Not For Me

Sometimes I feel like when I talk about the books I’ve read it seems I have liked or loved every book. That’s probably in part because if the book is not really working for me, I will stop reading it. Sometimes I will go back to a book I set aside if I think it may have been the right book at the wrong time but it could take a very long time for that to happen.

So this post is about two books that did not work for me. Maybe they will be something you have enjoyed or could enjoy.

happypeopleHappy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnes Martin-Lugand. Diane seems to have a perfect life. She’s married, has a child and owns a charming book and coffee shop in Paris. Until one day her life is shattered when her husband and child die in an accident. After a year of grieving, Diane is still barely living until she decides to leave Paris behind for a small town in Ireland. There she meets Edward, her next door neighbor and while the two do not get along very well at first, they slowly form a relationship and begin to trust in love again.

This story has a wonderful setting and tackles some very serious and emotional issues but what made this difficult to enjoy were the characters. I understand that both are going through awful situations but they were so unlikeable. They were constantly arguing and were often just mean. Frankly, I wasn’t sure what attracted them to each other. I believe there is a sequel to this story but I don’t see myself picking that one up.

Source: Advance Review Copy

 

littleparisThe Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Monsieur Perdu owns a floating bookshop in a barge on the Seine in Paris. He believes he can find the perfect book for whatever ails his readers. Unfortunately he can’t find the one book that would make his heartache go away.

Another title with featuring Paris and books, what is not to love right? Well, unfortunately this is a story I couldn’t finish. It just seemed so forced and I just couldn’t get over one of the major points in the book. The fact that Monsieur Perdu has not gotten over the lover who left him 20 years ago. He’s completely shut himself off from experiencing love again. So another character I had a hard time understanding.

Source: Advance Review Copy

Both of these books are translations so I wonder if something was lost in the translation.

Anyway, what do you think? Have you read these and was your reading experience totally different than mine? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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