It really pains me to DNF this. A book about falling back in love while on a lavish food and wine tour in Spain, France and Italy sounds right up my sIt really pains me to DNF this. A book about falling back in love while on a lavish food and wine tour in Spain, France and Italy sounds right up my street. And the food and wine was great. But unfortunately, the rest wasn't. First of all, the portrayal of the places and the people our main characters encounter there was so clichéd that I was cringing so hard I was getting a headache. I may have been able to get over that, but then the whole "wager" mentioned in the blurb pops up, and the whole thing becomes hook-up after hook-up. Apparently everyone in Europe is completely and voraciously pansexual and DTF at the drop of a hat, and they're all super hot for our main characters. Who came across as kind of insufferable, actually, especially Theo. This may have been because I was in their POV for the sections I read. I understand later on we switch to Kit and some have said the book gets better. I wasn't sticking around to find out. ...more
Reading (or attempting, at least) all the books on the Booker longlist this year. This one I abandoned at about 20%. I was bored (didn't help that I tReading (or attempting, at least) all the books on the Booker longlist this year. This one I abandoned at about 20%. I was bored (didn't help that I tried to listen to the audiobook, which may have felt even slower), and I found the characters opaque and impossible to understand. ...more
Read about a third of this. I didn't hate the part that I read, but I just didn't connect with the writing and characters, and I have had to force mysRead about a third of this. I didn't hate the part that I read, but I just didn't connect with the writing and characters, and I have had to force myself to pick it up long enough to get this far. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what is not working... the best I can do is that it feels like the author is writing the characters as if we readers are supposed to already know them and care about them, but they haven't done the work for it.
One of my reading resolutions for this year is to be better at letting these kinds of books (don't hate them, but just don't feel like reading them) go. If I get stuck more than a month, I have decided to just DNF, and here we go....more
I tried to read this for my book club but got bogged down at about 40%. I did not connect with the main characters. Helen especially. Her blaming GranI tried to read this for my book club but got bogged down at about 40%. I did not connect with the main characters. Helen especially. Her blaming Grant for a situation where, if anything, he was the victim, felt extremely unfair and illogical. I understand that in the moment that it happened, but so many years later, no. And Grant was so bland. I was not interested in them or their relationship.
I was interested in the writers' room for the TV series based on Helen's books, and understanding how that works, but that sort of disappeared from the story, at least in the sections I read. ...more
I read 200+ pages of this one before giving up, and I only lasted so long because it was for my book club. I even read a bit further after the book clI read 200+ pages of this one before giving up, and I only lasted so long because it was for my book club. I even read a bit further after the book club meeting, as so many of my fellow readers liked, even loved the book and I hoped that if I kept in mind what they had said about what happened in the rest of the book, I'd enjoy it more. Unfortunately, I didn't.
My issues? Mainly that I had a big disconnect to the story. It's a violent, very dark world and really horrific things are happening. Did I care in the least? Nope. Maybe it was that I found the world unconvincing, maybe it was the characters, I don't know. This was just not for me....more
I've been trying to read this for a couple of months, and have only been able to get up to a third. I am not clicking with the writing. I was interestI've been trying to read this for a couple of months, and have only been able to get up to a third. I am not clicking with the writing. I was interested in the story, particularly once I managed to push through to the part where our British characters set up in 1950s Florence. The problem is that this is the kind of literary book where the characters do not act like people, and I just couldn't connect with any character....more
I liked the first book a lot, but this one just didn't work for me. First, it may have been a problem that I read book 1 back in 2019. It took me a whI liked the first book a lot, but this one just didn't work for me. First, it may have been a problem that I read book 1 back in 2019. It took me a while to catch up. But after a while I did, so that wasn't what put me off. My problem was that after the start, the book just DRAGGED. I was so bored reading it. I pushed myself through all the blah-blah-blah which was supposed to be scientific but felt like just nonsense till the 60% mark, but after a while I decided I was done spending time on something I wasn't enjoying....more
I really tried with this one, but I was bored to tears. The faux old-fashioned "scholarly" tone got old very quickly, and I found the characters very I really tried with this one, but I was bored to tears. The faux old-fashioned "scholarly" tone got old very quickly, and I found the characters very frustrating. I just didn't care enough to want to find out what would happen....more
I read the first 50%. Really interesting premise, but Erlick doesn't do anything interesting with it, at least in that half. We see some random characI read the first 50%. Really interesting premise, but Erlick doesn't do anything interesting with it, at least in that half. We see some random characters dealing with the knowledge of the length of their string, but it feels trite and simplistic (so does the writing, btw), and there's no real psychological insight. Disappointing. ...more
I read about half of Prophet Song before stopping, as I'm not getting anything from it. I just don't understand what is so shocking and surprising aboI read about half of Prophet Song before stopping, as I'm not getting anything from it. I just don't understand what is so shocking and surprising about the story being told here. Yes, this is how fascism takes over in a previously democratic country. We all know this, don't we? If we don't, we should. It's happened so many times before, even recently. Is it supposed to be more shocking because it's in Ireland? Why? I'm baffled.
