Notes from the Shelf

As I’ve gotten older, I find it more beneficial for me to stop reading a book that I’m not really feeling. Perhaps it’s the wrong time to read it, and I’ll pick it up later to read anew, but I no longer push myself to get through books that don’t pull me in. There’s already not enough time in the world to read all the amazing books out there, so I’m no longer forcing myself to spend time on reading books that don’t seem worthwhile for me.

Below are five books I’ve DNF’d and why. Perhaps one day I will pick them back up, but for now they remain on the DNF list.

1. The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro is a 258-page historical fiction set in 1956 and is about Stevens, a long-serving butler at Darlington Hall. He decides to take aa motoring trip, and the six-day excursion becomes a journey into the past as Stevens reminisces about England and the unrealized love between him and the housekeeper.

I really wanted to finish this one, I was probably a little over halfway done, but it’s so slow and monotonous. Honestly one of the most boring books I’ve ever read, and based on what I’ve heard about the book, I don’t think it gets easier to read in the second half.

2. Fourteen Days

Fourteen Days is a 363-page contemporary fiction. Each character is written by a different, major literary voice-from Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston to Tommy Orange and Celeste Ng. Set in a Lower East Side tenement in the early days of the Covid lockdown, tenants begin to gather on the rooftop and tell stories. With each passing night, more neighbors gather, and gradually, the tenants—some of whom have barely spoken to each other—become real neighbors.

Once again, I read about half of this book. I was intrigued by the characters’ lives and what they were and weren’t sharing with their neighbors during Covid, but maybe it’s still a little too soon for me to read a book that’s set during the start of Covid.

3. Nanny to the Mafia

Nanny to the Mafia by Sophia Raz is a 388-page dark mafia romance. Antonio just wanted a nanny to watch over his daughter, until she walked in and sparked a need in him. Divya just needed a steady job and didn’t realize he would disrupt her whole world.

This is a typical dark romance with maybe not a lot of plot. Although I didn’t get very far into it before I lost interest, so maybe there is plot to it. I just didn’t care enough to find out. I used to read more books like this, but I guess I just don’t find them as appealing anymore.

4. The Wedding People

The Wedding People by Alison Espach is a 384-page contemporary fiction. Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, wearing a green dress and gold heels, no bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken as one of the “wedding people” but she is the only guest at Cornwall who isn’t here for the wedding. She’s here for one last decadent splurge on herself before she ends it all. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every single detail of the weekend except for Phoebe’s plan, and she does what she can to convince Phoebe that life is still worth living.

I read about two thirds of the book, and I do actually plan on finishing it eventually! But the tone of the book just wasn’t what I was expecting. Also, I thought there would be more struggle with her thinking of committing suicide. That was resolved fairly quickly where she realizes she doesn’t actually want to die, so the rest of the book didn’t seem like it had much tension left. It was just her figuring out how to proceed with her life now that her cat is dead and she’s divorced. It’s much slower paced than I was expecting, too.

5. We Unleash the Merciless Storm

We Unleash the Merciless Storm by Tehlor Kay Mejia is a 400-page YA fantasy book. Carmen Santos is force to choose between the girl she loves and the success of the rebellion she’s devoted her whole life to. The resistance group La Voz fights for freedom and liberty, sacrificing what little they have to become defenders of the cause. Carmen is one of La Voz’s best soldiers. She’s spent years undercover, but now that her identity is exposed, she returns to La Voz’s headquarters. There she sees her beloved leader is under the influence of an aggressive new recruit and finds out her true love is the target of an assassination plot. Carmen must decide to save the girl who stole her heart or fully embrace the ruthless rebel she was always meant to be.

This is the second in a series, and I really wanted to continue reading the series, but it became a lot more political than I was expecting. Also, you find out the love interest was a rebel all along and maybe just using the main female character, so it was a little sad. And even with the political intrigue and betrayal, it just wasn’t keeping my attention. I’ve fallen out of reading YA recently, but maybe I’ll be in the mood for YA again later and pick it back up to at least finish the series, but for now, it’s on my DNF list.

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