Forgive me, but I can’t get into The Far Field: a novel of Ceylon by Edie Meidav. I feel like a failure because she has been compared to my all time favorite author, Barbara Kingsolver. That should afford me some loyalty. And yet, yet I can’t wrap my brain around this 600 page novel. Not at this time. It’s not that I find it boring. It’s not that I find it difficult. It’s neither of those things and nothing like that. I think in my twisted sense of summer it’s not entertaining enough for the dying days of August. It’s not a fun in the sun, beachy kind of read. Not right now. Never mind the fact I haven’t been to any beach since June. Never mind that I haven’t seen the sun for days and days.
So, I am admitting defeat and putting down Far Field… for now. Sorry.
In the meantime, I got two Early Review books (one already finished & reviewed – in the bag, as they say). I’m saving Emily Post’s biography for September to even out the reading just a little. I want to get through Egger’s The Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius if nothing else.
ps~ I have decided to take all my “attempted” books back and give them all second chances. It slows the BL challenge down a little, but everyone deserves a second chance. Right? Of course I’m setting myself up to feel like sh!t if I can’t finish something for a second time!
~*LunaSea*~ 
I sympathize with your finding The Far Field challenging. My suggestion for that book is that, because like most first books it has everything the author knows in it, you skip ahead to the middle of the book. The ending of the book makes it all worthwhile, I promise you! Just read the last chapter for a foretaste.
The title of your blog is how I feel about many things in my life.
Sorry about the book frustration. Oh and I am a card carrying member of the “I’m setting myself up to feel like sh!t if I can’t finish something for a second time!”
Ella~ interesting solution! thanks for the advice. I think Far Field is back on my list in November. I definitely will let you know how I do.
Time~ *sigh* Card carrying member here! Do we have a secret handshake for this club of ours? 8) xoxox
Yeah, it’s a knuckle bump but the catch is… we miss the contact point each time, just to punctuate the almost always inevitable looming dissapointment that may quite possibly happen when that second time fails 8) xoxoxo
Sometimes you’ve got to be in the right headspace for certain things. Perhaps on the 2nd try around some of those books will hit the right notes with you. And some of them are simply not your style. There is nothing “defeated” when you truly know what you like, is there.
There’s much life left in August yet.
Dave Eggers: a good read; a refreshing approach back when I first read it. There’s an honest sense of joy and transformation in this book.
I just rolled my cigarette inside out; must go.
No link back to my blog the first time… second time lucky?
Ruby~ That’s exactly it. I consider summer the time to read funnier, fluffier stuff. I will revisit all the attempted books with a renewed sense of energy! 😉
Andrew~ Eggers is hysterical! There was a lot of hype surrounding his book when it first came out so I stayed clear, but now that I am actually reading it, I can’t put it down!
ps~ Cigarettes can be rolled inside out?
pps~ thanks for the linking!