Friday Reads 5.22.26

When Is It Okay To Quit Reading A Book?

Happy belated Friday! I’m having a well-deserved slow on-ramp this morning. I picked up a gf cinnamon scone from my favorite coffee shop yesterday, so enjoyed that with a nice cup of tea and read more of THE PIRATE QUEEN by Ariel Lawhon, which continues to be brilliant.

I DNF’d a book this week. Like, closed and sent it back to the library early DNF’d. I don’t do that often. Almost always, I recognize that when a book isn’t working for me, it’s just my headspace. I’m not ready, or in the mood. A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES is a perfect example. I just could not get into it. But one of my favorite friends told me it was incredible and I trust her reading taste, so I kept at it. On the third try, I gobbled it down and it remains one of my all-time favorites.

So for me to decide that this book wasn’t for me and not have any regrets that I’ll never know how it ends says a lot.

This is a major bestseller by a prolific writer with all the potential to be excellent. I’ve read other books by this author that I really enjoyed, so it stood out that this one is so very, very bad.

OMG I said that out loud, didn’t I?

I apologize to the muse, who obviously struck this author with their idea. And to the author, who I know belabored the story, spent time on it, and sent it out into the world with nothing but love, hoping the readers would either forgive the far fetched plot or find some sort of connection with the very unlikable main character.

I’ve read two book in the past few weeks with main characters who are weak. And honestly, I think that’s the kiss of death for a story. A total no no. It’s something I always keep in the back of my mind—is my character beset by bad fortune, or are they whining? Because if they’re whining, I have to rewrite them.

We authors all operate in much the same way—how can we make our characters lives harder? And when they hit bottom, harder still? We root for the lead to rise up like a phoenix from the ashes and get revenge, or solve the mystery, or land the romantic conquest, or lead the troops to battle.

When they are weak, despite multiple opportunities to become the strong, resilient person we resonate with and root for, it’s the death knell for a story.

The main character of the DNF book was weak. And there was no getting around that. I cheated and asked another reader who’d finished it how it ended and she told me, and I just shook my head. It should have worked and even could have had a huge payoff. But it was so far off base from the story that it just didn’t fly.

So weak character + far fetched plot + an unearned twist = DNF.

It was good timing for me, honestly, to make sure that all the moving parts of my new book are in order without any of these known issues.

On the book front, Taylor Jackson #2, 14, came out on Tuesday! It has been so much fun seeing these books find new readers. 14 is pretty dark, and has a scene I’d forgotten (purposefully blanked out?) I’d written, and when I came across it during the editing, I was both aghast and proud of myself. It was horrible, and I haven’t written that kind of darkness in a long time. It gives me permission to do whatever is necessary to this new book to get it where I need it to go.

Other new books on my TBR stack this week:

MURDER MOST DELICIOUS by Danielle Postal-Vinay, which comes out next week and is sure to delight all lovers of food, Paris, and mysteries. (I’m not outing her, this is the alter ego of the brilliant and delightful Danielle Trussoni.)

THE BALLAD OF FALLEN DRAGONS Sarah A. Parker—the sequel to her very intricate and amazing WHEN THE MOON HATCHED, which I might not start immediately because it feels like a beach book, a concentrated time and effort read to me.

INTO THE BLUE by Emma Brodie, which I’ve been seeing everywhere and looks super cool. A galactic love story and a Reese picks? Sign me up.

ZIGZAG GIRL by Ruth Setton, another very strong premise that I can’t wait to read.

THE YEAR OF NOTHING by Emma Gannon, which is getting bumped up because wow, wouldn’t that be amazing? Also, Julia Cameron of none other than THE ARTIST’S WAY (hellooooo morning pages) does the foreword.

And major congrats to Tori Eldridge on the release of her latest, HAWAI’I RAGE! If you haven’t read Tori before, her books are a lot of fun and bring a whole new perspective to the crime fiction scene.

Finally, because I get the giggles watching this and every time I think about it I start laughing, ROME SONG, one of the best SNL skits in a VERY long time…

OK, enough from me. How was your week? What wonderful books are you reading this weekend? And how do you decide when to DNF a book?