Trash to Treasure - September

Each month there are several books that I start to read but for one reason or another I just can’t get into them. I have a pretty low tolerance for the books I read, usually only giving them between 50-100 pages before I quit. There are just too many books to read and not enough time to “trudge” through something I’m not enjoying. However, I recently realized that I never mention them on here. So I’ve decided to do a monthly feature looking at some of the books I just couldn’t get into and why.

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy White. (2010) – Read 125 pages.

Initially I was really drawn to the idea of using flowers to be able to control things in life, like helping friends and making people fall in love. Admittedly I didn’t get far enough in the book to really see too much of that. There are also elements of mystery that I know I missed out on that I’ve read about in reviews. I DID enjoy learning about the flower’s meanings and what not, so I can see how this book would probably really appeal to a lot of people. However, I couldn’t get past the style of writing. It seemed a little unpolished and it lacked a consistent flow between the descriptions and dialogue. The pacing was really slow and I just couldn’t connect to the main character. I’m sure the book gets better, but the poor writing seemed to overwhelm some of the cool plot elements. I would probably still recommend this book, but it just didn’t click for me.

The Story Siren, The Compulsive Reader and The Library Lounge Lizard all have positive reviews on their sites to check out.

The Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray. (2008) – Read 55 pages
I believe in something called right book wrong time. Every so often I come across a book I know that if I had picked up at any other time I would probably really like but for whatever reason at this time I can’t get into it. That was the case for The Ostrich Boys. The book is about a road trip from England to Scotland, which sounds awesome. However, it has a really slow start and I just couldn’t commit to it despite the great premise. It did have a bit of a John Green feel to it so I think I would like to give it another go in the future.

Chicklish and Reading Junkie have positive reviews on their sites to check out.

She’s So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott. (2010). – Read 67 pages

I really liked the concept of this book and was looking forward to reading it. However, the writing style just wasn’t right for me. I found it a little long-winded and a little dry. Usually I don’t mind split narratives but combined with all the other elements that were not working, it just further separated me from the characters. While not the book for me, I can see how those who enjoy realistic fiction with split narratives or with a focus on romance might really like it.

The Book Cellar and The Undercover Book Lover have positive reviews on their sites to check out.