A study put this number at 57%.
I can tell you that personally, the percentage of books I have started and not finished in life is much lower than that. In fact, until the last few years, I always plowed on through, no matter how boring the book was getting.
Why? I have no idea. But I did. Maybe because I couldn’t shake the unfinished feeling if I didn’t read to the end. After all, it might get better!
These days I have less reading time and I find myself much more willing to part ways with a book I’m not enjoying. In fact I find it a little freeing to declare that the “chance this might get better” doesn’t have enough sway to keep slogging through the decidedly not better parts.
And with a Kindle, I can close the bad ebook and let it languish back in the deep, dark, digital depths of my ereader until it fades completely from my mind. This is preferable to a bad paperback which will stare me down from my nightstand every time I walk in to my room until I find a way to shelve it. Or dispose of it. Which means my Inner Book Evaluator is probably a wimp.
What about you?
Do you finish a book no matter what? Do you toss it aside at page two if it hasn’t grabbed your attention? Is there a much more complex, sophisticated decision making process going on?
Leave a comment below if your answer takes more explanation!
I always try and finish a book I start reading, especially if it a free ebook, I feel that if the author has gone to the trouble to offer the first book in a series I am honour bound to complete the book even if it doesn’t float my own boat. I have found in the past that even if the first book doesn’t completely catch my interest there is enough to spark my interest in the series itself, and find myself thoroughly enjoying the series which has happened many times before and will most likely happen many times in the future.
As an author, I find your mindset fabulous. 🙂
You make a good point that sometimes we have to look for the good things in everything.
You do make a good point. I think I might just adopt that attitude on my free books. I see I don’t have to endure a second book if I don’t like the free bee. Thanks, I needed that insight.
I HAVE to know what happens. Must finish even crappy books. That didn’t used to matter so much when I had more reading time (darn kiddos, taking me away from the important things ;), but now that I’m short on time, I wish I could walk away. But alas, too type A not to finish even the worst book.
Man, kids really cut into reading time! remember when it used to be:
come home from school, read ’til dinner (that someone else cooked), read ’til bedtime. That was lovely.
Never thought I’d look back fondly on high school…
If I have been asked to review the book I finish it. If the bones or premise of the book is good but they may not be expressing it right I want to see how it goes, so I tell them the good parts. Maybe they can improve on it if everyone is saying the same thing. I try to give it 70 pages or so and if the book is so horrible, I can’t see anything good in it at all, I pass. Not often do I do this, but it has happened.
That’s a fair way of doing it, I think. And I’m sure the authors you review for really appreciate you sticking with it!
I battle through to the end of a book usually – it has to be absolutely dire for me to give up before the end
ooh! now I’m wondering what would make a book absolutely dire! 🙂
lol in the last 2 – 3 years I’ve dnf’d just 2 books! One simply because it had so much scientific jargon I couldn’t understand and the other one because it was a very blatant rip off of another very famous book
At one point in my life there was only one book I didn’t finish. Years later I reread it and loved it. That left me challenging myself with every book I wanted to put down. Now, however I feel my TBR is much too long to force myself to read a not great book. I give it around 100 pages and leave if I’m not enjoying it.
this is how I was probably until my 30’s. Even if I hated it, I kept going. But today, I do feel like if I’ve given it a good try (100 pages is a very good try!) and I still am not enjoying it, I’m moving on to something else in my too-long list!
I’ve always finished a book, but I’m starting to rethink my strategy as I have so many books to reads. It’s definitely a conumdrum.
It is. I do think it’s the sheer number of things I want to read that’s pushing me to finish less books.
I haven’t read a book yet that I haven’t finished. I just can’t leave a book unfinished. I’m an avid reader and I’m 68 years old. So I don’t think I’ll change any time soon.
at 68, if you’ve been an avid reader your whole life, you must have read a lot of books! Do you have a lot of favorites now, or do you find you still have only one or two that you love more than others?
I have a few that are my favorites and I go back and read them again from time to time. But I can honestly say while I’m reading a book ptobably 90% of them are my favorite at that time. Thank you for asking.
For the most part I finish a book, even if it’s boring my curiosity at least wants to know how it ends. There are only 2 books on my dnf shelf, 1 kept jumping around and I got confused and the other one just didn’t grab me at the time I started reading. I might try it again sometime but there are so many books to choose from that it probably won’t happen LOL.
