Books | Goodreads Book of the Year 2014: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Ever read a book with a lot of expectations but left feeling meh? I typically get along with Goodreads recommendations as I find them pretty accurate, but their book of the year 2014, Landline by Rainbow Rowell left me very underwhelmed to say the least. Over 46,000 people voted for it as Book of the Year. 

To stalk what I read on Goodreads, click here. 

The blurb: 

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn't expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

The book is essentially a journey of Georgie talking to her husband in the past and she struggles with whether she should rekindle that relationship during an earlier breakup. I liked all the relationship questions it posed and resolved but that's all that was good with it. She speaks to her husband through an old telephone (that somehow calls him in the past on a telephone that he no longer has, and she can't get hold of her husband in the present as he's either always out or the children drains his battery by playing games on it). And that's my main gripe with it. It's not a fantasy book, nor magical in any sense so this *special* telephone really doesn't make any sense. The book was pretty juvenile, although I did really like Neal's character (a bit too ideal to be real, e.g. he gives up everything to become a stay at home dad so that his wife can go back to work and not feel guilty about having to put the kids in daycare, makes food for Georgie no matter what- even when he's angry at her, loves her unconditionally). In short I would never have picked this book up from reading the blurb as I am really not a fan of chick lit (I'm sticking it in the chick lit category), and only read it becomes it was Book of the Year. 

In my honest opinion, you can skip it, as it was pretty pants. 

#SorryNotSorry but it was a waste of my time and I feel well peeved at it being Book of the Year as it's beyond unworthy. 

Moving on, what was the best book you read in 2014? Do you even read books? Leave your recommendations below.