Everything Love Is is Claire King's second novel. I read her first book, The Night Rainbow, back in 2013 and I really enjoyed it but I'm sorry to say that I found this latest offering quite tedious, I found myself not wanting to read as it was so hard going. I was confused as to who was telling the story and the toing and froing in time had me muddled too. The story just didn't grab my attention until the very end.
I really enjoyed the last quarter of the book once the story seemed to take off, it's just a shame that it didn't get going much sooner. This last section of the book was back to Claire King's beautiful style of writing and I found myself wishing that it had grabbed me from the beginning rather than just as the book was going to end.
I've read some fantastic reviews of the book so I don't think everyone feels the same way as I do about it, which is the same with most books, we all enjoy different things, this one just didn't do it for me.
If you want to know what else I've been reading lately, you can find a list in the sidebar. This shows all the books I've read this year and there's also lists of the books I've read right back to 2012.
It's hard going when you don't enjoy a book, like you I do tend to keep going, why is that I wonder? I haven't read any Claire King xx
ReplyDeleteI hate giving up on a book, and in this case, it did get better in the end. There's so many good books out there though that I shouldn't struggle on really.
DeleteWhat a shame you weren't able to enjoy it from the beginning. As you say, it's a good job we all enjoy different things. I must get myself a new reading book but I think I'll avoid this one. X
ReplyDeleteThe end of the book was beautifully written, it was just so hard to follow at the start, it was quite an effort to read. I really enjoyed Claire King's first book and the end of this book so I won't give up on her as an author quite yet.
DeleteYes, that's so true ... we do all enjoy different books, and I think in the summer months a light-hearted read can be fun.
ReplyDeleteCooler autumnal and winter nights you seem to tuck up warm and settle down for longer with a good book, or at least I do!
Always good to read your reviews.
Enjoy your weekend
All the best Jan
I usually read in bed so it's a lighter read where I don't really have to concentrate that I tend to go for.
DeleteI very rarely give up on a book but do sometimes end up skimming through one I'm not enjoying.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame when you enjoy a first book but not the second as you have with this one. xx
I find it hard to put down a book once I've decided to read it, as in this case, there's always the chance it will improve. I thoroughly enjoyed Claire King's first book and there was her same style of writing in the last quarter of this book so it will be interesting to see what she comes up with next.
DeleteThat's too bad. I hate when a good author comes back with a lousy book. I've had a lot of duds lately myself. I never used to quit a book and now I'm quitting about one in ten! That's a lot for me. But life is short, we should be reading books we like, right? :)
ReplyDeleteI agree, we shouldn't struggle with a book if we're not enjoying it, but I find it so hard to put down a book I've already started. I need to be more like you and give up on something if I'm not enjoying it.
DeleteI start loads of books that I don't finish, back to the library they go. Too little time to struggle with something when there are 100 other good reads out there!
ReplyDeleteI agree, I don't think you should struggle with a book if you're not enjoying it, I just wish I could give up on a book more easily than I do. Saying that, there aren't that many books which I have trouble with, I tend to choose quite carefully.
DeleteI;m like you and don't like to be beaten by a book. The worst one I read was Shardik. I kept being asked why I kept reading it when I hated it.
ReplyDeleteI expect to feel a sense of satisfaction when I've persevered with a book, but I rarely do. I'm usually just thankful that it's done with.
DeleteI always feel a bit guilty if I give up on reading a book - it's almost as if it's *my* fault that I don't like the book. I remember reading the night rainbow one after reading your recommendation and I enjoyed it so, I'll take your advice again and not read this one! :o)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed The Night Rainbow, I was really looking forward to this book after enjoying that one so much. As I say, we all have different opinions on books so you might enjoy this one, I've read lots of good reviews of it.
