When I go to pick up a book to read, I keep just glancing over this one. Read the first chapter and don’t feel any pull to continue at the moment 

Rating: DNF (for now - couldn’t be THAT person at the library and hold up the line of people waiting on it)

I’m calling this a soft DNF. 

Why? I didn’t even finish chapter 2. 

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately and really nothing has made me want to pick up any of my current reads. 

What I was able to read of Intermezzo before I had to return it to give the next person a chance was okay. 

Unlike the other Rooney books I’ve tried, the lack of quotation marks didn’t bother me this time. I actually was liking Rooney’s writing of the small bit I did read.

However…the small portion I did read gave me two male main characters with the personality of old cardboard and nothing to be desired. Also, Rooney uses one of my least favorite things in a book: unnecessarily long chapters. 

Unlike her other books, I can see myself picking Intermezzo back up when I get a chance to see if I want to finish it. For now I’m not chomping at the bit to pick it back up anytime soon. 

I didn’t hate the portion I read before having to return it to the library, but also nothing grabbed me to make me want to finish it before returning it to the library. 

And that’s why this is my unofficial Intmermezzo review. Reading to be continued…maybe?

I’m really disappointed because this was one of my most anticipated reads of fall. 

I really could not get settled into this one. Usually by chapter three I have an idea of what the pace is going to be and have a good understanding of where the author is going.

Chapter 1 left us off in a good spot following Marta at work, but then all of a sudden we’re in 1943 following Marta’s great aunt that we haven’t even got the chance to meet yet. Then there’s a very abrupt time jump within the chapter that made zero sense. I reread it four times and I still did not get it. 

We aren’t formally introduced to Nena until chapter 3, but I think even if chapters 2 and 3 were switched, it wouldn’t be good either. 

There needed to be better character introduction and building before abrupt time jumps. 

This felt like a basic white woman’s guide to feminism a la early 2010s. 

It really lost me with when she started giving her examples of internal misogyny.

I felt like a lot of this was ‘well obviously’ 

I don’t even know who the audience for this one is? 

Seaside tea shop with sides of body shaming and diet culture 😒

This has to be both the messiest and most dull cozy mystery I’ve ever tried reading 

Thanks to Algonquin for the ARC of this one. 

I made it 19% into this one and the nail in the coffin was the main character describing the mechanics of urinating into a cup in his car, in public. Like he couldn’t have just driven to somewhere down the road with a bathroom. 

This also wasn’t funny. I’m not saying I’m an American that doesn’t get UK humor, I’m saying that this humor is so early 2000s. 

I’m American so I’m unfamiliar with the Austin or and his comedy, but I found it outdated and lackluster. 

Just not a fan of insta love turned into mystery turned to mechanics of urinating in a cup. 

I didn’t make it far at all because third person present tense is my least favorite POV to read. 

I really have a feeling that this was written and released in hopes it’s picked up and becomes a script 

While this book is very unsettling, there no gripping plot component to keep me hooked. I tried this one on audio thanks the Libro.fm ALC program and thought that since it’s just over five hours long, it would be a super quick listen at 2.5x speed. 

I got through the first 25% on a morning walk, but ever since then when I go to get back into the book I don’t feel drawn in 

Death by coffee or death by misogynistic writing?

DNF, made it two chapters.