I was reading lately about the psychology of story and how our brain craves the ending of a story we’ve started. I think that’s true. I’m just thinking of all the movies I’ve stayed awake to watch then end of even though I could swear I didn’t care and just wanted to go to bed!
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I usually finish a book. If I don’t, I find myself making up endings. Lately, with the ereader, I can abandon a book I’m reading and (maybe) go back to it later.
I have run into one problem lately. Twice I’ve been in the middle of a read, stopped for a time (for whatever reason), and not been able to find the book. I guess it went to electronic heaven (or e-oblivion).
LOL! I’m going to do that – make up my own ending! That makes quitting a book a lot more fun!
When I lose books on my Kindle, I often forget their author. And title. Which makes finding them a decent challenge!
I wanted to put, both, No and I’ve done both but I couldn’t vote that way. For the most part it is “No Life is too short” Just can’t do it to myself anymore. Use too when I bought paper backs too but no more. Things that will stop me, bad language, to long of a beginning with nowhere in sight that the book can be even a bit interesting. I love the two books I read of yours. I want more so I am watching you on a regular basis.
Yes, slow beginnings get me too.
I’m so glad you liked mine! If the stars align (and I can get my tush in gear) the sequel to A Threat of Shadows should be out late summer. We’ve had a long spell of illness and medical issues around our home and it’s WRECKED my writing time. Here’s hoping we’re done with all that!
I’ve stopped reading, but I will go back and try again in a few months. I have found that sometimes a particular author requires me to be in a certain mindset. IF I don’t enjoy it the second try…I will quit.
A two-strike policy. I like it!
Like you, if it’s a Kindle book I find it much easier to just give up and click on another title. However, if it’s a paperback there feels something very wrong about not getting to the last page. I can’t bear to pass it on without knowing how it ended, even if I’m absolutely hating it!
Yes! What is it about paper that makes use feel like it’s wrong to give up?
I believe I owe it, either to myself or the author to finish the book. They put their hard work and tears into it, I will finish it no matter.what.
As an author, I find that awesome. 🙂
Can count the number of books left unfinished on one hand. After 60 years of reading I pick books I have a good chance of liking and try them. Have finished some really terrible books just because of good storyline, liked one character, found great descriptive passages or some other reason. Liked to give authors a chance.
Several commenters here have brought up this idea of actively looking for the good parts. I really like that mindset.
If I really want to read it but don’t care for the beginning I’ve skipped forward.
The most famous book I’ve done that with is Mockingjay, I’d read the other 2 books in the trilogy but couldn’t get into Mockingjay so I skipped about 25% of the book. Anybody else done the same?
Oh, I WISH! Weirdly, I have bigger issues with skipping ahead than with stopping reading! I know, that makes no sense. But Mockingjay was a hard one for me to finish too. I probably would have been happier skipping!
if it’s an author I’m familiar with, and I just can’t get into the current book, I will force myself to keep reading. I sorta feel disloyal? Even if I really hate the book! Fortunately for me my favorite authors RARELY write stinkers. Lol
me too! This even applies to Jane Austen. I LOVE Pride and Prejudice. But Emma trips me up each time. For reasons probably related to some psychological problem, I’ve made myself read it 2 or 3 times, just to see if I can convince myself to like it!
Please! The classics! Ugh! I try to read them because we are supposed to. It’s expected to show how cultured you are. Know what I learned? The movie version is much easier to understand. Tolstoy, Austin, Hemingway, And Shakespeare, all much better as a movie. I do have a few favorites— To Kill A Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, The handmaidens tale, and a few others. But I’m more apt to give a newer author more of an effort now.
Regards,
Christine
I stick with it unless an animal or child are killed or injured to move the story forward. Then I’m done because I think that says the author is being lazy. And I don’t want to encourage her/him.
It’s interesting the triggers people have to stopping a book. Some it’s a particular form of violence, some it’s a level of sexuality, some it’s language. Personally I’m with you as far as harming children or animals. It better be essential to the plot. Then still, I’ll be leery of reading the book because I’ll find it really difficult.
