Friday Reads: Unpopular Opinion

[@donaldadams1549]

North Woods is the best book I’ve read in years! It has something for everyone as Mason writes so beautifully in different genres and they’re all in here! Brilliantly written. If you don’t like one story line then just keep on reading because things are about to change. And the ending, well…! (Eric, you did yourself a disservice by skimming it)

[@alexandrawilliams6436]

Agreed!!

[@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH]

I feel vindicated. Our opinions are almost identical about North Woods and Trust. Great minds think alike! 😂

[@deegrows7589]

The ghost elements were one of my favorite aspects of North Woods. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book! Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is next up for me.

[@MJ-in-Canada]

You make a good point about “North Woods” being a literary ghost story. I enjoyed the book because I love researching the history of old houses and buildings to peek into their pasts, so this book was right up my alley. I’d be happy to see it win the prize but equally happy for “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.” As for Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame,” it’s a good, fun comfort read.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I started Mrs. Quinn this morning and am charmed so far. I would have loved North Woods more if it leaned into the aspect you described. Oh well!

[@AvAlanchian]

I found The Piano Tuner by Mason yesterday and immediately started it and it’s really good so far. My Irish recommendation for you is Night Boat to Tangier if you haven’t read it. I loved it.

[@onourpath]

Awww, I loved Open Throat; it was a 5⭐️ read for me! I'm sorry it was just fine for you. That ending.... wow! I've got North Woods on my library holds -- hearing it's a ghost story makes me want to read it even more. I adore a good ghost story! I'm excited to see how your Irish month goes -- I'm a huge fan of Irish lit, and I'll be taking notes! Scritches for Teddy, a very good boy! 💚

[@susanneill7142]

Thanks Greg!! I haven’t read any of the books you talk about in this vid but have a copy of Open Throat & will get to North Woods some day…😊 I’m reading an oldie-Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell & loving it!. Your plans to read Irish authors makes me wonder if you’ve read Sally Rooney or plan to. The huge announcement of the pub of her next book appeared this morning in my local paper The Washington Post. Her books aren’t high on my list, maybe bc I’m old enough to be her mother…😊

[@awebofstories]

I found your thoughts about North Woods fascinating. I'm reading it now and really enjoying it (and have been from the first), but I also really enjoy ghost stories. And I really enjoyed The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, but I didn't have the same emotional kick from it that many did. I definitely see the comparison that you are drawing between those two books and Demon Copperhead and Trust!

[@readandre-read]

It's so interesting to hear your thoughts and read the array of reader experiences with North Woods. I loved it, but it did have elements I don't usually like too much. Somehow it mesmerized me. Kind of like how I can't stand eggplant but I love baba ghanoush. I cannot explain it; it's just how it is! (But yeah, Trust was meh).

[@chrisgreene3908]

I was captivated by North Woods, as was my book club. I enjoyed reading it the second time even more than the first time when I raced through it. The second time I really paid attention to Mason’s amazing story telling talent. My favorite book of 2023.

[@sandeesandwich2180]

This is fascinating -- if I ever start my Booktube channel, North Woods and Heaven and Earth Grocery Store will be the stars of one of the videos. I listened to North Woods on audio and really liked it way more than I thought I would. The Heaven and Earth book I DNF'd, though I may return to it and finish it. To me, and this is a function of my advanced age (!), I feel like I read a lot of books like this back in the 70's (the 1970's 😂) so it was good, but I felt like I've read it before more than once.

[@bookofdust]

I knew you were going to be iffy about North Woods from your early mention and was happy to have another reader who had similar experiences to myself. For me, I called it Magic Realism instead of a literary ghost story. Now, I love MR, if I had been introduced to it as that I would have embraced it stronger, but I pushed back and basically ignored those elements when they came up at the start and throughout, only to be deeply confronted by them at the end and I was left going “Oh, that’s what this was about!” I thought the importance of the book was about the sociopolitical and geographical aspects of the book that was going to have something profound to say about the United States. There’s a book called The Glass Room about an actual very famous landmark Modernist house in Eastern Europe that does just that brilliantly, so that’s where my expectations were embedded. But, because the MR elements weren’t clear from the start, which my expectations would have been different, I didn’t fully connect to it either. The good news, is our experiences reinforce that Heaven & Earth has a much stronger and more likely path to Pulitzer, which I agree, it and McBride wholeheartedly deserve.

