Teaser Tuesdays and a DNF book

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.


• Let the book fall open to a random page.


• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• 
  
  Please avoid spoilers!

I don't think I've ever posted a free verse format in my Teaser Tuesdays post before. No, scratch that, I don't even think I've ever read a book that was written in a free verse format, but there is always a first, isn't it?

~*~*~*~*~*

I have never been to
Japan alone
never traveled anywhere alone
except sleepovers
and overnight camp
for a week in Vermont

on the plane
flight attendants chat with me
unaccompanied minor
praise my language abilities
assume it's a
happy occasion
my returning
to the village of my mother's childhood
for the summer

but they don't know
what I know, Ruth -
that it's all
because of you (Pg 14, Orchards by Holly Thompson)

---

I'd heard so many good things about Frank Delaney's Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show that when I was asked by a publicist if I was interested to read the sequel, The Matchmaker of Kenmare, I didn't hesitate. Unfortunately, after two weeks later of reading the book (and having only read one-quarter of it), I've to say I'm giving up this book for good. There is no doubt that Frank Delaney's prose is lyrical and beautiful, but I find the story is progressing slowly and though the plot seems interesting, it didn't manage to capture my attention into reading more.

Narrated by Ben McCarthy (he's the main character from Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show) with a World War II setting, Ben related his tale of his life traveling around Ireland as a collector for the Irish Folklore Commission as he grieves for his wife, Venetia, after she has disappeared ten years earlier. During the journey, he met Kate Begley who is known as the Matchmaker of Kenmare. They became friends quickly, and at some point they are attracted to each other too but Kate ended up with a striking American military intelligence officer named Charles Miller. I think it was from that point onwards that I've began to lose interest in the story; I also mentioned earlier that the pace is slow and it seems the story isn't going anywhere whereas I was expecting something interesting or exciting to happen (perhaps it did, but I had already lost my interest before I get to it).

And on top of this, I have yet to read Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show so I think I might have missed something which may be of related to this book. Nonetheless, I was disappointed with the overall experience because I had wanted to like this book but I didn't. That said, don't let this post deter you from reading this book as I've also read several reviews which are full of praise about this book.