PIFM - Chat/Banter/Review Your January Read

[Darkslyric]

I just finished . I really did not like it. Thought it was rather slow and boring. Hopefully February's read will be better.

[Amber]

I only have 69 pages left on Babylon's Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo
by Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence, Darkslyric. I'll have it finished tonight, if I'm lucky.

[Patricia]

Darkslyric wrote: "I just finished . I really did not like it. Thought it was rather slow and boring. Hopefully February's read will be better."

I didn't find it that good either. I am wondering whether the great reviews are part of a marketing effort.
.

[Kirsten]

Patricia wrote: "Darkslyric wrote: "I just finished . I really did not like it. Thought it was rather slow and boring. Hopefully February's read will be better."

I didn't ..."

I don't think so. I think it's one of those books you either like or don't. Like Gone Girl. Lots of people loved Gone Girl but I thought it was dreadful. Girl on the Train, though, I really enjoyed and found it quite the page turner. Great literature it wasn't, but I read it in a day.

[Agnieszka]

I finished today my January read and liked it preatty much. Thank you very much for your votes :-)

[Amber]

Thank God I decided to do TWO of my PIFM books! I finished one of them over the weekend and there's still about 12 days left. I just hope I can have book #2 finished by Feb. 1st.

[Rick]

Patricia wrote: "Darkslyric wrote: "I just finished . I really did not like it. Thought it was rather slow and boring. Hopefully February's read will be better."

I also could not understand the favorable reviews for Girl on the Train. No redeeming value, no insight into the minds of the protagonists. Why it is still on the best seller list in the US is beyond me.....and I liked Gone Girl a lot.

[Amber]

Because most Americans are idiots who enjoy that kind of thing when they read IF they read at all, Rick.

[Rick]

agree!

[Kirsten]

Amber wrote: "Because most Americans are idiots who enjoy that kind of thing when they read IF they read at all, Rick."

Guess I'm an idiot, then.

[Janet , Moderator]

Well there you have it because I liked Gone Girl less than Girl On The Train (which I didn't like that much either). And I'm no idiot, thanks. Hype is justified in some instances, not in others.

[Amber]

Kirsten/Janet: The difference between us here at GR and the rest of America is that we seem to prefer to read, compared to other forms of entertainment.

In some case, like mine, we prefer to read because that's what we can afford to do. In other cases, it's what we do when we get bored of the other entertainment options.

Sound reasonable to either of you? It does to me. But of course it would since it is my theory.

[Rick]

The Best Seller lists in America represent the masses, not the GRs. No offense intended and everyone is entitled to their own likes and dislikes.

[Janet , Moderator]

Bestseller lists represent the masses everywhere. Kind of why they're bestseller lists. But they're certainly not indicative of one's intelligence or tastes. Quite often people buy out of curiosity, to see what all the fuss is about. We all like different books for different reasons. Even the same author doesn't always work. Take Gillian Flynn. I loved Sharp Objects, didn't care much for Gone Girl and couldn't even get into Dark Places. Quite funny really.

[Kirsten]

I know many of you will think less of me. However I loved the Twilight series. I also found Girl on the Train a nice fun read. Gone Girl was dreadful, Sharp Objects I couldn't finish because I could care less what happened to anyone in that book. (Really, you could've dropped an A-bomb on that town and there would be no loss.)

I also love reading romantic suspense and some romances. I enjoy some thrillers that may be considered (gasp!) formulaic. I love a good dystopia and good old fashioned Cold War spy thrillers.

I will not apologize for that. So, I guess I will just have to sigh every time someone in this group decides that I am part of the great "unwashed" Americans with not taste in reading material.

[Amber]

Finished https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... yesterday.

[Janet , Moderator]

No one thinks less of you Kirsten. What you read is your choice. It's your precious time, and how you spend it is entirely up to you.

I don't apologise nor ever will for my reading choices. If anyone sits in judgement, then a) feel free and b) I care not a jot! :-D

Chill your beans and enjoy reading for what it is...... your pleasure. :)

[Janet , Moderator]

I can't believe how quickly this month seems to be flying by. Which reminds me I need to get my mum a birthday card!! :-\

[Amber]

I don't understand how people can financially support authors who are medieval in thier anti-LGBTQ attitudes. Like Orson Scott Card... .

Or who make badly written porn a bestseller *cough* 50 Shades*cough*

[Sean, Moderator]

Well I have not read The Girl On The Train, and in no rush to read.

Most reviews, that I respect and follow do not recommend it.

Gone Girl, was rubbish !

With a really silly story.

Just my thoughts.

[Sandycurtis]

wow! someone actually agrees with me- they both ended up on my "silly stories" bookshelf - so did In A Dark, Dark Wood

[Kirsten]

Is that the Tana French book, @Sandycurtis? I like 95% of it. But the ending made me mad.

