Book Club

[MoJoV]

Lately I can't find a book that keeps my interest. I go tothe library and bring home 4 or so books, start reading one...it stinks. I've given them 50 or 100 pages.  Next one up same thing.  Last book I read that I really enjoyed was The Wager.  I have Frozen River on hold, hopefully that will be as good as I think it will be.

Have you ever been in a book funk?  Maybe I'm too picky. Years ago I would slog through a book whether I liked it or not because I started it.  

[LTT1]

@MoJoV 

I'm having the same problem.

My DD chose the book "You shouldn't have come here" for book club this month and she says it's great...I have not read it yet.

The book I did read and didn't want to end was Stephen King "The Institute"

it is sort of a science fiction type story ...captivating.

I have never read a SK book on my life, but loved this one!

[TheWanderingOne]

Been there many times!

Although I love the feel of having a book in my hands, 95% of my reading is e-books. It saves me a ton of time not going to the library, and it's much easier to travel with a loaded Kindle than a suitcase full of books. I can borrow 10 books at a time, for a max of 21 days from my home library. For every 10 books that I borrow, I probably actually finish 4-5 of them. I get 100 pages in or so and just can't make myself continue. I don't feel badly about returning them and trying something else. Maybe I'd feel more compelled to finish it if it was an actual book, but I doubt it. 

The last book that I acutally finished was The Maze by Nelson DeMille. As much as I love his work, this one was so predictable. I was disappointed. I'm currently on the waiting list for The Women, but I'm #78 for 3 copies, so it's gonna be awhile for that one. 

[Q-Checker]

Based on what my book club recently enjoyed, I recommend The Chancellor by Kati Marton, Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout, and Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. The first book mentioned is non- fiction. All three were enjoyed by the group and led to great discussions. Recently the New York Times published a list of the best 100 books of the last century -- a great resource to search for good books, in my opinion. 

[Tinkrbl44]

@MoJoV  @TheWanderingOne  @LTT1 

I read every night, and have found reading a series from beginning to end good for bedtime reading.  You have the benefit of character development and not having to keep new characters straight with each new book.  

IMO, authors with good series are James Patterson, Ann B Ross, John Sanford, Stuart Woods, etc etc.  The lists are almost endless.

I'd recommend Patterson's Womens Murder Club and the Ann Ross series Miss Julia about an older southern woman ... with a rather interesting life.

Others here can recommend other series, but these came to mind immediately.

[sandy53]

I had that trouble during the pandemic.  I think my anxiety level was too high to relax and enjoy reading.  Like you, I'm not willing to continue a bad book because it's such a waste of time.  I finally found a couple of new authors and got involved in new series.  I rely heavily on recommendations from friends and book club members, and I read a lot of reviews.  It's like a treasure hunt. 

[ahoymate]

It's a challenge to find a great read. I spend a considerable amount of time on Amazon new releases, Barnes & Noble, new releases and Google searching.......... I usually find a  book or two to add to my library online library. I don't want to buy books. I have a bookcase full of buying books that I no longer have an interest in reading again.

Good luck with your search.

[smoochy]

been in many book funks over the past couple of years. For starters I cannot get through most books over 400 pages-I feel like, why do you think you have that much to say? Haha   Also I figured out that I don't enjoy contemporary fiction. Which comprises a lot of book club selections. And I'm super picky about the author's style and mastery of the  language. What I do like:

John Sandford's Prey series, Louise Penny's series of mysteries w her Canadian detective; historical fiction. some of the classics. Currently wading through Tess of the D'Urbervilles. And The Nurse's Secret (historical fiction)
I loved The Women although the author conveniently glossed over a few details at the end-I was like, nope that probably didn't happen but whatever. 
A big part of my reading reluctance now, is my vision. Blurry all the time. Partly from a medication and partly from astigmatism that can no longer be corrected. I do better on my tablet because I can greatly enlarge the font. 

[Another new name Sue]

I liked "The Wager" too.  Here are a couple other books I liked, so maybe something there for you.

"Middle Passage" by Johnson (free Black man flees on a slave ship)

"This Tender Land" by Krueger (runaway kids)

"River of Doubt" by Millard (Teddy Rosevelt's adventures on an Amazon tributary)

I gave these books a 5 as well as "The Wager."

Yes, I too go through spells where I cannot find something I like to read.  

[AuntG]

I'm out of my funk and have found several series to enjoy. One centers on a detective, another one on Amish mysteries,  and another on beach themed love stories. It's been warm outside, so I have more time to read.