Restless Reading
Ever since I’ve finished The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (in short, incredible reads), I have been flitting restlessly from one book to the other, never reading more than 100 pages, but mostly no more that 20. I’ve picked up and set back down the following physical/Kindle books:
- The Queens Mistake by Diane Haeger (about 4 chapters in, but I’m just not that in to it – probably a touch of Tudor-itis)
- Magnolia Wednesdays by Wendy Wax (made it to 100, trying to force myself on it – that didn’t work)
- Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (made it to 20ish – put it down because I can tell it will be incredible and I didn’t want my general malaise to ruin it)
- A Second Helping by Beverly Jenkins (made it 20ish pages and thought it would be “the one,” but sadly I just could not get into it)
- Inglorious by Joanna Kovenna (made it to page 3 before I put it down – the story would be too heavy for me right now for sure)
I am currently reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck for the Classic Reads Book Club. It’s an interesting story thus far (on page 38), but while I was waiting for Emma’s prescription to be filled, I picked up and started reading True Colors by Kristin Hannah instead. Hmmm…
This is not just true of physical/Kindle books. It has carried over into my audio books, too. I’ve started and stopped the following since early this month:
- The Other by David Guterson (stopped it maybe 5 minutes in… I could just tell…)
- The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta (I was really looking forward to this one since I loved Little Children so much. I got to the “my priest molested me and I kinda liked it scene before I stopped that one)
- Somebody Else’s Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage (can you say cynical?)
This isn’t the first time since I’ve been blogging when I’ve gotten restless and otherwise unsatisfied with the books I pick up before. I just wish I blogged about what it was that turned the tide. I know that this time my work and home life has been so busy that I don’t have the energy to read that I normally do. Also, my key reading time is after the kids are in bed. With Game On Diet, I can’t sacrifice sleep for reading without losing points. I know eventually my desire to read will return. I just need to be patient. Patience is not my strength.
Restless Reader Ranting
While I might not have actually finished a book in a long time, over the past few days the little reading I have been doing has driven me up the wall. I am really, really getting tired of the bitter, cynical adult narrator or the mildly cynical adult narrator with super-cynical adult friends. I give a pass here to cynical young adults in literature because those feelings often go part and parcel with the age. When the character is an adult, I just want to scream “Grow up!” There was a time and a place in my when I would have eaten that up and begged for seconds. Although I’m pretty far from Pollyanna myself, they just don’t appeal to me any more. I think that grew old for me sometime after I graduated from college. If you’ve gotten past the age of 35, which is really pushing it, and you haven’t come to terms with your life, you need to take responsibility for yourself and your outlook.
The Abstinence Teacher led me to the edge of my patience. I should have known by the title that this would be a cynical look at the wars being waged about sexual education in the public schools. I tried to stick it out, but the whole priest thing I alluded to completely turned me off. Still, it was Somebody Else’s Daughter that pushed me over the edge last night.
Claire, an adopted daughter of a prosperous New Englanders, has never gotten over how her father drank away the pain of his wife’s death when she, 13 at the time, needed him. She rebelled into a world of drugs and moved to the West Coast. She came back to her family home when her father was on his deathbed. After deciding to live in her family home, she remains resentful as ever, not satisfied with her father’s final attempt to apologize. Through it all, I continued to listen, hoping that she would eventually have an epiphany that would let her move on emotionally. I took her attempting to get involved to help a badly beaten young immigrant from Poland as a good sign, but it just fed her sour world view. Petra was clearly being abused by someone. Her huge black eye couldn’t be hidden. What her first encounter ended up being was a slam at the United States and then Claire ruminating at how others will either ignore Petra entirely or think she had gotten what she deserved. Really? I agree that there are many people who don’t want to get involved, but I find it hard to believe that there are enough people who automatically assume that an abused woman deserves it to be a factor. That was all I could take. There was enough redemption out there to make the rest of that novel worthwhile for me.
Cynical adults characters, especially the bitter kind with no sense of humor, are definitely a reading pet peeve of mine. Ahh… It feels good to get that off of my chest.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_c.png?x-id=7d9af0ef-2fb2-4ffe-87b5-6e3331528f25)
I’m totally with you on the cynical adult narrators thing. Too often, they just seem so completely stuck and static as characters that I get frustrated and can’t get past my dislike for the narrator.
And, I’m also with you on the restlessness. I’m having a hard time getting into “Wolf Hall,” even though I’ve read nothing but glowing reviews and I know it’s right up my alley!
Michelle, I’m glad I’m not the only one who just can’t get into cynical adults. Regarding Wolf Hall, I am writing my review right now. I enjoyed it, but it’s not something you’d want to read if you’re feeling the same way I am. Save it for when you can concentrate. Move on to something lighter. You should be able to pick up pretty quickly from where you left off.
I have a hard time settling to a new book at times too. Mostly it is after I’ve read a really wonderful book and wish that the story would have continued.
Sometimes, I pick up one of my comfort reads. Something that I know that I loved before and haven’t visited for a while. Or getting caught up on my magazines or DVDs. You’ll settle to something soon.
I don’t love the cynical adult or kid viewpoint either. Too harsh. Need some softness and comfort.
This post is eerily JUST EXACTLY like how I have been feeling since finishing Pope Joan, which I LOOOOVED. I have picked up and read and then put down about 6 books, and your post really sums up how I feel. I just got Hunger GAmes so I think I’ll try that next.
Meh.
