For some months now, I’ve felt like a real reviewer in that books arrive almost, almost every day. And with that extraordinary bounty, you’d think I would never run out of books to read, never complain about not having something to read and I would never ever want to reread a book.

I know there are people who don’t get rereading. On the other hand, I don’t get living in a house without lots of books. Sure, many of the books here are ones bought with the idea that “I’ll read that some day” or “I should read that” (oh the worst). But most of the books at least on my shelves (Stu and I have separate shelves for books as we have separate interests and that’s just how it’s been over the years) are books I kept after reading them.

I do feel obligated to, as I’ve said, at least try what I’m sent. I admit that there are books I roll my eyes at and never even open, but those are few. I no longer try MC Beaton; I tried one or two and they were so TWEE for me that I simply never bothered. I admit to skipping many or even most of the "amateur sleuth" trendies - the "craft" mysteries and the "feisty grandma" mysteries" (yes) and much of the alleged "chick lit" (I've pretty much decided that any time the protagonist goes on about shoes with names attached to them - not Doc Marten or Payless, but Jimmy Choo or those hideous torture devices by Manolo Blahnik or anything that appears to have been written into the the script of "Sex in the City" I'm gone.) I do not and never will imagine myself solving a mystery, so it's not especially appealing to me to read about "everyday women" (and yeah it's all women) who have joblets or hobbies or avocations and they solve crimes. I think that's a big reason these books appeal - but not to moi.

And I’m getting SO tired of the fantasy trilogy doorstops that while I feel guilty, I’m so sure I will not last through the book that I don’t start it. After all, if the purpose is to review the thing, and I can’t finish all 580 pages, it’s a waste of time – I won’t review something I don’t/can’t finish. So when do I find time to reread with all the stuff that comes in? Well, walk with me through the most recent piles of books.

A recent doorstop arrived, being “volume one in the annals” of a series (and under 350 pages). (I forget the other one, swear I had but I went to the publishers web page to check. GREAT. There has been nothing posted there since JUNE of 2005. Tells you something about what matters there, dunnit? It beats the 848 doorstop I got a few weeks ago which was apparently at least part 2 of a “saga” the very thought of which brings on a head owie.

There was the “eighth book in the series” by an author I will not, can not read.

Another was a hardcover of a book I got in ARC that got me close to physically ill. I’m not joking. Very little affects me that strongly but there was a theme in this sf/fantasy thing that – well, apparently I am the only person on the planet to think so but it smacked so strongly of Nazi obscenity during the holocaust, or at least brought it to mind so strongly that I wanted to wash my goddam hands after handling the thing. How's that for "I don't think this book will work for me"?

The stack of seven that arrived the other day. One was described as a “faith-based mystery” and went immediately to my sister once she expressed interest. I put the other six aside to try, some by authors I know and like, some new. Two were thrillers and I’m still trying to try to like thrillers. Both because my friends write them and because they’re a big part of the genre I love.

Oh well. One had as its theme a story so repellent, someone doing something so disgusting (and no, not a serial torture/killer book, though that's in that column as well) that I stopped the second I realized what was going on; and I admit to paging ahead because the book wasn’t working for me. When I realized what was going to happen, that was it.

Another was a political thriller that I had some hope for but there was so much going on that I had to quit. I don’t like books where there are seven subplots, and political thrillers as I’ve said before, don’t tend to work for me. They either scare me or I find them implausible. There were parts of this book I liked but too often I didn’t like the people, didn’t want to know, didn’t care.

Oh my. There was the book by someone who I recently realized I liked after he published several books but the story was dreadful to me; while I tended to agree with the author about “those people” it was too heavy handed, “those people” were simply caricatures and stupid and the story too ugly. There goes THAT review.

The book by the person whose work I know I like – it looks like it’s going to be too thrillery for me to appreciate; a foreign country, a kidnapping, drugs and feds. Another by another writer I like? About a tough time in history that is sad and I’m not sure I can read it right now (see previous blog post about what a sucky month it’s been.)

In desperation last night, I pulled out one of the “got it last week” stack; maybe I’m being hyper sensitive but one of the major sub plots (as with one of the earlier books mentioned) is a disastrous marriage where two people are miserable. I’m sorry but jesus, then GET OUT. And if they can’t, well, do you like reading about two people who really dislike each other and won’t leave? For me its like reading about whining children or annoying “why aren’t you married?” mothers. I don’t relate, I don’t get it and I don’t want to be there.

So what am I reading? I’m not sure right now; I’m clearly in a pissy mood, one more suited for computer games and crosswords until the smoke clears.

So if you ever think that reviewers must always be in heaven, because they always have something new to read, think of me.