High expectations leading to disappointment

[Anonymous]

So many of my favorite authors have new books out this year, and I've been disappointed by all of them.

Examples include Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff, I Cheerfully Refuse by Lief Enger, and Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride.

I feel like part of the reason I haven't enjoyed them as much is that I'd been anticipating reading them!

I wish I could lower my expectations more... Anyone else been let down recently by their favorite authors new works?

[Anonymous]

Anthony Horowitz his Murder mystery books of late have not been as witty or clever as they were originally.

Lorrie Moore has passed her best. I could throw her books at the wall these days.

[Anonymous]

+1 for Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Definitely a disappointment and did not live up to the hype.

[Anonymous]

I read a lot of series and I had lots of awesome additions to them to read this year.

Maybe your tastes are changing and it might help to try some new genres?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many of my favorite authors have new books out this year, and I've been disappointed by all of them.

Examples include Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff, I Cheerfully Refuse by Lief Enger, and Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride.

I feel like part of the reason I haven't enjoyed them as much is that I'd been anticipating reading them!

I wish I could lower my expectations more... Anyone else been let down recently by their favorite authors new works?

I also very much disliked these two books but I can't say Lauren Groff is/was a favorite. Peace Like a River on the other hand, is a book I adored while I Cheerfully Refuse was just bizarre and not as clever as it was trying to be.

My biggest disappointment of the last year related to expectations was The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. It was on so many "best of 2023" lists and included several of my favorite features in a book: family saga, multiple narrators, long length. I love a juicy tome. I was so excited for this book and it was so hard to buy for a few months when it was hot that I ended up with two copies by accident. And then... it was horrible. Just total banal crap.

[Anonymous]

I felt very mixed about Matrix, so maybe I enjoyed Vaster Wilds more because I didn’t expect as much.

I also felt bored by The Marriage Portrait, despite loving her other work. I also didn’t love the ARCs I got of the new works from Julia Philips or Tea Obrecht. And I felt ambivalent about Tommy Orange’s new book. So now that I think about it, I have felt pretty let down by some great authors’ recent works!

I do feel like I’m constantly led astray by Goodreads (the choice winners are usually…not my thing, even in my preferred categories, or just totally baffling) and often by reviews from publications I respect. (I’ve felt really let down by the New Yorker recently, and NyTimes and WashPost have never been great.)

[Anonymous]

I was deeply disappointed in Women because I liked Four Winds and Nightengale. I had to force myself to finish it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I felt very mixed about Matrix, so maybe I enjoyed Vaster Wilds more because I didn’t expect as much.

I also felt bored by The Marriage Portrait, despite loving her other work. I also didn’t love the ARCs I got of the new works from Julia Philips or Tea Obrecht. And I felt ambivalent about Tommy Orange’s new book. So now that I think about it, I have felt pretty let down by some great authors’ recent works!

I do feel like I’m constantly led astray by Goodreads (the choice winners are usually…not my thing, even in my preferred categories, or just totally baffling) and often by reviews from publications I respect. (I’ve felt really let down by the New Yorker recently, and NyTimes and WashPost have never been great.)

Oh I didn't even realize Julia Philips had a new book out, but it sounds like I should steer clear!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many of my favorite authors have new books out this year, and I've been disappointed by all of them.

Examples include Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff, I Cheerfully Refuse by Lief Enger, and Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride.

I feel like part of the reason I haven't enjoyed them as much is that I'd been anticipating reading them!

I wish I could lower my expectations more... Anyone else been let down recently by their favorite authors new works?

I also very much disliked these two books but I can't say Lauren Groff is/was a favorite. Peace Like a River on the other hand, is a book I adored while I Cheerfully Refuse was just bizarre and not as clever as it was trying to be.

My biggest disappointment of the last year related to expectations was The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. It was on so many "best of 2023" lists and included several of my favorite features in a book: family saga, multiple narrators, long length. I love a juicy tome. I was so excited for this book and it was so hard to buy for a few months when it was hot that I ended up with two copies by accident. And then... it was horrible. Just total banal crap.

That's good to know about The Bee Sting because the things you listed are also often things I love.

Re: Lief Enger, did you read his book Virgil Wander? I remember really liking that one too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I felt very mixed about Matrix, so maybe I enjoyed Vaster Wilds more because I didn’t expect as much.

I also felt bored by The Marriage Portrait, despite loving her other work. I also didn’t love the ARCs I got of the new works from Julia Philips or Tea Obrecht. And I felt ambivalent about Tommy Orange’s new book. So now that I think about it, I have felt pretty let down by some great authors’ recent works!

I do feel like I’m constantly led astray by Goodreads (the choice winners are usually…not my thing, even in my preferred categories, or just totally baffling) and often by reviews from publications I respect. (I’ve felt really let down by the New Yorker recently, and NyTimes and WashPost have never been great.)

Oh I didn't even realize Julia Philips had a new book out, but it sounds like I should steer clear!

I read an ARC, and I think it should be out in the next month or so. From the other ARC reviews, other people also felt pretty mixed— it’s beautifully written but the story felt stretched a bit thin. (I thought it could’ve been a great short story, actually.) I like her a lot so I don’t want to dissuade anyone from reading her next book but I just didn’t feel like it met my expectations. Would be very curious to hear opposing views, though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read a lot of series and I had lots of awesome additions to them to read this year.

Maybe your tastes are changing and it might help to try some new genres?

^ I think that's really insightful. The books might be half-baked - but also, you may just be craving something new.