# Are You Able To Stop Reading a Book if You Hate It?



## KReader (Jul 7, 2009)

I'm just wondering what others are like.  I've always been the type of person who finishes a book - almost no matter what.  Even if I despise it from Chapter One, once it is started, then I finish.  I can think of only two exceptions and they both contained a subject matter that I found extremely offensive that I not only stopped reading, I threw them in the dumpster.

I'm 40% through one right now.  I HATE HATE HATE this book and I'm hoping I finish it today so I don't have to read it anymore.  How whacked is that?


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

I can't do it. It hasn't come up often, but I've tried. Curiosity always gets the better of me.

On a similar subject, a few times I've read a book by a favorite author and not liked it all. Then a few years later I read it again and loved it. What's up with that?


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## joanne29 (Jun 30, 2009)

No I am the same way, though if I hate a book or I am bored with it I tend to skim it.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

It's pretty rare, but not unknown for me to not finish a novel. It has to be pretty bad for that, but is most likely to happen if the plot is just too stupid and contrived and the author has not created any main characters that have piqued my interest and made me want to find out what happens to them. Nonfiction is another matter: I'm more likely to leave one unfinished if it's a rehash of something I already know with nothing new or interesting to spark my interest, is just plain boring, etc.

I'd guess that not finishing a novel happens once, maybe twice a year at most for me (if at all) while I might have a similar number of unfinished nonfiction books each year, even though nonfiction probably accounts for less that 15-20% of my reading.


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

I used to not be able to put down a book I hate but I've been cured. I have read too many clunkers lately and have too many really good books waiting for me on the Kindle. I try to give them a fair shot, so I will usually make it to the middle before I give up. Honestly, if you haven't caught my attention but 20% into the book, it is probably not going to happen.

I used to believe that there had to be a reason a book was published. Now with so many smaller publishers and indie authors around, that's no longer the case. My time is just too precious and I have too many books waiting to waste my time!

EllenR


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

PS: Does reading a sample and then not buying the book count as unfinished? If so, then my unfinished rate is definitely going to go up now that I have my Kindle.


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## meljackson (Nov 19, 2008)

Not anymore. I used to force myself to finish everything I started but now I can stop. There are too many books I want to read to keep reading something that feels like a chore. I try to read the samples first to make sure I'm going to like it. The samples have really saved me some money! 

Melissa


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## Sweety18 (Feb 14, 2009)

I used to be able NOT to stop reading a book or watch a movie even if it was bad.  Lately though, I can stop and move on to better things


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

NogDog said:


> PS: Does reading a sample and then not buying the book count as unfinished? If so, then my unfinished rate is definitely going to go up now that I have my Kindle.


Me too!

In general, if I really don't care what happens to the people, I can put it down without a qualm. But, as many have said, I do like to give it a fair shake. I remember reading the first Thomas Covenant book. . . .first few chapters I'm thinking, "why in the WORLD would anyone want to read about this guy?" My DH who recommended the book said. . .if you get to chapter such-and-such and still don't like it you can give up. Sure enough, at some point it got good and I was hooked. Still, even as I was hating the main character at the beginning I was thinking. . .this guy has got to improve, right? And I guess _that's_ what kept me going. . .well, that and DH's encouragement. He's not much of a reader so if he read the whole series I figured there must be _something_ there!


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## bkworm8it (Nov 17, 2008)

I used to trudge through books that were so not worth the read... then one day I'd decided life was too short to finish a book I didn't like with so many more to read that I would enjoy.

theresam


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## Wunderkind (Jan 14, 2009)

If I find that a book is just not capturing my attention even though I thought I wanted to read it (the sample may have looked good or I am reading based on a recommendation), I will usually read through a certain percentage (usually somewhere around 60% give or take; this is a nice benefit of the % read feature on the Kindle) and then randomly jump ahead to see if anything in the story grabs my attention and if not, then I will read the last few pages of the book so I know how it ended and then happily delete the book from my Kindle. By getting through a certain percentage, I feel like I have given the author a fair shot. I have historically had a hard time not finishing a book so in a way, this is an improvement over my previous approach of rarely not finishing a book.

