For me, the most recent book regret is Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Predictable from the get-go, bland, boilerplate sci-fi ideas, too many of these way-too-convenient plot devices just to push the story forward. I frankly don’t get the hype, and I am a pretty big science fiction guy.
Another one is Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. I read this in college and this whole book should have been a one-page essay. It was too repetitive, and the whole premise of “trust in your snap judgments and gut reactions” is way too simplistic and honestly stupid. Like all Gladwell books, it was anecdotal, superficial, and a waste of time.
Oh no! I was thinking of reading this one soon. I’ve heard good things about Murakami. Do you dislike their other books as well, or is it just this one that you didn’t enjoy?
You could start on a shorter one and see if the atmosphere of his books is something that calls to you. I loved Wind Up Bird Chronicle back when I was in college but it’s another long one. Sputnik Sweetheart and Norwegian Wood are shorter and will give you a decent insight into Murakami’s “deal”.