[@michaelbroderick2282]

Interesting take on North Woods.I haven't gotten to it yet but I will remember this video when I do. I will now continue my Pulitzer Project with The Executioners Song, Norman Mailer's Magnum Opus though I have yet to read The Naked And The Dead which sits on my shelf.

[@jwhend49]

Having enjoyed both The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason and The Good Lord Bird by James McBride, I am looking forward to reading both of the newest novels from them. I'm already scheduled to start the McBride book next week.

[@MsPixieD]

Hi Greg, you were the first "Booktuber" my algorithm showed me, last December. I like lists so I started watching your Pulitzer videos and went from there, looking forward to your various videos 💛 Coincidentally my first book of March is Irish, The Bee Sting. Thanks for pointing out that could be a theme (St. Patrick's Day in March). I've been more focused on national women's month, the Women's prize, focusing on women authors, therefore had felt a little guilty reading a male author as the first book this month! Turns out I enjoyed watching the many women's prize prediction videos, as they've given me a very long list of ideas for future reads, vs. waiting for an official long or short list. Guess I don't want to read only what judges (or marketers) tell me to read 😊 The last book I read was North Woods, and for me it was a solid five stars, blown away from the get-go. The first ghost was an enjoyable shock, so I'm glad no one had spoiled it. As an English/American literature grad student, my favorite focus was American Romanticism, which includes all the nature, goth, etc. elements in Mason's book, so I loved reading in the mainstream of our American literary traditions. I also appreciated the virtuosity in the various ways he portrayed the characters, so in contrast to your experience I thought character development was very strong. Afterwards, I had to choose to start the longer Bee Sting (I wish someone had "spoilered" all the violence; it is very triggering), or Heaven and Earth, as both are due back at the library in about a week. As much as I wished I could have started the less-chunky book (right now I feel like I should be nearing the end of Bee, but there are still about 200 pages left!), the blurb on Heaven and Earth didn't appeal to me at all. I was thinking of returning it unread, but you love it so much I'll give it a go!

[@terririley186]

I also was not enamored with North Woods. I didn’t think any of the stories were that intriguing but any time I got the least interested in one of the stories, the book hopped to another story. I felt the popping up of various items in the stories felt contrived and I just don’t see what the hype about this book is all about. I loved The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and firmly believe it will win the Pullitzer.

[@karakask5488]

I had to delay watching this because I was reading both Open Throat and North Woods. I liked them both more than you did, Open Throat because I live in L.A. so it was very familiar and funny to me (and because it was inspired by our most famous mountain lion, P-22 r.i.p.). I adored North Woods, the ghosts were just perfect me. The land pulling people in and keeping them there was brilliant and the style was amazing! I do agree with you on Trust though.

[@sarahwiltshire5851]

Thanks very much for your North Woods review. I found it a bit disappointing, too. It wasn't quite what I was expecting. Whilst I mostly thought it was good and especially liked the ending, the middle dragged a bit. So not a great book and of Pulitzer Prize standard IMHO. One of my March reads is 'Barkskins', so interested in your comparisons with North Woods and how you found that. Whilst I haven't yet read Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (hopefully by May) if it is as good or better than Deacon King Kong, I'll also be rooting for that.

[@andrewblaker5475]

I recently finished North Woods. I was very excited to read it, excited by the premise and setting, but it was disappointing. I struggled to stay with it by the mid-point and it just petered out for me. Relieved to see I am not the only one who couldn't fully embrace what I thought what I would really enjoy.

[@SupposedlyFun]

It just never quite took off for me. Oh well!

[@ellenhantzsche-yk6lw]

I was so disappointed in it, having high expectations. Couldn’t get through it.

