R. Rose's Reading Diary

Finally finished the book club book for the month, Birthright by Nora Roberts. I honestly had a blast with this one. You get a nice little bit who dunnit, a couple of well developed romances, and plenty of soapy twists and turns. This was at a period when Nora Roberts was really coming into her own, and you could feel her getting a better grasp of her pacing. The story follows several characters connected to a controversial archeological dig in a small New England town. While the back of the book would make you think that the dig was the central focus, the true focus is very different. I kind of don't want to spoil it here, as. I liked not really knowing the full plot as I went into it. Made the reveals more fun.  It isn't perfect, with some lag towards the end where things should be ramping up. I had a similar problem with Sanctuary , which was a slightly earlier book. When we are supposed to be getting into the swing of things things would screech to a halt for a misplaced lo...

 I was the one who had to put books up for a vote for March, so I went with a theme. Trash with a Capital T. I wanted books that the people I went to college with would look down on. Nora Roberts won out this time, and let me tell you, she is someone who got a good deal of hate back when I was studying Fiction Writing back in the early 2000's.  Now that I have read several books from her both as Nora Roberts and as J.D. Robb, I don't fully understand the hate. I actually don't get it at all. Is she the most amazing word smith to ever grace the printed page? No. Are her books entertaining and engrossing? Yes. In the grand scheme of things I would rather read a book that engages me than something that is intentionally impenetrable because... smart? I don't mean this to sound anti-intellectual. I have read many books that people would consider serious literature and loved them. I also found them engaging and thought-provoking. Beloved by Toni Morrison is a stunningly beaut...

 I gave this book a real chance. I did, but I just could not force myself to endure this book anymore. I (and several people in the book club, actually) had to call this one as DOA, and I DNF'ed Pride & Prejudice & Zombies .  I think I would have struggled with the original version of Pride & Prejudice as well, but the added material not only didn't add much to the story, it also made several of the characters very unlikable. Elizabeth especially. Her reactions to everything were so outsized that it moved from comical to insufferable very quickly. Any perceived slight to her as a warrior meant that she was going to have to slit someone's throat. It took a character who, in the original, I have been told is just very strong willed and closed off due to a character who is a complete and total impenetrable wall. It doesn't help that almost every conversation in this book forces in a mention of "the deadly arts" and "when training with their maste...

 One of the things that has kept me reading regularly is my office book club. We chose some interesting novels for that group.  Some highlights are The Wasp Factory by Ian Banks, Penance by Kanea Minato, and Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews. So now a literary classic viewed through a Romero lense has joined those ranks.  I am trying to get this book going, but the act of just reading, getting into the text, is proving difficult. This isn't actually the book's fault. This is a product of my anxiety. For some reason when my anxiety is at its highest I cannot get my brain to latch on to a narrative. Written, filmed, does not matter. I can handle simple talk podcasts, or even true crime, but a fictional narrative proves to be to much. Hopefully I can push through, as I feel like this is a book I will at the very least find entertaining. I'll be giving updates as I make my way through the book.  I know this book has some mixed reviews, so this should be interesting....