This has not been a good year for me reading (or attempting to read) the Booker-nominated books. I attempted 5, and DNF'd all of them. Usually there are at least one of two gems, but not this year. ...more
I read about 60%. I was interested in Lucas. I identified with his story of immigration to the UK, and it's one that is not often told. And I liked thI read about 60%. I was interested in Lucas. I identified with his story of immigration to the UK, and it's one that is not often told. And I liked that although he was Brazilian (born and raised, moved to the UK as an adult, not simply of Brazilian origin), his characterisation wasn't some sort of stereotypical "hot-blooded Latin American" bullshit. He was a regular person, with his own personality. I was really interested in him.
Unfortunately, his story was being told as part of a very frustrating, silly wider story that I lost patience with (seriously, the whole enmity between him and Izzy was idiotic). And it was a romance where the other part was a total twit. Too bad....more
I do not believe in the paranormal in real life, but I love crime-investigating psychics in books (I blame an early exposure to Linda Howard's Dream MI do not believe in the paranormal in real life, but I love crime-investigating psychics in books (I blame an early exposure to Linda Howard's Dream Man). This one sounded interesting, and once I started reading it, I really was interested in the story being told. However, I just couldn't with the writing. It was just excruciating. Tortured metaphor after tortured metaphor, and all the characters are so bloody dramatic. I gave it a good go, but I won't force myself to keep going.
Disappointing to have picked this for my first book of 2024. It had better not set the tone for the rest of the year!...more
Very short columns published by Ferrante in The Guardian. I read about half of them, and didn't find a single one where there was something I found inVery short columns published by Ferrante in The Guardian. I read about half of them, and didn't find a single one where there was something I found interesting. They felt pointless. Well, at least the book allowed me to fill the category of "A book that is a collection of essays, articles or columns" in my reading challenge. So not completely pointless. ...more
I read like 60% of this, and for most of it, I was bored to tears. I was never really engaged by the romance, so when this element started to take offI read like 60% of this, and for most of it, I was bored to tears. I was never really engaged by the romance, so when this element started to take off, I didn't feel like picking up the book. I was more interested in Sadie's situation, and would have liked to see her grow a spine and stand up for herself. But I got tired of her being a doormat for people like her ridiculous boss and her father and sister (who never made any sense as a character, I'm afraid).
Also, I couldn't help noticing the abundance of dead young mothers. We have Gunnar's wife, Sadie's mother, then her stepmother (her sister's mum). There's something about that which doesn't sit well with me....more
I've been reading this for almost 2 months and have reached about 40%. It's a long book, so I think this is a fair shot. I am not disliking this, and I've been reading this for almost 2 months and have reached about 40%. It's a long book, so I think this is a fair shot. I am not disliking this, and I'm interested in the characters, but reading this feels like a slog. I never feel an urge to pick it up; rather, I force myself to do so, and only read 1%/2% before moving to something I'm enjoying more. I don't think it needed to be as long and sprawling as it is. I will give myself permission to stop reading and clear the board for 2024. ...more
I read about 20% and never got into it. The writing feels very meh, and although I was interesting in the characters in theory, they never came alive.I read about 20% and never got into it. The writing feels very meh, and although I was interesting in the characters in theory, they never came alive.
This is the 3rd I read from the Booker 2023 longlist, and the 3rd DNF. Actually, this one is even on the shortlist. Oof!...more
I listened to about half of the book, but I'm afraid I was pretty bored. It's a shame, because I was interested in the setting and the basics of the sI listened to about half of the book, but I'm afraid I was pretty bored. It's a shame, because I was interested in the setting and the basics of the story, but the characters were really not doing it for me. I'm not a big fan of having real people as characters in a novel, but that wasn't really the problem. It's just that everyone was quite flat. Meh....more
Trying to read the Booker shortlist again this year. This was one I didn't connect with, and DNF'd at about 20%. I just found all the race stuff exhauTrying to read the Booker shortlist again this year. This was one I didn't connect with, and DNF'd at about 20%. I just found all the race stuff exhausting, and resented that for all that the protagonists are Jamaican, and much is made of how they are sort of outside of the American race categories, somehow the American way of experiencing race is somehow presented as the universal one. Nah....more
I liked the idea of the setup (I'm always up for meta fiction, and for an author to play with the fourth wall), but I lost patience with the executionI liked the idea of the setup (I'm always up for meta fiction, and for an author to play with the fourth wall), but I lost patience with the execution. The characters kept acting and reacting in weird ways that didn't make sense, and the whole thing dragged. I tried to make progress for about 2 months, but life's too short....more
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