You think as a huge Potterhead/JK Rowling fan, that I would be excited as heck over the next that the fourth Coroman Strike book, Lethal White, is coming out in exactly one month's time. You would think that I would have preordered it and be trying to find clues and titbits over what this book is about and how it continues after the events of Career of Evil.
You would think that, right?
Expect… well… I have no plans to preorder or read Lethal White. And you know what? I’m actually at peace with my decision.
Ok, let’s backtrack and explain why. I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I grew up reading this series, finding my voice and shaping my opinion with this series. I reread the books, watched the films, discover podcasts that talk about this series in cool and unique ways, I read Casual Vacancy and enjoyed it hugely (I really should reread it one day). I read then watched Cursed Child (even though I had reservations on this - I still have reservations and gripes with it).
So, of course, when the news broke that JK Rowling had written a crime novel under the pen name of Robert Galbraith, I bought it and read it. Now, I do read crime but am not that well-read within the genre so when I was reading it, I was in the middle of it. It was a good story and I liked the mystery, the twists, the turns, but I struggled. I struggled to read it. I got to the end and went “Ok, maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s because I’m not that well read in crime. Maybe I’m not use to this voice JK is using. I will try with the sequel and see where I go from there.”
So, when the second book in the series, The Silkworm, was announced, I got excited and preordered. And once again, when I got my copy, I started reading it. And I thought I would be ok - this is set in the world of publishing and as a book blogger, I have seen a fraction behind the curtain. But again, I struggled to read this. I wasn’t connecting with the story or the characters in the way I hoped for. Both books had potential in them for me to like the series, but I wasn’t clicking with them.
When book three, Career of Evil, was announced, I preordered the book but said that this was my “make of break book”. Normally, I wouldn’t have got this far with this rule. I would have quit a series much sooner, but I thought I should really try with this.
I got my copy of Career of Evil… and for probably over a year, it sat on my To Be Read shelf. I kept pushing it off, saying I wasn’t ready to read it or I wasn’t in the mood to read crime. I kept putting it off and, in the end, I got rid of my copy when I came to realisation that I didn’t want to read this book. I struggled to read the first two books in the series, what would make the third book in the series easier to read?
When I gave away my copy of Career of Evil, I felt happy with myself. Even a little relieved. I wasn’t going to pressure myself into enjoying this book, plus it meant I had time to discover new books and authors that I was going to enjoy. I’m still trying to discover new authors and books now!
And now, Lethal White is about to come out and I’m ok in not reading this. I’m not going to badmouth anyone who reads and enjoy this series - I’m glad you guys have found a series you enjoy reading. But this series and I just didn’t work with each other, like so many other book series. Some books and series I will read and go “I need to sequel AT ONCE!” and others, from the same author, I will go “You know… I don’t click with it”.
And it’s ok to go “I’m not enjoying this” or “This isn’t working”. It’s ok to put a book/TV show/film/etc down and walk away from it if you’re not enjoying it. It’s ok for you not to like something while other people do.
I’m ok with not reading Lethal White, but I hope the people who do enjoy the crazy ride that book is going to give them!
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