didn’t like how it seemed to take over the whole story? Or maybe that’s just my bias colouring my memory of reading it, lol 😂 If you do eventually pick it up, I hope it works more for you than it did me!
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Well, I own the hardback (bought it because it sounded neat and looked SO PRETTY) so I will probably try it at some point. But I don’t have high hopes at this point. We’ll see! Sometimes that can actually help, when I’m not expecting much from a book.
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I find that helps me too! Which is why sometimes I decide to wait and let everyone almost forget the book before picking it up, especially if it’s really hyped or loved by all. 😂 On the bright side, at least you have a gorgeous book on your shelf! 🤭 The cover really is super stunning.
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LOL, that makes sense! And yes, the cover for this book and its sequel look great on my shelf, even though I don’t know if/when I’ll eventually get around to reading them. 😂
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I didn’t connect so much with LOVELIGHT FARMS, either. That might’ve been my first small town romance read that put me on the road to believing those kinds of books aren’t really for me. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t feel super invested in it.
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Oh, I’m glad to hear that other people felt the same way. I felt very alone in my corner 😂 I agree exactly to what you said—it wasn’t bad, I just didn’t feel super invested and I was surprised because I love small town romance and cute/cosy vibes!
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I tried to read Anatomy because I really like her podcast but I couldn’t get into it. The writing made me cringe. Probably a good thing I didn’t try to push through, I think.
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Ooh, I didn’t know she had a podcast! What is it about? Yeah, I think Anatomy should’ve been one I DNF’d cos it was so unenjoyable for me but I’m glad that I can take it off the TBR and shelf. Too bad—the cover is still one of my faves!
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It is called Noble Blood and she focuses on one historical figure (of the aristocracy usually) each episode. She presents the information in narrative form. Very dramatic and interesting.
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I thought Daughter of the Moon Goddess was okay but definitely was not as enthralled as many other people seem to be.
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I read it at the time it was being hyped everywhere and by everyone! I had such a different reading experience 🫣
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That’s how I felt about A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon too. I wanted to love, I really did. But something about it just wasn’t hitting the mark for me.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/books-that-dont-deserve-the-hype-my-unpopular-opinon/
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Oh gosh, I’m so glad that it wasn’t just me. It’s such a bummer when you want to love a book and no matter how you try, it just doesn’t work for you. I totally get it!
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I felt the same way about Anatomy.
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Oh, I’m so glad to hear it. I mean, not that it didn’t work out for you but that I’m not on the island alone 😂
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I am preparing myself for a contentious book club next week. I love the book we are reading but I have feeling others won’t. One gal is pretty opinionated when she doesn’t like a book so the discussion often gets shut down. I’m try to work my brain around strategies to counter that.
i’m off topic this week: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2025/04/ttt-excerpts-from-new-to-me-poems-i-like.html
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Oh no, that sounds awful! I mean, that’s the point of a book club and having discussions, isn’t it? Not everyone is going to like the same book but that doesn’t mean that others can’t have productive or interesting discussions about why. I hope that you manage to find some good strategies to counter that. You could always break off into smaller discussions with others who’d still be interested in it, if anything (although I’ve never been part of a book club IRL so I don’t know how that really works, lol).
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Completely agree with Iron Widow. Do not understand the love that book gets, even if the author is awesome.
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I love seeing other people feel the same about this book because I was so confused by how much everyone loved it and how much I didn’t! 😅 I do agree, the author is awesome though!
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Yes! I was like, “did we read the same novel?” To each their own, I guess 🤷♀️😂
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Yeah, it was defo a “to each their own” moment! 🤭
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I had the same feelings about Quicksilver and Iron Widow. The Wolf and the Woodsman and Daughter of the Moon Goddess were pretty quick DNFs for me LOL.
My TTT: https://laurieisreading.com/2025/04/15/top-ten-tuesday-books-on-my-tbr-i-avoid-reading-and-why/
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It’s always refreshing to hear that others felt the same way about very popular books, lol.
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From Blood and Ash seems to have VERY mixed reviews haha – I think I’m going to avoid that one!
And yeah I couldn’t get through Quiksilver and that was recommended to me by a lot of people??
Always feels weird when I don’t vibe with a book that’s popular!!
