Bel Canto Review and Re-Reading Tully

Last Sunday, I finished Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett, my April read for the TBR Challenge. For two months in a row, my TBR Challenge books had to do with people being held hostage. I'm not sure what that was about... I must have been feeling hostage (maybe to the baby?) when I set my book list. hehe.

Let me warn you there may be spoilers in the following paragraph. I won't give away details, but I may hint at what happens in a way that could be considered spoilers.

Bel Canto was a very well-written book, and I think that I did like the book. It was slow, very slow, but that was done on purpose to really make it more of a character study than an action book about a hostage situation. The characters were interesting and even believable, given the situation. But (you knew there would be a but, didn't you?) there was a lot of build up, a whole book of build up, and then BAMB! it was over. And even though there was an epilogue, there really wasn't any wrap up or closure. It was almost like a Twilight Zone ending that left me going "Huh? Really?" I can see what she was trying to do with the epilogue, but I don't think she explained it well which was just disappointing.

Now, I'm re-reading a book called Tully, by Paulline Simons, which was my favorite when I was 17 or 18, around there somewhere. I loved this book deeply. I recently thought of the book and thought that I would like to read it from my current perspective, with the life experience that I have gained in the over 10 years since I've read the book. Now that I'm re-reading it, I still think it's a fabulous book, but OH MY GOODNESS! Is it ever depressing! I've already been through a few weeping spells, and I'm only on page 173. What was up with me when I was younger? Was I that melancholy, that dark? I guess I was. I suffered from the SAD since my early teens (maybe earlier), but it was undiagnosed. So I guess this book spoke to the darkness inside of me that I was struggling with.

Now, my favorite books are usually romance novels, which may have some trouble in them but I am guaranteed a happy ending, sweet romance and the story of falling in love. These are much better for me to read emotionally and for my relationship with my hubby. I've noticed that most of my books on my TBR Challenge are dramas, dark or deep in one way or another. The guideline for the TBR Challenge was that you had to put books on your list which have been sitting around waiting for you to read for over 6 months. So these dramas, these deep books I buy or receive because they sound very interesting, but I end up reading the lighter, happier books. I will work on trying for a better balance throughout the year from now on.

There's the update on my reading. Don't say I don't keep you up to date on it!