SANDI SHILHANEK | When Is Enough Enough?
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Sandi Shilhanek
April 11, 2010

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77 comments posted.

Re: SANDI SHILHANEK | When Is Enough Enough?
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I used to put a book aside when it wasn't working for me. I figured I would pick it up again when I was more in a mood to read it. But that led to a bunch of books on the TBR pile. So now I don't feel bad about not finishing a book that I am not enjoying. I don't mind a book that is going slow but if there is something in the story that really annoys me I have no problem deciding that I am done with that book and going to start a new one.
(Maureen Emmons 6:43am April 11, 2010)

I try to complete every book
that I start to read because I
know how hard it is to write
something and get it
published. But when I find
myself wondering how something
got published in the first
place and fail to connect with
characters or story, then I
tend to give up on it. There
are so many other books out
there to read. If the story
doesn't grab me within the
first few chapters, then I'm
going to go on to find
something that will.
(Margay Roberge 7:30am April 11, 2010)

If I can't get ppast the first chapter then I read the end. If I like the ending then I start with Chapter 2 or 3 to see how they got there - because I already know that Chapter 1 should never have been there in the first place :>)
(Karin Tillotson 8:10am April 11, 2010)

I too have the nasty habit of finishing every book I've started...no matter how bad it is. It drives me nuts, but I have to finish the book, because MAYBE, just maybe it will start to get better. I can usually buzz thru a book in a day (or a couple of days if I'm busy). If a weeks gone by and I'm still reading the same book, thats not good. Unfortunately usually it will be a review book, which I feel obligated to finish...FORTUNATELY the bad books seem to be few and far between.
(Aemelia Manier 8:28am April 11, 2010)

I read a book every 2-3 days but if I cannot get into the story by about half way then I stop reading and never return to it as my thinking is if I couldn't read it in the first place nothing has happened in it to change my mind.
(Barbara Hanson 9:01am April 11, 2010)

I can recall only one time that I forced myself to finish a book that didn't grab me. And it wasn't worth the effort! I kept it to remind me of that fact! Then I boxed it up and plan to take it to the local book store to resale it back to them! Forcing yourself to read a book that just doesn't click for you, is like forcing yourself to clean the toilet! It may look clean afterward, but no way did you enjoy cleaning it!
(Deborah Riddle 9:19am April 11, 2010)

I have several books on a stack right now to read but it is not so much the book as I seem to be occupied with other things. I start the book and my mind goes other places. I don't think it is that the books aren't good. I think I am not into them far enough to be GRIPPED by them and then cannot let go. Now that my porch is warm and sunny, I just need to go out there with a cup of coffee and make myself forget those other things and just relax and then I will drift off into "another world"
(Barbara Studer 9:30am April 11, 2010)

I'll generally push myself at
least 100 pages unless it is truly crappy. Usually, I'll
put it on a shelf and try it
again. I've found that
sometimes I just have to be in
a certain mood to enjoy a
particular book. And I'll go
back and reread reviews on it.
If everybody else said it
sucked(why have I got it
anyway) it'll go to the bottom
of the pile but if it had
fairly good reviews, I'll give
it another shot.
(Lisa Richards 9:39am April 11, 2010)

Whenever I find a book difficult to finish I put it away. This just might not be the right time to read that particular book. Sometimes I have revisited such books and actually enjoyed them. There are a few that no matter how much time goes by I just can not get into them.
(Leni Kaye 10:55am April 11, 2010)

oh I general push myself to finish all books I start. If i really just can't make it through it I put it on the shelf and hope for a mood change one day will make it better. I hate doing that though cause the little voice in my head says that I have time invested in this book and what if it gets better at the end.

