betterbooksahead

bailed

A second #dnf for the morning. Some dated, racist dialog so a nope for me. #hailthebail

Aims42 #HailTheBail 🚀 Hope your next read is a “pick” 🤘 (edited) 2d

Ruthiella That‘s fair. I will say, however, I think Hare did that intentionally to expose the underbelly of English society. The ultimate hero of the novel is Dr. Bottwink. 2d

dabbe #hailthatbail! 🙌🏻 #betterbooksahead 2d

33 likes3 comments

booklover3258

Monstress, Vol. 10 | Marjorie Liu

bailed

Nope nada done with the series. Couldn't finish the book.

For more about this on my book talk, visit my Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/DvRLjFoQSIM

Enjoy!

dabbe #hailthebail! 🙌🏻 #betterbooksahead 2d

39 likes1 comment

Anna40

The Elements: A Novel | John Boyne

bailed

Sexual violence hidden behind pseudo-profundity with a plot that is partly unrealistic. It is quite well written, but nothing extraordinary. The way the elements are incorporated into the plot is also forced and pseudo-poetic. 234 pages are enough, I‘m annoyed and disgusted and I‘m surprised that it has received so many good reviews.

Bookwomble I saw a TV interview with Boyne which put me off every wanting to read one of his books 🫤 2d

Anna40 @Bookwomble I thought about reading interviews with him to find out more about what his intentions were with this book in particular … do you remember where you read the interview or what it was that was so off putting? I‘m really shocked how positive most reviews for the book are. All I saw in it is grief and trauma porn with some cliches interspersed and unrealistic plot turns and granted some good writing in the first novella … 2d

Bookwomble @Anna40 TLDNR: He comes across as arrogant and privileged. It was a BBC TV interview following criticism of a book he wrote with a trans character. He confirmed that he knew nothing of trans issues and had done little research about it, but that as his book was about a cis boy's experience of his sister's transition, he didn't need to. He said he was being silenced (while on national TV 🙄), and that writers should be allowed to write whatever ⬇️ 2d

See All 8 Comments

Bookwomble ... they want due to freedom of speech. No awareness of writing from a position of ignorance; no awareness of cis-appropriation of a trans story; no awareness that readers are not required to enjoy what he writes; no awareness that others can legitimately exercise their freedom of speech when criticizing his work. He also got criticism from Holocaust survivors for appropriating and profaning that tragedy in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, ⬇️ 2d

Bookwomble ... though I haven't seen Boyne's reaction to that. (Sorry for the lengthy reply!) 2d

Anna40 @Bookwomble thanks for taking the time to reply in detail. Very interesting. #spoiler: when he describes how the main character in the second novella filmed the rape that was infuriating and I‘m still confused and angry as to how and why he writes about it in that way, what are his thoughts or intentions. … there‘s so much more I could say that annoyed me but I seem to be the only one, I‘ve only seen very good reviews 2d

Bookwomble @Anna40 People do generally seem to like the quality of his writing, and as I've never read him I wouldn't comment on that, but based on what I've heard him say, I'm happy to leave him to others. 2d

dabbe #hailthebail! 🙌🏻 #betterbooksahead 2d

28 likes8 comments

ImperfectCJ

The Catch | Yrsa Daley-Ward

bailed

I'm bailing on this one at 22%. I usually really enjoy strange, confusing novels, but this one just isn't hitting for me. The big question is: Can I still consider myself a #tob26 shortlist completist if I don't finish this one? It doesn't count as completed for the challenge on TheStorygraph, but I bet I could still justify buying myself the mug.

LiteraryinPA I think yes. You read part of the book, got a sense of its style and contents, and then decided not to finish it. That‘s way different from just skipping it. 3d

BarbaraBB I agree with @literaryinPA 3d

Chelsea.Poole No rules! Get that mug! 3d

dabbe #hailthatbailandgetthatmug! 🙌🏻 #betterbooksahead 2d

50 likes4 comments

TheBookgeekFrau

Mary Jane | Jessica Anya Blau

bailed

After 123 pages I decided to #HailTheBail

3/80

#DoubleSpin #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

#ReadYourShelves @melissajayne

#Read2026 @DieAReader

DieAReader 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 3d

TheAromaofBooks At least it's off the list!! 3d

dabbe YES! #hailthatbailandmoveon 🙌🏻 #betterbooksahead 3d

TheBookgeekFrau @dabbe 🙌🏼🙌🏼 3d

33 likes4 comments

ChaoticMissAdventures

The Robber Bride | Margaret Atwood

bailed

Bailing at 41%
I hated this and it isn't interesting enough to hate read. I have been avoiding even listening to this for 2 days. Every woman in this novel is the whiniest privileged woman and it is boring. We are spending all of our time with Toni a war obsessed professor who took Zenia's bf in college and who lives in fear Z will come back and take him back? He is not even a great guy? There are so many moments I swore out loud in disgust

