Unreviewed Books

I realized that in all my shoulder issues recently, that I haven’t shared unreviewed books with everyone in a while. Some of the books on this list are poetry and a few DNFs. The first three are poetry books. I’ve found this post is such a mixed bag, that it will be easier to link books in a different way than normal so I’m only linking to Goodreads.

Poetry

Eloisa to Abelard, Alexander Pope
Abelard was a 38-year-old man who fell in love with Héloïse, his 17-year-old pupil. After many translations of their letters after separation, Pope wrote this poem off the English translation. Despite the origins and the age difference, this is one of my favs.

The Abundance of Nothing, Bruce Weigl
I like Bruce’s unique way of writing. Plenty of people read classics, but there are so many poets from the 20th century that are worth reading. Bruce is definitely one of them.

Mexico City Blues, Jack Kerouac
This one was okay, clearly different than his other work, and not one of my favs. It was still worth reading and I’m glad I did.

Literature and Other Books

The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden, Jonas Jonasson
Fiction/Humor

Jonasson is one of my most favorite authors. Most people know of him from The 100 Year Old Man. This is a reread and I’m not sure how many times I’ve reread this one.

Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
Classics/Romantic Suspense

This is a reread that felt like a new read. I hadn’t read it since my teenage years when it was an obligatory read. It’s a superb read and I enjoyed it much more this time around. The movie? Not so much.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Classics/Fantasy

Do you see this cover?!! I was in another state, on my way home from an appt last week, and stopped by the bookstore. Not only did I run into two of my nieces at the bookstore, but I saw this version of Alice. I mean, who wouldn’t buy it? Fun story: I didn’t find Alice until 10ish years ago. I promptly became obsessed and have since read it countless times.

DNF’s

I think some people look at DNFs as a bad thing and I don’t believe they are. Sometimes you aren’t in the right headspace, or you’re nitpicky about things that day. Sometimes a book has legit problems, and sometimes there is something triggering. It doesn’t matter the reason because not every book will be for every reader and I’m a firm believer at not forcing yourself to read a book you’re only lukewarm about.

Five Midnights, Ann Dávila Cardinal
YA

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this one, especially after a continuity error at the beginning of the book which had me worried how the rest of the book would pan out. The cover is amazing though and I’m sure others will love it.

Only A Monster, Vanessa Len
YA/Fantasy

I wanted to love this one so much, the cover and blurb sound amazing! But I found the text a bit too repetitive for my taste. It has some great reviews though.

The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner
Classics/Fiction

I made it past the first part, which everyone says is the toughest part. But then I bailed in part 2. This is definitely a book I want to revisit down the road.

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I’m a believer that life is too short to waste on books you’re lukewarm about. There are so many books and so little time. Do you finish every book you start? Do you review every book you read?