[email protected]
(Jennifer Mathis 10:57am April 11, 2010)

The only time I push to finish a bad book is when it's one I've received to review. I've never been one to push to finish a book that's bad or isn't grabbing me, but now, with the review gig, I have even less time for books that I pick for myself. So I'm even more picky. If I sense the book is OK but it's just not the right time, I may pick it up later. But if I can tell it's the book itself then on to the next.
(Nina Davis 11:02am April 11, 2010)

I hate to say it, but I do not always finish the books I start. More so within the past two years, I used to finish everything,no matter how bad or angry I got at the author for the choice they made in storyline. But now I'll start a book & if I stall out I put it aside for three months max., if I haven't picked it up again in that time, it gets donated.
(Sandi Logsted 11:04am April 11, 2010)

I usually read every book that I begin...even if I have to cheat a little and skim read the remainder of the it. I guess I always keep thinking "It's got to get better". Then if it really does get more interesting, I can go back and re-read the parts I skimmed if I feel I really missed out on something.
(Robin McKay 11:10am April 11, 2010)

I try to complete the books that I start but I do get distracted. The nice thing about alot of the ebooks out is that they don't seem to take me as long to finish. I do try to force myself to finish what I start though.
(Maria Durst 11:11am April 11, 2010)

I have allowed myself the freedom to quit after about 50 pages if I don't feel a connection. It may be my mood and the book may be something I'd like at a different time or it may just be this is not the book for me. There are just too many books out there not to enjoy what I am reading.
(Pam Nolan 11:20am April 11, 2010)

Sandi, I truly can't remember ever not finishing a book. I very rarely read a book I don't care for either. Am I just to easy to please? Have a broader sense of appeal? Or do I just know what I like and what I pick up always seems to work? I think I just have too many in my tbr pile, so with so many choices, how can I pick one that doesn't work? LOL I can say I read a Presents a year or two ago that I didn't care for so much. Finished it though. Like others, you hope for it to improve, and in this case, the end was better than the beginning.

Deborah - loved your comparison to cleaning the toilet:)
(Amanda Reeder-erdly 11:21am April 11, 2010)

At one time I would have said that I ALWAYS finished books once begun. I guess it was a point of honor. Now I realize that sometimes I'm just not in the mood for a certain book or perhaps genre. SO, I may set it aside a couple of times. However, after no more than 3 attempts, I just admit that this book isn't for me, no matter how much I may usually enjoy the author. I'm not a reviewer so I don't HAVE to finish a book. That said, I believe I can count on the fingers of one hand the books not finished. Does that make me stubborn or just good at selecting books that I will enjoy? Don't know. There's a world full of books out there, so why read something that doesn't motivate, inspire, or just simply give pleasure?
(Patricia Stinson-Switzer 11:25am April 11, 2010)

do you give up on a book that isn’t working for you? Yes, if it doesn't work right away from the beginning, I put it back on the shelf......
Do you keep it on the shelf and hope that another time, another mood it will work? Sometimes I do but sometimes I just get rid of the book. I have too many to keep every single one........
How do you decide when it’s time to give it up? In the first few chapters; if it isn't interesting, goodbye!.....Are you more like me and plow on through no matter what? NO, I don't have the patience......How do you motivate yourself to continue on? I don't; I cannot stand to waste my time reading a book I don't enjoy; I have too many on my TBR pile....I hope I don't sound harsh, but in all honesty, life to me is too short to get stuck with a book I am not enjoying when there are so many out there that I do enjoy!
(Peg Fragale 11:35am April 11, 2010)

I too make it a rule to never leave a book unfinished, and can only recall one sitting on my shelf that after reading little over two thirds. I put it on the self thinking it was way too far fetched for my taste. I love all the over the top teen novels, but this one was not one that would make me rush out to find the next in the series. The first complete series I read was set in western days. I do believe in verity. I do think it is better to read books once started because for me it is a journey from someone else's mind. I think it improves our own imaginations to read different media types. Builds us mentally. So reading one that is what we think is boring is in fact expanding us. I use to put books down easily in my early years finding I wasn't reading at all after a while. Wasn't till I was in my early twenties that I read all the classics I could get my hands on. I don't count the pages read - I only count the words I write.
I have not moved into the tech world yet and picked out a reader yet. Can't wait till I do because I always carry a book with me where ever I go, and it would be a ton easier.
(Ann Billings 11:42am April 11, 2010)

