Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.

Was a mostly good read, but I had a hard time liking the main character and feeling like it wrapped up in redemption. I’d still be interested to see what else this writer has written. I feel like the writing sometimes felt a little all over, but other parts were well written and clear.

Not my cup of tea. However, I would be willing to recommend and would read future selections by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley, John Hunt Publishing Ltd and Howard Marc Chesley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thank NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
While I appreciated the time the author put into writings this book, I just did not fine it at all enjoyable.
Twenty some percent into the read the story is still about his characters’deteriorating marriage. It begins with Mitchell, the protagonist, at a used book sale and the resulting childish argument he got into with another man and the resulting physical bashing he received.
Not at all what I expected frrom the title.

Not my cup of tea. However, would be willing to recommend and would read future selections by this author.

If you love books like I do, you will love this novel. The character development is awesome, the story is brilliant, and I loved every word of it!

A book for booksellers and bookworms with a completely unexpected emotional trajectory. Enjoyed this one immensely. Full review on blog - linked below.

All hail the return of the Feckless Hero...i confess that this is probably my favourite type of protagonist. Not for me the tall, dark, and suave; nor the billionaire; not even the wild adventurer. Give me Mr. Admittedly Imperfect , well-meaning but frequently failing, striving for stability and good intentions in the midst of a chaotic, random, universe. Also, I have a fondness for booksellers. (Smile) Here we have both, in an endearing, likable, but never perfect protagonist.

Suspect readers who love Hemingway and like their protagonists to be extremely flawed will perhaps get a lot more out of this novel than I did. That's not to say Some Books Aren't for Reading is a bad read - far from it. There were certainly a few moments throughout this riches-to-rags novel where Chesley shows off a certain talent for prose, and I did find a few of the side characters entertaining enough to continue the story.

Overall, though I did find the journey more satisfying than the conclusion.

A story of the redemptive search for a precious novel, it replaces the character's search for redemption in his life. I must say that it wasn't quite the thrilling affair that I'd hoped but turned into a fairly disappointing execution of a promising premise.

While the main character is not intended to be likeable, I just couldn't stomach the unpleasantness. I did not find any part of this novel to highlight as redeeming. I will be generous and say perhaps this would be better enjoyed by a different reader. I was excited by the premise and let down by the execution.

Some Books Aren't For Reading was not a great read. Typical someone has it all and then loses it. The writing was alright, but the book was nothing that would make me run out and buy a copy for someone.

A mediocre offering. The writing is uneven, at times gratuitous and overreaching, and at others smooth and engaging. The premise and framework are reminiscent of T.C. Boyle or Anna Quindlen, an exploration of contemporary life and relationships in everyday America. There are certain parts that come together with poignant reality and emotional impact, but from the synopsis, I just wanted more.

I thought that this novel moved along nicely until the end. There is a tragedy that happens, it ends and the book is over. It came out of nowhere in a way that hadn't prepared the reader for it, and in my opinion, didn't add to the novel. I think the protagonist hit hard times, but was slowly working his way out of them with the help of his odd friend Helmet Head. He ultimately become financially secure once again, but I didn't feel a sense of loss, which should have carried through the rest of the novel after its occurrence.

What a dreadful book. I could barely make it to the 10% mark. The main character is foul-mouthed, pathetic and totally unlikable. I spent that 10% rolling my eyes and being disgusted. Clearly the title of this book also applies to this book - some books really aren't for reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and John Hunt Publishing/Roundfire Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘If he has a story of degradation and entropy, then anyone can have a story of degradation and entropy. Even I could.’

This is the story of Mitchell Fourchette (known as ‘Ralph’ because of his penchant for Ralph Lauren shirts), a former advertising executive who is now separated from his wife and child and earning a living as a book scout, selling used books online. The novel switches between Mitchell’s current life - in a story involving a copy of Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea which has been lost or stolen from his car – and flashbacks to his marriage to True and their son Caleb. It is partly a story of loss and redemption, and the hunt for the lost book becomes a symbol of Mitchell’s search for understanding and meaning. His search for his fellow book scout named Hector ends in an encounter where Mitchell learns about Hector’s previous life as a soldier, and this is clearly an important moment in his self-awareness. There are parts of the book that to give away details would be a massive spoiler, but the structure of the book is quite well done as both ‘conclusions’ – the marriage and the book hunt -come together in the final events which gives a decent emotional punch to the ending.

There are some issues, however, that I have with the book which means it only comes in as an average 3 stars, unfortunately. One of the main stumbling blocks for me was the obsessive detail of Mitchell’s foray into the stock market. Now, for some, this might be interesting, but there are pages and pages of the stuff and I’ll be honest, I ended up skipping most of them. I got the gist: he dabbled in the stock market with his wife’s inheritance and blew it all. Enough said. Kind of hand-in-hand with this is the fact that Mitchell is, well, just not very interesting or appealing as a central character. He has anger issues, and as the past story is revealed it’s fairly obvious that he’s not the greatest husband or father. While this is not, in itself, damning to the book, it didn’t help me connect in any meaningful way with what happens. And when the dramatic conclusion to the book comes about, again Mitchell isn’t at his best!

So… this was an OK read, but not a great one. And again, my gripe with so many books I read nowadays: why this urge to employ the narrative device of tying up all the loose ends in a summarising last couple of pages (‘that was two years ago’ and ‘now I’m this and she’s that’). It feels like the author is trying too hard to end the story with a moral, which indeed is duly delivered on the last page. Hmmm. I would read more by the author to see how he develops, but this is a middle of the road one for me.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book.)

Not a bad read- personally for me it was nothing special nor unpleasant. I got the impression that is was aimed more towards male readers but I could be wrong,
Certainly food for thought.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Roundfire Books for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

Some Books Aren't For Reading is a tale of loss and possibly redemption. If you have read The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway, you will see the parallels and references. I personally disliked that book a lot, so it didn't help me to like this one better. It's actually just sad. The guy has it all, and now, he's lost it all. Maybe a little like the don't know what you've got till it's gone adage. The writing is good, but the story line felt messy at times. I thought the main character was not as likeable as he should have been. His foe nemesis etc. is the more likeable character. I was hoping for more redemption because I felt disheartened by the end. I recommend if you like The Old Man and the Sea. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The is primarily a book about loss. It's one of those classic he-had-it-all-and-then-he-lost-it stories, due partially to his own character flaws and partially to some bad luck. The tale keeps returning to [book:The Old Man and the Sea|2165], which is also, of course, a tale of loss along the same lines, so I imagine there is some sort of tribute or even adaptation happening in the story. It's a little too clumsy to really pull it off, though, and I felt that the ending was a bit of a reach, awkward and unlinked to the rest of the narrative even as it is heartbreaking. Martin points out that the old man in the Hemmingway story resolves to go out fishing again at the end, and Martin similarly doesn't change much but gets reset. I guess what I'm saying is that I didn't love this story, but then I didn't love the Old Man and the Sea, either, so maybe someone who did would like this one more. One thing this one has that's new is long descriptions of Wall Street dealings, which also aren't my favorite thing. I liked the description of the used book dealing, but I came for the books, and certainly there isn't enough here to justify that. I would think that a much better publisher's blurb would be centered around the fisherman who makes the big catch and can't keep it. There's plenty to talk about here -- changing what we value, keeping what we cherish, what we blame on fate and what is our own fault. It's thought-provoking, but not a great story.

I got a copy to review from Net Galley.