The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (DNF)

I've seen The Nightingale everywhere and everywhere people rave about how good it is.  Thus, I was excited to read it.  My excitement didn't last, though.  I read it longer than I might have if I hadn't been trying hard to like it, but I have finally decided not to go on.  I gave the book a fair shake, reading about a third of it, thinking it might grow on me.  But, alas, it did not.

The Nightingale is about two sisters in Nazi occupied France during WWII.  I do like historical fiction, so that was a plus.  However, I disliked both sisters.  Vianne, the older sister, who is married and has a child, is ridiculously naive in her dependence on her husband, in her belief in the French government and in her dealings with the Germans.  Isabelle, the younger sister, is worse.  She is a hot-headed rebel and is also ridiculously naive in her rebellions.  Perhaps she evens out some as the book progresses.  I've seen some hints that might be the case, but, particularly at the start of the story, she is stupid in her small rebellions, inviting drastic consequences onto not only herself, but her sister and niece.  She's also seriously stubborn, won't help with simple things and is a really bad role model (seemingly purposefully) for her niece.

In addition to not liking the sisters, some of the consequences of war as described in the story come on way too fast to be believable.  For example, Vianne, just a few months in, is complaining about her dress shoes not being made for everyday wear.  So, what happened to whatever shoes she was wearing everyday before the war started?  It's only been a few months.  Also?  There is a weather situation.  A few months in, Isabelle is complaining about how they're already having to bundle up, even before Christmas.  Now, some of this may be explained by the houses not having heat, but these are people who are used to walking to work and stores and such.  If before Christmas it's cold enough to bundle up, that's probably normal, not an effect of war, as is implied.  At this same time, their usually well stocked cellar has no more food.  While that would be expected a year or so in, a couple of months is too fast to deplete a cellar as well stocked as Isabelle's usually is (as described in detail).

It seems to me that there are plenty of stories told about WWII that aren't about concentration camps or the soldiers (which seems to be many people's reason for liking this book - that it's unique in that way).  Coming to mind off the top of my head are:  The Book Thief, All the Light We Cannot See, Snow Treasure, and Code Name Verity.  I think any of these is a better read.

While this is one of those books that I seem to be very much in the minority on, I have now seen a couple of reviews on Goodreads that make me really glad I didn't go on.  The last quarter of the book sounds seriously depressing.  That may be worthwhile if the book is wonderful, but not liking it already and then hitting that...well.  Let this serve as a warning, then, in a way that most other reviews about this book will not.  Save yourself!  You don't have to like The Nightingale!

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider

I finally finished a book!  It took me a while.  Extraordinary Means is the sort of book that, prior to Davan coming home for the summer, I'd have read in a day, two at the most.  It took me a few days.  What's odd is that while I feel like I've got a lot less time to read (which is fine - let's be honest, I've got a lot of reading time even as is), Davan seems to have a lot of time to read now that she's at home.  She did whip through Extraordinary Means in less than a day.  Having her home, though, does help me with deciding on books to read.  From my latest library haul, which I brought home on Saturday, Davan let me know in no uncertain terms that two of the haul were books I should not read.  Okay, then, that'll help with the did not finishes.

Back to Extraordinary Means.  This is the story of Lane and Sophie who are patients at a TB sanatorium.  This might make you think of the early 1900s, but this story takes place in modern times with a what could happen where a totally drug resistant strain of TB appears and, thus, sanatoriums arise.  Lane and Sophie are high schoolers.  Lane is newly arrived to Latham House, but Sophie has been there for years with an illness that neither progresses enough to go home nor deteriorates enough that she dies.  Speaking of death, people do in Extraordinary Means.  We actually start the novel with Lane considering how many people have died in his new room.  Lane settles in, makes friends, is drawn to Sophie.  It's almost a typical boarding school story, but people are sick.  And that matters.

I liked Extraordinary Means.  I wouldn't label it as an all time favorite, but it was readable and relatable.  I enjoyed Lane's journey.  Davan and I both say, "It was pretty good."

Soulless by Gail Carriger (DNF)

I'm sad to say that this was my fourth did not finish book in a row.  Before writing the review on it, I started another book.  I figured if I started another and I didn't get into it, as well, then I'd really know it was me.  At that point, I wasn't sure what I'd do, but it might have involved not posting about Soulless, at least.