[Kirsten]

I'm glad no one seems to think less of me, @Janet. But sometimes I get tired of reading comments about how bad such-and-such a book is. Normally they turn out to be books I really enjoyed.

Maybe people should stop making judgement calls. It's not that a book is "bad" - it's that you didn't enjoy it.

[Rick]

The Tana French book was "In The Woods."

[SUSAN *Nevertheless,she persisted*]

Amber wrote: "Because most Americans are idiots who enjoy that kind of thing when they read IF they read at all, Rick."

Amber wrote: "Because most Americans are idiots who enjoy that kind of thing when they read IF they read at all, Rick."

I am an American "idiot" who enjoys reading books in every genre, :)

[SUSAN *Nevertheless,she persisted*]

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "I'm glad no one seems to think less of me, @Janet. But sometimes I get tired of reading comments about how bad such-and-such a book is. Normally they turn out to be books I really enjoyed.

Maybe ..."

^^^what she said^^^

[Kirsten]

THanks Susan!!

[Janet , Moderator]

Well, I do think there are some bad books out there. People who think they can write but they actually can't. But every book read is one's own interpretation and that's as it should be.

[Patricia]

I am currently reading The Secret History with my book pal. I've read reviews that are negative and others that praise it as brilliant. I'm with the second group although I've not discussed it with my pal yet. I'm only throwing this in as an example of diverse opinions.

[SUSAN *Nevertheless,she persisted*]

Janet wrote: "Well, I do think there are some bad books out there. People who think they can write but they actually can't. But every book read is one's own interpretation and that's as it should be."

Agreed.

[Janet , Moderator]

And there are many examples of such diversity, Patricia.

The latest I've read Viral is being loved by many. Authors, bloggers and reviewers alike and will probably be a big hit but it didn't fully work for me.

Goes like that many times.

Thanks, Susan.

[Chelsea]

Patricia I agree with you! I loved that one and can't wait to discuss with you! :)

[Patricia]

Chelsea, What part of the country are you in?

[Chelsea]

I am in Atlanta, Ga on the east coast.

[Patricia]

Ah ha, you are 3 hours later that me. I'll remember that when I make my comments about our book.

[Chelsea]

Haha no worries! I'll keep checking back with you to make sure I catch up! ;)

[Amber]

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "I'm glad no one seems to think less of me, @Janet. But sometimes I get tired of reading comments about how bad such-and-such a book is. Normally they turn out to be books I really enjoyed.

Maybe ..."

If you didn't enjoy it, it's bad. Your very lack of enjoyment automatically makes it a bad book..as least as far as YOU are concerned. This applies to ALL readers.

[SUSAN *Nevertheless,she persisted*]

Amber wrote: "Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "I'm glad no one seems to think less of me, @Janet. But sometimes I get tired of reading comments about how bad such-and-such a book is. Normally th..."

I wouldn't presume to speak for other readers or label a book "bad" because I didn't like it.
There are a myriad of reasons why I like or dislike a book. I would think it arrogant to judge a book "bad" just because I found it lacking. Just my humble opinion.

[Amber]

To clarify: Non-enjoyment makes a book bad for you at that particular time in your life. You can always pick it back up again and enjoy it the second or third time you attempt it.

If you STIll can't enjoy it after 3 tries, never try again.

[Brenda]

I finally read my January PIFM book, The Killing Hour. I'm sorry to say, it wasn't very good.

[D.B.]

Janet wrote: "Well there you have it because I liked Gone Girl less than Girl On The Train (which I didn't like that much either). And I'm no idiot, thanks. Hype is justified in some instances, not in others."
So glad I'm not the only one, Janet! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Janet , Moderator]

Thanks, DB. I see you thought along similar lines though I gave up on Dark Places. Couldn't get into it.

[Melanie]

Brenda wrote: "I finally read my January PIFM book, The Killing Hour. I'm sorry to say, it wasn't very good."

Hi Brenda
It was one of my PIFM as well. Not my favourite by this author. Fast paced but contrived and predictable. Have you read other Greg Iles novels? I do like him usually.

[Melanie]

Janet wrote: "Thanks, DB. I see you thought along similar lines though I gave up on Dark Places. Couldn't get into it."

I'm glad to see I am not alone when it comes to this author. I hated Sharp Objects as well.. It seemed pointlessly evil to me.

[Brenda]

Melanie wrote: "Brenda wrote: "I finally read my January PIFM book, The Killing Hour. I'm sorry to say, it wasn't very good."

Hi Brenda
It was one of my PIFM as well. Not my favourite by this auth..."

The book I read was by Paul Cleave. But, yes, I've read all of Greg Iles except his latest, The Bone Tree.

[Melanie]

Brenda wrote: "Melanie wrote: "Brenda wrote: "I finally read my January PIFM book, The Killing Hour. I'm sorry to say, it wasn't very good."

Hi Brenda
It was one of my PIFM as well. Not my favour..."

Oh yes...I see that it is a different novel. I was thinking of 24 Hours