DeleteI've given up on hundreds of books, Jo, so don't feel remotely bad about this. At school we were taught to "finish" a book, but there really is no need! You'd not finish a meal you weren't enjoying, would you? Nor a film which didn't enthral? Or listen to music you didn't like? A book is the same. It's snot a crossword puzzle, a mystery to be solved. Unless you are swatting for an exam and it's a set book, pass on to the next one. There are many out there which aren't for you (or me) but there are thousands which are, it's just a case of matching book to reader, girl! There are a number of genres of books in which I'm not remotely interested (sci-fi, fantasy for example - I've never read The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, they simply aren't my bag, nor Harry Potter for that matter) but I don't mind occasionally trying something, so I've sent for a Nordic crime novel from Amazon (well, Icelandic, actually) and I will see how I get on with that. It's the first in a series by a writer called Yrsa Sigurdardottir, which looks a like (and apologies to any Icelandic people reading this!) someone has thrown up Scrabble tiles and allowed them to fall and that is their name!
ReplyDeleteI don't go big on the classics, either, but I enjoy a lot of non-fiction and currently I'm reading about butterflies (although I don't go big on natural history usually) called Rainbow Dust, and also I'm trying a new writer for fiction (I often have more than one book on the 'go' at once).
I hesitate to recommend books to people because, as you have found, books are very subjective; some are for us, and we generally know in the first few pages. However, I do recommend Katharine McMahon and Charlotte Betts for historical fiction and if you enjoy a lighter, contemporary style, then perhaps you might try Marcia Willett. I also love books on architecture and social history - have recently been reading on the history of suburbia which was background reading to an article I wrote for a magazine. But, there again, not everyone's cup of tea!
Margaret P
www.margaretpowling.com
I must admit that I'm the same with films and TV programmes, if I start them I like to give them a chance and finish them even if I'm not enjoying them. I'm not sure what that says about me. It sounds like you read a wide variety of topics. I used to enjoy biographies but I find I read much more fiction these days.
DeleteI've found that I give up on more books as I get older... Think I'm getting intolerant in my old age!!! Jx
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's a bad thing at all, I wish I could do it without feeling so much guilt about it.
DeleteNot an author I have read ... think I might give her a miss, far too many others to read.
ReplyDeleteI can recommend her first book, The Night Rainbow, I just didn't enjoy this one as much.
DeleteInteresting to read this post Jo. As you know like you I loved Claire King's first book and was really looking forward to reading her second. I really struggled to to grips with this one too although initially I put it down to my state of mind at the time. I'm glad that I persevered but it was a challenging rather than a comfortable read. In fact at times reading it was a bit like being in a fog which I suppose reflects what suffering dementia must be like. Maybe that was intended by the author?
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting idea, perhaps creating the confusion was the author's intention. I loved the ending, I think the author got that part of the book spot on, and though I struggled through most of this book, it wouldn't put me off reading another of Claire King's.
DeleteIt will be interesting to see what she comes up with next Jo :)
DeleteIt will. I think she has some good ideas.
DeleteOh, that's too bad that the book was so tedious to start - at least it did pick up and you enjoyed it by the end. It would have been doubly annoying had the tediousness lasted all the way through.
ReplyDeleteI had high hopes for this book as I'd enjoyed Claire King's first book so much. I did enjoy the end of the book so that's something, I suppose.
DeleteI think I'll take your advice and avoid this one. I don't like working too hard when reading, sadly, I put many books aside these days. Writers should engage, from start to finish.xxx
ReplyDeleteI read in bed before I go to sleep so I like books which are easy to read too. My brain is past it at that time of day.
DeleteI gave up on The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo as well, I think it was because of all the names and places i couldn't pronounce, lol. I'm still having trouble choosing books that really grab me lately, I don't know why that is, but I'm finding that i am less tolerant of bad writing and plots that are obviously predictable. Perhaps it's just the frame of mind i am in at the moment. I love to see what everyone else is reading though, although everyone likes different books it's good to get recommendations and reviews, whether they be positive or negative, we all take different messages from what we read, which is a good thing I think.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one who found The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo hard going. I love hearing what people are reading as I've had some really good recommendations. I sometimes read books I'd have never chosen myself based on a review.
DeleteI don't like to give up on a book either, but I wonder if that had an impact on my reading when I was in the book club and then on my reading in general. Well done for carrying on and good to hear the last bit was worth it!
ReplyDeleteLisa x
I find I don't particularly want to read when I'm not enjoying the book. I'm glad I carried on with this one though as I did enjoy the end.
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