Okay, so maybe not an island, but how about a shelf. My nightstand has a slanted shelf under the table that generally holds those books that "I'm going to get back to later". Some of the books have been there so long I've taken out the bookmarks and put them back on my bookshelves. Both Susan and SamH have posted about their abandoned books. So I thought I would do the same. The meme premise:
I would enjoy reading a meme about people’s abandoned books. The books that you start but don’t finish say as much about you as the ones you actually read, sometimes because of the books themselves or because of the circumstances that prevent you from finishing. So . . . what books have you abandoned and why?
Usually I have problems finishing nonfiction (as you'll see later) reads. This year, however, the two books that come to mind quickest are novels.
Mystery of the art of Death, Ariana Franklin. A mystery. A Medieval setting. The sleuth is a woman. Normally this would be totally appealing to me. And the book was appealing, but maybe a third of the way through I just lost interest. I've only heard good things about it, so I think it was me. The female protagonist felt sort of cold, and I didn't really warm up to her. I might have to give it another try, though, as I have a feeling I just didn't stick with it long enough. Or I was in a grouchy mood. It's hard to say.
The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley. This book sounds so good. And everyone tells me it is good. And the 100 or so pages that I read were good. It was mostly just a victim of too many books being read at once and not enough time to spend on it. I've read a lot of really long books this year, and I tried to read this at the same time. It just wasn't going to happen, so it got shifted out of the pile. I'll definitely give it a go again later.
I know there have been more books that have gotten reshuffled back into the book piles, but these I actually read significant portions of. The rest of the books are from last year (or maybe even earlier?).
Snow, Orhan Pamuk. This seems to be the sort of book that moves slowly, but is well written. I just didn't stick with it long enough. I do want to read his work and hope to get back to this one.
Beyond Black, Hilary Mantel. I don't know what happened here. I tried. I just couldn't get into it. Maybe I'll try again later.
The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft, Claire Tomalin. I had this little reading plan/idea where I thought I was going to read books by and about Mary W. and then about her daughter. And I have all these books lined up and ready to go. I still want to do it. The Tomalin biography is interesting, and Mary was very interesting. I just am horrible about sticking with NF books. The second another interest pops its head, I am off starting a new book. Fickle. What can I say.
Don't Let's Go to the Dog's Tonight, Alexandra Fuller. See above. Fickle.
Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi. Again. Fickle.
Generally my problem has less to do with losing interest (except in the rare case) or not liking a book, but by simply having too many started and not having time to pick it up and read it. Sometimes it languishes so long it ends up on "the shelf" and after it has languished there for a while, or a year or two, it gets incorporated back into the book piles. Although I do hate abandoning books and shifting them around, I try not to feel too guilty. There's always another book around the corner.
And just a reminder--I will be drawing names tomorrow for my book giveaway. Last call if you want your name to go into the bowl, too.