So, you all know that I STINK at putting down books…and then I decided to do something about it with my Reconsider or Release? feature but I’ve decided that, in reality, that was just perpetuating my indecision to put down books. Rather than being decisive about putting a book down and never looking back I was all, “Um I put this down but please convince me I should pick it back up??” Basically. So I’ve decided to quit that approach and be like my friend Anna and be confident in putting down books I am not into. I also decided that it would be a fun way to tell you what I got from the library but never got to…because seriously some books I renew 2 or 3 times and I STILL never get to them. So…basically all these book are reshelved either because I wasn’t into them or because I am the suckiest library patron in existence.
Put Down
Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts: This was one of my most anticipated books of this year and I just could not get into it all which made me very, very sad. I think it was a case of expectations and what I PERSONALLY was expecting from a book where people know they are going to die in a few days because an asteroid was going to hit the earth. I did not catch that drift from this book. I just think I was just expecting something super poignant and reflective and people letting nothing go unsaid and doing things they NEEDED to do before they died. I’m curious to know what happened (ie if they got blown to smithereens) but not enough to pick it up. SO MAYBE SOMEBODY TELL ME?? haha
Organize Your Mind Organize Your Life: So I was really starting to feel frazzled and like my life was out of control and needing organization and to get myself motivated so I thought maybe this book would help but MEH. It was interesting at first because I kept nodding my head likes “YES that’s so my problem” when they were talking the psychology of it all but then it was TOO much about all that stuff for me. I tried skimming to see where the “action-y” stuff came into play but I didn’t see much. It seemed more like just TELLING you how to fix it and, while I enjoy the psychology of it all and HOW, I also need something action oriented. Give me some practical application. Let me see how I can use what I’ve learned to fix this. So I put it down because I wasn’t patient enough to finish and I’m not sure if it was for me.
Went Back To The Library Unread
(not because I didn’t WANT to read them but I stink at reading things when I’m supposed to)
Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey: I was really excited to read this since my Courting the Romance genre experiment went well! The premise sounds so good and I’ve good things from Ginger so I do want to get this one back again!
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: Obviously this one comes with a lot of hype and I do want to grab it again eventually!
Goodbye For Now by Laurie Frankel: This one I randomly happened upon while I was just wandering the library and I’m curious about it. Sounds like a tear jerker! Has anyone read this or heard anything about it??
Did you feel differently about any of the books I put down? Or similarly? Which books should I make a priority to grab again from the library??
Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader says
Ah, I remember when I was excited to read Tumble & Fall, before the seemingly endless series of negative reviews began poring in. Those were the days. It doesn’t seem right that a novel with such a stunning cover should be such a bitter disappointment. While I still have every intention of reading it one day so that I might make up my own mind about it, suffice it to say that I won’t be holding out much hope I’ll enjoy it. It sounds more than a little silly and not at all like what I was expecting when I first heard of it.
I’ve had The Night Circus sitting on my to-be-read bookshelf ever since it was released in 2011. Clearly I’m nothing if not timely and on the ball 😉 I think the enormous hype has certainly played a role in my reluctance to read it. When a novel is universally beloved, as it seems to be, it can be more than a little intimidating to pick it up, particularly so long after the fact. Once you secure a copy, we should both make a point of reading it! It would be fun to see how our opinions differed! 😀
Jamie says
I am happy that I started reading it before bad reviews so that I know at least my dislike for it was all my own haha And I so agreee..the cover is beautiful and I wanted to love it!! I think the reasons I was interested in it made it hard for me to like it when I finally started reading it. AH expectations.
And yes..I will let you know when I pick it up from the library!
Tiffany (AboutToRead) says
I’m having the same problem with Tumble & Fall. I was so excited, but everyone hates it. Still plan on reading it but its way on the bottom of my TBR.
Miranda @ Tempest Books says
Good for you for being able to put those books down without finishing them! I absolutely love the cover of Tumble & Fall…it’s so disappointing that it didn’t end up to be a good book. I read The Night Circus a while ago and it’s definitely worth the read!
