Books You've Thrown Away

[Beyle]

Amy Sohn's journalistic efforts drive me insane. Who thought it was a good idea to give this gal her first writing job?

Who saw exceptional talent in her writing? I'm befuddled. Truly.

[Deleted]

The only books I've never been able to finish are these:

A. James Michener's Alaska, which I tried to finish for about 5 years straight
and
B. This book I got from the library called How To Cook a Tart. I thought it would be silly chick lit, but it apparently ended in cannibalism. Ew.

[Deleted]

larisa said:

The only books I've never been able to finish are these:
B. This book I got from the library called How To Cook a Tart. I thought it would be silly chick lit, but it apparently ended in cannibalism. Ew.

I read that. It sucked. (I donated it to our local library.)

[Sunnyhorse]

It pains me to say it, but I'm on the verge of chucking Paul Theroux's "The Kingdom by the Sea" -- the trip is unpleasant, Theroux is unpleasant, and the people he bitches incessantly about are unpleasant, too.

[Deleted]

spordelia said:

larisa said:

The only books I've never been able to finish are these:
B. This book I got from the library called How To Cook a Tart. I thought it would be silly chick lit, but it apparently ended in cannibalism. Ew.

I read that. It sucked. (I donated it to our local library.)

Aha! So that's how it ended up there.
But seriously, if any of you come across this, DO NOT READ IT. It is awful.

[sammybee]

larisa said:

spordelia said:

I read that. It sucked. (I donated it to our local library.)

Aha! So that's how it ended up there.
But seriously, if any of you come across this, DO NOT READ IT. It is awful.

While I believe this book is awful, I'm intrigued. A book containing cannibalism that masquerades as chick lit? I must know more. Who wrote this masterpiece?

[iceblink]

sunnyhorse said:

It pains me to say it, but I'm on the verge of chucking Paul Theroux's "The Kingdom by the Sea" -- the trip is unpleasant, Theroux is unpleasant, and the people he bitches incessantly about are unpleasant, too.

I've read that and a couple of other travelogues by Theroux and my god, but you're right. How someone can turn such great chances for travel into such incessant whining is mindboggling. Unless, of course, you're just a jerk like Paul Theroux.
Not that he doesn't have some valid points but I like to read travel literature for escapism, y'know?

[Deleted]

sammybee said:

larisa said:

Aha! So that's how it ended up there.
But seriously, if any of you come across this, DO NOT READ IT. It is awful.

While I believe this book is awful, I'm intrigued. A book containing cannibalism that masquerades as chick lit? I must know more. Who wrote this masterpiece?

Nina Killham, who writes about food for the Washington Post.

[Deleted]

I tried reading it once, but never got far enough to reach the cannibalism part. Yeah, even just the first chapter was too bad to finish.

[Margo]

I picked up my roommate's If I'm So Wonderful, Why Am I Still Single?: Ten Strategies That Will Change Your Love Life Forever that was on the kitchen table and read it while eating something. I hated it with an incredible intensity. And even though the author made a point in the preface to say that this book is targeted at "involuntary singles" and being single because you want to be is wonderful and all, the book's content itself made me think that remark was made just to be politically correct and she really thinks that being single is a problem you must work on until you fix it.

Here are some choice quotes:
1. In the introduction the author talks about how she met her husband. Her friend had a cousin coming in from out of town and wanted the author to meet him, but the author had already made other plans for that evening.

"Cancel your plans!" Roseann told me. I don't know when I'm going to see him again, and I really want you to meet him. Where are your priorities?"
I knew she was right.

This sounds like something a Victorian mother would say to her daughter.

2.

Mother Teresa commented that the United States was the most loveless country she ever visited.

I have my own opinion on Mother Teresa, and referring to her in the first sentence of your book makes me hate your book from the very first sentence.

3. The author goes on and on about how values we focus on to be successful at work are different from the ones you need to be successful in intimate relationships, and implicitly criticizes making your career your first priority. I hate her for that.

4. She talks a lot about ambivalence. She says that an ambivalent person is someone who thinks

"I want a relationship, but equally or more important to me is
not having to take risks
progressing in my career
hanging on to my great lifestyle
avoiding pain
keeping my secrets to myself
proving I'm right that the opposite sex is the problem.
The ambivalent person is one who wants a relationship but who values something else equally -- or more. The competing value will demand allegiance and will surreptitiously sabotage anything that stands in its way -- like love.

This one in particular makes me want to let my inner sadist get at the author. First of all, in the introduction she breaks up single people into those who purposely stay single because they enjoy the lifestyle, and those who want a relationship ("involuntary singles"). Well, how about the huge third category of people who like the single lifestyle but aren't opposed to relationships? People who have close, intimate connections in their great circle of friends and don't think, like the author does, that the only person you can have that sort of connection with is someone you're in a relationship with?
And then, except for the low blow she takes with the last point on her ambivalence list, I definitely agree with all of them. I love my career, my lifestyle, pain needs to be avoided, and I will take my secrets to the grave with me. I definitely got my priorities on backwards.

I will stop before I write a 10-page essay, but I have read lots of self-help books, several about relationships and ways to create a great one for yourself, and not a single one of them had infuriated me like this one had.