Long Black Veil Failed to Grab Me

I usually stick with a book even if it doesn't grab me. This year, however, I made a reading resolution to put the book down if it didn't hook me by the halfway point. Unfortunately the first book to not make the cut for me was the acclaimed novel, Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney Boylan.

It sounded like a book I would enjoy. However it never really turned it to what I thought it would be. I was hoping for a thriller but it just ended up being an overly pretentious yawn-fest. Skip it.

A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing isn't for Everyone, But Give it a Shot for More Ambitious Summer Reading

This book. What can I say about this book (A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride) ? I WANTED to like it. The reviews and the stellar ratings and ravings made me certain that it would fall in line with the kind of literature that I devour like ice cream on a hot day.

A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride. 

But, in keeping with the whole summer ice cream analogy, it melted before I could really appreciate what it had to offer. I just couldn't get into it. I tried. I gave it several attempts but I just couldn't stick it out. Which is unfortunate because I am not usually a book quitter.

I'm all for experimental style writing and stream of consciousness story-telling. I thought this book would be a more substantial summer read for me, but I had to abandon it. Even though it didn't work for me, I wouldn't rule it out. It won a slew of book prizes, so clearly I may be the one not getting this book. In the meantime, I'm putting it on my "to read again" shelf for another day. Maybe Winter is a better suited season for me to indulge in this one.

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

Ruby Paints a Bleak Yet Redemptive Love Story

Ruby by Cynthia Bond is as unconventional as a love story comes. Though Bond manages to flourish every page with her beautiful writing and the reader can easily loose themselves in it. Imagine the African-American town of Liberty in Texas in the 1950s and all the societal upheavals and discord. It's the story of Ruby and Ephram, two childhood acquaintances who grow up against different backdrops and have different experiences, but come together again despite the town and Epham's sister's disapproval.

It's a multilayered story: first of Ephram branching out from the protective wings of his sister (whom he refers to as Mamma) and becoming a man on his own terms, then Ruby reclaiming her own life and identity after a life of trauma and a dark past. The two characters manage to grow separately and ultimately together under the veil of dark magic, nosy neighbors and a town not yet ready to see them as anything other than who they used to be.

Ruby by Cynthia Bond

Don't be turned off by the Oprah's Book Club sticker on the front of this one. While it does have all the fixings of the quintessential Oprah's Book Club pick, it is also a book you don't want to miss out on.

I should mention that this book is not pleasant in a lot of subject matter. It touches on a dark part of history that has it's roots planted in racism and misogyny. Consider this the warning I didn't get, before picking up this book. However, don't let it deter you from reading the tale of Ruby and Ephram.

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.