Monday, August 18, 2008

Put-Down-Able

I really don’t like doing negative reviews.

Mostly I feel compelled to offer an objective reason why I don’t like the book, which might in fact mean that I need to re-read it or at least spend some time analyzing what it is EXACTLY that I don’t like.

Frankly, I’d rather move on to something that I like better. Life is too short to re-read books you didn’t like the first time.

So I’m going to offer up a short list of books that I’ve put down this summer and not gotten around to picking up again, and try not to get too hung up on being fair or objective. I just didn't like 'em, OK?


Love Is All You Need, by Lori DeVoti. This was a UBS gamble. Nadia (my 4-year old) liked the cover. Wonder why, LOL. Actually, it seemed not bad and I may eventually finish. Nevertheless, it languishes.

Shimmering Splendor, by Roberta Gellis. I actually did finish this one, but ugh. It was awful.

Jacob, by Jacquelyn Frank. Just can’t get into it.

Master of Surrender, Karen Tabke. It’s pretty bad. Very “I hate him but he makes my nether parts tingle!” And I pretty much hate him too. Also, the prologue features flesh-eating bats, which I find seriously eye-rolly.

Pleasure Unbound, Larissa Ione. I did finish this one, but probably won’t continue with the series. The characters just didn’t do it for me; it seems like Ione couldn’t decide whether her demon race should be redeemable or not. They’re pretty much NOT, except when they are… which is too inconsistent for me.

Not bad, considering my reading volume lately.

Any clinkers you readers want to share?

.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Seriously, you didn't like Jacob by Jacquelyn Frank? I've heard people had trouble with the second one, Gideon, but not with the first one. I love this series, but I do admit that Gideon is probably the hardest one to get through.

I also enjoyed Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione. I've been having a thing for demons lately and this one just worked for me. I kinda I liked the idea that her demons are not all perfect and some of them are not redeemable. Kind of reminds me of the human race. Even we have our monsters.

I just finished No Rest for the Witches and I didn't like MJ Davidson's contribution. I just didn't like it.

Have you tried the anthology When He Was Bad by Shelly Laurenston and Cynthia Eden? If not, I recommend that one. Both stories had me cracking up the entire time, especially the Laurenston one.

Nicola O. said...

I'm not all the way through Jacob, so maybe it will turn around. I'm having trouble with his voice and I'm not finding Bella's reaction to learning about the demons to be that believable.

As for Ione, I might just be in the wrong mood for it. I like the premise... it just didn't quite pan out for me.

It could be that I'm getting burned out on paranormals. I picked up an Eloisa James today and it feels just right. ;)

Anonymous said...

Heh!

I think I'm the same. I have read too many Paranormals lately. That said I really enjoyed Pleasure Unbound. I thought it really took off after a shaky start. I'm taking a break from the pnr because there are some titles coming up that I am desperate for and I want to enjoy them and not be too burned out. Nalini Singh (not jealous much!) and Meljean Brook in particular.

And I have finally succumed to the dread historical. A genre which I doggely avoided for around a year. But I read 'Suddenly You' by Lisa Kleypas and fell in love. Then was enchanted by Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series and am inhaling them on a dialy basis at the mo.

There really is no hope. *g*

Carolyn Crane said...

Hey!
Great blog. This was an interesting post, too. How sweet to go with a book because your girl liked the cover. (Love is all you need). I have heard mixed reports about Pleasure Unbound though I haven't read it yet. Master of Surrender, well, it's an enticing title.

Stacy~ said...

Eloisa James' books continue to elude me. I feel like I should like them but find I prefer a more straightforward author, not one who steeps her stories with Shakepearean themes and expects the simple reader (aka me) to know what the heck is going on. I need to have it up in my face, glaringly obvious what's going on. But I did really like "Much Ado About You" and "Kiss Me Annabelle".

I am primarily a contemp or historical reader, and tend to get tired of all the paranormal/urban fantasy elements that are so popular these days. Witches and vamps, maybe a demon or two thrown in for variety, but none of the others get me excited.

Nicola O. said...

Stacy, I hear ya on the Shakespearean elements of James. I know they're there, somewhere... I just mostly don't care. Good stories are good stories, and there are a few borrowed elements, well, it's not far off the truth that there are no new stories. Yanno?

Marsha said...

I only got about 40 pages into the first Merry Gentry book and decided not to bother with it. I just couldn't get engaged.

There is also a series of Highlander books - can't remember the titles or author - that I won't be bothering with. Normally I'm a sucker for the ole' immortal Scottish dude but these, blech. The one I read was about some New England family and their druididity and some art gallery and whatever.

And although I still intend to read the Black Dagger Brother guys I've moved whatever I haven't read yet to the bottom of my TBR pile. I kind of feel like I've read two and now I've got a pretty good bead on what to expect, you know?

Nicola O. said...

Well Marsha, if you read two of the BDBs and aren't dying to get to the rest of the brothers, my only question for you is WHAT KIND OF FREAK ARE YOU???!!

Kidding, kidding of course. You're right, you probably do know what to expect. Though how you're not dying to get to Butch and V is beyond me. ;)

Marsha said...

Ah, but I read Butch and V first...as far as I can see it's only downhill from there!

Nicola O. said...

Hmmmm. Not sure if I can argue with that, but you really should read Wrath's book.

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