“I swear he writes such complex narratives, but I think he gets bored and just decides end the book.”
I think this is true of a lot of books I read over the past few years. The first half or two thirds are compelling and then…it’s like they get lost or another writer takes over.
I made it a couple of chapters into Big Little Lies and quit it. Hated the premise and the characters. Me Before You was another one - I didn’t even make it through the first chapter.
I read a lot, but tend to steer clear of Oprah books, fine literature (mostly best sellers), what I call “book club books” - Picoult, Patchett, no Twilight or 50 shades, vampires, or stupid women in peril.
James Patterson at least gives credit to his co-writers and has done some neat things for bookstores.
Wait-- you steer clear of fine literature? I think I’m misunderstanding you.
Thought of this thread during my commute home tonight when an interview with John Grisham came on public radio. (Not one of my favorite authors, by the way.) But during the interview he said his wife is one of those people who will start a book and then keep going even if she doesn’t like it. While he’s willing to give a book 50 pages or so, and then if it’s not working for him, he’ll “fling it across the room.” You can imagine how my ears pricked up.
If you’re a Grisham fan, take a listen. A lot of discussion about how his books get made. I hope this link works, or
google The State of Things on WUNC:
http://wunc.org/post/john-grisham-s-latest-thriller-takes-readers-franklin-street#stream/0
@apraxiamom, 5 years since Bring Up The Bodies, but no publication date for the third book in sight. 
I hear she is working on it, though.
Another book I disliked more for the disturbing nature of the subject matter than the quality of writing was The Lovely Bones. Too unsettling. I’d rather stay in my little bubble. %-(
@zeebamom, one Oprah author whom I really admire is Wally Lamb. ‘I Know This Much is True’ and 'Couldn’t Keep It to Myself" are particularly excellent.
@fendrock - I liked “Year of the Flood” but I read it before “Oryx and Crake” (which I also liked).
However, there was a third book that I just couldn’t get through although I did peek ahead to the ending. Interesting ending, lol.
I have a friend who recommended “the Secret History” to me years ago. I hated it. I would not recommend it and I was very happy to totally avoid “the Goldfinch” when I found out it was the same author. Whew…
Same friend recommended “Bel Canto” and I couldn’t get past the first chapter.
I think I read a Barbara Kingsolver book once, “prodigal summer”? Anyway, I agreed philosophically with the main characters but all the women were so preachy. Why did they have to be so preachy to get their environmental point across? Made me long for some character like Huck Finn.
@doschicos I didn’t like “The Lovely Bones” but for a different reason. I actually took notes on this, which I’m trying to do as I get older, so I don’t read the same book again by mistake, in my dotage. My notes: “Great setup for a story with interesting characters. But a phoney-baloney description of the afterlife, which was entertaining for a while but really lacked substance. It was a best seller, and easy to read, and of course there’s a movie, but I don’t really need somebody to make up a heaven story for me. Unless you’re gonna give me a really kickass denouement.”
@jaylynn , when I say fine literature, I mean what often passes for lit works today. Boring. Pretentious. Too long. No plot. If it’s something modern that someone thinks has to be read so I can understand the human condition, I’ll pass.
I remember reading a Wally Lamb book, She’s Come Undone? Good, IIRC.
@greenwitch and @fendrock I only read "Oryx and Crake: and loved it and didn’t realize it was part of a trilogy. I was convinced I’d continue with the series, but maybe not.
Good description, @HotCanary. Thanks for reminding me of another reason I didn’t like it. That whole “heaven” bit seemed trite to me. I like your idea of making a few notes. I’ll have to start doing that. Several times I’ve picked up a book and realized I already read it. Spouse was laughing at me last month when I brought home a book from the library that I had read back in January. He got to read it this time once I realized I already had. :">
I started listing books I read a few years ago, but it’s kind of useless when the title doesn’t ring a bell!So I started describing the books.
Eat, Love and Pray and Wild- I hate entitled preachy women. I especially hated Wild for her horrendous hiking- no planning, throwing her boot away and catching rides and sleeping with strangers- I thought it was such a stupid book. I think I am too practical of a person. I know I wouldn’t like either of these authors.
I dropped out of a book club because they kept picking Jodi Picault books…
I doubt it’s a bestseller, but I hated Dreiser’s “An American Tragedy.” He could have gotten his point across in about 50 pages. Dickens at least has the excuse that he was paid by the word.
My opinion might have been influenced by the fact that I hated my English teacher, but she failed to ruin Grapes of Wrath or The Scarlet Letter, so I think Dreiser earned the hate.
@Hanna I loved Grapes of Wrath and The Scarlet Letter, so I have to plunge in to An American Tragedy knowing I might hate it. I LOVED Literature, but had a few teachers that could have ruined everything for me!
I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which I read in high school. Another book that was good (but a lengthy epic read) was And Ladies of the Club.
I surprisingly liked Big Little Lies, but really disliked What Alice Forgot and have not had any interest in reading any of her other books.
Ditto on Wild as I thought her narrative did not also make sense and she was very lucky and really made the trek seem much easier than it should have been.
Did not like Bel Canto for whatever reason (especially the ending).
And I have to admit to liking some Picoult, for a good, quick beach or night-I-can’t-sleep read. I actually liked My Sister’s Keeper and even dragged my DH to the movie. But have found the recent ones unreadable
The Lovely Bones is still one of my favorites - harrowing but so beautifully written and good portrayal of those left behind. The movie (saw it on TV) not so much.
Try some of the older Kingsolver books like the Bean Trees, Animal Dreams and Pigs in Heaven. Enjoyed all of them (although a long time ago).
There was a version of Hamlet? But with dogs? Huge book and it was good but then the author literally burns it all down near the end. I guess he wanted to follow the tragedy trajectory but there was none of that “tragical inevitability” there so it was just frustrating.