[@alldbooks9165]

I gotta read North Woods soon. It wasn’t really on my radar until I watched The Poptimist’s review. I am firmly in the camp of James McBride is brilliant and deserves a Pulitzer, but I do love a quirky literary fiction. 🧐

[@user-yg6ft1iu1i]

I’m so glad to hEar your thoughts on North Woods, I thought I was a loner on that, I didn’t think it was a ghost story as much a story with a ghost that was throw it against the wall and see what sticks. I think the difference between North Woods and Trust is Diaz was robbed for InThe Distance and this was a makeup. I’m sticking with Absolution for the Pulitzer. The best I read this week was Fourteen Days. Editor Margaret Atwood And Doug Peterson. I can’t believe it’s not getting more love. I hope you give it a shot

[@TheLeniverse]

I still haven't gotten around to North Woods, and now that the Women's Prize is looming I won't really have the time for it either. But it sounds like maybe it can wait. I haven't even read Trust yet😅Currently reading What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt and it's blowing me away it's so good. I have just uploaded a prediction video for the Women's Prize (that really cut into my reading time!) It's just my second ever BookTube video, so production values are... questionable. And yes, I am totally soliciting views here. Hope that's alright.

[@lulukan64]

Yay, so glad you were able to get Queen Liberation on Libby! (This is Lori). Thanks for mentioning me, made my day. ❤

[@1book1review]

I have not picked up on the ghost story in North Wood reviews so far either. I am mostly not interested in it despite the hype, but strangely ghosts would have spiked my interest :D

[@barbarablonsky7521]

Glad to hear your opinion on Trust, which I found to be “ meh.” I have only heard raves about North Woods and I find your opinion interesting. Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and Demon Copperhead are sitting on my night stand 👍👍

[@deborahaguruso]

I loved North Woods! I read it on the heels of Tom Lake and was ready to look for a farm with both a cherry and an apple orchard. My favorite books this year have been Absolution and The Vaster Wilds. Have not yet read Matrix, which I know was a favorite of yours.

[@JKC1138]

Your response to North Woods is understandable. We had an inverse experience with it because I found it relatively beige until it took a supernatural bent, but I can understand that being a turn off. Even though I ended up really liking it, I didn't find it as rapturous as others did, and while I don't think it's Pulitzer worthy at all, I did find it to be a more effective depiction of humanity's relationship with the natural world than, say, The Overstory. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is on my list, so I'm excited to see how it compares!

[@tam876]

I loved it! It does read as a series of short stories though, so that won’t be for everyone. I immediately bought A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth, which is his previous collection of short stories.

[@deborahapel7325]

Just finished this sweet little book Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley. Published in 1915! Funny and literary.

[@amandatrask9695]

I felt the same way about North Woods. I had to force myself to finish it. When I was finding it less than satisfying, I found your review.

[@Sheila-jw4iw]

I loved North Woods but as I was reading it , couldn’t help but think of another book I read years ago- Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman - which was also about a house in Massachusetts, in Truro on the Cape-if I remember correctly. I loved that book also and thanks to your recommendation , looking forward to reading Barkskins.

[@jenniferwilson8131]

Interesting commentary about The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and North Woods. I see the comparison with last year's winners. I loved both winners last year and I love both The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and North Woods.I didn't think of it as a ghost story but I see your point.

[@peaseblossom4252]

I adore North Woods (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me), but can understand we all have our different tastes. I was excited when my hold for Matrix came up early Feb since I’ve heard people raving about it since stumbling into BookTube (and see it on your bookshelf), but sadly ended up DNFing 40% thru because I just didn’t enjoy it. It is what it is. I’m still waiting to get Heaven & Earth, so I’ll be excited to see how I get on with it. Question for you & fellow readers: I plan to read Demon Copperhead soon. I love early Barbara Kingsolver’s books. Would you recommend just jumping into it? Or read David Copperfield first? I’ve read mixed opinions, and curious on your take. I don’t know the story of David Copperfield, and one person told me they wish they’d read Demon first so they didn’t have story spoilers. Thanks as always for a great & honest video. Hi to Joel & scritches to Teddy.

[@jordana99]

I was glad I knew some of David Copperfield’s characters as I think it added to my enjoyment.

[@peaseblossom4252]

@@jordana99 Thank you! That was my initial thought, but started second guessing it.

[@AdyGrafovna]

I LOVED Trust, but was not a huge fan of North Woods. Still… the comparison works. That is a really interesting observation!

[@jamesyouwere]

You make a great point about the McBride/Mason and Kingsolver/Diaz parallel. My instinct is that having two heavy hitters again might even lead the jury to omit both Heaven & Earth and North Woods from the finalists entirely 😅 My too-early prediction would be for Let Us Descend. I think the career-achievement Pulitzer trend has been strong recently, and I could see them wanting to award a book that received relatively less attention than Heaven & Earth did.

