Saturday, January 1, 2011

Trash to Treasure

Each month there are several books that I start to read but for one reason or another I just can’t get into. I have a fairly 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.

Entwined by Heather Dixon (2011) – read 57 pages. I have a very low tolerance for fantasy books (although I am getting better). I just find them too confusing and they don’t really hold my interest. If there isn’t a great amount of time devoted to world building I often get lost. This was the case for me with Entwined. There wasn’t enough world building and after 57 pages I couldn’t tell where the book was going so I quit. I thought the characterization was strong and I liked the dynamic of the sisters, but beyond that I was mostly just confused. Probably better suited for those who enjoy fantasy or are familiar with the original Grimm tale.

Cry Havoc Reviews, The Bodacious Pen and The Elliot Review all have positive reviews that you should check out.

Torment by Lauren Kate (2010) – read 157 pages. I really enjoyed Fallen, the first book in the series, so it was a big surprise that I couldn’t get into this one. I think the biggest reason I stumbled was that I had difficulty remembering the first book and no longer felt connected to Luce and Daniel’s story. Kate’s writing can also be slow at times, which also made it hard to connect. There is a lot to like in this series (angels, mystery, timeless romance, war) and I’m not in any way surprised by the success. I’m more disappointed in myself than the book and I’ll likely give the whole series another go at some point down the road.

Novel Novice, Amy Reads and For What it’s Worth all have positive reviews that you should check out.

Empty by Suzanne Weyn – read 48 pages – While I love dystopian novels, I cannot handle apocalyptic books, even if they have hopeful endings. Empty is a book about what would happen if/when our oil supply ran out. While I think it’s a very interesting topic, the reality of it was too scary for me to continue reading. The book is well written with a fast paced plot. The world building was also incredibly well done in its subtleties. So while I thought it likely would have been a great book, it freaked me out too much to continue.

Fiction Addict, All about {n} and Dreaming in Books all have positive reviews that you should check out

5 comments:

Stephanie (Books Are A Girl's Best Friend) said...

I think this feature is a wonderful idea and I like how you've put links to positive reviews on other blogs. It's always really nice to have a balance of opinions.
I'm really looking forward to Entwined so I'll be checking out the other reviews :)

Celiac Librarian said...

ha, another Stephanie beat me to saying pretty much the same thing.

I really like this feature, and I may end up copying it but giving you credit and linking back here.

I especially like that you put links to positive reviews. I like reading negative reviews because they are honest, but it's great to see what's appealing about the book too, because sometimes it is just a matter of taste.

Jessi E. said...

Wow! Thanks for linking to my review!

This is a really good idea to post this - and a good idea to stop reading if you just can't get into a book. I need to think about doing something like that!

Katie said...

ThanksLibrary Steph and Jessi. I've seen features like it before and I thought it was a great idea because if you only review books that you really like then your reviews can be a little on sided (which mine usually are). So this is my way of being honest about what I read, but knowing that like you said Steph, it's usually a matter of taste!

Unknown said...

I LOVE this idea! I am stealing it, I have so many books that I don't read because I couldn't get into them. I really LOVED how you linked to others reviews :D

 
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