I just had to do this process with a Robin Cook novel and I was really disappointed that it wasn't more enjoyable.


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## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

I still have to finish a book I can't seem to make myself not finish


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Wunderkind said:


> . . . I will usually read through a certain percentage (usually somewhere around 60% give or take; this is a nice benefit of the % read feature on the Kindle) and then randomly jump ahead to see if anything in the story grabs my attention and if not, then I will read the last few pages of the book so I know how it ended . . . .


LOL! I SOOOO can NOT do that. . . .if I want to know how it ends I have to read through (mind you, there might be a lot of skimming involved!). . .if I decide I'm going to stop, I must accept I'll never know the ending. . .unless I run into someone else who's read it and get the Reader's Digest Condensed version from them. . . . .


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> ...I remember reading the first Thomas Covenant book. . . .first few chapters I'm thinking, "why in the WORLD would anyone want to read about this guy?"...


Yeah, that's one problem with having the main character be such a jerk.  There was just enough other interesting and creative stuff going on underlain with some pretty good writing that I stayed just interested enough to keep going. Eventually I ended up reading all 8 books (so far).


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

I've never had a problem not finishing a book if I just couldn't get into it. I'm not even curious what happens to the characters in the end. If a book got great reviews or is by a favorite author, I'll try to stay with it a little longer. Otherwise, out comes the book mark and into the donation pile it goes.

There are a bunch of books that are sitting around unfinished though, books that I always meant to keep reading, but just got distracted and didn't get around to finishing yet. Usually, this means re-reading if/when I do pick them back up. (_Les Miserables_, for example, has a bookmark at page 1077 out of 1450 or so...from over 10 years ago! I never _meant_ to stop reading it, I was enjoying it immensely...but now I'd just have to re-read the whole thing.)



KReader said:


> I'm 40% through one right now. I HATE HATE HATE this book and I'm hoping I finish it today so I don't have to read it anymore. How whacked is that?


I'm curious. What book is it?



Ann in Arlington said:


> In general, if I really don't care what happens to the people, I can put it down without a qualm. But, as many have said, I do like to give it a fair shake. I remember reading the first Thomas Covenant book. . . .first few chapters I'm thinking, "why in the WORLD would anyone want to read about this guy?" My DH who recommended the book said. . .if you get to chapter such-and-such and still don't like it you can give up. Sure enough, at some point it got good and I was hooked. Still, even as I was hating the main character at the beginning I was thinking. . .this guy has got to improve, right? And I guess _that's_ what kept me going. . .well, that and DH's encouragement. He's not much of a reader so if he read the whole series I figured there must be _something_ there!


I must have given up before I got to that chapter. I'd ask you what chapter that was, but that book was donated a while back and I don't see myself paying for it again. 

N


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## BookishMom (Oct 30, 2008)

I try to give a book a fair chance, but if it doesn't engage me after a couple of chapters, it gets tossed. My time is too valuable to read a book I don't like, especially when there are so many good books in the world I'll never be able to read all of them before I die.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Neekeebee said:


> I must have given up before I got to that chapter. I'd ask you what chapter that was, but that book was donated a while back and I don't see myself paying for it again.
> 
> N


Neekeebee. . . I'm not sure how far it was either. . . .but it really DID get better. . . .and while TC is a guy you just love to hate, you begin to meet other characters that you love to love and they slowly begin to reform TC. . . .takes 6 books though!


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

NogDog said:


> PS: Does reading a sample and then not buying the book count as unfinished? If so, then my unfinished rate is definitely going to go up now that I have my Kindle.


This. It is hard to not finish a book that I paid for, though.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

I don't have a problem at all. If I don't like a book, I don't finish reading it. It goes into the recycle pile.

Mike


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

I'll drop a book without hesitation if I lose interest or never gain interest in the first place. Life is too short.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

I "trick" myself. I start another book along with that one and then just happen to never get back to finishing the first book. 

Technically, I am currently reading 1156 books


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

Unless I want to poke my eyes out with the nearest blunt object, I try to finish a book. Even when the story is loaded with mass suckitude I at least want to find out what happens...sometimes there's a payoff, sometimes not. But it's rare I toss a book to the side without finishing it.


