I love Green Darkness and enjoyed The Smoke.

The Flood was interesting to read as a book discussion; Jayber Crow is worth your time, I think.

I loved Green Darkness too. I have a hardback on my bookshelf.

I have a bookcase stacked with TBR, I have decided to tackle these in the coming weeks. It should not take me long as if a book does not grab early into it I pass on to my little village library. It means staying away from my local municipal library until these books thin out.

Ah yes--those TBR. Trouble is, I always see a review of new books that I simply must read, and my TBR shelves just get more loaded.

For what it is worth, I would disagree with those above that urge a second chance for a book they loved. If you gave each a real try- 50 pages or so-I would say move on. Sometimes the time, the reader, and the book just don't match up. Might you miss something? Sure. But pleasure reading shouldn't be a slog. We will all miss great books in our time-such is life.

I thought "Green Darkness" was wonderful and I would read it again. I agree with cece, however. Life is too short to not move on if the reading does not give pleasure. I had "All Over But the Shouting" by Rick Bragg sitting on my TBR pile, picked up for a buck or so. Read the first chapter and was clued in that this was just another southern novel of a dysfunctional family. Yesterday it was donated unread to the bookshop in my public library.

Ok, I gave them all another look and I can't do it. Too many others calling to me from the shelf!
Green Darkness I may keep for a few months and go back to it but the others are off to the swap club!

LOL! there may be a reason those books remain sitting on the TBR shelf (shelves?). I really enjoyed The Last Picture Show but i've got to say that most of Wendell Berry's stuff just makes me Zzzzzzzz.

Although I like Anya Seton, I thought that Green Darkness was not one of her better books. I'd try Katherine or Avalon for good historical fiction, or even Dragonwyck, her take on the then-current rage for the gothic romance genre, a much better than typical effort.

Rosefolly

Karalk, It's been over two weeks since you started this thread. I just have to know how you are doing with the TBR! Update us!

PAM

I have found the secret to getting thru my TBRS'

I just started to read them, I discarded about four on the first day. If they do not grab me in the first chapter, out they go for recycling.At this rate I will be on top within the next few weeks. (If I stay away from the local library).

I've not read the others, but I find Ian Rankin takes a couple of chapters to get going - I normally find them worth hanging in for.

I'm like that with Robin Cook's "Foreign Body" - I just can't get in to it, and I normally like his stuff. And I've got several on my e-book that are TBR - but I keep adding other stuff I really want to read so the TBR's kind of linger there, silently mocking my inability to tackle them. :)

I think that whenever one starts a book with preconceived notions, there is a pretty good chance that one has set oneself up for failure. Of course we know a bit about almost all of the books we read - they have been recommended here at RP, by a friend, a good book review, etc. But when one has kept a book for some time, well, all that gets multiplied. And one may have forgotten why the book was appealing in the first place, or one may be at a very different place in one's life. One may have had experiences that change the type of book one enjoys. I think you get the idea.

I think TBR lists should be something like clothing - if you haven't touched it in a year, give it away.

Incidentally, I loved a couple of the books on your TBR shelf, but that was me and that was then.

I agree with what Siobahn said - sometimes a book strikes "where you are" when you see it or hear about it. Two years later...we have traveled on from that place.