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I guess I only saw the positive (raving, glowing) review for FBAA, especially around the time it was so hyped, and it left me so confused and wondering if we read the same book 😂 I’m glad that others enjoyed it and it found its fanbase though, lol. I’m seeing other people say the same thing about Quicksilver and I get it. I didn’t end up disliking it so much that it was a DNF but it took a minute for me to get to the “i like it enough” phase! I totally agree that it is weird when such popular books fall flat but to each their own and all! 🤭
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I’m the other way around – I loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess! 😀
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I know I’m in the minority with my feelings on that book! 🤭 I’m very bummed that it didn’t end up working for me!
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I *just* DNFed Quicksilver yesterday XD
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Haha well done! I didn’t dislike it as much as a DNF but it took a hot minute to get to “i like it enough” 😂
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I thought I was going to get away scot-free, but, NOPE! Lovelight Farms is a book I loved. Sorry it wasn’t for you.
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I liked it but I expected to love it and when I didn’t I have to admit, I was pretty bummed out. I’m still keen to check out other books by this author though as I keep getting sucked in by the hype, haha!
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You comment about we don’t all love the same book is right on, Dini. I have loved a book and recommended it to others, and they were not that impressed. I felt bad that I had recommended it and they trust my opinion and it didn’t work for them. As the saying goes, Every book isn’t for every person, or We don’t all read the same book, and I have to agree. Anatomy is on my TBR, but I will wait a bit before deciding if I want to read it. The one book that I just didn’t connect with, but so many people loved is Daisy Jones and the Six, it happens.
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I totally feel the same way as you when a book recommendation doesn’t land for others, especially if it’s one that I loved immensely. This is why I rarely recommend books because I get too nervous and over-think whether they’ll enjoy it or not even before recommending it to a person, lol 😂 But yes, it’s important to remember everyone has different taste and will enjoy different books and that’s why there’s such a wide range of authors, genres, tropes, etc.! I know my thoughts on Anatomy were in the minority cos it is a very well loved book, so I hope that you enjoy it if you ever decide to pick it up 🙂
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OMG I thought I was the only person on the planet who didn’t enjoy Daughter of the Moon Goddess lol. The writing was beautiful but the story and characters were just so ‘meh’, and I just never got an emotional connection to it at all. Glad to know I’m not the only one!
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OMG YOU TOO!? I feel so validated 😂 I really felt like I was the only person on this planet to not enjoy that book hahaha I agree—the writing was beautiful but other than that it fell so flat for me. I’m sorry that it also was the same for you but I’m glad that I’m not alone in my thoughts, lol. 💜
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I loved four of these so I suppose that at least gives me renewed hope for Quicksilver 😂 although I will say I’m still worried about From Ash & Blood as I’ve seen a few people say they were disappointed by it recently. Why are so many of these on my TBR 😂 there’s only one that isn’t. Although I guess I know who to turn to if they let me down.
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Sometimes my brain just latches onto things to be nitpicky about in certain books when in other books I don’t mind as much. I think it just has to be the whole package for me to overlook the “not so fun things” that my reading brain doesn’t like. I really hope that you feel the same way as the majority and love Quicksilver whenever you read it, but if you do end up feeling mid about it, you’re not alone either, haha! 😉 Armentrout’s FBAA series just… Yeah… I know lots of people who love it and I’m happy for them cos I wish that were me too but nah, haha, it just wasn’t for me and that’s OK! I still hope you enjoy all the books that you have on your TBR 🙂
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I guess we all do that sometimes. Even mood can affect how those kind of details get to you. And it’s kind of why I don’t always read reviews for books on my TBR that I’m excited for. If a character has an annoying trait for instance I may manage not to notice if I’m drawn in by the story but if I go into it aware of that factor I’ll never overlook it 😂😂 it’s good knowing I have someone to turn to whatever I feel with these books 😅 I am aware that sometimes books sound perfect but something goes wrong in the execution of them and that’s what makes me nervous 😬 but thank you, I’ll keep you posted on how I find them 🤞
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[…] #TopTenTuesday: My “Unpopular” Book Opinions […]
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Yeah all those guide books by her lack a bit in execution unfortunatly.
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