When Good Books Fall Flat

I finally finished Divergent by Veronica Roth and The Goldfinch by Pulitizer-winning author Donna Tartt, wondering if I have grown so jaded that I cannot appreciate a good book anymore. Both of these books have the potential to be more than a good read, although I found myself bored with the main characters and marveling at how much the plot thinned out in the resolution.

I haven't seen the movie "Divergent", but having read the book, think it would come to life on screen better than on paper. In The Goldfinch, the main character, Theo, spent a lot of his youth drugging and very little of his adulthood atoning for some very serious amorality. I suppose I may sound harsh, but I found his method of atonement rather facile and lacking in sincerity, or rather I think I found this plot device incredulous.

Then, a friend loaned me Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. Smart, funny and a delight to read. Thank you, thank you, thank you!