Stopped doing so after “Joseph and His Brothers” by Thomas Mann but had had thoughts of doing so during slogging thru “Kristin Lavransdottor”. These celebrated books lead me to believe that the award committees and I have different ideas on the value of these books and the authors lauded.
both in books and movies, I don’t seem to have the same criteria as award committees! Sometimes I have to give a book or movie a try despite it getting an award!
So you’ll be seeing Hidden Figures and La La Land soon? 😉
I stop reading and get back to the book after a time. I know that sometimes it depends on my mood. I like to read different genres, so it depends on my state of mind and think the writer and myself deserve a chance to understand the whats, the hows and the whys of the book.
That’s a good idea to switch up the genre. I’ve recently been trying to branch out in the genres I’m reading, and it’s been fun!
I usually finish most books but sometimes hop between two or three books and it may take a while before I return to finish one that I am struggling with. It is rarely that I give up on a book – I think that I must be a bit of a bibliophile.
I should do this more. Taking a break from a book might help me actually finish one that’s not holding my interest. My problem is that if I hop away from a book (if it’s an ebook) I forget all about it!
This pretty much sums up how I feel.
USMC 1970-1974
Semper Fi
No real Marine would give Traitor Trump a chance.
Again, prove Trump is a traitor. Unless you can do so, you should shut up.
And, any real Marine will support the President until he is proven to be a traitor. Which neither you, nor anyone else, has done.
USMC 1970-1974
Semper Fi
Trump is a traitor and a puppet. You’re a traitor lover. You make me sick.
You make ME sick since you are a traitor to this country and refuse to support the President. Maybe you should move to one of those banned Muslim countries, we don’t need people like you here in the US.
USMC 1970-1974
Semper Fi
I usually do a lot of review-reading beforehand, and often the sample (which doesn’t count as starting the book, since it’s rare that I don’t have a bunch ahead of it in my next-to-read queue), so most of the things I actually buy or check out from the library read get at least 3.5 stars from me when I read them.
However, if I find a book isn’t really grabbing me (boring, unpleasant, and/or unappealing characters), I’ll give it a fair chance. Assuming no objectionable content, nor abysmal spelling/ grammar/ etc., that usually means about a third. After that, a few have been set aside for “maybe later”, and others traded in as “not worth it”.
Incidentally, one of my favorite reads a couple years ago turned out to be Julie Czerneda’s _A Turn of Light_, which I stuck with despite a slow start because of the author, and was very glad I did.
I love that you can preview books. As an author it means I really need to nail the first few pages of my books, though! (Which of course, is a good goal no matter what.)
I’ve never read Julie Czerneda. Off to research her…
I always finish a book as i think It is the author’s labour of love and should be respected for that alone.
As an author, I love you! 🙂
I will give a book 50 pages. If it doesn’t grab me by then I won’t keep reading. As I get older I am learning to appreciate the fact that I am giving a part of my life to read a book. I won’t waste that time anymore on completing any thing I don’t enjoy.
That’s a good point about giving part of your life to it. I’m more and more aware of how the things I read and watch affect me. If I’m reading a book and it’s making me grumpy, it’s really not worth it. I don’t need that sort of thing spilling over into my mothering or life in general!
I have 75,000 bks so although I used to make myself finish no matter what, I am more apt to move on now than I used to be. That being said, it takes more than a few pages to make me stop reading a book. I have read quite a few books that I seriously thought I was not going to make it through and ended up loving them. But if I get to where I am about a fourth or halfway through and I see I am avoiding reading because I can’t get into it, I will finally give up and move on to one of the other thousands of books I own. I have way too many must reads to wallow away on a bad book.
75k books is a LOT of books. Are the mostly electronic? Or is your home walled with bookshelves?
Yes, ‘I see I am avoiding reading’ because of a book is a good sign!
Those are ebooks. However I probably have at least 2000 real books. We are being overrun with books. Hubby keeps saying I need to get rid of a lot of them. No way! I love books.
I tend to move a lot still so when I start packing my books I label the book with the “more important” titles so there are easier to find in storage. (At last count I had 20 boxes full of books. (Boxes range in size from the size of a 36 pk of soda to the 30ish gallon totes.) Gotta have the books.
I used to finish them until about 30yrs. ago. I still finish the vast majority of books that I read. At times I will skim through the book without reading all of it, especially if the book has long descriptive passages that do not really provide any benefit for the story. Life is too short for all the books I want to read.
yes it is!
