So, I think it’s time we discuss something that can be quite controversial. I’ve certainly been grappling with this over the last month or so. I’ve been reading about it and listening to podcasts about it and I think it’s time we finally discuss the elephant in the room. *deep breath*
I’ve abandoned a book.
Ok, ok! Everybody calm down!! Don’t all speak at once! SIMMA DOWN NOW!
I know, I know, but seriously, guys, I just could NOT get into this month’s pick, Moonglow. I tried. I tried really hard! Like, 81 pages hard. And the worst part? It was MY pick! In my defense, it’s been on every must read list lately and it has a 4.01 on Goodreads and a 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon!
You know what, though? Life’s too short (my excuse for everything lately … like eating 3 donuts and never working out). Yes, this sounds like a total cop out, but I have 171 to-be-read books on my Goodreads account as of right this second. By the time you finish reading this post, it will probably be up to 2,000. And there are soooo many good books out there! Books that are right for me. And they may not be the same books that are right for you! Clearly a lot of people loved Moonglow. (And I don’t understand those people AT. ALL. … I am totally just kidding!)
I’ve been listening a lot to the Modern Mrs. Darcy podcast, What Should I Read Next, and if you are a crazy book nut like me and haven’t been over to her site, you must! She asks people three books they love, one book they hate, and what they are currently reading. Based on that information, she gives them specific books that she thinks they will love. (This is why my Goodreads to-be-read is currently at 3,246 … I know, that fast!!) Anyway, my point is that she and her guests often talk about books they’ve abandoned. There are a myriad of reasons why … the book is too long, too hard to read, it’s a busy time in the readers life, and so on and so forth …
So back to Moonglow …
It sounded super interesting. A deathbed confession, a grandson searching for answers, WWII, the space program, love and retirement villages, jail time and mystical cards … what’s not to love?! But honestly, and I’m not trying to garner sympathy comments of “not true!” here … but I began to feel like I wasn’t smart enough to read this book. Chabon’s writing is impeccable, but I found I had to really focus on what I was reading. That sounds lame, I know. I mean, the guy is a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist. His stuff is good. I actually listened to a podcast reviewing the book and the people on it were so incredibly pretentious smart that I thought, yeah, not my kind of book. I want a book to get lost in. A book that makes me crazy to get back to it. A book where I keep saying “one more chapter” until I’m literally falling asleep on it.
I do think I will finish this book. I don’t think it’s the right time for me. (Listen to me, trying to redeem myself) Or maybe I can read it while reading other books? Taking a chapter here and there when I feel like it?
Have you ever abandoned any books? Or do you feel like you need to finish what you start? I want to hear all of your deep, dark confessions on this topic! Because it’s so, so juicy.
I am truly curious about what you guys thought of Moonglow. Did you enjoy it? Did you struggle like me?
What did you think of the fact that Chabon never named his characters (i.e. it was always “grandfather” and “grandmother”)?
Personally, I hated it. I always struggle a little with keeping characters straight and this just added confusion for me. (Did I mention I’m not smart?)
What did you think of the odd mix of topics?
I’m sure by the end of the book, Chabon wrapped everything up, but I was feeling like we were all over the map between his grandmother, his grandfather’s younger days, his grandfather and the space program, and his grandfather in the retirement village. And then that creepy encounter with the prostitute? I mean, I’ve read Fifty Shades and this was creepier.
Did you find the grandfather likable?
This was another problem for me. I just was not connecting with the characters. Especially the grandfather, who threw a cat out a I don’t remember how many story window when he was young just to see what would happen. And I don’t even like cats!
Did you finish it and feel I should give it another go?
I’ll be honest, I almost gave up on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Those first 50-75 pages were brutal, but I am so glad I listened to everyone and kept reading. That’s one of my favorite books!
So now that we’ve got that off our chests (and I mean I’ve got that off my chest), let’s dive into our next book club pick!! This time we’re going with a little YA that’s turning into a Netflix series! Our next pick is Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and I cannot wait to start this one!
Here’s the synopsis from Amazon:
You can’t stop the future.
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.
While I’m not overly anxious to dive into teenage suicide – as I have two teens myself and enough worry on my plate to make any person both rationally and irrationally insane – I’m hoping this book provides some good insight and much needed conversation.
As always, we are giving away a copy to one of our readers here. Enter by leaving a comment on this blog post or Meredith’s Mom of the Year blog before 2/10/17 at 5:30am EST. As long as you are 18 or older and live in the continental United States, you are eligible to win.
Grab a copy HERE and read with us! We always love hearing your thoughts!! Happy Reading!!
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