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## frojazz (Feb 10, 2009)

I have a coworker that not only can't put a book down, but he continues with the series even if he hates it just to find out what happens.  I've been trying to rehab him.  I think books are like people.  I can't like every one, right?


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I rarely stop reading a book unless it's written very badly. Most novels pick up at some point. I stopped reading *The Da Vinci Code*, and the only reason I was able to read as much of it as I did was that it was something to read while on the exercise bike. I thought it read like some kid's excellent adventure. I also stopped the dvd after an hour, something I also rarely do. I love Tom Hanks, but not this film.

I know that most of you will disagree with me on this one.


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## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

I have done both.

With Clancy's The Sum of All Fears, I finally stopped trying after the third try over a six month period.  It seemed like every time I started understanding what was happening in the current situation, he jumped to another part of the world and a seemingly unrelated series of events.  I feel sure that everything would have eventually come back together to explain the earlier jumps (like other Clancy novels), but I gave up on trying to get to that point.  

The worst book I believe I have ever read, though, was Cornwell's Isle of Dogs.  Even though I dreaded each and every page turn, I kept slogging through it all the way to the end.  I kept thinking, based on having read all the Scarpetta novels to that point, that it had to get better.  Alas, it never did.  I should have gotten a clue from Southern Cross and Hornet's Nest that this series was useless, but kept hoping the Scarpetta brilliance would peek through at some point.


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## Carolyn Kephart (Feb 23, 2009)

CS said:


> I'll drop a book without hesitation if I lose interest or never gain interest in the first place. Life is too short.


Amen.

I quit (early, in the first several pages) many more books than I finish to the end. A good read is hard to find.

CK


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## J. M. Strother (Jul 20, 2009)

I don't have any problem putting down a book I don't like. I do give every book I start a chance to hook me, but if after the first chapter or two I can't stand it, then it hits the reject stack. I will sometimes force my way through a book that's for one of my book clubs, but even then I'll skim big portions of them, concentrating mostly on the dialog to keep me abreast of the plot. I'm not a particularly fast reader, so I spend my time with books I like.
~jon


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## RavenclawPrefect (May 4, 2009)

I used to force myself to slog through books that I didn't like. I stopped doing it when I realized that it was taking away all enjoyment of reading for me. Now, I have no problem not reading a book. This is one reason I like the samples I can get on my Kindle. I can get an idea of the book before I actually buy it.

I love to read and read a lot (what a surprise, right?) I would much rather read books that I want to read rather than reading something I am not interested in.

Sometimes I will stop reading a book and then a year (or more) later, pick it up again and try it. I really want to give a book a fair chance but some books just will never be read by me.

Wuthering Heights is one of them. I have tried it so many times, I have tried it with ClifNotes, I have tried movie versions and I just can't retain a thing about it. I am okay with it because there are loads of other books out there still.


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## grandella (Feb 2, 2009)

I try to keep reading it.  I always assume it will get better!


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## harfner (Jul 5, 2009)

I have so little reading time, me, that if a book doesn't absolutely enthrall me, I put it down.  I'm very, very picky.


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## Jaasy (Feb 28, 2009)

It use to bother me not to finish one but there are too many good books to get stuck with a bad one.


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## bookfiend (Feb 22, 2009)

PreKindle:  I couldn't stop.  There was all this guilt involved about how much I paid, and it looked good in the store, maybe it gets                    
                better......  I was always picky about what I bought, so it didn't happen often

PostKindle:  Now, with the freebies, and bargain books etc.... I know that I have something better in my hands, and this one probably didn't      
                cost enough to feel guilty about.  So after giving it a fair chance, I hit my Home button, and find something better.


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

I don't know, sometimes I think I'm getting better at stopping but I think I am just fooling myself cause even if I stop reading a book for a while so far I've felt the compulsion to go back to it eventually......I just can't rest easy leaving unfinished business no matter how painful it is, lol.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

I have my permission to quit a book after 50 pages if I don't like it.  Often I'll end up past 50 pages before I realize it and finish the book, that is DTV.  Problem is trying to figure out "location" on the kindle, but I have no problem in not finishing a book, if I don't like it I don't even care what happens, and if I HAVE to know that I'll skip to the end and read that.  That's a reason I like the inexpensive books we get on the kindle, I don't feel so bad about not reading them.  My cousin just finished a new release that she absolutely loved, I don't care much for it and it was a $9.99, at least we share an account so one of us got to enjoy it.