I used to always finish books but I felt like I shouldn’t keep wasting time when there are so many books out there that I would enjoy.
You right about so many books, I’ve downloaded almost 1500 freebies in less than 13 months
You’ve hit the ball out the park! Incderible!
I have started this with TV series too. I used to feel some sort of loyalty to them. But now, there’s so many other things I’d rather be watching or reading than a boring show!
A pritvcavooe insight! Just what we need!
With paper books, I hated to quit, so would plow on, even if it was tough going. E-books are much easier to leave, so I have hundreds started ( mostly educational ). I rarely don’t finish a novel. Holidays are a time to catch up on reading much to the disgust of my non-reading husband!
Ebooks are SO much easier to leave. And then forget about completely. Also, since I don’t see the cover as much, I forget the titles, so then if I WANT to go back and read it, it’s almost impossible to find!
I get offer’s for free eBooks that tend to loose track of the ones I really want to read once I’m done with my current eBook. So I choose to make the little areas on my calendar for notes the place I book those want to read titles. It has helped a lot. If I’m sharing my current eBook and don’t want to loose my page, I’ll write the title and page number down.
I almost always finish books but some I dip into every few years.but have never read or been able to understand (Stephen Hawkins, Michio Kaku, etc) It took me almost 3 yrs to read ‘Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintainance’ as the first two chapters are so boring they actually kept putting me to sleep.I guess I’ve read over 90% of the books I start (other than text and reference books)
‘Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintainance’ is one of those books I’ve always thought I SHOULD read, but somehow haven’t gotten around to. Your summary of the first two chapters doesn’t lift it higher on my list! 🙂
After multiple starts, I eventually made it through to chapter three and started getting real interested. I think I read the rest of the book in 2~3 nights as it gets way better. I think the main problem was, at the time, I ran a motorcycle workshop so had different expectations. When I did eventually read it, I had been taking an interest in the psychology of ‘why’ we do things
I have a 1 chapter rule on bad books, or 50 pages if the book is ‘iffy’. “If” the book hasn’t held my attention by then, out it goes.
Unfortunately that’s a bit shortsighted. When I eventually read ‘Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintainance’ it didn’t really ‘start’ until chapter 3 as far as I was concerned. Of course, there are some real stinkers but I consider myself lucky I haven’t started or read them. ( I don’t get anything labeled as ‘Men’s fiction/thriller though as they are so unreal – even for fiction)
It’s funny that you say that because a lot of publishers have the same rule. If your book isn’t great in chapter one, they figure no one will read further and they won’t publish your book! Nice to see that rule has a basis in reality!
Should have had %. I have quit about 5% of books I’ve started. I often start a new book and then start with another that is of more interest to me
I’m amazed by how many people go back to books they’ve quit! I didn’t realize how much of a “One strike and you’re out!” policy I have. I don’t think I’ve ever gone back to finish a book I’ve decided not to keep going with. Maybe I should!
I will not read porn, no matter how well written. This means I stop reading many
Modern” romances, as soon as I hit the porn scenes. I then rate them as 0.0 stars, as the porn is *not* necessary to the plot. Don’t believe me? Try reading and skip over them. If it doesn’t advance the plot, it shouldn’t be there. IIt should be removed by the editor, if not the author.
I don’t even start anything that says ‘Romance’ in any form and have unsubscribed from several authors/lists because it wasn’t clear they were ‘romance’ novels when I signed up. The only book I’ve deleted from Kindle library was some BS ‘bondage’ nonsense (even that I managed to finish, but wish I hadn’t bothered) It wasn’t particularly graphic but unbelievably bad plot
I don’t tend to read romances but I do hear that complaint a lot. And in any genre, I’d really like all the action to further the plot!
I chose both because I review books, but I have not finished a few and told the author why I can’t read and review that particular book. Since I rarely choose a book that I think I won’t like, I finish about 99.5% of my books to be reviewed. The books I read for my enjoyment (only) have the same test, but since they are mostly authors I have read before, I finish them. Some are not as good as others but I still finish them.
It’s nice of you to let them know why you won’t review it. It’s hard when you’re trying out a new author. Sometimes things just don’t click! I get excited to find new books by authors I already like.
