Kathy, I with you 1000% !

Let me enjoy a good book that's a winner.

And not be so grossed out I can't eat my dinner !

And I'm with Vee for returning the vampire book. Yuk!

Annpan, you ask why I chose the vampire book. My hand just reached out to the shelf in the vestibule of the library, There was NO mention of vampires/blood etc on the cover just overwhelming praise (this should have warned me) splashed all over the front cover.

I also watched the TV series with Pam Ayres 'doing' the Cotswolds (an area I lived in for many years and now 'look at' over the River Severn) I didn't notice Charles' misuse of "I/me". I thought Royalty used 'We' and 'One'!

"We are not amused" wrongly attributed to Queen Victoria and "One might try on One's crown today."

Vee, I have a blind spot where covers are concerned. I just look at the printed info re title and author.

I was interested when there was a discussion here about the cover shots taken of the character's backs and did check them out.

All the careful thought going into the artwork is wasted on me! Excepting for cats, strangely, as I do notice them.

Lucky you, living in the Cotswolds. We used to go there for weekends using the cheap motel rates and drive around the lovely places with the CKC spaniel. He amused tourists once by suddenly bolting on the extending leash to chase a duck right into the stream running through the village at Bourton on the Water. I had to buy a roll of kitchen towel to dry off his soaked legs!

Hi Sarah, good to hear from you again!

I frequently DNF a book. There are too many books awaiting my attention to waste time on books that do not engage me. That is, unless it is a book club book. In that case, I try to push through. Not always with success, but I usually finish them. Sometimes I am sorry I did.

Hi Rosefolly, I’m enjoying seeing all these familiar names.

I didn't exactly "not finish " this book for I intend to read it but only once I get a copy I can actually SEE !

Have you ever had a paperback printed in such small font and lighter ink that it is a strain?

So , I will read The Last Mrs. Parrish at some point......

Yes to that yoyo, sometimes when I order a book online I am taking a chance on font size and ink so pale it looks as though it has been watered down. Another peeve is with paperbacks that are so badly bound or even glued, opening them and reading at the point where the pages meet is difficult without cracking the spine.

Vee, glad to hear it's not just me ! I wonder why a publisher or author would ever choose such fonts or ink ? It makes no sense.

I usually finish books no matter what but am getting better about stopping. I must confess I closed Harry’s memoir, Spare, after 100 pages. Endless complaining.

yoyo, I'm sure everything . . . . small print, poor binding, low grade ink are all down to cost. Over here we have too many books produced on cheap quality paper. The pages turn yellow in a matter of months. I always notice that books printed in the US use much better paper.

My latest DNF, The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin is a real disappointment to me, because I've been interested in reading it for a long time. It's a fictional account of a real-life scandal about Truman Capote's extremely close relationships with several high-society women in NYC who he later betrayed by publishing their secrets in an essay published in Esquire Magazine. Then he was apparently shocked that he was ostracized by this group of women, his closest friends. I don't know why I expected to like this book. Instead, I found the descriptions of the lifestyles and relationships of these people to be distasteful and even a bit creepy at times. So I stopped reading about 120 pages in. Moving on...

Thanks for that review, Kathy. I remember when that happened and also read a review of this book. A distasteful episode as you describe so I don't think I'll read it.

I got in 7 months ago and then couldn’t get in again. This Houzz/Garden Web thing makes me drazy!!

How do you all get in? I had to wait until I was notified about a new comment so I could click on it.

Sarah Canary - This is the link I use to get directly to the Reader's Paradise Forum in Houzz:

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/paradise

Once this page is displayed on your screen, you can save it as a favorite or a bookmark in your browser so that you have it available later. -- Kathy

kathyKathy_t — Thank you. I will try that.

Hi SarahCanary! I pop in and out, too. It is hard when on the computer ALL DAY for work... screens... sigh... too many screens.

PAM

I have the link saved on my desktop, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to get in. It lost me a few months ago and I had to do a password change before Houzz let me back in.

I stay logged in on my desktop but usually get in from someone's post. But that doesn't work on my iPad or phone. And I've had to change my user name and password so many times that I don't know what it is anymore.

This is the hardest website to deal with. I go away for a few days and then I can’t get back in. So frustrating!