If I have a book that I can't get through I put it aside and hope to pick it up lately. Right now I have the totally awful problem. I have only one book in my TBR pile. It is a book I started to read before. Well not with nothing else to read, I have picked it up and am reading it and wondered why I never finished it before. Go figure
(Chris Hanselman 12:09pm April 11, 2010)

Most of the time I put it aside and read it later. I find I really have to be in the mood for most books. When I really can't stand a book I take it to my UBS.
(Joyce Mandle 12:22pm April 11, 2010)

I try to force myself to continue at least 100 pages, but if its truly not grabbing me by then I'll put it aside telling myself I'll read it later, but most the time it sits gathering dust. I need to weed out of my TBR pile all of those books I've started yet never finished. I feel guilty though for not finishing a book, mainly because I spent good money on it. Though sometimes I think it is my mood that keeps me from getting into the certain book. I have had occassions where I did actually go back and finish the book and was pleasantly suprised by how well it turned out, but that is not always the case. I have finished many books and thought to myself "why did I subject myself to that?".
(Shauna George 12:30pm April 11, 2010)

I pretty much finish about every book I start! I can only think of one book I didn't finish and I read it half way though, didn't get into it at all and gave it to someone they couldn't read it either!
(Gail Hurt 12:32pm April 11, 2010)

I finish every book I read, because if I
don't I'll always wonder 'How did it
end?' Maeve Binchey's 'Echoes' was one
of those books. From the very first
chapter I was bored. But I finished it,
even if it did take me two months
(hangs head in shame). Now I know
how it ended and in some twisted way,
that's how I sleep at night.
(Danielle Hartshorn 12:39pm April 11, 2010)

Thanks to the budget I don't get many new books lately. Those I do get are either part of a series I already have or one I just can't resist by fave author. None of those are ever DNF.
Years ago, when the finances were is better shape, I had a few that I either couldn't finish or were so tough to finish that I never wanted to read that author again. I usually gave it about a week. If I started a book and then let myself get distracted enough that I didn't finish it within a week, then that meant I really didn't like it. Rarely, I run into a book that after only a couple of chapters, I put it down without the intention of at least trying to finish it.
(Carol Cobun 1:11pm April 11, 2010)

I have a tendency to finish books that come highly recommended by fellow readers. This is usually a mistake. Otherwise, if I try to read a book that isn't connecting and I set it aside, it goes into the give away stack as I will never pick it up again. I've gotten much better at recognizing what I will like, but still have an occasional clunker. I firmly believe that it isn't fair to the author for me to push myself through a book I don't like and have quit apologizing for my individual taste.
(Cindy Ferrell 1:14pm April 11, 2010)

I very seldom stop reading a book without finishing. When I do, i don't go back to the book. Once is enough.
(G S Moch 1:23pm April 11, 2010)

If I start a book, I finish it. I cannot remember the book, but there was one that once you made it past the first 2 chapters it was easier to read & the story was good. That said, I do have paper books that I've bought (used or new) that I've never read. I look at them now and I see why I think they are interesting but some other author or series has a book out that I love & have to read and I get distracted again. Must be part of that Shiny Object Syndrome that I have. :D I have one ebook that I paid for that I haven't read yet (I have several free ones that I haven't read) and I know I will like the book because I love the author's other books, but I just haven't been in the mood to read it. I get in a groove of reading a particular type of book or an author and while other books look good, it is just not what I'm looking to read at that moment....sigh.
(Summer Sharp 1:26pm April 11, 2010)

I almost always finish every book I start reading. It has to do with I paid for it and I won't let the money go to waste (thanks Dad)! lol! There is one book on my TBR pile that I started reading soon after my father passed on that brought back so many memories of working for him in his pharmacy that I couldn't finish it. I haven't yet been able to pick it up again. Some books, one I read just recently, I didn't like and almost put down but, kept on reading and decided the book/s was/were good reading. It depends on the mood too.
(Trudy Miner 1:31pm April 11, 2010)

