Wednesday, January 6, 2010

When to say when

So again, today is normally my review day, but again, I haven't finished the book I've been reading for over TWO WEEKS. Anyone who knows my reading habits knows this is ridiculous for me. I generally read a book in two days (due to my obsessive nature that has been previously mentioned). Needless to say, I'm not enjoying this book. But I like to give a book a chance. I keep thinking it's going to get better that I'm going to start liking it that everyone else must like it for a reason. And I keep getting frustrated. I've only been able to read a chapter at a time and sometimes not even that much. My husband tells me to just give it up. Move on. But that's so hard for me to do. What if the last fourth of the book is why everyone loves it so much?

So I ask you this question: When do you put a book away that you're not enjoying? It's not often I've been faced with this situation. I can usually find something I like about a book. It's not even that the book is horrible, it's just slow. Really slow. Help. What should I do? I still have at least a hundred pages left and at the rate I'm going that's going to take me another week. I'm starting to resent the book for keeping me away from other books that are sitting in the TBR pile. What would you do?

25 comments:

  1. Sometimes I just skimm the book to find out what happened then put it away. Other times I bog through it trying to figure out why everyone else likes it.

    It's hard to waste the precious time we have if we're not enjoying it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I used to hate not finishing a book, but my reading list is getting longer and longer now so it's easy for me to stop if it doesn't catch my interest within the first few chapters.

    ReplyDelete
  3. like Patti, I skim, find out what happens, then put it away.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'd shelve it and move on. There are too many great reads out there! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm reading a book like that right now! I'd skim it or put it away until you've whittle away at all those other books you're waiting to read :).

    ReplyDelete
  6. I just read a book like that. It's a new release and a bestseller, and lots of raves about it. But for me it just dragged on (and on and on). I kept waiting for something amazing to happen (why else would everyone love it so much?) and ended up skimming through the last half only to be even more disappointed.
    In the end I wish I had just put it down and ignored that nagging compulsion to finish all books.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm usually a voracious reader, but lately every book I pick up doesn't hold my interest. I don't think it's the books fault though. My mind feels unsettled. Anyway if I can't focus I move on to another book and try again another time. Sometimes books that didn't hold our interest at a certain time in our life later become our favorite books.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I say push through. You could finish 100 pages in a day if you put your mind to it. Then you won't have to worry at all. Skim fast!

    ReplyDelete
  9. It depends on why I'm reading the book. If it's for pleasure, then I'll quit, if I'm not enjoying. If it's for book club, I generally push on through. I used to always finish every book I started, but I decided that life's too short, and there are too many amazing books to slog through a bad one or one that I'm not enjoying. That said. If a lot of friends enjoyed it, I will give it more of a chance because I figure there's something I'm missing, and I hope I'll get it eventually. If you're 3/4 of the way through, I'd push on.

    ReplyDelete
  10. It sounds like skimming is the best of both worlds. It's not quite putting it down, but it's not exactly reading it either. I can feel good for finishing it, but get through it faster. Phew, thanks guys, I already feel better.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ah, the timeless question. I read for 100 pages and if you haven't hooked me, I skip to the end. See if there's anything surprising. Usually, there's not, and I feel okay with putting it down.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Elana, I wish I had done that 200 pages ago. :) I really should give my self a rule like that.

    Megan, I wonder if we're talking about the same book. It sounds like we might be.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I know 'myself' is one word. What?

    ReplyDelete
  14. When, Kasie, When!! I'm saying when for you. Don't waste your time. I never have a hard time putting down a book I don't like. I just read the end and forget the rest. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Never waste your time, Kasie. And announce the book so the rest of us don't waste our time either.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have very little patience for a book that doesn't hook me. It needs to reach out and grab me by the throat, send my heart a pitter-pattering, etc. by the end of the first chapter or I'm outta there! With all the writing I'm committed to doing, I'm very picky about what I read. My motto is: "So many books, so little time." If you want me, you better come get me! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I don't have much patience, I guess. I put it down as soon as I lose interest or hit something offensive to me. Life's too short for books you don't like!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Even though you are not enjoying the book you can still learn a lot about writing. Or how not to!

    ReplyDelete
  19. If I start reading a book, put it down, and don't come back to it within a week (barring any extenuating circumstances), it's over for me.
    That's my test, anyway. Like you, I usually read a book straight through, or in a couple sittings, so it rarely takes me more than 2 days (even the last HP book only took me a day and a half-- no sleeping 'till I was done!). If it takes me longer than that for no good reason, then I give up. The book's not for me.

    I've said it before... it doesn't mean the book is no good, just that it's not good for me-- maybe it's simply not the book I wanted it to be.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I just did this. I read the first part and realized the rest of the scenes would be episodic and skipped to the end. I could see why its a good book. But I didn't have to read the middle to enjoy the end. Yes, I would have been moved even more by the ending, but I was still moved. I say skip chunks and see if you missed anything.

    ReplyDelete
  21. If its boring me-BUT-I still want to finish I skim. It has to be a pretty terrible book for me to totally put down.

    And I agree with others who basically said even a bad book can be a good example of what not to do.

    ReplyDelete
  22. When I start a book, I have to be hooked within the first fifty pages. If I'm not, I do what the others said and skim the rest. After all, I do want to find out what happens if I paid for it.

    ReplyDelete
  23. LOL! Okay, so you know I'm just dying to know what book this is right???

    Jenni

    ReplyDelete
  24. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  25. If I read the first few chapters and I'm not enjoying myself, I skip ahead and skim some chapters (or sometimes read the end - I'm such a cheater!). If nothing engages me, I'm done. I just put it down (in fact, I wrote about doing just that recently on my blog -- I started to read Jemima J, and I just could.not.handle.it.

    My feeling is, there are thousands of amazing books out there that I'd like to read. If the given reading is optional for me, then I'm going to move onto something else that I may love.

    ReplyDelete