Here's the thing about Soulless:  I should like it.  There's a clever, spunky, unconventional main female character.  There's an interesting werewolf for a romantic lead (at least, it was looking that way when I left off).  However, I just didn't really care.  I didn't like Alexia all that much (she was okay).  I didn't like how when they were together, the point of view switched between Alexia and Lord Maccon (the werewolf).  There was something about the style of writing I can't pinpoint, but that didn't work for me.  I felt like I could push through and find the book to be okay, but I really, really want to read something that doesn't involve pushing through.  The other book I picked up is enjoyable without pushing through and I'm thrilled.  So, I'm done with Soulless and, hopefully, with my sad streak of did not finshes.

Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins

My audio book listening has slowed way down since Davan came home.  Often now, while I'm doing things I'd have listened to my book while doing before, Davan is around and we're listening to music together and interacting.  Also, we're taking a French class together this summer and I'm spending some of my audio time listening to French.  So, this latest audio book took me longer than normal to get through.

I loved Rebel Belle, the first book in the Rebel Belle series, so I was very excited when I got the notice that my hold was in on the Miss Mayhem audio book.  I had two other audio books queued up, but I started Miss Mayhem ahead of them.  Sadly, though, I was disappointed.

In this second book, I did not find nearly as much humor.  I did not like pretty much anyone's choices.  I thought the trials Harper had to go through to be kind of weak both plot-wise and in execution.  I considered not finishing it.  However, I did love the first book and maybe the third will be better?  So, I did power through.  Also, as I've said in my past couple of reviews, some of the problems I'm having with books may well be me.  Three print books and one audio book all together not going well may well be a sign.  (And I'm having a hard time getting into my latest try of print book.  Sigh.)  On the other hand, I've just done a quick look around and it seems I'm not the only one who thinks the second book did not live up to the first.  And the consensus seems to be that the third book is better than the third but not as good as the first still.  I may give it a try or I may let the Harper world go.

Unexpeted Everything by Morgan Matson (DNF)

Sadly, I'm on a run of did not finishes.  I had really high hopes for Unexpected Everything, having heard many good things, but it was not for me.  Andie's plan (and she's the sort of girl who has one) for her summer and, thus, possibly, her whole life falls apart at the beginning of summer.  She starts scrambling to figure out a new one and...that's as far as I got.  I didn't really like Andie all that much.  She was okay, but not overly likable.  And she was such a teenager.  I know she's a teen.  I get that.  It's a YA novel.  But, goodness, the worries she has, the drive to go to parties and drink, her perspective on boyfriends.  It was just all too much teenager for me.

I'm willing to admit, at this point, that I'm in a bit of a reading funk.  After all, it's been three books in a row.  At some point, you have to wonder: am I the problem?  Maybe.  I don't know.  I also don't like the audio book I'm listening to that much, so...yeah.  I'll keep trying, though.

The Treasure Map of Boys by e. lockhart (DNF)

I think I'm done with Ruby Oliver.  I enjoyed the first two, finding them quick, fun reads while also having some realism about teen life.  This one is...well, there's too much rehashing over things already covered.  Too much angst over the boys already.  Just too much of the same, not enough growth.  I didn't finish.  And I won't be picking up the fourth.

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (DNF)

I'm actually a little hesitant to write this review.  You see, I didn't finish I'll Give You the Sun, but I felt like I was supposed to like it.  I've seen it everywhere and on people's lists of favorite LGBTQ books and the like.  It has a lot of elements I find appealing:  LGBTQ, twins, contemporary.  But, it just did not work for me.  I kind of want to know how the story turns out, but I just don't want to read it.

Noah and Jude are twins.  We get their story from when they are 13 and then 16.  Something happens in between.  At least as far as I read, Noah tells the story when they're 13 and Jude when they're 16.  I have a hard time reading them both.  Noah's narrative is flooded with imagery, which, as he's an artist, isn't odd, but his grasp on reality is.  So, we're going along with life happening and the narrative is peppered with things like, "I've waited on the roof, totally deranged, my head a few feet above my neck, for his garage to open so we can plunge into the woods again and become imaginary..."  This sort of writing simply doesn't appeal to me.  And it's all the time.

Jude's narration is a little bit better, but I still don't enjoy it.  She's clearly seriously depressed, which doesn't mean I can't appreciate the book on its own, but the tone of her narration is so down and avoidance oriented that I can't get into it.  She spends her time talking to her dead grandmother who talks back (which also isn't a deal killer for me, but isn't helping things here) and avoiding.  Her narrative is sprinkled with sayings from her "bible" which was written by her grandmother and her reactions to these sayings, which I found disruptive.

So, I'm setting aside I'll Give You the Sun and moving on.  I'm glad it's resonated with so many, but it's just not the book for me.