Intermezzo by Rooney
@nick I didnāt hate them but Rowling lost my trust, for want of a better word, with the later books. I will gladly buy into pretty much any world an author builds, so long as the plot makes sense within that world.
I enjoyed reading all the Harry Potter books with our children, but my personal interest waned in book 3 when pre-teen Hermione is given a time turner allowing our young heroes to not just observe the recent past but to change it; but meanwhile it doesnāt occur to the Ministry of Magic to do the same. That was the first of a number of plot contrivances that I found difficult to overlook.
The Women by Kristen Hannah. Didnāt hate it, but did NOT like it ! After reading Nightengale and the Great Alone, I was very disappointed in The Women, finding it trite and not meeting my expectations.
I agree, @Davina_Morgan-Witts. I really enjoyed the first two books, but not only did they start dropping the ball on things like the time turner, as you mention, but I thought the plots got excessively complicated and dark.
That is mine, too! Loved A.J. Fickry but not Tomorrow. . .
I agree. With so few books written about the nurses who served in Vietnam, I was expecting so much more. I feel the authorās first flaw was in creating the main character as a privileged young woman seeking an adventure rather than portraying her as a woman who received her nursing degree with an Army ROTC scholarship. The 60s were a time of transition for nursing; many hospital 3-year programs where the graduates received a RN degree were folding in favor of 4-year BS in nursing degrees at colleges. Obviously, the 4- year program was far more expensive, so the nursing students were seeking alternative ways to pay for their education. The Army ROTC program served that purpose.
How about The Covenant of Water?
I havenāt read The Covenant of Water. It is on my list.
Lots of people like it. Long at 791 pages and some unloveable characters.
Iām truly amazed at what a polarizing book The Women is! I havenāt read it, but now Iām going to have to move it up on my list just to see where I land! I love having discussions like this, where we can respectfully disagree about a book.
I did start the Covenant of Water and got fairly far into it. However, I found it to be too bleak for me. Was having a difficult time picking it up to read more, so I didnāt finish it.
I agree with you 100%. Would not have finished it myself if my book club wasnāt reading it. I donāt recommend it. I just finished Remarkably Bright Creatures and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
I couldnāt get interested in Where The Crawdads Sing. Stopped reading it so perhaps I would have liked it if I had continued.
I approached reading The Covenant of Water with apprehension, having heard so many opinions and itās length. I am grateful I took the plunge and read all 715 pages. Author, Abraham Verghese is a brilliant writer and his ability to share deep emotion within a complicated epic story is remarkable.
I have never read Lolita but read books almost exclusively by ear so thank you for the mention of Jeremy Irons as narrator for this title. I will definitely put it on my reading list for 2025.
I absolutely fell in love with Verghesās Cutting for Stone, but could not get interested in CovWater, even after two tries. I think I may have brought an expectation to the title based on how I felt about Cutting for Stone. I keep thinking Iāll go back and try it again, but honestly donāt think I will.
I agree totally about Hello Beautiful. My book club picked it and everyone liked it but me. Iād rather sit and watch a TV soap opera.
I agree with the article! The Women was totally underwhelming. I set it aside.
I totally agree! The last part was like a soap opera.
Shamefully so, The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison - I attempted to read it more than once and could not finish it. What kind of reader does that make me?