The Marriage Portrait got into my top three favourites, I really enjoyed the reading experience. It shows we can all differ in our views and that makes booktube fun.
I like best and worst reviews because I just use them for clues as to what I might find best and worst...sometimes in a vice versa kind of way. ALWAYS appreciate your thoughtful reviews.
I'm a little sad about your dnf of _The Sentence_ but I remember when I read it thinking that there were elements in the book that people might not like.
Really fun video. Would love a video about your favorite books from genre fiction (such as fantasy and mystery). I have a hard time getting into some genre fiction cuz often difference in prose or focus. And would like to checkout some you reccomend, since share similar reading pool.
It's always interesting to see what people don't like. I still have The Sentence and Remarkably Bright Creatures on my TBR list so I can't comment on them yet.
I'm glad you posted this video. Watching it leads to a few questions if that's ok. Did you read these books in their entirety? I ask because I generally know in the first 50 pages (ideally, less) whether a book is going to do it for me or not. I'm sure I've lost out on a lot of great books because I didn't see them through. I'm a grad student between semesters right now (at 47, like an idiot), and I am trying to squeeze in as many books (for enjoyment) as possible. Are you a reader who feels compelled to see a work through even if you aren't particularly enjoying it? Do you have something like my 50 page rule to determine if you are going to continue? That would be a great video! Books that started slow but wound up being amazing.
Thanks for the questions! For a book to be listed as one of my worst it has to be a book that I finished. Otherwise, it will only be noted with my list of DNFs from the year. And a book only counts as a DNF if I get at least 50 pages in (or one hour if it's an audio). Otherwise, I don't feel like I can render much of an opinion either way. I don't feel compelled to see a book through because there's too much else out there if I don't feel I'm getting something out of the reading experience. I hope that helps. Congrats on going back to school--that's quite an accomplishment at any age. I'm actually jealous.
was so excited for Kindred adaptation I re read the book and the re read was one my best reading experience last year. But also ended up bailing on the show on ep 5. Honestly confused at why they calling this an adaptation of the book. It’s almost as if they adapted it from the blurb from the back of the book.
Worst books for me in 2022 were To Paradise, The Marriage Portrait, Chouette, Glory, and Case Study. Fortunately, there were tons of other fabulous books to offset these and 2022 was a great reading year for me.
The showrunner of Kindred has said that the first season covers about a third of the book, but it rushes much of that into the first couple of episodes as if burning off the book so it can focus on its own agenda. All in all it’s a missed opportunity, I was hoping it was going to use The Handmaid’s Tale as a model and do a first season that was very faithful to the book and expand the world from there. I feel the showrunner was more focused on getting multiple seasons and having a series rather then anything to do with lovingly adapting the book as a limited series for an already adoring audience. A real disappointment, especially since I don’t see anymore seasons coming, which is sad, because I think the cast did a great job. Ultimately, the showrunner made too many profound changes and this should be called “inspired by” if anything.
I had read Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet due to rave reviews and it being assigned by an online book club I am part of. What a sad disappointment this was. Later in the year, The Marriage Portrait was assigned. I REFUSED to spend my time reading any more of this author. Useless stuff. Glad to hear your review 👍👍👍
My “worst” or least favorite books were The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka (because bait and switch) and The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid (because it took an interesting premise and went nowhere with it). Biggest disappointment was probably Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin. I keep waiting for her to write something as brilliant as Fever Dream again and it isn’t happening. Like your books, lots of people loved the three I listed here. Just not me.
I really enjoyed The Sentence, I felt like it started off at a cracking pace, which was a great contrast to the books that I'd read just before it. I enjoyed the bookstore theme and the setting during the pandemic. It was an eye opener to the USA situation (the situation in Australia had some similarities but also we didn't have anywhere near the deaths especially in my city, as a community we were particularly careful - most of our older buildings were built during the flu pandemic so there's often great air circulation and little urban infill, the city is sprawling). I'd heard of the riots but it was interesting to read her views. I also enjoyed the native American cultural elements. I've only read this one and the Night Watch Man, I keep planning to read her backlist that's been recommended to me numerous times from American friends. I've been saving The Marriage Portrait for early this year, sorry to hear that you were disappointed with it.
