The DNF Diaries: Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop

Amazon Affiliate Link

Saturday 4/2/2022 9:53am. Just finished the first 50 pages of Anne Bishop's Daughter of the Blood. "Okay" so far. Lots of hell and Satan and demon talk. Though expressed in a seemingly analog way ("demon" to "daemon") and such. Either way, the references of those topics used to surround and build the characters/setting of this book are driving and present. Honestly, I hope there is a broader world to explore than this bleak atmosphere seen in these first 50 pages. It doesn't feel encouraging. Or, at least, I'm not 100% willing to sit in this book's atmosphere for very long. Though a memory point I must make is how a friend of mine bought this book for me ten years ago as a birthday present. She was sure I would love it–just as she had. Here we are ten years later, and I believe I'm running into the same issue I had back then; the atmosphere is slightly putting me off. I will say, having read The Wheel of Time, I think I am a stronger reader and just might be able to glean past my feelings to encounter whatever jewel the book has to offer to keep me invested. So, I'll have to read more to find it.

10:17pm the same day. I’ve decided to DNF the book. It was fairly interesting; a young girl with the power to use crystals to a variety of degrees and how interested "Satan" became in protecting her to protect his kingdom in the intern. Classic stuff about a young girl with untapped powers being the beacon of hope to a dark kingdom–with a prophecy intact. That whole deal and something to that effect. Nevertheless, what threw me off was when a character popped up named Surreal. The book had me going until her chapter came about 65 pages in. She was looking for something, I believe perfume. I instantly was over this character and her role as the comedic relief (so I sensed). And because I am in the cleaning shelves of books in unread mode (with a touch of a book ban until I get many of them down), I decided to let this one go. The gravity to keep reading just wasn’t there. And this Surreal character basically tripped the wire.

That’s how sensitive I am right now. I've got to either read or get rid of books that are been hanging around too long and unread.

The DNF Dairies: Survival by Julie E. Czerneda

Taken from my new journaling about books…

I’m doing some whacking this year. Whacking books. Don't work: It's out. Work: You stay. Slowly trying to keep from buying too many books. To, instead, read what I've already accumulated all these years. We'll see how that goes, considering Sara Paretsky’s new V.I. Warhsawki book comes out in May (thus, I am giving myself until then to NOT purchase a book). Nonetheless, regardless of which direction matters go, I will continue to use my journal to write down my hits and misses with books as I comb through my shelves trying to experience and relive myself of longstanding dust collectors. With that out of the way, here is what happened with my attempt to finally read Julie E. Czerneda’s Survival.

“Friday 4/1/2022 4:59pm. I tried to–and managed–50 pages of Julie E. Czerneda’s book Survival. Calling it quits. The main character is a doctor/biologist/instructor, but she acts like a child. She pushed a man into the water in a tantrum moment, not knowing whether he could swim or not. Remember, she is a biologist. While on the "phone" she stuck her tongue out at a friend who was presenting her with an outfit to wear for a dinner meeting. Something about grown characters sticking their tongues out like children really irk me to my soul. I always ask myself why the author purposely does things like this? Was there not a mature way to deliver an expression of rejection? Adjacent to this behavior, I did not like the main character's friend. She was love crazy and just too desperate to be designed as a friend character. Either way, the final draw was the mention of "Pizza Tuesday." Like, I can't! Plus, I can't grasp the make-up of this world. It's a blend of biology and science fiction, but it doesn't "bloom" to me. I didn't find much worth hanging on past the 50 pages I managed, as there was little interest to keep me going. I wish the author led with the overall conflict, instead of skirting around it for 50 pages. The characters just weren't selling me. And, considering I’m in the purging mood, I feel fine in letting it go. I tried another book by this author, and it didn't work. I have one other by here. If that fails, we're calling her work quits."

Well, well, well. The 1st J.D. Robb book of 2023 is...

 Taken from FantasticFiction website...

#MarchMysteryMadness: Last Call

 

CHOP IT UP: Devices and Desires by P. J. James

 

No More Goodreads, Homie (Leaving Goodreads)

 

#MarchMysteryMadness: Current Reading Attempts (Late Upload)