Most Disappointing Books of 2017

Unfortunately, we, readers, not always enjoy the books we decide to pick up. Irrespective of how much research we do on a book, our expectations may end up not being met. In 2016, the year I started blogging, I read two books that disappointed me, although I didn’t completely dislike them. They were just tolerable reads I was expecting to like much more than I actually did. This year, however, I can surely say I didn’t like three of the books that I read.

 

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

The main character in this novel, Jim Hawkins, unknowingly joins a group of pirates in search of Captain Flint’s hidden treasure. I was hoping for a thrilling adventure, but instead I got a joyless bland story, which I, nevertheless, managed to read until the end.

 

Homens Imprudentemente Poéticos by Valter Hugo Mãe

After liking A Desumanização by the Portuguese author Valter Hugo Mãe, I was expecting to also enjoy this novel about two Japanese neighbours, Itaro and Saburo, who are in open conflict. But my expectations were completely misplaced. The plot didn’t appeal to me at all and the writing style completely overpowered the story. Its pretentiousness even irked me in some instances.

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Book Unhaul

My shelves are, at the moment, jam-packed with books, and I’m having trouble finding space to store the last ones that I bought. They are just dangerously piled on top of my other unread books. In order to mitigate that problem, I decided to take from my shelves some of the books that I’m sure I won’t be reading ever again.

Currently, I still keep on my shelves the majority of the books I read when I was a teenager. But I’ve now decided to donate the majority of them to my local library. I’ll just keep a few of those I loved the most. Those that I won’t keep any longer are by four Portuguese authors, two of them being co-authors:

 

Maria Teresa Maia Gonzalez

Estrela à Chuva

A Viagem do Bruno

Parabéns, Rita!

Poeta (às vezes)

Dietas e Borbulhas

‘Treasure Island’ by Robert Louis Stevenson

My rating: 2 stars

When I decided to read Treasure Island, I was expecting a story full of electrifying adventures, remarkable pirates and a compelling plot. Unfortunately, none of these things awaited me in the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. I felt bored while reading and had to force myself to finish it, hoping for a pinch of a thrilling sensation that never came. This is a story about how far men can go in search of a treasure but with no excitement whatsoever.

We are introduced to the story by Jim Hawkins, whose father is the owner of an inn. One of their clients is a sea captain, later revealed to be Flint, who has an unhealthy passion for rum. One day, after receiving the visit of a mysterious blind beggar, he collapses and dies. This is the second death in a short period of time, since Jim’s father, who was ill, had died some days before.

Afterwards, Jim and his mother open the captain’s truck and take some money by way of payment for his stay at the inn and an oilskin packet. As they hear a group of people approaching, they leave the inn in fear. The uninvited visitors are searching for something that was in the captain’s possession: the oilskin packet that conceals the location of a treasure. Jim then goes looking for Dr Livesey and they decide to sail and fetch Captain Flint’s hidden treasure. They manage to acquire a ship and gather a crew. But on board is John Silver, working as a cook, accompanied by other pirates.

Book Haul – January 2017

New year, new books. Well, at least they are new to my shelves. At the beginning of this month, I bought a few books that I have either been wanting to read for a while or that I have discovered more recently. During this year, I will try to read both the books that I’ve just bought and the ones that I already owned before buying new ones. However, I have a feeling that that won’t happen and that I won’t resist the temptation of buying more books.

These are the books I bought this month:

 

The Muse by Jessie Burton

I loved Jessie Burton’s debut novel, The Miniaturist, and ever since The Muse was released I have been wanting to read it. However, as I much prefer paperbacks, I patiently waited until now. I plan to read it pretty soon to know everything about a lost masterpiece and the connection between the characters from two time periods – 1967 and 1936.