I loved _A Constellation of Vital Phenomena_ and was excited to see Anthony Marra had a new novel coming out, but when I read the synopsis of _Mercury Pictures_ it didn't really sound very appealing. Thank you for the review. My least favorite read of 2022 was _Treasure Island!!!_ by Sara Levine.
The showrunner for kindred discusses on the rhe show 1 a why they made what they felt were necessary changes to to the story for television after listening to him speak i went back and watched the adaptation it played out a bit better for me with that understanding
You have the lurgy. Here we’ve had a big outbreak of flu , Covid and acute respiratory illness ( especially effecting children) and Strep A. Hope you are better by time this aired.
I recently finished The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard, which just came out as a Netflix film. It was a fantastic read, but the ending was ridiculously bad. Huge letdown.
My worst reads were Drop Bear by Evelyn Auraluen (it won the Stella but I found it tedious) and I want to die but I want to eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee which I found very one dimensional.
I have no intention of reading The Sentence, Louise Erdrich. Why is this one people’s top list. Goes to show you one’s trash is another’s treasure. Book liking is sooooo subjective. I had 5 star recommendation and turned out to DNF it
My worst read this year might be my worst EVER read: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Dreadful story written by someone with liberal brainworms (I’m a leftist, not a liberal)
The Marriage Portrait got into my top three favourites, I really enjoyed the reading experience. It shows we can all differ in our views and that makes booktube fun.
It really does!
I like best and worst reviews because I just use them for clues as to what I might find best and worst...sometimes in a vice versa kind of way. ALWAYS appreciate your thoughtful reviews.
I'm a little sad about your dnf of _The Sentence_ but I remember when I read it thinking that there were elements in the book that people might not like.
Really fun video. Would love a video about your favorite books from genre fiction (such as fantasy and mystery). I have a hard time getting into some genre fiction cuz often difference in prose or focus. And would like to checkout some you reccomend, since share similar reading pool.
It's always interesting to see what people don't like. I still have The Sentence and Remarkably Bright Creatures on my TBR list so I can't comment on them yet.
I'm glad you posted this video. Watching it leads to a few questions if that's ok. Did you read these books in their entirety? I ask because I generally know in the first 50 pages (ideally, less) whether a book is going to do it for me or not. I'm sure I've lost out on a lot of great books because I didn't see them through. I'm a grad student between semesters right now (at 47, like an idiot), and I am trying to squeeze in as many books (for enjoyment) as possible. Are you a reader who feels compelled to see a work through even if you aren't particularly enjoying it? Do you have something like my 50 page rule to determine if you are going to continue? That would be a great video! Books that started slow but wound up being amazing.
Thanks for the questions! For a book to be listed as one of my worst it has to be a book that I finished. Otherwise, it will only be noted with my list of DNFs from the year. And a book only counts as a DNF if I get at least 50 pages in (or one hour if it's an audio). Otherwise, I don't feel like I can render much of an opinion either way. I don't feel compelled to see a book through because there's too much else out there if I don't feel I'm getting something out of the reading experience. I hope that helps. Congrats on going back to school--that's quite an accomplishment at any age. I'm actually jealous.
What to do now? Just saw Fraser Simmons include Mercury Pictures Presents in his best books of 2022.
No one ever said it would be easy. 😂
I really liked Mercury Picture presenta but i really LOVE all Marra's novels
Past Greg had no idea that in a few years, he would be so upset about the Pulitzer pick he would throw it across the room! :)
was so excited for Kindred adaptation I re read the book and the re read was one my best reading experience last year. But also ended up bailing on the show on ep 5. Honestly confused at why they calling this an adaptation of the book. It’s almost as if they adapted it from the blurb from the back of the book.
Worst books for me in 2022 were To Paradise, The Marriage Portrait, Chouette, Glory, and Case Study. Fortunately, there were tons of other fabulous books to offset these and 2022 was a great reading year for me.
