What Novel Are You Currently Reading, Version 2

Explosive Eighteen, Janet Evanovich. So far, it's okay. I kinda feel like I got dropped into the middle of the story, though (like there's a chapter or two missing off the beginning or something).

 

I realize there hasn't been a post in here in forever, but come on, don't y'all read?

I'm on vacation, so I've been lying around reading quite a bit, so thread reviving it is.

And right now, I'm reading Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. And my god! This is laughably, laughably bad. Like, really bad. I knew it would be, seeing as it was originally posted on Fanfiction.net as Twilight AU fanfiction, and given how terrible the characterizations and writing are in that series, a series written by an amateur based on that could hardly be better, but damn! Parts are borderline offensive, but most is just mind-bogglingly stupid. The main character is one of the most dimwitted heroines in creation; yes, I think she may be more vapid than even Bella. I had to check this out against my better judgment because I needed to see what everyone and their mother has been going on about (and because you can't properly mock something unless you know it), and now it's like a train wreck I can't look away from.

I doubt there's an audience for this book on this site, given that I think the members here are mainly older teenaged/young adult males, but if you're ever given a chance to read this, for your sanity, run, don't walk, away from this book.

 

It doesn't get any better, either. I'm about half way through Fifty Shades Darker, because I'm incapable of leaving a series I start, no matter how atrocious, and I'm not sure I have the words to describe it all, at least on a family-friendly site. What's sad is that in the right hands, with the subject matter treated with respect and with a writer who knows what she's doing and who fleshes out her characters, the story wouldn't have been half bad. But there's so much repetition and stupid devices (the heroine of the story has running commentary on what her "inner goddess" and "subconscious" are both thinking- I think she's very possibly a schizophrenic- and there is a ton of back and forth emailing with "cute" subject lines) and there's just so much that's unbelievable. But the worst thing is how the author confuses BDSM with domestic abuse, and tries to pass off the abuse as romantic. It's Edward's controlling and stalkerish tendencies in Twilight amped up to the max. Yet chicks are supposed to swoon (and apparently do). I despair for my gender sometimes.

It's always great when you're lucky enough to have assigned reading you actually enjoy.

 

^ My favorite of all of his books I've read. Love IT so much.

I'm reading Fifty Shades Freed by E. L. James. I don't know what to say about this that I haven't already said. Plot is dreadfully stupid, the characters moreso. But that kind of makes it funny. But not funny enough not to scar your soul. v_v

 

I've just started reading Inheritance by Christopher Paolini. I only vaguely remember the events of the previous three books, but my library had this on hand and I have been wanting to know how it ends, even though I reckon I can guess and it'll probably be disappointing. Right now, I'm not very far (less than 100 pages into it), but so far, not too impressed with the writing. But we'll see.

 

Bumping in hopes of getting this active again. C'mon people, post what you're reading! I need to be able to steal titles when I get bored and have nothing on my shelves I feel like rereading.

I'm just about finished with Who Got Liz Gardner? by Elizabeth Allen. It's written like a memoir, but is apparently mostly fictitious, and is mostly a coming of age/discovering who you are sort of book, while the main character tries to create a career for herself and searches for Mr. Right. Some aspects of the book made me scoff (it sometimes seems hard to believe that all of this happens to one person, and the main character is into a lot of New Age, spiritual crap that I don't buy), but I enjoyed it. For some reason this is toted as "If you liked Fifty Shades of Grey, try this one!" and I have no idea why, because it's nothing like those books, except there are sex scenes. Anyhow, not the best book I've ever read, but not the worst, either. I'm not sorry for buying it.

 

I'm just finishing up The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien. After seeing The Hobbit in theaters, I wanted to get back into that world again. I really love all of these characters. And the history of the world is amazing. I think this is probably my favorite of the three.

 

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. I'm not very far into this yet, but I've been in the mood for some sort of lighthearted chick-lit, and I'm thinking this will deliver.