When Books Disappoint

I'm a voracious reader.  I go through about 100-130 books a year.  Probably double that go through my hands.  If I am not grabbed by a book in the first 20 pages or so, I'm done with it.  There are too many good ones out there to make myself plod through one I don't like.

I read reviews and make lists.  The one "must read" of the summer, so I read, was Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl".  I had read her first two books (Sharp Objects and Dark Places)  while I waited impatiently for my request to go through the channels at my library.  Those I liked, especially, Sharp Objects.  I am an equal opportunity reader.  I use the library, my used book store, my Kindle, and garage sales to keep up wit the hunt of a good book.  When I see "must read/great beach book"  I get excited that I'll be in for a treat.

So I borrowed this pic from Amazon to let you look for yourself.  Hopefully it will work.

I was greatly disappointed.  It was one of the few books that I made myself finish.  I didn't like the characters.  I felt no connection whatsoever.  I didn't care if they got themselves out of the mess they were in.    All the reviews have been great, so it must be me.  I'm curious at what other readers thought.  Well.... I just called Daughter # 1 since she was reading it too.  She left it half way through.....and felt the same way I did.

I'm pretty sure I have mentioned in another post (but I'm not going to go hunt it down) that the other books I felt that way about are: Angela's Ashes, Cold Mountain, and Water for Elephants.  

Have there been books that have disappointed you and made you wonder why?    I'm curious to know what they are.

I'm Melting

Looks like half the country is suffering from abnormal heat patterns so I know I'm not alone in this.  I live in the south.  This summer has been pretty standard for here,  I think.  Hot, hotter, and damn hot.  This is my 4th southern summer after moving from "Up North".  Even "Up North" has seen 100 degrees this summer and had heat advisories out just yesterday. 

This humidity makes me sweat.  I'm not a girl that is used to sweating.  I'm not a sports kinda girl.  If I ever sweat in the past, I knew I needed to stop doing whatever it was I was doing. About 10 years ago,  I remember my mother asking me if my head/scalp sweated.  It didn't then but now it does.  What's up with that?  It must be an age thing.  It's not attractive to look like I just came out of the pool when I'm in Target!   

I found two more tables to paint last week.  I can't do that because they both have been spray painted black over the original finish and I need to use a paint stripper to see what's under that paint.  To use a stripper, I  need to have them outdoors so I don't breathe in the fumes.  The directions on the can also say to use on a "cool" surface 60-85 degrees and out of the sun.  That leaves me out.  Before moving, we had a garage and that might have worked, but here at the condo, I don't.  That may be a fall project now.

So I'm a little grumpy that I can't do what I want to do because it's too darn hot.

Don't you love Maxine?  Thank you Hallmark for giving this woman of wisdom to us.

I think I'll take Maxine's advice.