SamAnne Hmmm….maybe I unstack this. Doesn‘t sound like my cup of tea. 5d

ChaoticMissAdventures @SamAnne it gets high reviews from others. But I can tell you the moment I knew I was done was when the MC was saying she wanted babies but her husband never brought it up so she has pushed the feeling aside..... Even as a child free person this was a big yikes. 5d

dabbe #hailthebail 🙌🏻 #betterbooksahead 5d

See All 10 Comments

BarbaraBB On to the next Atwood 😉 5d

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB yes! I have her new memoir which I hear good stuff about! 5d

BookishMarginalia Onwards! 5d

rebcamuse I took an Atwood seminar in college and it‘s funny—I only really loved Handmaid‘s Tale but I had some recollection of enjoying this one, but I couldn‘t tell you anything about it. I did not like Edible Woman or Bodily Harm, likely because they both seemed to have the many of the same theme. Reading pretty much her entire oeuvre at that point in one semester was… a lot. 4d

PatriciaU Atwood is an author everyone loves and I have never “gotten.” I‘ve heard her speak in person and she was spectacular, but I just can‘t read her books. 4d

ChaoticMissAdventures @rebcamuse this would have been a fascinating class! I would like to take that now, especially through a modern lenses when her older things were both regressive (this one) and so forward thinking like HT. 4d

ChaoticMissAdventures @PatriciaU she is amazing in person (I also like to watch her fight with people online lol) I have decided I don't like her contemporary books, but I did really enjoy HT and her oryx and crake series when I read it many many moons ago. 4d

47 likes10 comments

Bookwormjillk

The Catch | Yrsa Daley-Ward

bailed

I‘m bailing on this one. I‘ve been trying for a week and I‘m just not into it. I may try again if it advances in #ToB26

@hooked_on_books @barbarabb @chelsea.Poole @squirrelbrain @sarahbarnes @chaoticmissadventures @bkclubcare @deblovestoread @merelybookish @ChaoticMissAdventures

BkClubCare I am feeling that way about Endling. It just isn't grabbing me and then I have to go back and read the first few pages again and then I am confusing myself! (edited) 5d

Lesliereadsalot I think I bailed on this one too and didn‘t even bother with a review. 5d

ImperfectCJ I'm listening to the audiobook right now. Jury's still out. 5d

See All 9 Comments

Bookwormjillk @BkClubCare zoinks! That‘s my next read 😂 5d

Chelsea.Poole I listened to the entire audiobook and I‘m not sure what happened. It was certainly the wrong book for me to engage with over the holidays. I don‘t think you‘re missing much. 5d

dabbe #hailthebail! 🙌🏻 #betterbooksahead 5d

Hooked_on_books I‘m not planning to read this one at all. I looked at it several times when it first came out because I love the cover, but early reviews made me think it wouldn‘t be for me. Based on your review, I think I made the right choice. 5d

squirrelbrain Hmmm, I bought this one, although it is a used copy. I might shuffle it to the bottom of the ToB TBR pile. 5d

sarahbarnes Hmm, good to know. I‘ve been on the fence about this one. I won‘t rush to read it. 3d

65 likes9 comments

BarbaraBB

Katabasis | R.F. Kuang

bailed

#ToB26

I really tried but at 22% I call it quits. It‘s so much longer and I am not that invested in the story so far. Too many books, too little time 🤷🏻‍♀️

BkClubCare, Hooked_on_books, Deblovestoread, merelybookish, Bookwormjillk, Chelsea.Poole, squirrelbrain, sarahbarnes, ImperfectCJ, ChaoticMissAdventures

BkClubCare Yeah, I am starting to think I won't make it to Completist status for ToB this year. And that's okay. 6d

BarbaraBB @BkClubCare I won‘t even try this year! 6d

Bookwormjillk I am still miles back on the library waiting list for this one. My friend at work said I wouldn't like it so I don't know if I should believe her or read it and like it out of spite. 6d