Jamie says
I’m trying! I stink at it so much. Trying so hard not to look back haha. Will def be planning to pick TNC back up — stupid due dates (well, stupid me for not being able to abide by them)
Megan C. Stroup says
I loved The Night Circus! Definitely check that one back out soon. 🙂
Jamie says
This seeems to be the consensus!! Hopefully it’s still available and there’s no wait!
Bella says
Aww, I’m sorry to hear that Tumble & Fall didn’t live up to your expectations. I love that cover, so that’s a bit disappointing. And I totally understand the renew and return thing! I do it constantly; I eventually read it once I check the book out three to four times.
Jamie says
I SO wanted to love it. I really thought it was going to be amazing! YES…all these books I renewed the max amount I could but then I had to return them!
Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide says
Ohhhh you should re-pick up The Night Circus but on audio. Jim Dale is fantastic and the audio of that book was soooo good! 🙂
Jamie says
He’s the same guy that does the HP audio, yes? I always hear good things about him!
Kate @ Ex Libris says
I liked TUMBLE & FALL a lot, but it was a different approach to the end of the world scenario. It’s one of those books that I thought was very well written, but I could tell when I read it that it wouldn’t be for everyone.
The Night Circus definitely lived up to the hype….at least for me!
Jamie says
The writing was really excellent! I think it was just I had such strong expectations for the TYPE of book I thought it would be and it just wasn’t that. Luckily I started reading it before many reviews came in so I’m happy at least it wasn’t other people’s opinions that tainted my thoughts. SO SAD. I was so looking forward to it.
YAY good to know!
Whitley says
There’s something so very ironic about the fact that book with “get more done in less time” in the title couldn’t manage to get to the point.
Jamie says
HAHAHHA yes. I kept thinking that!!
Christina T says
The nice thing about library books is that if you don’t get time to read them before they are due back you can always check them out again at a later time. Or you could do what I sometimes do and just keep it past its due date. Of course I don’t have to worry about incurring the wrath of the librarians since I am one 🙂
I hate when books don’t meet my expectations. Sometimes if I decide a book is not worth reading I will skim ahead to find out what happens in the end.
Too bad the organizing book wasn’t more practical. I could definitely use help with that! Maybe there are some good organizing tips on Pinterest where I seem to spend all my free time lately…
Jamie says
YES that is the good thing for sure! AND YOU ARE SO LUCKY. Even though I renewed and returned all those…they still were late haha. I just see it as my donation to the library 😛
I think I might skim to the end on that one or ask someone I know who read it.
I will still be on the hunt for more of those types of books and will review it here!! So hopefully I will find something better than that one!
Stormy @ Book.Blog.Bake. says
Tumble & Fall was. . . eh. I wish I had put it down instead of slugged through to the end, honestly.
I’m a bit sad the Organizing book wasn’t more practical, because when I saw it I thought maybe I should see if my library has a copy, because I could definitely use something like that, but then you said it wasn’t really practical so I guess I’ll pass.
I’m the same way with library books sometimes. I’ve gotten better about checking out fewer out at a time(seriously, Stormy, you don’t have to check out EVERY book you want from the library at once. THEY WILL BE THERE LATER.) but when I got a library card a few months ago I was the same way. I actually ended up taking Code Name Verity and Tiger Lily back to the library both unread. *ducks head in shame*. I know everyone loves those books and I DO want to read them eventually, but I kept looking at them and wasn’t in the mood.
Anna says
I SUPPORT YOU FULLY!
Leandra says
I would’ve picked up Good-bye for Now just b/c of the cover. I really love those planes! Are they made of paper? Can’t tell. Anywhoo, I have Night Circus on my bookshelf and I read a bit of it, but couldn’t quite get into it. I should give it another try though.