There was one book years ago that took me two years to finish... the book had soooo much detail in it that I could not stand it... I would pick it up, then put it down for a long time... every other book I have ever read took me no more than 1-3 days to read...
(Colleen Conklin 1:41pm April 11, 2010)

I usually read the end and trade it, if it's not working for me after about 100 pages.
(Marlene Breakfield 1:48pm April 11, 2010)

I sometimes will stop reading a book, but often I will try skipping ahead to see if it gets better, and captures my attention. If it does a good enough job, sometimes I go back and read it all from where I was first irritated.
(Jeanine Lesperance 1:50pm April 11, 2010)

With so many books that I want to read if a book hasn't got me interested in the story by the time I get to the middle then it goes back to the Library. If its my personal copy then I donate it to the Library in my apartment building or to our local Library for our annual sale in October.
(Teresa Ward 1:55pm April 11, 2010)

With so many other fish in the sea, if a book doesn't get me by the thrid chapter- or I can even reach the third chapter after a whole week of trying to read it- then it gets put aside. I may try again later- maybe I wasn't in the mood for that kind of story or what not. But otherwise, I let it go and move on.
(Sara Edmonds 2:11pm April 11, 2010)

I know what you mean Sandy. My husband got me a Nook for Christmas. I can't seem to put it down. I have bought a couple of paper books but I seem to reading only the nook. When I have tried to read the paper book they don't seem to be holding my interested
(Terri Heywood 2:26pm April 11, 2010)

I would say that if you can't force yourself to read it and its not doing anything for you give up! A couple of years ago I used to love chick flicks, but I hadn't read any for ages so when i went shopping there was a twofer which I brought. I was quite excited to read one of them, but after reading the first couple of chapters I was just like "omg I'm like totally bored out of my head". Later on I tried again, but nope, so I decided that it just wasn't my type of book any more so I gave up and I'm going to sell the books to my sister :)
(Jeni Matthews 2:44pm April 11, 2010)

I usually ty to finish most books I start especially if it is part of a series. That said, there are too many books being published that if one book is not catching my attention I will go find a different book and leave that one for a time and may or may not try it again.
(Lindsey Ekland 2:57pm April 11, 2010)

Hi Sandi, If I read a few chapters and I don't like it just let it go unless I am reviewing it or have it for my book discussion.
(Joy Hoormann 3:03pm April 11, 2010)

I know by the end of the first page if this book will be worth my time. If I have heard or read a good recommendation I may plough on a little but there are too many great books to waste my time.
(Mary Preston 3:18pm April 11, 2010)

I read the book all the way through, because if I invested money in this book, am darn right going to read it. haha!
Then I will make sure and not get another one like this again. awww!
(Julie Wolf 3:28pm April 11, 2010)

I hate to not finish a book... I usually put it back on the shelf and give it another go at another time. Worst comes to worst, I'll just read it little by little, eh.
(Ali Flores 4:00pm April 11, 2010)

I'm usually willing to give it another try. If I still can't get into the book after the second try then I would give up on it.
(Jane Cheung 4:08pm April 11, 2010)

Yes, I have not finished reading a book! There are those few that I just cannot wade through, it is always a disappointment. Sometimes when I try a new author that sounded good I end up wondering what all the "rave" is about. Of course if we all liked the same thing it would be a dull old world! There are times that it is just the mood I am in but usually it is the book itself. There is not set rule for me about when I decide I'm not wasting more time on a particular book, there just comes a time I know not to keep ploughing along! Thank heavens that doesn't happen often. There are times I have finished a book knowing I will probably not read that author again no matter how many good comments I hear/read. There are times I wonder what people found so appealing about a book. Again, it would be a dull old world if we all liked the same thing.
Sandi, as always an interesting discussion.
(Donna McClure 4:09pm April 11, 2010)