See All 32 Comments

ChaoticMissAdventures Oh no! I have a beautiful copy that has just been sitting here. It is on my short list. I think her books in this vein (Including Babel) are do a very specific reader so I am hoping I get on with this one. 6d

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk 🤣 Choices choices! 6d

BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures I did like Babel but I read that in print and audio is much harder for me (no native English) so I got a bit lost and didn‘t feel invested enough to find out! 6d

dabbe #hailthebail! 🙌🏻 #betterbooksahead 6d

Hooked_on_books I have zero interest in reading this book. Babel wasn‘t for me so I‘m not much interested in her fantasy. (I did like Yellowface, though.) From what I‘ve read, her readers are not as happy with this one as they were with Babel. 6d

BarbaraBB @dabbe 🙌🏽 6d

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books I agree on that, Babel was better, but then again, who am I to judge, bailing after 22%… (edited) 6d

LeeRHarry I thought Babel was ok and I didn‘t like Yellowface so I won‘t be reading anything else from this author anytime soon. As you said, too many books too little time! 😊 6d

Flaneurette You aren‘t really missing much, I should have bailed but I persevered because some of the afterlife/hell stuff was interesting. It took me Forever to read and put me in a bit of a slump. The emotional core of this book is very YA with some show-offy, look how smart I am bits thrown in. There was some important stuff about being female in academia and monstrous men in power but I know this already 6d

BarbaraBB @Flaneurette Thank you for this post. It confirms what I expected 😘 6d

squirrelbrain I tried this in print and bailed fairly quickly. I have the audio on reserve but I don‘t think I‘m going to bother. I‘m not going to be a completist either @bkclubcare as I‘m not going to read the Bunny one. I‘m reading as many as I like the look of from the longlist. 6d

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @BkClubCare I don‘t think I will read Bunny nor

Metallic Realms: A Novel

TrishB @squirrelbrain I didn‘t think you‘d like this one Helen! It‘s certainly not her best, but I did like it. Barbara- I didn‘t see you liking this either! 6d

julesG What @TrishB said. 6d

Lesliereadsalot Two losers in a row! Good luck on your next one 🩷 6d

REPollock I have similar meh feelings about this. My library loan expired and I had a lot left so I got back on the list for it but when I come back up for it, my plan is to read one chapter and if I‘m still meh, bail. 5d

BarbaraBB @TrishB @julesG We should have talked about this at Gladstone‘s 😄 5d

IMASLOWREADER love the power of dnf lol 5d

julesG We should have. 😁 5d

mobill76 Exactly what I want to know about a book. I'm too old to slog through everything on my list. 5d

BarbaraBB @mobill76 😀 4d

kwmg40 I'm wondering if I'm the only one who actually liked this book! 😂 4d

BarbaraBB @kwmg40 And the people who read the ToB longlist en shortlisted it 😄 4d

kwmg40 @BarbaraBB Phew, thanks for the reminder than I'm not the only one! 😅 4d

sarahbarnes I wasn‘t planning to read this one and now I definitely won‘t! Onward! 😆 3d

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes I was afraid it wouldn‘t be “our” kind of book and I was right. And you‘re right about the shortlist. It‘s never as good as you hope based on the longlist! 3d

Suet624 I never had the desire to pick this one up. Apparently I was on to something. 3d

BarbaraBB @Suet624 You were so right! 2d

sarahbarnes 💙💙💙 2d

81 likes1 stack add32 comments

HeatherBookNerd

The Librarians | Sherry Thomas

bailed

Just was not happening for me.

dabbe #hailthebail! 🙌🏻 #betterbooksahead 1w

HeatherBookNerd @dabbe I‘m learning to let go 1w

dabbe @HeatherBookNerd It's so hard! We want to read ALL the books, don't we? That's why I came up with this--to make me feel better about letting go. 🩶🤍🩶 1w

38 likes3 comments

TheBookgeekFrau

The Book of Longings: A Novel | Sue Monk Kidd

bailed

I had a feeling going in that this would be a DNF. I read two other books by this author that left zero impression. But I needed something to tide me over from Christmas to #BookSpin day.

#HailTheBail

dabbe YES! #hailthatbail 🙌🏻 #betterbooksahead 2w

TheBookgeekFrau @dabbe 🙌🏼🙌🏼 2w

32 likes2 comments

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