I try really, really hard to finish every book I start – sometimes I may have to stop a book that just is not engaging me enough right now & read something else that is clamoring for my attention, then go back to the other book again when it is something I can finish.
I can only think of 2 books that I have never been able to finish reading – when I was a teenager, I tried to read “The Winds of War” by Herman Wouk – I thought I was doing ok until I was reading along and this character was suddenly on the page & I had no idea where he came from – flipping back & he was on the last 20 pages – at that point I realized I was not absorbing or understanding any of it & put the book down. The other one was “50 Shades of Grey” – I found the writing style appalling & I could not get through it.
lol! Yes, missing someone who’d been in the last 20 pages would definitely be a sign you weren’t engaged!
I used to finish books but realized just how many books there are out there and that if I’m not enjoying it, I should just stop. This is something that has definitely changed as I’ve gotten older. Maybe I’m just less patient than I used to be, or it’s something positive and I’m learning how to say no to things I don’t like. I just feel like there are so many books (I have so many on my Kindle alone thanks to generous authors and my impulsive buying habits) I don’t think I will ever make it through my TBR list as is. 😃
My Kindle is pretty full too. And yes, it’s the number of books I WANT to read that usually push me to put down one I’m reading that isn’t thrilling me.
I usually finish them… I feel guilty if I don’t.
Me too, although I’m not sure what I feel guilty about. Letting down the author? Quitting something? I’m not sure, but I do have to work to get over that feeling if I really want to stop reading something!
I always try to finish a book — even if I cannot stand the author or his/her style. A perfect example of this is Thomas Hardy. I know he’s written many a classics, but he just doesn’t do it for me no matter what I try. I can’t even stand to watch movie versions of his works. ****shudders**** Through college even the cliff notes caused me nightmares. ****laughs**** I like JRR Tolkien but after 10 years have still not finished The Silmarilion. I try adding a few pages once a year in hopes of finishing it one day.
My main rule about reading is to give a book a good solid chance of half its life (if the book is 250 pages then I read at least 125) before saying “okay, this just isn’t working for me.” I’ve discovered some writers just take a bit longer to warm up before getting into the flow and it turns out to be a good and sometimes great book. If the author can’t grab into his/her story by the halfway point, either s/he isn’t that good of a writer, writes in a style that you cannot connect to, or you as a reader don’t have an experience to make the novel work for you. All in all the last two are okay — not everyone can connect to everyone. The first issue about the writer not being a good writer is usually just a sign of a young (new) writer who lacks either experience or a good editing team to help polish it up.
Mind you, this is all just my opinion as a reader, writer, and teacher. Now, if you will please excuse me, I have more books to go read. ****grin****
I like Tolkien too, but I can’t read the Silmarillion either! It just does NOT hold my interest. I know some people love it, but I finally gave up trying.
I usually try to get at least half way. Some books are so bad that I can’t make it even that far and others are so good that even when I am getting up at 4 AM, I find myself staying up late to finish. OF course, there are some that not good or bad and for some reason, I finish them. “sigh” I could use that time elsewhere.. Like working on my own books. 😀
Yup. I often think, “Should I be using this time for something else? Like my writing?”
But then I usually keep reading!
I am forever indebted to you for this intofmarion.
I have a kindle, so I can store lots of books, if a book looks interesting I’ll get it! My genre is Sci-Fi/Fantasy, which I love to escape into, I rarely read anything else. Most ebooks these days have a sample to read which is handy, I will normally struggle through a chapter or two before giving up and storing for a while until I’m in the correct frame of mind to try again. I rarely come across bad books, and after the author has spent a long time to bring a book out, I think it’s only fair to give it a good try.
That’s a really good attitude. Do you find that when you come back to books, you feel differently about them?
So far, I’ve always gone back to give them another try, some I’ve found waffle! a lot at the beginning, I want to get to the story, there’s a difference between setting the scene and too much waffle, I must admit, I’ve always gone back and suffered the waffle, and it’s turned out to be good, as for how I feel, maybe more awake so I can concentrate, must be comfy too lol, and sometimes I just have to read something. Jay
I think I need to revise my policy of no second chances with books.
And now I’d like to eat some waffles! 🙂
Only book I remember not finishing was a book by Stephen King. Can’t even remember the name of it, it was so boring. It was all about where he got his ideas, etc. To be honest, I didn’t and still don’t care where they come from or why. Just write entertaining books.
