wrapped up in books

Book Breakups is a feature hosted by Pure Imagination. I thought it was a great way to talk about books that didn’t work for me personally but might be a good fit for other readers, so I decided to join in and occasionally talk about books that had me saying “it’s not you, it’s me.”

I used to never quit reading a book before finishing it. But as my TBR pile has grown over the years I’ve given up on that standard. And I’m much less discriminating in my taste these days. I read books I don’t think I’ll personally like just to know what they are about for reader’s advisory purposes.

I don’t think it’s fair to give a traditional review to a book I didn’t finish, but when I saw Pure Imagination’s Book Breakups feature, I thought that was the perfect way to share why a book didn’t work for me but at the same time stressing the positive qualities that appeal to some readers by featuring quotes and links to other reviews.

White Lines by Jennifer Banash

I like stories set in the 80s and “gritty and atmospheric” is totally my thing, so I thought I would genuinely enjoy this “raw” story about a club kid in NYC. No such luck. I didn’t make it more that 5% because the opening scene broke so many rules (and not in a good way). I kid you not, it was the girl waking up to her alarm and then describing herself in the mirror.  But hey, you may have a different experience.

Others loved it:

Some Like it Paranormal: “The writing was gorgeous and depressing but really descriptive of how Cat feels and how the drugs make her feel better if only for a little while.”

365 Days of Reading: “If you’re looking for something dark, but at the same time really fun on the surface, check out White Lines! It’s a crazy ride with a core message that isn’t to be missed.”

Immortal City by Scott Speer

This is the kind of book I secretly want to like. I picked this up for the plane ride to visit my brother in LA, thinking it would be a fun airport read. A teen at the library had told me it was pretty good (though not as good as Daughter of Smoke and Bone) so I wasn’t expecting stellar prose or anything but a quick, light paranormal romance. I didn’t make it 25 pages before I switched to something else (always be prepared when traveling!) because it was full of designer branding and terrible two-dimensional characters and was like Twilight without that magical X factor that made it compelling if not actually well-written.

Some people liked it: 

Lizz the Librarian: “The story was exciting and sweet…After getting half way through it was a quick read because you didn’t want to put it down. I liked Maddy because she seemed realistic, although a little one dimensional.”