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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Talk Show in Books

May 10, 2018

After reading this book for a week and only making it to 25% of the way through, I have decided to give it a rest for now. Reasons I could not finish this book:

1. The Language--While I am not offended by foul language, dropping the 'F' bomb 10+ times in the first 2% of the book is a bit extreme. I did a search for the word on the Kindle and found out it appears over 100 times throughout.

2. The story is moving way too slowly for me. At 12% there is a shooting and at this point I still don't know what happened to the victims. But, we've met a few strippers and a transgender priest who also babysits, and a crazy copy named Germany(at least I think he's a cop, I was quite confused when he entered the story).

3. Finally, it's not holding my interest. Every time I start reading, I start to fall asleep.

When I first read the synopsis for this book, I was excited about it, but it fell short of my expectations.

**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

Kudos

ClareR (6256 KP) rated Folk in Books

Jan 24, 2018 (Updated Jan 24, 2018)

Folk

Zoe Gilbert | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

An atmosphere that draws you in (2 more)

Beautiful prose

Interconnected short stories

Fairy tales for grown ups

This collection of short stories is set on the island of Neverness. All of the stories are interconnected and characters reoccur as adults after they were in a story as children. We see how an experience in one story then becomes a cautionary tale or a fairytale in another. I loved the atmosphere in this book: menacing, dreamlike, happy, sad - like a fairytale really.
The language used was really very poetic. If you're attracted to this as a Fantasy reader, the language is weighted more on the 'Literary Fiction' side. I like both, and this didn't even occur to me until I read another review on Goodreads! There are plenty of Fantasy writers out there whose prose can be lyrical!
I also liked how the beginning and the end of the book were connected. Very clever, original writing, this is a short story collection that didn't feel to me as though they were short stories. Well worth a read!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this gorgeous book!

Kudos

Marylegs (44 KP) rated After Alice in Books

Aug 14, 2019

After Alice

Gregory Maguire | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry

4.8

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

At this point I honestly don’t know what to write about ‘After Alice’. This SHOULD be a book I enjoy. This is an author I have read other books from and have enjoyed. But in all honesty this book is dire. I am 15%+ into the book, and I can’t honestly tell you what is happening.

The language feels like someone has vomited out a thesaurus. It doesn’t flow and the language doesn’t even feel like it is being used to enhance the descriptive tones. Instead it feels like alternative words are being used for the sake it. Possibly to mask the fact that even though I am over 15% in NOTHING has happened.

I have no bond with the characters. It isn’t even that I dislike them. There has been barely any character building what so ever. I very rarely leave a book unfinished. But I feel like I am reading for the sake of finishing it. And having a toddler I don’t have the time to read a book I am not enjoying.

Very disappointing. I feel like I should have loved it.