Another thing you can try is the next time you get in to RP, click ”follow” in the box on the upper right. then when you are logged into Houzz, RP will show up on ’Your Topics’ list on the left.

I have two library books half read because I have not really got into them. I am tossing up whether to keep going or send them back. I just can't feel interested in the characters or the plots! There isn't a waiting list so I can renew, in fact I have already done one but that was because I hadn't started it for nearly a fortnight. The US election programs on TV were so interesting to follow! All Channels were awash with docos!

I checked both the books I am stuck on with Goodreads and a number of other people didn't like them either so I will return them.

Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack did my head in with all the footnotes too! I had great hopes for that book and The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes.

Both were recommended as amusing but I didn't laugh much after a while. Such a shame, I could do with cheering up, being miserable with a dental problem...

Southern Man by Greg Iles. I’ve read many of his books and enjoyed them. I only read a few chapters of Southern Man and it was mostly political screed and racial violence. I read enough if that in the news - I don’t need to read it in a novel.

I was trying to remember where Sarah Canary was mentioned/recommended. I requested it at the library and it was not available in my preferred kindle format, but I picked it up in the ol' book format. I will start it shortly.

I hope I have a better time with it.

It‘s one of my favorite books…but not everyone’s ”cup of tea.” My book club friends tease me about it. I love the way she uses language, and her sly sense of humor. Let us know what you think.

The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo ...........UGH !!

At first I thought I could like it but as her story developed I decided I really didn't like the book at all.

Bon, I finished it, but also didn’t like it! None of the characters were likeable.

I’m with you, msmeow…there has to be at least one character I like.

Seven husbands and none to like?

Well, initially I thought Sarah Canary was going to be a DNF for me as well, but after about 40 pages of trudging through, it became entertaining. I have about 50 pages left--- and I am enjoying it! I would say it is a very "different" book, and I agree that it is beautifully written and pretty humorous. It's definitely not for everyone, and I am certain that if I had my book club read it, I would have the same reaction as you did.

I'll edit this when I am finished, but thought I'd give a nod. It is kind of confusing at times, but I read for pleasure and don't feel the need to follow every fact or nuance. As I say, I'm not in high school and reading it for a test next week. I just go with the flow.

The Seven Husbands of evelyn Hugo was a "good read" but I didn't think there was too much there, there. I did enjoy it, but wouldn't rave about it. I on't think you miss anything if you don't read it.

Carolyn, it's true - seven husbands and none to like. You need to read the book (or a synopsis) to understand why.

I'm updating here rather than editing- I finished Sarah Canary.

I did enjoy it a lot.

Some parts got a bit winding and confusing but overall, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Towards the end, I was thinking it was a similar genre as Confederacy of Dunces. So if you like that sort, Sarah Canary may be one for you.

So glad you liked it. BJ and Chin are two of my all-time favorite fictional characters.

I tried to read the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo a few years ago, but didn’t like any of the characters so gave up quickly.

Rouan - I was attracted to Seven Husbands by its gorgeous book cover, but as I mentioned way up top of this thread, it was a disappointing DNF for me also.

A few days ago, I had to DNF The Last Taxi Driver by Lee Durkee, even though I had already read 150 pages. The book is about a guy who's rather down on his luck, driving an old taxi cab, and wondering when Uber would cause him to lose his job. He described the various taxi rides he'd provided to a lot of people and places on the fringe of polite society. It was a bit distasteful, but it was also quite funny, so I kept reading even though it was often uncomfortable for me. But I came to a chapter about his high school experiences, it was just too gross for me to keep reading. No longer funny, just violent and cruel. So that was that.

It's fairly rare for me to DNF a book, but I picked up a copy of Less by Andrew Sean Greer, and couldn't get past halfway. It won a Pulitzer Prize, and the cover had many quotes saying how humourous it was, but I hadn't even cracked a smile, let alone managed a laugh, so put it on the give away pile.

I think we don't often agree on books, Kath, but I remember I read Less a few years ago. I did read it, finished it, and thought it was alright, but couldn't understand how it could be so highly praised. It's one of the several Pulitzer winners that I really did not enjoy or at least were far from my favorites.

Since then, I've kind of resisted reading Pulitzer prize winners because too many have been so disappointing.