Nicole Hewitt says
I’m terrible about returning books back to the library unread too! I also recently returned Night Circus and The Book Thief after renewing them both twice! I know that these are both supposed to be amazing books, but I just never managed to pick them up. Guess I’ll try again later! 🙂
Candice @ The Grown-Up YA says
Tumble & Fall was majorly disappointing… I wanted it to be something totally different but sadly was not. It was enjoyable, but not WHOA amazing. I also returned The Night Circus to the library unfinished… I liked it, but not enough to renew it! 🙂
Emmah says
With all the hype of “The Night Circus”, I was kind of disappointed!
Erica says
My rule is 50 pages. If I don’t want to keep going after that it gets put down unless it’s for work or book club and then I’ll go up to around 100 to give it one more chance. Most books have at least some redeeming value so I’ll keep going. The last one I put down (at page SEVEN) was Tampa by Alissa Nutting because it’s about a female pedophile and it just got too gross for me.
Morgan says
I’m like you, I’ll use the maximum number of renewals and STILL return a book unread. Sometimes I’ve done this two or three times for the SAME book and every time I’m glad when I got around to reading it (even if it took a year haha). Others are impulse pick ups when I’m there to get a reserved book, and they go back unread. Too many known, good quantities in my piles to get to first!
Brianna says
I’ve been horrible about finishing books lately. I just moved and I’m ridiculously homesick and it’s messing with my head. That being said, The Night Circus does not live up to the hype. I thought it was terribly written and had no logical plot.
Jackie Lea Sommers says
I recommend The Night Circus on audio — it’s AMAZING!! The writing is absolutely brilliant.
Annie says
I had the same problem with The Night Circus. I could not finish it before the library due date and ended up borrowing it TWO times before I cave in and bought it. It is really good though and while it’s a slow burn, once you get past the beginning, it speeds up like crazy and gets really interesting! I hope you’ll be able to get to it soon – I’m curious to see what you’d think of it! 🙂
Kaylee says
The Night Circus is definitely hard to get into. And even hard to stick with. But for me, it was worth it. It really is an amazing book.
Ashley @ The Book Addict's Ramblings says
I almost put The Night Circus down several times. If I wasn’t reading it for a book group and didn’t have one of my friends hounding me to finish it I don’t know if I would have. It was a very beautifully written story, but it was extremely slow. I ended up reading it in pieces between other books to finish it.
Molli says
Tumble & Fall was SUCH a hot mess. Like the sense that you got from it IS the book, except more silly/meaningless things happen, and then it ends. Blah. Such a disappointment.
I really really want to read The Night Circus someday!
Danica Cannon (@danitronmc) says
The Night Circus is so interesting and unique and not what I expected and well, BRILLIANT, really. It makes you think and completely ensnares you–captivating read for sure 🙂
Anya says
I completely hear you about books going back to the library unread. There was a time when I borrowed about twenty books at once so I obviously didn’t get to those in time >.> I really like this idea for a feature, though I’m trying really hard to read everything I get from the library so that I don’t grab books I don’t have an intention of reading (otherwise I would ask if I could borrow and cite, but this is my way of saying I would ask except that I must resist, hehe)
Lea says
Good job! It’s so hard to do, I still suck at it but I have gotten better in the last few years.
I hope you get a chance to get back to Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey, it was REALLY good!
Alexa Y. says
I actually liked Tumble & Fall! I think it pulls off what you were suggesting in your paragraph, albeit in a way that’s slightly off-kilter and unexpected. If you really want to know how it all ends, I’d be happy to let you know.
JB says
I’ve gotten pretty bad (or good, I suppose, depending upon how you look at it) at putting down books that don’t hold my interest. This doesn’t bother me because I’d much rather spend my time reading a book I DO enjoy as opposed to wasting time on one I don’t.
The Night Circus was one also in my “return unread” pile, but a few months later my friends told me I HAD to read it, and it was seriously one of the best books I’ve ever read in my life. Most books in that pile don’t make it back home, so checking out The Night Circus again was a rare thing for me to do, but I’m so glad I did.