That’s funny! I know King has a book about his writing process and I know a lot of authors who love it, but I’ll share a secret with you – I found it boring too! 🙂
I try to finish every book I read, partly because I buy all my books and it’s a waste of money if I don’t. Also because, no matter how terrible the story is, I still want to know how it ends. Normally I try to plow through one before I start another, but lately I’ve been setting books aside to move on to more promising stories. I still intend to go back to that pile of unfinished books though. Someday.
When you go back to a book, can you remember what happens? That’s my problem. I forget what happens and who George is and why everyone’s avoiding him…
I have a vague memory of what happened and the characters’ names, but I usually need to refresh my memory. If I still can’t get through it, then I’ll reshelve it until I decide to reread it completely or give it away.
Of course there are varying reasons why I would or wouldn’t finish it but here’s a little explanation. If I received the book free for review I always try to finish it. There were three in the last year (yes, I remember them!) that I just absolutely could not finish because they were so poorly written! I then proceeded to unsubscribe to those author’s emails and not accept any other ARC’s from them. If it’s just that I don’t particularly care for the story line, I will finish the book as long as it is well written.
THat’s kind of you, and I know the authors must appreciate it. It’s hard as an author to find people that are a good match for our writing. Books are so subjective and we don’t want anyone who’s really bored with our books to feel compelled to read it, but on the other hand, without people trying us, how do we know? SO thanks for giving books a try!
When it was was a paperback I ALWAYS finished. I may have started a book or two in the meantime but always finish. ( i used to always have 2 books on the go) now with my e-reader and a lot of new authors coming to my attention I finish maybe 90-92% of them but I keep telling myself I will give them a second chance. I have noticed if on second chance the book fails to interest me in 4 chapters then it goes in to the until I have nothing new to read pile.
Do you find that your opinion changes often with the second chance? I wonder how much of our reading is mood dependent? And energy level dependent! I know when I’m exhausted I have a lot less patience in working through a book. I’m more interested in being entertained. But when I’m really awake, I’m willing to work harder at reading.
For me, I’ll stop for a number of reasons. 1)Bad/Minimal/No editing. It drives me absolutely nuts if every other word or sentence is a typo. 2)If the main character just drops every aspect of their life if they fall in love in a matter of minutes. Really? Come on! 3)There’s no story line. 4)It’s a random runabout in the characters mind of events that are or have happened and it reads like a badly written diary. The story should play out “in real time”. It just annoys me.
Now, this isn’t always the case, example: Edna’s Walters’ Runes Series. These books, especially the first few are filled with typos and I notice them but they don’t bother me too much because the books are AMAZING.
The one where the character drops everything when they fall in love drives me CRAZY! And yes to the poor editing too. I can overlook a typo or two, but not continual ones.
I tend to read a book straight through to the end. I have a Kindle PaperWhite that I keep about 100-125 books in it. Occasionally, I forget that much above that and it starts to lock-up. Although, I have put over 200 books in it. 3-4 times.
I have almost 15,000 ebooks of different formats, some of which have been termed ‘obsolete’; but that’s O.K. as I still have the e-readers.
I also have more than 5000 hard-bound and paperback books in my Home Library; of all types of genres.
I’ll admit though that I find biographies a bit difficult to get through. History is easier. Some. Science, Science fiction, and Technology are easiest to read. And Mysteries are the most fun. I usually read 3-4 books a week, and sometimes will be able to read 2 books a day. And this depends on how booked up (sales and gifts) I am with my art creations… I weave using several sizes of looms, and do unique beadwe aging designs. All from my recliner or bed; I have a damaged spine which restricts my activities. I also am trying to build a greenhouse for my new Aquaponics Gardening System (makes me move).
Pain can be an ally; and sleep is way over-rated.
Have yourself a Great Day!
David Whitmore, TSgt, USAF (Ret.)
That is a lot of books, and a lot of reading! Sounds lovely.
Sometimes I read something because it’s my job to (I’m a copyeditor/proofreader). Or, it’s for a book discussion. Or, I promised to give beta-reader responses (not any more—now I get paid!). But if it’s for pleasure, you bet that I’d better be enjoying it, or why continue? I don’t get enough time for pleasure reading any more, any way, so why waste it?
