I was in a bit of a reading rut at the beginning of the month so I'm a little light overall here. I've been reading at a steady clip and my mind just needed a break from it. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I know I need to let it take its course. I was also beset by some bad books. I hate when that happens, don't you? Anyway, on with it.
Once is Not Enough by Jacqueline Susann - I had high hopes for this because I liked Valley of the Dolls when I read it a few years back. This book was AWFUL. I read halfway through then returned it.
Empire Falls by Richard Russo - I had very high hopes for this book. The prologue nearly killed me with boredom, but I soldiered on. This is one of those books where everyone loves it and I just...don't. I found it really tedious. It reminded me of how I felt when I read most John Irving novels. Like I know I'm supposed to find this compelling and excellent but I do not.
The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley - I loved this book so hard. I was intent on reading it and adored everything about it. Such a hard, hard subject - actually a few hard ones tucked into this book - written and expressed really beautifully. It gave me all the feels so be prepared. Add it to your list.
Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty - Some parts of this book made it a total page turner. Others made me pause and think. Overall, I was left a little unsatisfied. I think it had a lot more potential and petered out on some fronts. Yvonne annoyed me. The depiction of X felt a little like a tinny characterization.
Some Luck by Jane Smiley - Way back when, I read A Thousand Acres. I thought it was smashing. I kept waiting for this book to smash me over the head with wonder. It never came. I really liked a lot of things about this, including seeing the changes that came across the country and the world over the 33 years this first novel in a trilogy spans. Some things peaked my interest, but if the other two novels of this trilogy are 419 pages each of middling story at best, I'm not sure if I can hang in there. I feel like this skimmed the surface of what really went on in this family over the years, and surface doesn't typically cut it for me in a book of this length. I slogged through this at best.
Some Luck by Jane Smiley - Way back when, I read A Thousand Acres. I thought it was smashing. I kept waiting for this book to smash me over the head with wonder. It never came. I really liked a lot of things about this, including seeing the changes that came across the country and the world over the 33 years this first novel in a trilogy spans. Some things peaked my interest, but if the other two novels of this trilogy are 419 pages each of middling story at best, I'm not sure if I can hang in there. I feel like this skimmed the surface of what really went on in this family over the years, and surface doesn't typically cut it for me in a book of this length. I slogged through this at best.
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Haikuesday
Four day week for me...
So Tuesday is not as bad.
Just kidding. It is.
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Link up your posts about the book(s) you've read recently with Jana of Jana Says and me!
And of course, thank you to all Veterans not only today on Veterans Day, but every other day as well.
Link up your posts about the book(s) you've read recently with Jana of Jana Says and me!
This link up will happen the second Tuesday of every month.
The next one is Tuesday, December 9.
Show Us Your Books!
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(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)
And of course, thank you to all Veterans not only today on Veterans Day, but every other day as well.
