I have recently read 2 books because they were book club books. One is a 2.5, and one is a 2.75. Readable but not stellar (IMHO). Here they are:
The Museum of Extraordinary Things, by Alice Hoffman. 2.75/4 (4.25/5 Amazon & 3.6/5 Goodreads). This is my 1st Alice Hoffman, although she's written 30 books of fiction! That's a lot. How have I avoided her all these years? Wouldn't you think I would have read at least one? Even accidentally? In any case, this is the story of a young girl whose father has a museum in Coney Island which features unusual people and animals. And a young man who came from an Orthodox Jewish background who left his father and religion behind. The year is 1908, and the book goes back and forth in an unusual way. You kind of have to read it to get what I'm saying. It's similar to All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, in that each of the 2 main characters has his/her own story, but you can tell they are headed toward a meeting.
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The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty, by Vendetta Vida. 2.5/4 (3.49/5 Amazon & 3.71/5 Goodreads). This is Vendela's 4th novel (along with a bunch of non-fiction). It's my 1st and probably my last (unless I have to read another one for 1 of my 3 book clubs!). What's this one about? A woman travels to Casablanca, has her wallet and passport stolen, ends up being a stand-in for a big movie star during filming, and takes a tour bus. Oh, did I mention that she has a number of aliases? I obviously liked it some because I did give it a 2.5/4. But I wasn't enamored with it.
People, there is nothing wrong with these 2 books. They're just not my cup of literary tea. I seem to be a bit more pedestrian in my book choices - more geared for the common wo-man, if you will. So, I can read and finish these books, and I know they're well-written. But they just really don't resonate with me. What can I say? I guess I'm just a troglodyte (I love this word).
UPCOMING BOOK: Tomorrow, I'm starting The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah. I must have had 5 or 6 people rave about this book. Stay tuned. I'll let you know what I think.
I felt the same way about The Museum of Extraordinary Things - Hoffman is hit or miss for me.
ReplyDeleteSo do you have a hit for me to try?
ReplyDeleteThis writing business is always a hit or a miss. I've discovered I simply can't please everyone, but if I did, perhaps my stories would be too vanilla. Appreciate your honest take as always.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lee. I certainly can't explain it. Sometimes it hits me, and sometimes it doesn't.
DeleteI look forward to hearing what you think of The Nightingale. I just finished reading it. I won't give any spoilers here, promise!
ReplyDeleteI've got 100 pages to go. It's very good. It almost lives up to the hype. Details to follow when I'm done.
DeleteJennifer, since I'm now done with The Nightingale, when do we compare notes?
DeleteI remember liking Blue Diary and Here on Earth (an Oprah pick) by Hoffman, but reading two others I didn't. I'd like to read more because when she's good she's very good.
ReplyDeleteI'm reluctant to read any more. But if you pick one, I'll put it on the TBP list.
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