Books That Got The A(X)e This Year…So Far
There are a few books this year that I picked up thinking I would really like. Turns out I wasn’t all that into them after all. Here’s why…
The Kind Worth Killing, Peter Heller
On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner. The strangers begin to play a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves. But their game turns a little darker when Ted jokes that he could kill his wife for cheating on him. Lily, without missing a beat, says calmly, “I’d like to help.”
I got about 1/2 of the way into this one before I gave up on it. I guess I just can’t get into books about husbands and wives trying to get even with each other. I should have known I wouldn’t like this book since the topic always rubs me the wrong way.
The Golden Son, Shilpi Somaya Gowda
The first of his family to go to college, Anil Patel, leaves his tiny Indian village to begin a medical residency in Dallas, Texas. He and his childhood friend, Leena, struggle to come to terms with their village customs and eventually their choices bring everything they’ve known in to question.
A lot of people really like this book but I was a bit bored. I honestly think that I just picked it up at the wrong time and have been meaning to give it another go. Are you a mood reader? I certainly am and my mood sometimes gets in the way of good books.
Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi
Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal.
I guess I just don’t get it. So many people loved this book and I couldn’t stand it. The repetitive nature of the dialogue drove me absolutely bonkers. I couldn’t even focus on the story. I put it down thinking I’d try again later when I wasn’t feeling so irritable. I still haven’t picked it back up.
Any books you just couldn’t finish this year?
Kim@Time2Read
I read Shatter Me 5+ years ago and thinking about it still makes me shudder…..I’m not sure why I didn’t just DNF it, but I guess the fact that so many loved it led me to believe that if I just stuck with it, I’d feel the same way!
I’m disappointed to see the rest of your list, though. The Kind Worth Killing was a 4.5 star read for me when I read it 2 years ago! I haven’t read The Golden Son, but I loved Shilpi’s first book, The Secret Daughter. I’m hoping to enjoy this one, too!
As far as DNF’s this year, I don’t have a lot. One is Island Beneath The Sea by Isabel Allende. It came highly recommended but I realized that I just wasn’t enjoying it and couldn’t see investing any more time when I have so many books to read! Another was an ARC I recieved of You Were Here by Gian Sarder. I tried it three separate times and never got past the first third of the book, so it definitely wasn’t a reading mood fail!
Bryan G. Robinson
Hmmm. Where do I begin? 😉 But really probably too many, but I honestly don’t remember them or maybe I don’t want to.
Kimberly Lynne
Yes, no use wasting time on a book that you aren’t enjoying.
Anne@Headfullofbooks
2nd person who has listed Shatter ME as a bad book TODAY. Guess I will avoid it for sure.
Kimberly Lynne
I listened to the audio and I think that did it for me. I couldn’t do over the repeating dialogue like I could have if I’d been reading it on paper.