Can't do it

I can't do it. I just cannot finish these books.

There are four books this time. I keep thinking I need to finish these books but I realized that I am just not going to do it. Each one is a bit different as to some of the 'why' but really, I don't completely know why some books don't grab me. Especially ones that other readers have really enjoyed.

I started The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski because my book club was going to be in the audience of Oprah when she discussed it. It is 562 pages and I pushed myself to get as much done as I could in the week we had between finding out we were going and when we had to be there, reading over 350 pages. I didn't get it done but Oprah never discussed it on the show. And ever since I keep thinking I should finish. But it's not calling me.

Edgar Sawtelle is a mute child who grows up on his parent's farm, working the family business of raising Sawtelle dogs. The story is very descriptive and character driven with not much actual plot. But the characters were not that compelling to me. After reading 350 pages about these characters, you'd think I'd want to know what happens to them. But I really don't. To me there was such potential with this story but I never engaged with the characters. Thus, I am not finishing.

I received Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland from the Early Reviewer program at LibraryThing. I can't get into the book. I made it 52 pages but have no idea really where it's going or what's the point. This surprises me as Ms. Handeland is not a new author and I expected great things from the book. I was very excited to get it but just cannot read it. I realize I am not much into the latest craze of books about the supernatural but I don't think this is why I don't like it. I just don't. There are too many other books out there that I want to read to spend my time reading this one.





For a book chat, Book Club Girl sent me a copy of The Safety of Secrets by Delaune Michel. I missed the chat but wanted to read the book.

I am about halfway through the book but am finding the people in the book very blah. I don't particularly care for the main character of Fiona. She's pregnant, has an okay husband, is an actress, has a couple of best friends and is just boring. There's some secret that underlies her relationship with her childhood best friend that so far is not yet revealed. But there are a ton of other secrets amongst Fi and her circle of people - some 'normal' and some just dumb. I am not intrigued enough by the hint of the BIG secret to keep reading about these people that I find very blah.

The thing is, tons of folks enjoyed this book. So I am definitely in the minority on my opinion. Go see Dar's thoughts at Peeking Between the Pages, Sheri's thoughts at A Novel Menagerie and Lisa's thoughts at RebeccasReads. And stop by Book Club Girl for the chat with author Delaune Michel.

Lisa Roe, the Online Publicist, sent me Legerdemain by James J. Heaphey. I was very intrigued by this book as I love a good spy story and this is a real one! I don't know if the reality of it is what kept me from getting involved or just the timing of reading it. Or maybe my aversion to learning history. I've picked it up two times and cannot get very far into it without stopping. This is one where I know if I just pushed through the beginning I would enjoy it. But I just can't seem to make myself do that. I am sorry for that.

For other reviews, go to see The Bookfool at Bookfoolery and Babble, an article at Old Musty books, and Curled Up with a good Book. And I'll probably try again because I KNOW I will like it if I do.

I encourage you to read the other reviews and thoughts on these books. Just because I didn't become involved with them doesn't mean you won't. In fact, maybe that means you will! If you do read one of them and want me to post your review, just let me know. I'd love to share other thoughts of these books.

I can't DO it!

I can't do it. I just cannot finish these books. They haven't grabbed me, haven't even looked to be interesting enough to keep trying and I am done.

I received Drinking Problems at the Fountain of Youth by Beth Teitell from the Early Reviewers Program at Library Thing. I have had wonderful books from that program and so was excited to read this one.

I thought it was a novel. Based on the description (which I cannot find now) I thought it was fiction. Kind of a laugh at the reality of aging while telling a story. However, it is not fiction. It is a collection of essays on aging.

Which is one strike against the book as I am not a non-fiction reader. However, I read a Nora Ephron book for LOLAs and told myself I could read it for LT. But it wasn't funny. I think she's trying to be funny. Maybe too much. Strike two. The third strike came as I realized there were just as many references in the text as there were words straight from the author. Maybe footnotes would have been better for me, but that was the last chance. I am done with it.

I did give it to a friend and am waiting to hear what she says. I do know there are other folks out there that liked the book so don't just go on what I say.

I have read many great reviews about Matters of Faith by Kristy Kiernan and was excited to find it in my library already.

Here's the summary from Amazon: In this tense, well-paced novel about belief, Kiernan explores what happens when faith and love test the limits of family fealty. In southwest Florida, college student Marshall Tobias is in search of something to believe in. He thinks he's found God and the woman he's always dreamed of when he falls in love with fundamentalist believer Ada Sparks. But Ada's against medical intervention for illness, and tragedy results when she sets out to help Marshall's 12-year-old sister, Meghan, overcome her life-threatening allergies. Switching points-of-view between Marshall and his mother, Chloe, Kiernan (Catching Genius) movingly portrays a 20-year-old marriage gone flat and torn apart by crisis, a troubled son, a daughter hovering between life and death, and the hard-to-discern boundaries between true faith and unhealthy fanaticism. She handles her difficult material respectfully. Most interesting is her portrayal of the well-meaning traps parents fall into when encouraging open-ended exploration of faith without context, or choosing to remain silent. The thoughtful themes, interesting characters and page-turning drama of this novel will likely make it a book club favorite.

I think what turned me off almost immediately about this book was that this college student just walked in, met the family, and spouted off how they are doing things wrong and need to do it her way. No ifs, ands, or buts. Maybe that's how teens are now and I'll have to figure out how to deal with it in a few years. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt and keep reading but I just couldn't get past it.

Again, I know there are many folks out there that love this book as I've read multiple review of it, so it's probably just me. And I decided there are too many other books out there that I think I will like so why waste time on ones that I don't now.

I just couldn't do it. Let me know if you can and what you think of them.