The “Should I finish this book?” thread

[Anonymous]

I finished Creation Lake but maybe should have given up sooner; it did not have a big pay off IMHO!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: Barbara Kingsolver books...

Demon Copperhead is among my top 5 favorite books. I loved everything about it.

I craved her writing after and read Poisonwood Bible, but it was definitely lacking for me. I know that it's a classic, but it didn't compare to Demon and I didn't connect to the story in the same way. I finished it, but had to muscle through.

I find Ann Patchett similar- the books of hers I love, I LOVE (Bel Canto, State of Wonder, Patron Saint of Liars). But there are a handful of others that I find very boring and disappointing (Commonwealth, Tom Lake).

Interesting re Ann Patchett. I’ve only read the Dutch House, and found it soo boring, but perhaps it’s not reflective of her better books.

I love most of Ann Patchett's books, but did not get into Dutch House. Tom Lake is probably my favorite, even though I'm not a huge fan of Our Town

I loved Dutch House but had to force myself to finish Tom Lake. I recently got bogged down in Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo and wish I had just abandoned it instead of slogging through. I really liked her other books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: Barbara Kingsolver books...

Demon Copperhead is among my top 5 favorite books. I loved everything about it.

I craved her writing after and read Poisonwood Bible, but it was definitely lacking for me. I know that it's a classic, but it didn't compare to Demon and I didn't connect to the story in the same way. I finished it, but had to muscle through.

I find Ann Patchett similar- the books of hers I love, I LOVE (Bel Canto, State of Wonder, Patron Saint of Liars). But there are a handful of others that I find very boring and disappointing (Commonwealth, Tom Lake).

Interesting re Ann Patchett. I’ve only read the Dutch House, and found it soo boring, but perhaps it’s not reflective of her better books.

I love most of Ann Patchett's books, but did not get into Dutch House. Tom Lake is probably my favorite, even though I'm not a huge fan of Our Town

I loved Dutch House but had to force myself to finish Tom Lake. I recently got bogged down in Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo and wish I had just abandoned it instead of slogging through. I really liked her other books.

Hated intermezzo.

[Anonymous]

I am trying to read The Pretender (snout Lambert Simnel) but even though I like the subject it's hard to gather momentum. He just got to Oxford....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: Barbara Kingsolver books...

Demon Copperhead is among my top 5 favorite books. I loved everything about it.

I craved her writing after and read Poisonwood Bible, but it was definitely lacking for me. I know that it's a classic, but it didn't compare to Demon and I didn't connect to the story in the same way. I finished it, but had to muscle through.

I find Ann Patchett similar- the books of hers I love, I LOVE (Bel Canto, State of Wonder, Patron Saint of Liars). But there are a handful of others that I find very boring and disappointing (Commonwealth, Tom Lake).

Interesting re Ann Patchett. I’ve only read the Dutch House, and found it soo boring, but perhaps it’s not reflective of her better books.

I love most of Ann Patchett's books, but did not get into Dutch House. Tom Lake is probably my favorite, even though I'm not a huge fan of Our Town

I loved Dutch House but had to force myself to finish Tom Lake. I recently got bogged down in Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo and wish I had just abandoned it instead of slogging through. I really liked her other books.

Hated intermezzo.

Oh, I loved Intermezzo. So much! I don’t think I enjoyed her other books, but this one really worked for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Women.
Demon copperhead.

The Women was horrible. I loved the first half, but the second half was so horrible that I will never read another book by Kristin Hannah.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to read The Pretender (snout Lambert Simnel) but even though I like the subject it's hard to gather momentum. He just got to Oxford....

For me it was good but not great. I'd give it a 3/5 and think its worth finishing but I wouldn't proactively recommend it. I feel like it was sold as a bit more creative/interesting then it ended up being - it's just a decent historical fiction novel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to read The Pretender (snout Lambert Simnel) but even though I like the subject it's hard to gather momentum. He just got to Oxford....

For me it was good but not great. I'd give it a 3/5 and think its worth finishing but I wouldn't proactively recommend it. I feel like it was sold as a bit more creative/interesting then it ended up being - it's just a decent historical fiction novel.

Thanks. I still haven't hit my stride reading it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: + 1 DNF on the Goldfinch, Stoner, and Creation Lake

My DNF (that I feel guilty about): Savage the Detective and Fraud by Zadie Smith.

Thanks to PP re Demon Copperhead. I am not interested in trauma porn. It seemed to be a "must read" but I kept picking it up at bookstore and libraries, and putting it right back down.

I hated Fraud but loved the other Zadie Smith books I’ve read. Don’t feel guilty for putting it down. I wish I had.

[Anonymous]

Lincoln in the Bardo.

I made it 80 percent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Women.
Demon copperhead.

OP here. I loved Demon Copperhead, but if you don't like trauma p0rn, I get why it wouldn't grab you. It's a fine line. How many bad things can happen to one guy?

Still working on Poisonwood.

I almost gave up on Demon Copperhead because it was just too many bad things. I powered through and was glad I did.

NP and I had the same experience reading Demon Copperhead, but I hate read the last 75 pages and wish I hadn’t finished it.

[Anonymous]

I never finished A Gentleman in Moscow, despite trying twice!

[Anonymous]

Loved Gentleman in Moscow, though admittedly it was a little slow going in the first quarter. If you are still early on, I'd consider sticking it out a bit longer.

My category of "maybe DNFs" of 2025 are:
(1) Olive Kitteridge (I like Strout's other works but have never much liked "short story" formats);
(2) Pillars of the Earth (not bad, but I was listening on Libby and that is just NOT a format that was going to work for that book);
(3) the Doorman (realized again that I'm not much interested in "lives of the rich").
I'm currently wondering whether to continue with Culpability, now about 20% in. It was recommended to me by several people but the characters are so flat and stereotypical--sort of talking heads for whatever the author might eventually say about AI & modern life.

I may pick up all these books again but currently a bit on the fence.

[Anonymous]

I'm a little more than a third of the way through Project Hail Mary and am finding it to be a bit boring. Can someone give me a pep talk?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little more than a third of the way through Project Hail Mary and am finding it to be a bit boring. Can someone give me a pep talk?

OMG please keep reading. I don't want to give spoilers but something happens partway through that elevates the book from cool sci-fi to the next level. I love this book so much I just bought a copy and can't wait for the movie version to come out in March.