Thursday, March 15, 2012

Feature and Follow Friday #12


Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly social blog hop between book bloggers. There are two regular hosts: Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read, and two special guest hosts every week. If you want to join in, click on either of their blogs to get the details. The FF question of the day is: 

Q: What is the best book you've read in the last month? What is the worst book you've read in the last month?

 

I've started a lot of books in the last month or so that I haven't and won't finish, like SHATTER ME and ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. But I stopped reading because those books just didn't click with me, not because they were poorly executed or conceived. I've started a Pinterest board to record the books that I couldn't finish. My goal isn't to trash the books or their authors, but to record for myself the books that I didn't mesh with.

 

I've also read a number of books that were mediocre.  I read them to the end, but they failed in either plotting, characterization, pacing, ending, or any number of other aspects. Several of Laura Lippman's and Kate White's books fell into this category for me this month. So did Lauren DeStefano's FEVER.

 

It's much harder to identify a best and worst book. Of the books that I've finished, nearly all of them have been mysteries. The worst book was probably Sara Blaedel's CALL ME PRINCESS. This novel would have remained in the mediocre category without its atrocious ending. It doesn't conclude so much as stop. The title figures prominently into the solution to the mystery, but in a way that feels forced. The solution to the mystery is bare bones, and the actual conclusion feels as though several pages were missing. 

 

The best book I've read so far in March is Tess Gerritsen's THE BONE GARDEN. I'm not very enthusiastic in deeming this the "best" book of my month. It was an engaging book, and it doesn't have any glaring flaws, but it just manages to rise above the mediocre.

 Here's hoping that since the month is only at the halfway mark, I'll stumble upon some better books soon. Perhaps even via this hop!

13 comments:

  1. Hopping through. So sad that Anna and the FK didn't work for you. Maybe some time you can get back to it. But no book works for everyone.
    My Hop

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    1. I was really sad too! Maybe it'll strike my fancy when I'm in a different frame of mind?

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  2. I'd never heard of either of these, will definitely have to check out the Sarah Blaedel series. Thanks for sharing :)

    New GFC follower thanks to F&F :)

    My FF

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  3. I haven't heard of either of those, but I'm glad you enjoyed The Bone Garden! Hope you have a good Friday :)

    Here's my FF!

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  4. I really don't like mysteries. Not since Nancy drew, and even back then I preferred to read the Ramona series.

    New follower, from kristinaaziz.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank goodness there are all kinds of books for all kinds of tastes! Now following you as well :)

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  5. Hi there :) just hopping through... Great pick!

    I'm also your newest follower :) Here is my choice...

    Feature & Follow

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  6. Haven't heard of these books. I do like a good mystery though!

    Here's my Friday Hops

    Have a GREAT weekend!

    Old Follower :)

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    1. Thanks for reading; it's nice to check in on each other's FF's as old followers!

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  7. Nice post. Haven't heard of the ones you mentioned but glad you liked them. New follower! Feel free to check out my F&F here.

    Rumana @ Relook the Book

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  8. Thanks for stopping by! I read your FF--I too was eagerly anticipating Fever.

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