Hmm, I try to finish every book I start, stubborness my daughter says,however,if it really just does not grab me it's put aside and will be tried another time. Even if I finish it and still don't like it, I will try again.
(Elizabeth Parzino 4:14pm April 11, 2010)

I have trouble stopping a book that's bad, thinking surely it will get better.
I've gotten better about that, though. I don't' have any set number of pages or chapters. Just when it gets to a point that I say "I've had enough".
(Janet Lewis 4:18pm April 11, 2010)

I have had books I've started and either lost interest or just could not read at that time, so I keep them on my shelf for another time. It really depends on my mood or emotional status at the time. A couple of those that were finished at a later date turned out to be favorites.
(Allison Collins 4:29pm April 11, 2010)

I used to be stubborn about not wanting to put aside a book, but over time I've loosened up a little. I'll give a book about 50 pages,but if it doesn't grab me by then, I don't waste any more time on it. If the author is one I've read before and liked, I'll save it and give it another try later. I've got one now on my bookshelf that surprised me because I enjoyed the author's 4 previous books in this series. Maybe it will hit me later. If not, it'll either get traded at book club or go in the resale box.
(Jill Hayden 4:41pm April 11, 2010)

I read the first 50 pages or so and if the book hasn't grabbed me by then, I out it aside. I don't get rid of it yet though; I wait a couple of years and try it again; it's unbelievable how many books I've gone back to and really enjoyed the next time around.
(Diane Sadler 5:12pm April 11, 2010)

When I find myself losing interest in the book I am reading I put it aside and go back later. If I still just can't get into it I put it up and try again few mos later. I can only think of 1 book like that and it was one of my favorite authors but I will try again later.
(Brenda Hill 5:16pm April 11, 2010)

I will usually finish a book unless it is really bad or I just don't have the patience to wade through it. I am pretty selective and read what I am in the mood for so I think that helps. I don't feel as guilty as I get older about not finishing. I just donate it or return it to the library unread. I don't keep the book because I won't try again. I have too many books on the tbr piles!
(Mary Perry 7:10pm April 11, 2010)

I used to finish a book every time but now if I can't stay interested I give it up. There are too many good books out there waiting to be read! If it's a good book that I was just too distracted to read than I will try again another time. If it just wasn't for me than I pass it on to someone else and move on.
(Debbie Wright 7:10pm April 11, 2010)

I try to always finish a book even if I'm not liking it. There's only been one that I've stopped reading. I too am breaking into new tech. Breaking down and buying an ereader for my birthday. Still wish everthing came in print!
(Christine Hirth 8:09pm April 11, 2010)

I also have a habit of finishing every book I start. Sometimes it takes me several tries, but I have always finished. I seem to take spells of reading from print at times and ebooks at other times. I think it just depends on the story itself.
(Phyllis Crabtree 9:05pm April 11, 2010)

I've given up on three books in the last ten years. One was a book that I was given by an author I didn't know. The other two were by authors I have read for years. I can't find the one by Isabel Allende. I want to finish it. It must be somewhere in my personal lost and found. The third one is by Elizabeth George. I want to finish the Inspector Lynley Barbara havers series, but I can't finish one particular book and it would not be fair to continue without finishing the one I started. I think I archived it somewhere.

Other than those I have never given up. I don't even stop when I get to a section of a book I dislike. I struggle through until I get past the part I don't want to read.

Ray
(Ray Getzinger 9:07pm April 11, 2010)

I prefer to finish every book I start, but I must admit I have plowed through some mighty boring books. Lately I've been lucky and found the books I've read very interesting and I have spent a lot of time reading because I hurt my back and getting up and down from a chair is painful. I love working out in the yard, but that has had to be postponed. Reading has been a blessing.
(Gladys Paradowski 9:55pm April 11, 2010)

I tend to plow threw and finish even if I
don't really like it. There have been a few
over the years that I just couldn't stand,
so I didn't finish those - mostly those are
books on CD.
(MaryAnne Banks 9:58pm April 11, 2010)

I am going in the opposite direction. As ebooks become more popular, I find myself going more and more for hardcovers and for books with finer papers, inks and all the craft stuff that make a book a book to me beyond just the story.

