Learning it's okay NOT to love The Lovely Bones

I think it's just me.

I've been trying to read "The Lovely Bones" for almost a month now.

Everyone RAVES about it. Was it even endorsed by Oprah?

I've been feeling A LOT of pressure to like the book. Sometimes when someone asks me about it, I must confess that I pretend I like it just to fit in. Peer pressure is always on.

I can't articulate the reasons I don't like it. Crime books don't bother me at all - heck, I work in the field! I think it's the "other-worldly" aspects of the book that I find off-putting. Not that I don't believe in heaven or whatever, it's just hard to follow.

Maybe my attention span is too short? What am I talking about again?

Oh ya, the not-so-Lovely Bones.

Anyway, I committed the cardinal sin of a pseudo-smart people.

I SAW THE MOVIE BEFORE I FINISHED THE BOOK!

I must admit that the movie was quite good. Peter Jackson is a talented director.

I grudgingly picked up the half-read book when I got home from the movie, determined to persevere and FINISH it. But then a funny thing happened.

I decided to let the book go and embrace the idea that it's okay not like a very popular book. Why am I going to torture myself? Alright, reading it isn't torture but it surely isn't pleasurable.

So I'm moving on - The Book of Negroes! Again, another highly recommended and raved-about book. I'm hoping I connect with this one a bit more.

What are you reading? Any good recommendations?