[@debrahills8148]

I really love anything about the natural world and I thought I’d like Open Throat because of that…but nope! Dnl’d it. I really liked and admired North Woods a lot… but I agree with you that I ‘d like to see McBride win the Pulitzer. To me, North Woods appealed to my head and Heaven and Earth Grocery Store to my heart. One thing that confuses me, though, is : why aren’t we hearing about Tom Lake being a contender for the Pulitzer? Of the three books, I loved it the most, although I’m still Team McBride to win because it’s his time and I loved it too.

[@seasheleyes]

I haven’t read North Woods yet. I have been hearing that it and Heaven and Earth are favorites for the Pulitzer ….i will go ahead and read both and decide. Right now I’m listening to Fanny Herself on audio for my book club. I’m not sure what I will say about it yet. I need to finish it today to gather my thoughts. I’m reading Covenant of Water in book form and enjoying it very much. It’s a huge thing! I need three books to nominate for our next book club. I need to think about that as well. I still haven’t read Demon Copperhead so I think that could be one to suggest. California is swept up in a big storm again. Climate change is wreaking havoc I’m afraid.

[@davidnovakreadspoetry]

When I saw _North Woods_ in that thumbnail with that headline I suspected where this was going. 😂 You’re right, there’s a lot of talking but I had no 👻👻👻👻 idea.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I find it so funny that no one had mentioned that part at all!

[@sandraseldon6734]

I felt the same way about North Woods. I kept waiting but it just did not capture my interest. Heaven and Earth Grocery Store was so good. I agree. Trust was ok but not a favorite.

[@melissafirman1962]

I'm so glad to hear someone else say that the queer aspect of Open Throat was quiet. I loved the book but found myself wondering if I had missed a tangible something. No shame in skimming a book you're just feeling okay about. Tell Teddy his fans missed him today.

[@BookChatWithPat8668]

Hi Greg. Like you, I adored Demon Copperhead. I loved both The Heaven and Earth and North Woods. I probably loved The Heaven and Earth more. My book group universally loved North Woods; a friend’s book group universally didn’t like North Woods. So yes, people seem to love it or they don’t at all. I like the parallel you’re making to last year’s heavy hitters.😊

[@TaxiMathGirl]

Ours is probably a ghost story too. And, "Rabbit, rabbit!" Start March with a good intention 😊

[@Rubz3211]

You're not the first person I've seen with that opinion about North Woods. I was debating buying it new when I first heard about it but maybe I'll get it from the library instead and potentially save myself haha

[@SupposedlyFun]

Not a bad idea!

[@annegibson6072]

I am hoping that Absolution by Alice McDermott is on the Women's Prize list. I would not be unhappy if it won the Pulitzer. Thank you for bringing that book to my attention

[@SupposedlyFun]

I would not be unhappy if Absolution won either. And I think she has a good shot at it!

[@lynniepie52]

North Woods was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me…I’m holding the reading of Heaven & Earth Grocery Store for my book club pick for May! Tickle Teddy for me!

[@jacksontalley]

Awwwww I'm sad you didn't like North Woods. I didn't think you would knowing your taste in books and watching your channel for so long. I really loved this book a lot. The end really paid off.

[@jonnie7891]

I’m working through James McBride’s backlist starting with Deacon King Kong. I had zero interest in North Woods but paranormal element makes me more interested so I might give it a go.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

Best books read in February Stone Yard Devotional by Charolette Wood The Caretaker by Ron Rash Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano Greta & Valdin by Rebecca R Reilly Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan The books above ( with female authors) I’d like to see on the Womens Prize. Other hopefuls are The Wren , The Wren by Ann Enright Tom Lake by Ann Patchett How To Build A Boat by Elaine Feeney Falling Animals by Sheila Armstrong 🍀👋☘️📖🇮🇪📚☕️📕

[@SupposedlyFun]

I’m so glad you liked Hello Beautiful!