The showrunner of Kindred has said that the first season covers about a third of the book, but it rushes much of that into the first couple of episodes as if burning off the book so it can focus on its own agenda. All in all it’s a missed opportunity, I was hoping it was going to use The Handmaid’s Tale as a model and do a first season that was very faithful to the book and expand the world from there. I feel the showrunner was more focused on getting multiple seasons and having a series rather then anything to do with lovingly adapting the book as a limited series for an already adoring audience. A real disappointment, especially since I don’t see anymore seasons coming, which is sad, because I think the cast did a great job. Ultimately, the showrunner made too many profound changes and this should be called “inspired by” if anything.
I did like American War but I read it quite awhile ago. Not sure how it would hit these days.
It definitely hit me right in the stress zone. 😅
I had read Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet due to rave reviews and it being assigned by an online book club I am part of. What a sad disappointment this was. Later in the year, The Marriage Portrait was assigned. I REFUSED to spend my time reading any more of this author. Useless stuff. Glad to hear your review 👍👍👍
My “worst” or least favorite books were The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka (because bait and switch) and The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid (because it took an interesting premise and went nowhere with it). Biggest disappointment was probably Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin. I keep waiting for her to write something as brilliant as Fever Dream again and it isn’t happening. Like your books, lots of people loved the three I listed here. Just not me.
I love how Greer has a blurb on the Lund book.
I read Less last year and I didn’t like it much, I didn’t think it was funny or endearing at all.
Less having a Pulitzer Prize will always be inexplicable to me.
@@SupposedlyFun I kinda wanted to throw the book into the sun
@@kirkwallmage 😂 ☀
I really enjoyed The Sentence, I felt like it started off at a cracking pace, which was a great contrast to the books that I'd read just before it. I enjoyed the bookstore theme and the setting during the pandemic. It was an eye opener to the USA situation (the situation in Australia had some similarities but also we didn't have anywhere near the deaths especially in my city, as a community we were particularly careful - most of our older buildings were built during the flu pandemic so there's often great air circulation and little urban infill, the city is sprawling). I'd heard of the riots but it was interesting to read her views. I also enjoyed the native American cultural elements. I've only read this one and the Night Watch Man, I keep planning to read her backlist that's been recommended to me numerous times from American friends. I've been saving The Marriage Portrait for early this year, sorry to hear that you were disappointed with it.
I loved _A Constellation of Vital Phenomena_ and was excited to see Anthony Marra had a new novel coming out, but when I read the synopsis of _Mercury Pictures_ it didn't really sound very appealing. Thank you for the review.
My least favorite read of 2022 was _Treasure Island!!!_ by Sara Levine.
The showrunner for kindred discusses on the rhe show 1 a why they made what they felt were necessary changes to to the story for television after listening to him speak i went back and watched the adaptation it played out a bit better for me with that understanding
You have the lurgy. Here we’ve had a big outbreak of flu , Covid and acute respiratory illness ( especially effecting children) and Strep A. Hope you are better by time this aired.
I’m still thinking about DNFing Kindred so the TV series… I’ll just skip! 😅😂
Well who knows, if you aren't liking the book I can promise you that the show is very different. 😉
The Kindred adaptation sounds bad. And the book was so good. Hope you feel A-ok soon!!
I recently finished The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard, which just came out as a Netflix film. It was a fantastic read, but the ending was ridiculously bad. Huge letdown.
So sad you didn't like The Sentence! It was my favorite book of the year.
I quite enjoyed The Sentence! I have gone on to read other Louise Erdrich novels and enjoy her works.
My worst reads were Drop Bear by Evelyn Auraluen (it won the Stella but I found it tedious) and I want to die but I want to eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee which I found very one dimensional.
I've heard mixed things about the Sehee book.
So agree with Mercury. Was a slog
I have no want to pick up the Less sequel. It feels very blah in description and I also don’t understand why it exists 😂
I read it so you don't have to. 😂
99% with you on the dnf’s except I finished Love Songs. Yes, Kindred series is AWFUL
I have no intention of reading The Sentence, Louise Erdrich. Why is this one people’s top list. Goes to show you one’s trash is another’s treasure. Book liking is sooooo subjective. I had 5 star recommendation and turned out to DNF it
Could not agree more about The Sentence. I read it, but it was a struggle and did not like it very much at all.
My worst read this year might be my worst EVER read: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Dreadful story written by someone with liberal brainworms (I’m a leftist, not a liberal)
I've heard mixed reactions to that book.