I’m going through one of those phases where no book seems to really grab me, where I can’t finish anything no matter how much good will I bring to it. After wrapping up the romance Icebreaker by Hannah Grace (a smooth, enjoyable read), I started The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike, and 150 pages in, I honestly don’t know what to think. I picked it up with the goal of alternating “light” reads with more “intense” ones, but those terms are starting to feel pretty relative. Maybe what I actually need right now are stories that sweep me away, without having to concentrate on every single word and event.
I wish I were the kind of reader who devours Russian novels, underlining passages and taking notes in the margins. In reality, I’m a moody reader who picks her next book by pure instinct and gut feeling. Dear John Updike, this could have gone better. Luckily, my nightstand isn’t short on options. Maybe I’ll move on to the Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy, which seems harmless and easy to get through. The other day I saw a reader talking about something called the 100-Page Rule — basically, if you’re not enjoying a book after 100 pages, you drop it. I should probably try that myself. What do you think?
In print
- On my nightstand, though maybe not for much longer: The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike.
- Scattered thoughts: for one thing, a single chapter can run 150 pages, which (in my opinion) makes for a dense read, full of threads to keep track of and moments that get stuck on page three. But there’s also the fact that, after those same 150 pages, I have no idea where the story is even going — whether it’s meant as satire, or whether I’m actually supposed to believe the three female leads (who are, at times, similar enough to mix up) genuinely have magic powers. I love books with witches and magic, so that wouldn’t be a problem in itself. But this book feels stuffed with ideas — so many ideas, almost too many — that seem tossed in at random. I’ve officially put The Witches of Eastwick on pause. Maybe letting it sit for a while will help something good come out of it.
The quote
The books that truly leave me breathless are the ones that, once you’ve finished them, make you wish the author were your best friend, someone you could just pick up the phone and call whenever the mood struck.
— J.D. Salinger
In audiobook
- For walks through the sweltering countryside: here too, I’m running short on titles.
- Scattered thoughts: maybe it’s because I haven’t been going on as many walks as I was a few weeks ago, or maybe I just haven’t found the right story yet. I’m not sure what it is, but I haven’t started a single audiobook this week. I’ve downloaded plenty, but somehow I keep ending up listening to my favorite true crime podcasts instead — Casefile at the top of the list, followed by True Crime Obsessed (TCO). If I’m going with the 100-Page Rule for physical books, I think I’ll go with a 30-Minute Rule for audiobooks. That should be enough time to tell, right? My favorite audiobooks have hooked me in under 10 minutes.
Stories I’m curious about
I’m still waiting for Fox by Joyce Carol Oates to arrive at the library, in its original language. Oates and I don’t exactly have the easiest relationship, though to be fair, I’ve only ever read her books in Italian translation before. Either way, she’ll get the same 100 pages as everyone else to win me over.
Among the many titles I’ve downloaded, three in particular have caught my eye. One is the fantasy novel A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon, then there’s All the Pretty Horses by McCarthy (the first book in his famous Border Trilogy), and finally Wildfire by Hannah Grace, the second book in her romance trilogy. As usual, each one couldn’t be more different from the next.
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