I just re-read the original post and will comment that I read Bird Hotel last year for book club, and I really enjoyed it.

:)

I usually try to keep going with a book, especially a shiny new copy of Tracy Chevalier's latest work The Glass Makers. It is set in Venice and travels date-wise from the 1480's to 1900's but with some characters never aging; I just couldn't get into it.

It felt as though Ms Chevalier thought "I've been to Venice and still have a street map. I'll find out all I can about the glass industry, set the scene, add a family, no need for much depth of character, throw in a few plagues, light romance and battles and see where it takes me."

But judging from the positive comments on Amazon and the excited blurb on the cover many people loved this book. So maybe it must be just me!

Yesterday I DNF'd two books in a single day. That's a record for me.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. UGH! I knew I wouldn't like it. It's aimed at a much younger audience and it's a fantasy (a young woman who wants to be a scribe but is forced into the dragon-riding section of her school). I tried it only because a very young physical therapist I work with, who noticed I always had a book with me in the waiting room, wanted me to read it so badly. I don't know how I'm going to politely tell her I hate her favorite book ever.

Confessions by Kanae Minato. This is a very unusual story in which two school children murder the pre-school-aged daughter of their teacher. Once this is revealed, a psychological analysis of how school children treat one another once they believe two among them are murderers. It was actually very interesting, but I grew weary of it, so I bailed.

Funny how different folks view the same books, kathy_t!! I admit to reading many young adult books which deal with fantasy (go away, Freud) themes and usually love them. I would have been thrilled with them when I was young, too.

Fourth Wing drew me right in, and so did the rest of that series. BUT even better IMO is author Cassandra Clare, who has written several series (also for young adult readers) and I ended up purchasing most of them in hardcover. My local librarian started me on these.

So I suppose what I have just written goes completely against the title of this thread -- apologies to all. =) But in conjunction with this thread, lately I have been out of luck in my library picks, to the point that out of the last 12 books I brought home, approximately 8 have been duds... ratz!

Roxanna, I have been curious about why fantasy books full of constant and continuing danger of death are so popular with younger readers. I assume The Hunger Games series is that way as well as the series of which The Fourth Wing is a part.

Aside from the constant tension, here is what turned me away early on. As you know, just physically entering the dragon-rider part of the school is very dangerous and many students die just trying to get to the entrance. (Why? Is that cool?) Then we had to read many pages describing all the travails the protagonist had trying to make it through the entrance alive. There was a rain storm, making it difficult to see. The footing was slippery, so her foot slipped off one side. Huge wind gusts made it difficult for her to maintain her balance. And oh yes, there was a large male student in line behind her who was threatening to kill her if he caught up with her. I kept thinking, "Why is the author trying to make me afraid she won't make it? There are so many pages left in the book, clearly she's not going to die before she gets to the entrance of her assigned school." Does this just mean I'm not a fan of fantasy?

I have another DNF, and it is another Pulitzer Prize book - perhaps I should stay away from those.

It's The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, and the topic is very interesting, the migration of African Americans from the South to the North, and to California, between WWI and the 1970s. She follows the stories of three people, one in the 30s, one in the 40s and the last in the 50s. While the content is fascinating (and at times horrifying, especially when talking about segregation and lynching) the book desperately needed an editor. Just like a TV programme which comes back from an ad break and summarises all that happened so far, she keeps repeating facts from chapter to chapter. I've had enough, so back to the library with this one.

I could not finish First Ladies by Marie Benedict. It was based on historical events that were so rigid that the author could not stray too far from facts. I felt like I was reading a documentary rather than historical fiction.

I also could not finish The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. It was a formulaic mystery/murder that had overtones of S and M. Yuck.

Kath - I too have become skeptical of Pulitzer Prize winners as enjoyable-reading books.

Ginny - I need one of those laughing emojis to post below your comment.

I'm having trouble finishing any book these days. I was reading my book club book, All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker, and just lost interest. It's not a bad book, but there is just too much plot. It's a long book, but the chapters are very short, which I found I did not like with this particular story, though it's not something that usually bothers me.

Started James by Percival Everett, a retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's perspective. I got to where the two con men show up and just didn't want go on that journey. Sometimes you get on the train and part way to the destination decide, "Nope, not going there," and change trains and go somewhere else.