Friday, March 20, 2015

It's Not You, It's Me (9)

"It's not you, it's me."  Some books just don't work for me, whereas other readers may have really enjoyed them.  This feature will be showcasing books that I never finished or reviewed; you know…...the dreaded DNF.

Ruth's Journey by Donald McCaig 
Goodreads says, "Her story began with a miracle.” On the Caribbean island of Saint Domingue, an island consumed by the flames of revolution, a senseless attack leaves only one survivor—an infant girl. She falls into the hands of two French émigrés, Henri and Solange Fournier, who take the beautiful child they call Ruth to the bustling American city of Savannah. What follows is the sweeping tale of Ruth’s life as shaped by her strong-willed mistress and other larger-than-life personalities she encounters in the South: Jehu Glen, a free black man with whom Ruth falls madly in love; the shabbily genteel family that first hires Ruth as Mammy; Solange’s daughter Ellen and the rough Irishman, Gerald O’Hara, whom Ellen chooses to marry; the Butler family of Charleston and their shocking connection to Mammy Ruth; and finally Scarlett O’Hara—the irrepressible Southern belle Mammy raises from birth. As we witness the difficult coming of age felt by three generations of women, gifted storyteller Donald McCaig reveals a portrait of Mammy that is both nuanced and poignant, at once a proud woman and a captive, and a strict disciplinarian who has never experienced freedom herself. But despite the cruelties of a world that has decreed her a slave, Mammy endures, a rock in the river of time. She loves with a ferocity that would astonish those around her if they knew it. And she holds tight even to those who have been lost in the ravages of her days.
My Thoughts:
Mammy from Gone with the Wind is one of my favorite characters. Who doesn't love Mammy? So when I saw that this book was her story, I thought for sure I would love it. I got about 20% into it and realized it just lacked that something special for me.  I wanted to love it, but we weren't a match. 



Finding Mr. Brightside by Jay Clark 

Goodreads says, "Abram and Juliette know each other. They’ve lived down the street from each other their whole lives. But they don’t really know each other—at least, not until Juliette’s mom and Abram’s dad have a torrid affair that culminates in a deadly car crash. Sharing the same subdivision is uncomfortable, to say the least. They don’t speak. Fast-forward to the neighborhood pharmacy, a few months later. Abram decides to say hello. Then he decides to invite her to Taco Bell. To her surprise as well as his, she agrees. And the real love story begins."


My Thoughts:
This book has had some pretty decent reviews, but I couldn't finish it. I wasn't connecting with the teenagers in the book and they felt a little too quirky for my taste. I also wasn't in the mood for anymore books that focus on death. I have read my fair share this winter, so I knew that I needed to put this book aside.

Have you guys read these books? Have you DNF any books recently? What makes you not able to finish a book? Let me know your thoughts. 

6 comments:

  1. Too bad about Ruth's Journey. I purchased that one for my library because of the good reviews but I haven't picked it up myself. The other book sounds good too and maybe it was just the wrong book at the wrong time and if you'd picked it up a few months from now you'd feel differently?

    I am struggling with An Ember in the Ashes. It started off so well but Laila, the main female protagonist, is such a victim. I do like Elias though and the world is kind of interesting if brutal. Definitely not living up to the hype though. I'll be interested to see how others feel about it. I have to read it unfortunately as I requested it through Amazon Vine :(

    There have been other times that I've pushed myself to finish a book because it is for my book group. We are reading Before I Go to Sleep and I'm struggling with that one too. I admit that I skipped ahead to find out what happens!

    If I'm just reading a book for myself or it is not a required review, I have no problems with giving up on it. I don't want to waste my time reading books that don't work for me. Usually it is either the pacing or the characters or the dialogue/way it is written.

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    1. I am thinking it was definitely the wrong book at the wrong time as well, Christina! I am surprised to hear you are struggling with Ember in the Ashes...everyone seems to love it. I'm glad you gave me the heads up that it's not living up to the hype. Good to know!

      I hear you about giving up on a book....life is too short to read books that just don't work for us. Thanks for visiting, Christina!

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  2. Ugh, I hate when this happens but it does, from time to time. I received a review copy of a book a few months ago that I'd been really excited to read; I just couldn't connect at all with the main character and the story wasn't that great. I finally gave up! We have too many great books to read to spend time struggling through the mediocre ones, don't you think? Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Hope you have a great weekend! Oh, and One Plus One was one of my faves last year. :) Hope you're enjoying it!

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    1. Exactly my thoughts, Tara. I'm glad you agree. I hope you have a good weekend as well. I am really enjoying One Plus One. It's my first Jojo Moyes! Thanks for visiting.

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  3. I've had this happen to me many a time. A book everyone seems to love and I'm just "the emperor is wearing no clothes"! Nothing to be ashamed of, and certainly no author is going to appeal to everyone.

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    1. I'm glad you agree as well. Thanks for visiting, Davida.

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