Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Promises

I've been meaning to get some reviews up and just can't seem to find the motivation. So, I thought that I'd just put it out there: I want to have reviewed The Bishop's Keep, The Secret History, and the Secret Life of Bees by Sunday. They're all challenge reads, and I feel like they deserve some air time. :)

In the meantime, I think I'm tiring of challenges. They used to be a fun way to direct my reading, but right now with all of my new bookmooch acquisitions, I don't like feeling so hemmed in! Oh well-it's my own fault. :D And really, I do enjoy them. I think it's more that none of my reads are really grabbing me. An Instance of the Fingerpost, while I'm sure it's quite historically correct, has the most repulsive narrators ever. The first one calmly talked about vivisection and killing animals. The second one raped a girl. I can only imagine what the third and fourth are going to do to piss me off. It makes it rather difficult to read; I'm about a third of the way through it, but it's an effort to pick it up.

I'm in that mode where I pick up a book, read for a couple hours, and then don't want to go back to it. Most of the books I'm reading are good, but they're just not grabbing me. *sigh* I don't know what to do to get out of the reading doldrums either. Any suggestions?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh no.. Sounds like you definitely need some read-at-whim kind of books. Nothing to do with challenges or anything like that. I did like Instance quite a lot but thought it dragged a bit around the third section. Anyway, hope the reading doldrums go away soon!

Gentle Reader said...

I don't have any great suggestions for the reading doldrums, but I know the feeling, and I know it passes! Maybe just drop all the things you feel you have to read, and find something entirely new. Or go back to an old favorite. Sometimes I pick up Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion when I'm not sure what else to read, even though I've read them a thousand times--but they're like old friends, and they usually pick me up!

Anonymous said...

Go outside and get some fresh air!

maggie moran said...

Please, put away the southern books. I would rather you be happy. Cane River was a wonderful review and I look forward to Secret Life of Bees, but like I said, I'd rather you be happy. :D

Sarah said...

Sorry you've been having a slump.

I empathise with you re the challenges- I gave them up as made me feel a bit to fenced in.

And I to am just discovering the pleasures of book mooch- I've sent off a couple of books, and can't wait until (fingers crossed) my choices arrive.

To climb out of a slump, I usually re-read an old favourite, or try a children's, crime fiction or even chick-lit book.