I tend to plow through a book because so much of my life I had no choice that it is just habit but not always. Sometimes I am more in the mood for aq certain genre or tone. Real life gets in the way like before dentist appts. When I have stuff in real life that overwhelms me, I get pickier. I have a few unfinished books right now which I do like but I am just not in the mood for that kind of book right now. It's rare, but there are some books I just do not want to finish them. One book I hated so much I stayed up reading all night because I could not face knowing I had to read it when I woke up the next day! Mostly, I guess my reading moods go be genre/subgenre and have some relevance to real life (I find it difficult to read when I am sick or worried which is probably when I could most use the quiet). I try to pick them up when the mood is right more than just going through a rigid systematic chronological order on my shelves. It seems to make for a better reception and enjoyment.
(Merri Crawford 10:12pm April 11, 2010)

I'm pretty much like you - I finish every book I start. I have only once ever stopped part-way through and gave up on the book, as did my reading partner. The worst part was that it was a favourite author of ours, and both the back blurb AND the inside front cover blurb were well written. The book itself, however, was so poorly written, that neither of us could get past the third chapter.

Admittedly, there are times when I will just stack the formulaic books my father gives me (from a certain publishing company that shall remain un-named), because the formula they are written to just drives me up a wall after a certain number of books read, but that isn't the same as giving up on a book, because I do eventually go back and read them. Usually when I don't have anything better to read, however!!

Later,

Lynn
(Lynn Rettig 10:17pm April 11, 2010)

I try to finish every book I start but sometimes I just can't get into it. My latest one is Brava Valentina. I just couldn't get very far so put it away. I don't know that I will continue it at this time. Another good blog.
(Diana Smith 10:27pm April 11, 2010)

it really depends on the mood i'm in. if the book isn't catching my intrest i'll put it aside and start on another book. i could come back to the book later in the week or even in a month i'll try again if it dosent catch my intrest by the 2ed or 3ed chapter. i stop reading it all together. sometimes i'm suprised on some books that i put aside because when i pick them back up again and weather the first 2 chapters i end up loving them. does that make since?
(April Kirby 10:28pm April 11, 2010)

So I have a problem with this one. I start abook and I get stuck or dont like it, I keep reading hoping it will get better. then finally its over. Or I put it down but I dont pick up another book....I still feel i need to finish the book. Is there a therapy session I need? Just wondering. So basically I finish or I dont move on or I do start new book but go back and forth trying to finish the other book. Sigh
(Jennifer Binford 11:00pm April 11, 2010)

I'm one who will finish a book even it
it isn't working for me. I keep hoping
that it will get better. I have started a
book and realized after a couple
chapters it was a horror story and I
quit there. I just can't do those and
expect not to have nightmares. The
only other book I gave up on was WAR
AND PEACE. I started that one 3 or 4
times and could never get past page
100.
(Patricia Barraclough 11:13pm April 11, 2010)

No matter how bad a book is, I just keep going. I motivate myself by saying, "It will get better." Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. I think I've not finished a book because I didn't like it maybe twice, and those two times were years apart.
(Debbie Beverley 11:43pm April 11, 2010)

Great Blog again!

I'll give a book so much time before I put it down. If I can tell I just wasn't in the mood, I will put it down and come back to it later. If I am just not impressed with the story itself and it just can't hold my attention, then I will stop reading, but then, I generally will only pick up books that I think I will like for one reason or another.
(Carrie Hinkel-Gill 12:57pm April 12, 2010)

I sometimes go in stages. One week it might be historical, next paranormal etc. So if I find that I am dragging through a book I move to a different genre when I finish the one that I am currently reading. This way I do not come to hate a genre since I am always getting a taste of a new one. I have so many different types in my TBR pile and there are always new books and authors coming out that I just have to check out.
(Cindy Olp 1:35am April 12, 2010)

