I decided to branch out and try some new mystery writers with limited success. Anne Cleeves "Raven Black" sounded uber-good as my fave black birds are involved, but halfway through I still hadn't developed a sincere interest in the characters. I've tried Joe Hill (Stephen King's son) and found his writing to be full of gratuitous expletives and sexual references, like the worst writing of his father's. I did like the Lost City of Z by David Grann, which was recommended to me by a friend with similar reading interests. But this same friend also recommended Shirley Jackson, whose mysteries I haven't delved into yet, and a long book by Sarah Waters called The Paying Guests. Neither of these has turned out to be mystery books, but the writing, at least, is good quality.
I've expanded my resources for finding audiobooks, too. Audible has been the most reliable, easiest place t obtain books, and I've subscribed forever for two books a month. Then I have a scribd.com account, which until very recently allowed for unlimited audiobook downlaods. Now they are putting a cap on it of one or two from the most popular collections a month, but they have a huge backlog of unlimited titles to choose, too. Thanks to a persistent recommendation from a friend I also got a Boston Public Library e-card which allows for two week free rentals of a huge audio library. With all these resources, one would think I'd have no trouble finding material!
Nope. I get discouraged when I listen to a few hours of a book and end up not caring what happens to the characters. Like I let them down and they know I don't care, or something. Like I am disrespecting the writer/reader process. Where's my loyalty to reading? How can I just abandon characters like this? What am I actually looking for? Is it me -- has my ability to sustain attention left my aging brain? Am I commitment phobic? I know the expression "Life is too short to read bad books," but I do develop angst in leaving so many writers' precious works somewhere on my audiobook cutting room floor.
Thankfully the new Inspector Lynley book is out in October, and there is a new Val McDermid one on the way, too. In the meantime, I have to buck up and hit the delete key without guilt, and keep trying to find an engaging title. Life IS to short to hear bad books.
What will you make (or listen to) today?