There are very few books I have not finished in my reading history. Most of the time, even with editing issues or just plain boring, I will at least skim the book to the end. Main reason is I was interested enough in the story to get the book and I still want to see the characters get their HEA at the end. One book I remember I read the beginning, skipped the middle half and then read then last few chapters. I actually had no trouble following the story through so the part I skipped must have been not too important.
There has only been one DNF for me in the last 5 years(since I started keeping track with Goodreads) and one that was because I found myself yelling at the main character in my head before I even finished chapter 1. It just got worse in chapter 2 so I never read beyond that.
Oh, I have done the stopp and go back later. Sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn’t.
I have a place on my desk with books that have bookmarks in them waiting their turn. I tend to read what I’m in the mood for. Once I have finished reading them then they move to the actual bookshelves. Some times I will an author that I love but the vocab is higher than my normal understanding. So I tend to take my time and when I have trouble with a word I look it up. Some time the book will be a book I’m reading with my kid and I have to wait for him to want to read it again before moving on through the book. Percy Jackson has been sitting waiting for four months now. Sometimes I just can’t get into a book. Homeward Bound is my best example. I’ve tried to read it several times after years I’ve managed to read the first chapter. That book just is too slow for me. Stephen King more a lot fast through his Bag of Bones book. Which is on my desk with three chapters left. Some books on my desk are just there being I love reading them and have read them several times. Thank you for letting me share. Second chances are always a good thing however some books aren’t meant to be read by me.
I have a very hard time giving up on a book, especially if it is an author’s first publication. I convince myself that the redeeming factors are enough to keep going… but I admit it shows me down from my usual voracious pace. Since I have an extremely huge ‘to read’ list, this can throw a wrench in my reading for awhile. There are the rare one or two in my life that I had to give up on, they were simply too draining on my time – and simply put, bad. I have pretended they don’t exist, thus don’t ask what books they were.
There are many reasons to put a book down one as simple as I just didn’t like it. I’m a very eccentric reader and switch between genres depending on my moods. For that reason if I pick up a book and I’m just not feeling it at the time I’ll set it down and try it again at a later date when I’m more open to that style. Or sometimes I want a book that’s just a “brainless” read, you know simple and fast that I don’t have to think too much as I read. I do get rid of books that just don’t work for me after trying to reread or if I thought it was an okay read but not something I would ever pick up again. That goes for paper as well as ebooks. I want to keep books that I will go back to over and over again.
I have to say that I go back to some of them again to try, especially since Stephen King’s The Stand and The Gunslinger. If I had just stopped, I would have missed out on some of my favorite books ever!!!!
If I find something, even one thing, appealing about the book, I will try to keep reading. But if not, I will stop. I often try reading again. But if, after that second attempt, I can find nothing appealing about the book, I don’t go back again.
I rarely find a book that I don’t enjoy. I’ll give a book a chapter usually, before I have to give up on it. I know the authors’ have worked long & hard to put a good book out there, so I really try to like them. 🙂
I read every chance I get. When I start a new book that doesn’t “grab” me by about the 4th to 5th chapter I’ll set it aside and go back later. Most of the time when I pick it back up after sitting for awhile I find it a “good” read. Rarely do I ever come across a book that I just can’t get into at all. Prior to eBooks of course I bought my books and I have many, and I’ve had to give away and abandon many. eBooks are a blessing for me. However, they will never replace virtual books as far as I’m concerned. The feel of a book in my hands, flipping the pages, and the smell of the book can’t be replaced by an eBook. If I come across an eBook that I love I’ll buy it as a hardbacked book (I prefer hdbk over pb). I’ve done this with single books and whole book series. I have a library with bookcases on three walls in my home for my books.
Depending on the reason I stopped reading a book is a big factor if I will pick it up again. Sometimes I just get busy and will stop reading the book until I can find a time I can read it without a lot of interruptions. If a book seems a bit boring I might put it back on the shelf for a while and I am happy that I have done that with a couple of books. Had I not gone back and tried again I would have missed out on a couple of good reads I enjoyed very much. Sometimes I just have to be in the right mood to read certain genres or types of stories so I might but them on my shelf until I feel like getting into that type of story.