I can't read.

I think grad school has given me ADD. My mind can only handle so much and books just tire me out these days. In the past four months I've read the first a hundred pages of a half a dozen books, yet can't read anything through. At the rate I'm going I probably can't justify buying a book for my trip back to California and I'll have to choose something from my collection.

One sentence reviews of books I haven't finished: 

The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall-- I enjoyed it, but these days my mind can barely handle an episode of Sister Wives. 

One Day by David Nicholls-- I haven't seen the movie, but I read everything in Anne Hathaway's awful British accent, which obviously made it difficult to read. 

Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin-- I'll admit that chick lit has the ability to get me out of a reading rut, this one... not so much.

Between the Bridge and the River by Craig Ferguson-- I liked this and should probably try to finish it. 

Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahnuik-- ehhh, I didn't enjoy the beginning, but I liked the premise and might bring it for the plane. 

And books I'm hoping to get for Christmas (along with ADD medication)

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling-- Cause whats a better option for someone who fantasizes about becoming a comedy writer when grad school is too stressful.

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta-- Cause my favorite author is worth buying the hardcover for. 

I initially wanted The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides, but based on mixed reviews it might be worth waiting for paperback. 

Bad Books

I'm currently reading a book that is terrible. The writing is awful. This book falls under the chick lit umbrella, and I usually don't ask for anything other than a saccharine storyline.  The only reason I turn the page is that I hope one of the characters dies. I have no idea who the characters are and I doubt the author does either. The book is set in 1999 for some bizarre reason. I'm fairly positive that reason is the author has spent the last twelve years looking for a publisher.  It's funny because unlike a lot of the books I read, the amazon reviews were actually very positive.

Which brings me to my dilemma: I've given the book a fair shot. I've gotten about 50 pages in even though I knew by 12 pages in that this wasn't up to snuff. Do I keep reading it, or move onto one of the dozen other books I've picked up recently? I'm not stubborn enough to feel like I need to finish any book I start if it's clear it's not going to worth my time. Hell, sometimes I don't even finish books that I really enjoy.  But I usually have some interest in knowing how it ends. Normally there's a stack of books by my bed with a good premise, and good enough writing, but don't hold my attention. When something better comes along I dump whatever book I'm reading and reassess whether or not it's worth it later.

Are you someone who has to finish what they started or do you not waste your time on a less than stellar book? Are there any books that you definitely don't recommend?

And for the curious: I do not recommend Attachments by Rainbow Rowell.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen

I've noticed that the majority of my favorite writers are men and many of them use male protagonists and it's starting to feel a little unbalanced to me. It worries me that there seems to be no place for women in contemporary fiction. So often women writers (and characters) are limited to chick lit novels with the same basic character rather than taken seriously and it leaves me asking where all of the women are. I've tried to make it a point to read more books by talented lady writers that have realistic female characters.

I was browsing the books at Goodwill last week when I came across Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home by Rhoda Janzen. I recalled seeing it reviewed in a couple of magazines, but it seemed like a memoir with a chick lit bent and I wasn't all that interested. Then I saw a blurb on the back by Kate Christensen, my favorite female writer, and knew it was probably a little deeper than I gave it credit for.

The memoir follows Rhoda's trip home to the Mennonite community in Central California after her rocky marriage ends (with the help of Bob from gay.com). She had just been injured in a car crash and decided that spending her sabbatical at home is preferable over spending it alone in the midwest. From reading the amazon reviews it seems like a lot of people were disappointed because they were expecting something else (or found the vocabulary to be a little much), so let me be clear, to me this book is about coming home and coming to terms with yourself when who you are isn't who you expected to be. I've made the choice in my life to have my career be the priority at the moment and she's somebody who made the same choice and can be honest about the joys and struggles it has brought her. It was about being single after putting a lot of work into sustaining a marriage and straddling the the line between being culturally religious and religious religious.  The book is humorous in the way that life is humorous. Her mom is downright hilarious, but Rhoda doesn't try to sugar coat the crap she's going through.

Ms. Janzen is an incredibly talented writer. She's a professor of english and creative writing and clearly writes at a level far superior to what I'm used to seeing, which honestly makes it a little difficult for her to connect to the audience. That said, she writes so beautifully and honestly that I found myself constantly sneaking off to read more. I feel like memoirs are a little self serving for the author. They're written to force the writer to learn something about themselves and look for lessons in their struggles. As an added benefit the reader get's to partake in their wisdom. After reading this book I feel like I should be cherishing the time I'm spending with my family more and feel like I have a model of a strong, intelligent woman to look up to.

Any recommendations for lady authors (or protagonists) that I should keep my eyes out for?