Oooh, the January Malaise is getting you! It happens. It doesn’t help that you have a sick kid, which can take away your last reserve of patience. You need some happiness! Check out The Happiness Project on the Kindle! This might be just what you need (or not! If it pisses you off, I didn’t recommend it!)
Wolf Hall is the book that I am really having a hard time with right now. I have wanted to read it for ages, and I ‘like’ it some of the time, but other times it’s just not grabbing me, you know? I don’t know what it is. I think I may have to re-read an old favourite, that might get me out of my slump.
Ooh, I’ve felt this way too many times to count. Right now I have WAY too many books out of the library (that I can’t renew because others have holds on them) that I have to read right away so can’t afford to fall into the malaise.
That said, right now I’m on a string of REALLY sad/depressing books (Fall On Your Knees, The Disappeared) and perhaps could do with a break with something lighter.
I’m having a hard time with Wolf Hall, too. I love it, but it takes all of my concentration plus some, so it’s not a relaxing book. I keep setting it aside for something else.
It’s a good thing you put down Somebody Else’s Daughter…the other characters are pretty angsty, too.
I’m with you on this. In fact, one of my 2010 resolutions is just this: I don’t always have to finish what I start.
Late last year, I realised that I had read very few good books through the year. It was not as though I did not read enough books – in fact, it was quite the opposite. It shocked me, therefore, that very little was memorable for me in the literature of 2008.
The problem, I realised very quickly, was that I had a tendency to finish what I started. I would begin reading books, find that I didn’t enjoy them and, inexplicably, persevere to finish those books simply because I had begun them. It was the same with movies as well. Even if I could tell, about fifteen minutes into a movie, that I would not enjoy it, I would doggedly sit through the film for no reason.
This year, I’ve decided to be okay with putting books away without finishing them – and it’s done well for me thus far!
I hate that restless feeling. I can count on it at least every couple of months, especially after I finish a longer, more involved read. The only good thing about it is that it eventually passes.
Wishing you the best as you work your way out of the slump. It happens to all of us, and I have a tendency to fall back on SIMS2 playing and bad TV to motivate me to read again–once the life stuff calms down. Hang in there!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who picks up and puts down books. I think I’ve read the first chapter in all my current challenge books, but just can’t seem to read on. I want to get done with my old ER books, but I want to read so many other things instead. I think I’ve only read a couple paragraphs in Dead Until Dark. I don’t know why people like that series, at least, not after 100 or so words… lol.
I think the cynical narrator thing is overdone, too. Life’s got enough problems right now, I don’t want to listen to some bitter soul ramble on, their malaise might be catching.
My reaction to all these whiners is “get over yourself already.” Not everyone is interested in someone else’s problems, especially when they insist on blaming someone else.
I don’t blame you for ditching Somebody Else’s Daughter, I only finished it because it was for a blog tour. Too cynical is exactly the problem I had with it, now that you mention it. That and the fact that everything sucked and everyone was flawed almost beyond redemption. I would encourage you to go back to The Queen’s Mistake when you’ve recovered from Tudor-fatigue a bit, though, because it was one of the best Katherine Howard books I’ve read.
I completely know where you are coming from! I think what annoys me about it is that I feel like the author is trying to force the character into having a “revelation” about themselves and about life. When it’s forced it doesn’t work. Plus, the world is so full of “gray areas” that you really don’t need a problem filled character, the world is full of enough problems for “normal” people to get through. My two cents
And more and more people in Somebody Else’s Daughter that you just want to slap upside the head! And so many creepy ones, as well.
I have this problem fairly frequently too. When this problem does surface I find solace, interest and excitement in books completely different from the “rutt” I had been reading into. Just something more in the literary fiction and/or historical fiction category. Recommendations for ya would be REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, MIDDLESEX and KEEPING THE HOUSE are three of my favs.
I’ve been meaning to stop by and see what you think of this suggestion: is it possible to include in your reviews whether or not the book is available for Kindle users (since you are one yourself)?
I loved Hunger Games and Catching Fire…I blew through them: http://stilettostorytime.wordpress.com/2009/10/03/playing-catch-up/
I have the same problem…and unfortunately you will often see my blog stall because of it…it’s not that I am not still reading…just maybe not excited about it…I do go back to comfort reads and my most reached for is Jane Eyre.
That’s such a great post! I feel mostly the same about cynical, bitter adults. Like you said, I forgive more easily when they’re young adults, but it still irritates me! I used to love this kind of humor and point of view, but it’s quickly getting old (or am I the one getting old? Mmmm…)
I go thru spurts of being restless. Right now I am heading into a restless period. I can sense it. I have a lot of books that I want to read and my brain is like a ping pong ball that bounces from one interest to another. Ping, Ping, Ping! I can’t seem to settle on any one book.
I loved this post! Honestly, it was such a breath of fresh air to read it even though I tend to be if not cynical in my own life, then more on the sad side than the happy, go lucky one.
I never thought to articulate my thoughts but I agree 100% with you on the adult cynical authors, especially in memoirs, they really really drive me crazy sometimes. It’s almost as if it’s en vogue to write about being bitter and sour and dissatisfied with your life nowadays. I would devour a book about a happy life, happy person that appreciates what’s given to them because having the personality I do, I crave inspiration.
To end my probably convoluted comment, I will just say I love this part:
“If you’ve gotten past the age of 35, which is really pushing it, and you haven’t come to terms with your life, you need to take responsibility for yourself and your outlook.”
[...] crystal clear that my recent reading blahs are a thing of the past. Despite knowing that A Reliable Wife was only published last March, I [...]