(no subject)

[dampscribbler]

Since Saturday I have been trying to read Eragon, by Christopher Paolini. I give up. It's boring. Snoring boring. I'm about 110 pages in and I just don't really care about anyone or anything in the book. So, here I am, just over a fortnight into the year, and I'm already giving up on a book. But as many great writers (and readers) have said: Life is too short to read books you don't like.

Next up: Hmm. I don't know yet. I'll post something after I've started reading.

Comments

boring?

[mousey1013.livejournal.com]

how sad. i've been wanting to read that one -- waiting till it's out on paperback. but if it's snoring boring, maybe i won't bother. life is definitely too short -- and i have far too many books on the list!

Re: boring?

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

It is sad. I had hears such good things about it. My husband really enjoys the fantasy genre, and he read the whole thing. He said it was just okay, and the writing was immature. Let's hope the boy improves with age. I'm not so into fantasy anymore, so I need something to latch into early on (one or more characters, an interesting conflict or setting or, well, something) in order to stay interested. If you really like reading fantasy, the fact that it's fantasy may be enough to keep you going. Even at that, I'm sure there are better ones out there to read. Eric (husband) is reading "Quicksilver" right now --not in the same vein at all, but he's really liking it.

Re: boring?

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

PS - What's on your list? :-)

Re: boring?

[mousey1013.livejournal.com]

yeah, i'm the same way with fantasy novels. it's got to be really interesting and cool, or i'll lose interest.

my list is fairly long at the moment, mostly because i've stopped by a few great used book stores lately. so i only paid between $2 and $6 for all of them -- hardcover and trade paperback! so in no particular order...

midwives by chris bohjalian
i know this much is true by wally lamb
raphael's noble task by catherine salton (and i admit, i mostly only bought this one because i really liked the cover. hopefully it's good.)
the road to wellville by t.c. boyle
wizard's first rule by terry goodkind
meditations on middle-earth, which is a collection of essays by writers about tolkien. really, i got it for the terry pratchett essay.)
the red tent by anita diamant
who's who in hell by robert chalmers
a home at the end of the world by michael cunningham
i, lucifer by glen duncan (that one was actually free -- it's an advance copy from the publisher that i got from work.)

and i think that's it. of course, those are only the books that i OWN but haven't read. my list of books i don't own and haven't read it much longer.

Re: boring?

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

Wow, good list! I'm especially curious about "Who's Who in Hell." Great title. I never could get into "Wellville," but I will try again someday. It may be because I've already seen the movie, which often screws up a book for me. I liked "Red Tent," let me know what you think of it.

I like those prices you got, too. :-) Now that you're an important bookstore executive (ahem) can you do anything to help bring back the mass-market paperback? You know, for books that aren't by Grisham or Ludlum or Collins or....

mass-market

[mousey1013.livejournal.com]

that'd be really nice, wouldn't it? i'm very tired of buying trade paperbacks for $14 - $16. they're still paperbacks, for god's sake! just bigger ones!

i'll use my high-executive pull to get something worked out for you. :-)

i agree, who's who in hell looks really cool -- i've never heard of it, or the author, but... i judged the book by its cover. (and the title.) and i haven't seen "wellville" in ages and ages, so hopefully it'll all seem new again.

have you read girl with a pearl earring? i've been wanting to read it for a while, and now i think i want to get to it before i see the movie. and i definitely want to see the movie -- colin firth? i'm there!

Re: mass-market

[dampscribbler.livejournal.com]

Yes, I read "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and liked it, and I read it right after "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister," which I think I liked even better. They complement each other nicely, and I do recommend reading them close together in time. I'm looking forward to the "Pearl Earring" movie, as I liked Scarlett Johanssen in "Lost in Translation." Except she's so damn young! Blast her!

Tracy Chevalier has a new book out, too, it looks good. Something about those Unicorn tapestries.

They should put Colin Firth and Ewan McGregor in a movie together. They could just sit there scratching their bellies for 90 minutes and I'd probably be entertained. Although some good dialog would help....