[@cindyfreese254]

I had similar thoughts on North Woods. I thought the premise was interesting but just couldn’t push through even though I listened to the audio while reading on kindle. DNF at about 30%.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

I’m currently listening to Fayne by AnnMarie Mc Donald My first Irish book is Night Swimmers by Roisin Maguire

[@Roscoethecat]

Hey Greg. I have a question unrelated to the video. I like to read books set in places I'm going to visit. I will be taking a train trip through Montana in May. Since you live in Montana, do you have a recommendation for a novel set there? Thank you so much!

[@deborahapel7325]

I think you should read Ivan Doig. This House of Sky will make your journey even more special.

[@Roscoethecat]

@@deborahapel7325 Thanks for the recommendation. I'm going to read it on the train.

[@athertonca]

My three wishes for the 2024 Pulitzer are: North Woods, Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, and Absolution. I would be happy to see any of these books win. I found all three to be outstanding. I would say that Heaven and Earth has the most heart. For books like Demon Copperhead, Heaven and Earth, Wandering Stars, etc., I really make an effort to read upon publication so that I don’t have the hype building it up too much in my mind leading to potential disappointment.

[@teneshaanderson4761]

Thank you for saying this about north woods I am STRUGGLING to read this. I just finished demon copperhead did not love it

[@SupposedlyFun]

I’m glad I’m not alone with North Woods, but I did really like Demon Copperhead.

[@mradcaqbdb]

Oh my. You don’t like a ghost story. Sigh. I discussed North Woods with a couple of the ladies at my local indie a week ago. I think of all the women who work there (it’s all women), none of them liked it. I was definitely convinced not to spend any money on it after hearing their thoughts. But I did pick up an ebook of it when it was on sale a while back, so if I ever get curious, I have it. Interestingly, they were not huge fans of The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store either, but more of them enjoyed that one than North Woods. I’ve read two of the three books I bought while I was there last week, so far. One brilliant book and one complete clunker. I loved Blizzard by Marie Vingtras, translated from the French. Absolutely enthralling. I haven’t got anything nice to say about This Plague of Souls by Mike McCormack, my lowest rated book in quite a while. Thank goodness it was short. I’m reading a Maggie o’Farrell backlist title next. It was her first book, I think. Not doing the readathon or anything. It’s After You’d Gone and it sounds really good.

[@sanfranchicken]

I was surprised North Woods was as popular as it was after I read it. I loved it, but only because I have a personal connection to Massachusetts. I can't imagine it being as captivating to others without that connection.

[@ftt7429]

I thought North Woods was sooo much better than The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Am I the only one that felt the ending of Grocery Store was just way too convenient and unbelievable?

[@susanb4481]

I DNF North Woods, I tried twice! It never “grabbed” me. It felt like it was written for literary critics/fans using a clever story device. Oh well. If we all liked/ loved the same books there would be fewer books.

[@phyllisriley1013]

I actually liked north woods very much.

[@phyllisriley1013]

No one mentions ghost story because that’s a spoiler!!!! I enjoyed the first half of Demon but the second half trudged on forever.

[@KierTheScrivener]

I dnfed North Woods and I'm so glad.

[@dottypetrosky1184]

I found North Woods totally engrossing and couldn't put it down. So unique but obviously not for everyone.

[@myreadinglife8816]

I ended up DNF’ing North Woods at page 245. I just didn’t care. Barkskins was a much better book!

[@TKTalksBooks]

Daniel Mason: This year’s Pulitzer Prize winner .. imho

[@kathleena4038]

North Woods is massively overrated. I actually thought it started out GREAT, then about a third of the way in, it started falling apart for me. ( I actually love the ghost element). The premise starts to feel strained and contrived…by the end I was quite over it. Definitely not Pulitzer worthy

[@BookishTexan]

The supernatural elements of North Woods caught me by surprise too. Some of the episodes I found interesting. Some fell flat for me. It seemed to me the point was for Mason to kind of show off all the different writing techniques he had possibly mastered.

[@loriroemer1122]

I liked North Woods for the first few chapters. Then I DNFed it.

[@SupposedlyFun]

The first few chapters were, in my opinion, the best part, so there you go.

[@TKTalksBooks]

I have read more negative than positive opinions of this book from the general reading public so I would call your opinion “popular”…

[@jordana99]

I was waiting to see what you thought of North Woods. I largely agree with you, wish I had known more about it before I read it. H&E Grocery Store remains my prize fave too.

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