Reading Lull

Lately, I can't seem to find a book that I really want to finish. I get a third to half-way through and think "meh" -- just not interested. I don't know if it's the weather, or me or what. My daughter recommended "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline. So I read about half of it -- it's pretty video-game centric for my taste. I'll probably finish it eventually, but I decided to move on for now.  Next I tried "The Buddha in the Attic" by Julie Otsuka. This one's well written, but doesn't actually have really identifiable characters; it basically covers a whole immigrant population with hints about specific persons. It's hard to explain, so here's an example:

"They gave themselves new names we had not chosen for them and could barely pronounce. One called herself Doris. One called herself Peggy. Many called themselves George. Saburo was called Chinky by all the others because he looked just like a Chinaman. Toshitachi was called Harlem because his skin was so dark. Etsuko was given the name Esther by her teacher, Mr. Slater, on her first day of school. "It's his mother's name," she explained. To which we replied, "So is yours." Sumire called herself Violet. Shizuko was Sugar. Makoto was just Mac. Shigeharu Takagi joined the Baptist church at the age of nine and changed his name to Paul. Edison Kobayashi was born lazy but had a photographic memory and could tell you the name of every person he'd ever met..."

The technique is interesting, but as a reader who craves well-developed characters, it just doesn't satisfy me. One reason I love authors as diverse as Jane Austen, Tony Hillerman, and Terry Pratchett is because they create three-dimensional characters. Anyone who has read "Pride and Prejudice" quickly learns just what to expect from Elizabeth's silly mother and younger sisters. Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are so well drawn that after I finish the book I miss them as if they were friends who have moved away. Then there are the wacky Pratchett characters - Sam Vimes, City Watch Commander; Lord Vetinari; and, of course, Granny Weatherwax. What's not to love?

What to do? Reread a favorite? That's something I seldom do. Keep trying to find something I can really crawl into and disappear for awhile? I like that idea but I'm feeling gun-shy. Ah well -- I guess I'll just go clean the house and think about it some more.