It has been a long time since I have visited with all my friends in The Sunday Salon. Unfortunately I have not been reading very much, and what I have been reading has been mostly young adult and I felt it would be a little too redundant to post on Sunday when I would just be saying similar things on my Teen Tuesday post. But finally I have some news to share with you all, and I hope you haven't missed me that much.On Tuesday I made the commitment to read 3 books by Friday. And unfortunately I failed. When Friday evening came around I was feeling quite sick and needed to get to sleep rather than read. Don't you hate when that happens?
But late last night I finally finished The Pact. It feels like I have been reading it forever. And not in a good, long and languishing way! In the beginning I was really enjoying the book, but it didn't take me long to start resenting the emotional roller coaster Jodi Picoult forces you to ride. One minute are laughing and the next minute she sneaks up behind you and stabs you in the back for some surprise heartbreak. I felt complete manipulated, but she still knows how to keep a reader reading. I felt The Pact was better written than Keeping Faith which is the only novel of Picoult's I have read. But I don't think I liked the story much. I felt it really dragged in the middle. By the end, I was really annoyed that I ended up liking it. I think it could have easily dumped out 50-100 pages in the middle of it and it could have been a much better book.
Just to read another book more quickly and to pick up something fun, I decided to read Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. I like how each chapter was a little mini episode of silliness and it is something I think my children would really enjoy now, unlike the silliness of Amelia Bedelia, which they don't have the language skills to grasp the humor of yet.
I really enjoyed the Pippi Longstocking movie I remember watching over at a friends house as a kid. And when I was reading the book I recalled very vividly scenes from the movie.
It was great to have some nice light reading that was particularly quick to finish.
I have a lot of books on my reading plate right now. It is such a relief to get The Pact done! Today I will be tracking down my copy of Good in Bed and also The Looking Glass Wars. Tomorrow I will also be going to the library and I am looking extremely forward to that! What will you be reading next?
I don't know what I'll be reading next! I have too many books. Hmm. Maybe Model, since I got that from Pulse It. Or maybe...The Looking Glass Wars? I have no idea. I actually feel like reading a non-YA book for once (which rarely happens) so I may pick up one of Sophie Kinsella's that I bought at Half Priced Books. I can't remember the name, though... Or maybe The Historian. Or a classic like 1984. (You can see this doesn't answer your question at all, but oh well. I'm indecisive.)
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree on the emotional-rollercoaster-Jodi-Picoult-ness.
The Pippi Longstocking cover is the same exact copy I have...regardless of which one, though, it was one of my favorites when I was a youth. Maybe I now need to go back and read it. Thanks for reminding about a great book...I recently picked up my copy from my parents. I think it's here somewhere...(sorting through books)...somewhere...
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about The Pact. With most of the Picoults I've read I end up resenting how much I liked it because of how my feelings were twisted along the way. And yes it did start to drag a bit toward the third quarter. But the way I see it is that at least she has the power as a writer to evoke emotional responses in readers.
ReplyDelete" felt complete manipulated, but she still knows how to keep a reader reading. " I felt EXACTLY the same way about this book! Here's my review: http://smallworldreads.blogspot.com/2007/01/book-review-pact.html
ReplyDeleteThats so neat, I want that pippy book, looks like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling better. I was hoping to finish two books this past week, but it did not happen either. :-( Maybe this next week.
ReplyDeleteI love the emotional roller coaster that Picoult takes me on when I read her books--but then, I'm like that. I haven't yet read The Pact or Keeping Faith, but I do want to one day. I have read four of her books so far, I believe.
I adored Pippi Longstocking when I was growing up. :-)
I hope you have a great week!
I loved The Looking Glass Wars!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the head's up on Pippi; I don't know why I haven't thought of that as a read-aloud for my kids.
I have read Picoult's 19 Minutes, and I did not like it very much. Her writing was fine, the pacing was fine. I just found her characters not "believable." Also, she put several references to some computer tech/code that was wrong, wrong, wrong and that always bugs me. It would be similar to a doctor character referring to the flu as bacteria. I say if you are going to research something to use in your story, get it correct!
ReplyDeleteAs for what I am reading next, probably The Illuminator by Vantrease.
Many thanks for your enthusiastic leap into the Pool of Tears assisting Princess Alyss and Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan with their harrowing adventures into pop culture.
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