I’m not promising four, but since Beckett asked about what I was reading, and I had thoughts on that (and a question), here we are at 3. Perhaps a record for me.
So, right now I’m reading a trashy Jenny Colgan book as my bedtime book, which is fine but also has a character who is driving me bonkers. That character hasn’t shown up for about 100 pages so my experience has markedly improved.
My other book is Running with Sherman. This is a buddy read with a friend from high school. We have done nonfiction buddy reads – usually in science, as we both have a passion for it – for a few years now. We picked this as an outlier because we thought it would be a fast and easy read for the summer.
I’ll pause while you check your calendars.
To say that I am struggling with this book is an understatement. I thought I would love it – heartwarming story! animal rescue(s)! set in the area where I grew up! And… yeah, no. Part of my challenge is that the author wanders off on these tangents that are obliquely related to the story but not really? and so I find myself reading about depression in college students in the middle of a story about a rescue donkey and a mountain race. A worthy topic but it makes me feel like I am reading 5 short books instead of one cohesive narrative. It’s like the author was trying to provide context and wandered too far down the path, if that makes sense.
So, question… do I text my friend, admit my struggles, and beg to read something else? (Part of my difficulty may be that I have both Four Thousand Weeks and Atomic Habits in the wings, and I am desperate to read both…)
Or do I forge ahead?
To be clear, I am totally cool with DNF’ing a book when I’m the only one reading it (Abby Jimenez, I’m looking at you…). But this is a buddy read. What if she loves it? Or, flip side, what if she also is struggling and that’s the reason she hasn’t checked in since I texted her a few weeks ago? Ponder ponder…
This issue/question of giving up was in sharp focus yesterday in my work life, too. No details, but I’ve gotten two emails that are about implementing changes at a level I can’t influence on short notice and with unclear information. It makes me want to give up on one part of my job… which is not really possible. So, yeah. There, I’ll have to forge on through. This book, though – maybe I can and should just set it aside.
For my work life, I’ve always loved this quote on persistence and not giving up, by Jane Goodall: “…isn’t that the making of a little scientist? The curiosity; asking questions; not getting the right answer; deciding to find out for yourself; making a mistake; not giving up; learning patience.”
A lot of people don’t finish the books in our book club. Admittedly, there are more than two of us, but it still happens with some degree of regularity. You can still have a great discussion even if you don’t finish the book. Tell your friend that you have given it your best, have read X pages, and would love to discuss it with them and then move on to a new book!
Topic for tomorrow (make it four in a row!): Can you talk about a research project you’re currently working on at work? Or a project you’re working on in your personal life? Do you decorate for Christmas? When do you put all your stuff out?
Oooh, I like this suggestion. Thanks! I will suck it up and text her tomorrow. I just want to be out from under the albatross of this book. I honestly did not expect this when I started it (obviously)!
I will see how I can answer your questions… don’t want to share TOO much right now. But you’ve given me enough for posts four and five. 😉 (Just don’t go sending me a list of randomly generated words with a challenge for the year, okay? HA!)
What Jenny Colgan book are you reading? I’ve really enjoyed some of her books (specifically the Beach street bakery series) and have more to read when I’m ready to take the time to read fiction.
Atomic habits is on my to-read list too.
It’s… hang on… The Bookshop on the Shore. I read the first book in the series – and liked it. Oddly, the character I despise in this book is the main character from that one! Go figure. The weirdest thing is the change in narrator – from third person regular for a book, to omnipotent observer author third person? It’s… odd.
I loved some of hers – the Beach St. bakery series is great, as are the School by the Sea series (just reissued under this pen name, they were published originally with another).
I started Four Thousand Weeks so will update you on that when finished, then will move on to Atomic Habits. Do you subscribe to James Clear’s newsletter? You would like it, if you don’t.
I haven’t checked out James Clear at all! But will go and look for him now. Good and inspiring newsletters are scarce!
He’s also a great follow on Instagram. The newsletter is “3-2-1 Thursday”. The best part for me, sometimes, are the quotes. He finds quotes from random people (the person who created Star Trek?) and they often just speak to where I am at that moment in my life. Or week. 🙂
Yay for 3!
A dear friend and I once loaned each other three of our favorite books. Very sadly…I barely got through the first book and I don’t think she made it through any of mine. We just didn’t have the same taste.
So if I get a vote, I say check in with your friend and see how she’s doing with it. Friends can have different opinions about books. Case in point, I LOOOOOOVED Hello Beautiful and it was not Engie’s cup of tea – we still “hang out” on the interenets and talk about books;-)
Thank you for reminding me that All Books Are Not For Me. 🙂 I know we gave up on another one a long time ago but that was because it was literally impossible to understand. I have no idea how it got published, let alone got any positive reviews! (I am also skeptical now of my parents’ suggestions… of theirs, one has panned out [Longitude] and all of the others [books by Atul Gawande, which I know I SHOULD read because of what I do, but just cannot get through] have not…)
I don’t know, some books are just not for everyone. Although, I do understand the awkwardness of disliking a book when a friend really likes it, and vice versa. This happens fairly frequently to me, so I always try to temper my reactions.
I do try books that others recommend, but I am really reluctant to recommend anything to other people. This one came from my parents, and I’m slowly realizing that what they like is… not what I like. With the exception of some nonfiction books that my dad has read. I tried once more this morning and… yeah. It was a slog. Texting my friend is on today’s to-do list. 🙂
I say check in with your friend and see how she feels about the book – maybe she can either convince you to forge ahead, or you might discover that you’re both secretly hoping to quit. It’s a win-win situation.
Checking in is on the list for today. Plus, I’m kind of worried since she hasn’t replied to my most recent text. A dual-purpose text.
I would definitely call her and let her know this book is not one you want to finish. That’s a bummer, but still it happens. The work situation sounds difficult. I hope if you quit the book at least you will feel like you have takne back part of your life.
Ohhh, I like that – taking back part of my life. I tried again this morning and… nope. Still kind of frustrated. So, texting the friend is on my list for today. Both to check in (no response to my last text, which is odd) and to see about the book.
I definitely think you should check in with your friend and just be honest about how you feel about the book. She will either feel the same way OR it can lend to an interesting discussion about why you guys feel differently!
Okay, if we’re giving you blog post ideas, tell us about your morning routine!
I texted her yesterday… let’s see what she says! (Cue the suspenseful music, LOL.)
Morning routine – oh, my goodness – so boring! but okay, it’s still a really good idea. I’ll add it to the queue. (Me? Have a queue of ideas? Who have I become???)