Welcome to Tuesday Book Chat. This is where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week.
Today’s question is:
At what point do you give up on reading a book you’re not enjoying?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation by commenting on this post or on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.
Let’s chat!
For me it can depend but I have given up after a chapter. To be fair that book had bad language one word which is more slang but to me I don’t want to read was in the chapter 20 times. Most times I would give a couple of chapters. When I say chapters I am talking short chapters of 6 or 7 pages. Longer chapters it can be less. If it doesn’t grab me I tend to lose interest and stop. One big turn off is books with wordy descriptions which are more fluff than substance.
Your turn.
I look forward to reading your comments here or at the FB group. Remember all comments go into the monthly drawer for a gift voucher.
I usually give a book at least one chapter, depending on the length of the chapter. Sometimes I might go back to it a month or even a year later and give it another try, as sometimes it might just be the place I’m in that means the book doesn’t grab me, but other times it definitely just not a good book. Just like people deserve a second chance, I think most books deserves a second chance, depending on what stopped me from reading it in the first place – bad content is just bad content and can’t be redeemed.
thanks for stopping by, I agree. I have had books I stopped due to content. A couple after mum died were dealing with the same issues. One had cancer and I just couldn’t handle all the hospital treatments. (Mum didn’t die of cancer but it was to soon). The other was dealing with someone coping with a child who had just died. While they were authors I like I just couldn’t read them or go back to them as they remind me of that time. Others it has been cos I just wasn’t up to reading and have gone back later.
Unless the writing/editing sharply grated on my nerves, the story failed to hook me, and f-bombs galore exploded, I think I’d probably try to persevere for a few chapters. Typically, if I’d prefer to iron clothing than read the book once I’m getting close to the 20% mark, I sigh and let it go. Once upon a time, I would persevere to at least the 50% mark… then I realised my time was worth more than reading a book I wasn’t enjoying.
Totally agree but its wash dishes not ironing for me. I actually like Ironing.
sometimes the book is abandoned without me trying. as I don’t read like I use to when I don’t want to open the ap on the computer or I find days or even longer go by it often means I am not going to read more (exceptions happen like when Easter hits and I want to watch some movies) but if there is football or cricket or other sport I like I tend to read more and if I don’t want to when its on then the book gets left behind.
I Don try to finish a book I have started, even if I have to force myself to do it. There is one I could not keep reading. I was probably 15 years or more ago and I was doing Australian Literature by distance education at Uni to add to a Diploma to get a. Bachelor of Arts – several of the diploma subjects were credited towards a degree. I could not tell you the name of the book now, but it came into the modern era of Aust Lit. was set in Melbourne, basically had no punctuation and the language was awful. For the degree I did a major in English Lit and a major in Indonesian Language. Everything else I quite enjoyed but I just could not keep going with this one. Sometimes if I find the going tough I will have another book going at the same time. However I usually choose books I feel sure I will enjoy,
That should be “do try to finish”