I hate not finishing a book, even if it's not something I like. I have found some books that seem to drag on sometimes wind up being a good read, (after you get past the first hundred pages). I always feel guilty that I didn't at least give it a try! LOL
(JoAnn White 1:59am April 12, 2010)

I finish most of what I start, but not all. I came accross the suggestion once to give a book at least I think it was 3 chapters before giving up and I try to do that. The only time I force myself to finish something is if it is for book club. There have been several of those I would have given up on if it wasn't for that, but I like that it gets me reading stuff I might not otherwise.
(MaryAnn Frerichs 8:41am April 12, 2010)

I tend to force myself to read books, sometimes skimming if I don't like it, until I'm at least half way through. There is only one book that I have not finished. I gave that one away.
(Cathy Phillips 10:04am April 12, 2010)

I keep the book if it is paranormal, but if not I usually get rid of it because I'll never pick it up again.
(Denise Tobar 11:29am April 12, 2010)

LOL This is a question I have asked myself many many times. It totally depends on the book if I give completely up on it, or just put it on a shelf until later. I have done both and find that some times when I go back it catches me, but if when I go back it is as bad... I get rid of it. There are too many books out there going unread because I am plowing my way through a book I am not enjoying. Especially now that I have my ereader. LOL
(Melissa Tackett 12:06pm April 12, 2010)

Funny that this is your topic for the week. I started a book late Sat. evening and tried all day yesterday to get into it. I can count on one hand the number of books I've put down in frustration, but I finally gave up on the ridiculousness of this one. I felt bad because I've enjoyed several other books by this particular author.
(Laurie Damron 1:18pm April 12, 2010)

I almost always finish a book even if it isn't great. But I'm beginning to think I need to change my ways? There is only so much time to read, and I want to spend it wisely.
(Mitzi Hinkey 2:15pm April 12, 2010)

Wow, good topic, Sandi!

I have ploughed through a few books that probably should have been left for later, only once that I can think of have I not finished the book. I'm not sure if I still have it or if it got sent to the UBS, but it wasn't a boring story that caused me to not finish it -- it was the language! I am not a prude, I use words myself on occasion that others may object to, but this book was horrendous. An 8 word sentence consisted of 4 or 5 "four-letter" words. Sometimes there was so much swearing that you couldn't even tell what the h/H was trying to say. If it's the sex that's objectionable, that's easy to skip over a page or two. . .

I am very lucky that I have enjoyed every single one of the review books I've been required to read.

I am also lucky that I have a reading partner who has a bit of a different taste than I do, so we can usually tell if the other will like the book or not, and that saves a lot of time struggling through boring stuff.
(Donna Breitkreuz 3:50pm April 12, 2010)

On the whole, I try to get through even a somewhat stodgy book. There are books that I haven't finished, but that has been mostly because they've somehow disappeared in a move or cleanup, or had to be returned to the library because the fine was getting a little too high and I was in a time-bind. Offhand, I can think of 4 books in my life that I just did not want to finish--and that's over more than 50 years. So I'm probably not one to give a standard on not finishing a book.
(Sigrun Schulz 7:03pm April 12, 2010)

It is very rare that I won't finish a book that I have started, no matter if I am not liking it or not. There have been a few audio books that I have stopped reading, but only because the tape or cd was not working properly.
(Michelle Sauer 5:04am April 13, 2010)

I hate to not finish a book, but if I am really not liking it, will just not finish it as I have soooo many on my tbr, so many books, soooo little time.
(Pat Lieberman 11:16pm April 17, 2010)

I have been known not to finish a book because it just was not working for me. I have come back to it when I had nothing else to read started again and it turn out good. I guess I just wasn't ready for it at that time. I have not finished a book because I just couldn't take every other word to be nasty or a cuss word. I can take a few but g.d. and a few more I just do not read. I usually check them out so I don't get that kind. I do read a varied range of books. Just not dirty, or science fiction, or fantasy. Prefer Legal Thrillers as #1.
(Yvonne Butler 4:21pm July 18, 2010)

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