My 2012 "Try Again Later" Shelf

Some readers call them Did Not Finish books (or DNFs), but I like to think of them as "Try Again Laters." (Maybe it's because I can't accept defeat, lol.) Regardless of the category name, there are just some books I start reading that I don't want to keep reading. Here is a brief recap of the four books from 2012 that weren't for me. Click the book's title to read the blurb on Goodreads:

AURARIA: A NOVEL
By Tim Westover

This was an unusual book set in 19th century Georgia that I might call Historical Fantasy. I read through Chapter Six, and the story just didn't click with me. I think I have a hard time getting into a book with a male main character, minus a strong female presence (though there are female characters in this book). This is certainly my issue and not the author's fault. The main character, Holtzclaw, came off as wooden, lacking appropriate reactions to the strange happenings in Auraria. I did think the town was an intriguing place.

A KILLER READ
By Erika Chase

I thought I would love this one. It's a cozy mystery featuring a mystery book club! I only read the first couple of chapters before putting it down. There were a slew of characters introduced right off the bat, and the protagonist got lost in the shuffle. Also, I thought the characters' initial assumption about the murder was kind of silly. Meh.

OVERSEAS
By Beatriz Williams

I know many, many readers loved this time-travel romance. Me? Not so much. The plot was too slow paced for my taste. I read the first nine chapters (almost a third of the book), and not enough happened to hold my interest. At that point we're still completely in the dark about Julian and Kate's relationship. I don't know, maybe Wall Street, investment bankers and hedge fund billionaires just aren't my cup of tea. I am curious about the time-travel aspect, though. I may get it from the library again when I have more time.

THE ORACLE GLASS
By Judith Merkle Riley

This is another book that got beaucoups of great reviews but did nothing for me. I struggled through the first 52 pages, and couldn't imagine hanging on for another 480. Maybe it was the writing style (overly descriptive) or characters (couldn't connect with any). The blurb sounded so interesting though, a mix of historical fiction and the occult.

Have you read any of these? Agree or disagree? Let me know what you think!