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## Tippy (Dec 8, 2008)

I won't finish a book if I absolutely hate it.  Having said that I always experience a twinge of guilty for not finishing a book.  However, that twinge is easy to put aside -- just about as easy as it is to put aside a dreadful book.  There have been few books that make that category.


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## mattswifeof15yrs (Apr 30, 2009)

My neighbors and I just had this conversation last week.  I cannot stop reading a book no matter how bad it is. When I get a story in my head I have to finish it.  My husband says I have a form of OCD or some kind of addiction, I guess its better then a drug addiction.


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## jaspertyler (Feb 13, 2009)

I have such a short attention span that I just move on to another book.  I have the book I am not interested still on my list of books I am reading right now; however, after awhile I just never get back to it  (I'm usually reading quite a few books all at once!)


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

bookfiend said:


> PreKindle: I couldn't stop. There was all this guilt involved about how much I paid, and it looked good in the store, maybe it gets
> better...... I was always picky about what I bought, so it didn't happen often
> 
> PostKindle: Now, with the freebies, and bargain books etc.... I know that I have something better in my hands, and this one probably didn't
> cost enough to feel guilty about. So after giving it a fair chance, I hit my Home button, and find something better.


You put it exactly like I feel. I find myself more willing to not finish books now that I have the kindle and way too many on my list to read. I also find myself skipping back and forth between books a lot more now.


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

I cant stop reading a book no matter how much I hate it. Sometimes it will take me twice as long to finish that book because I dread getting back into it but for some reason I wont just quit. I can't help it. I figure if I finish it then at least I will "know" it was terrible rather than just assume it was


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## MikeD (Nov 5, 2008)

ravenclawprefect said:


> I used to force myself to slog through books that I didn't like. I stopped doing it when I realized that it was taking away all enjoyment of reading for me. Now, I have no problem not reading a book. This is one reason I like the samples I can get on my Kindle. I can get an idea of the book before I actually buy it.
> 
> I love to read and read a lot (what a surprise, right?) I would much rather read books that I want to read rather than reading something I am not interested in.
> 
> Sometimes I will stop reading a book and then a year (or more) later, pick it up again and try it. I really want to give a book a fair chance but some books just will never be read by me...


I couldn't have said it better. The older I get, the more I realize that time spent reading a book that I don't like just takes away from time that I could be using to read a book that I would enjoy. There are more books in my life than there is time, so I don't waste time on a book that I don't _really_ want to finish.

That is a paradigm shift from when I was younger. I only set aside one book ('The Sound and the Fury' by Faulkner) until I reached my forties. How many fun books did I miss out on during those years because I took up time with books I didn't like?

But no more.


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## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

I usually grit my teeth and finish the book too. I can only think of two books that I started but didn't finish because I didn't like them and they were both books that I got for free on my kindle. Maybe paying for a book does make me feel obliged to finish it. Like some of the others on this thread, I have taken a _loooong_ time to finish a book when I am not into it, starting something else and then reading a page here and there until I am finally done. I always have more than one book going.


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

I've gone back and forth all my life. I also used to be one of those people who, once I started a fantasy trilogy or series, I just had to finish it. I don't do that any more.

Of late I've been in the "grit my teeth and finish it" mode.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

sandypeach said:


> The worst book I believe I have ever read, though, was Cornwell's *Isle of Dogs*. Even though I dreaded each and every page turn, I kept slogging through it all the way to the end. I kept thinking, based on having read all the Scarpetta novels to that point, that it had to get better. Alas, it never did. I should have gotten a clue from Southern Cross and Hornet's Nest that this series was useless, but kept hoping the Scarpetta brilliance would peek through at some point.


Oh, God, I had repressed the name of that dreadful, dreadful book. I think I read about 5 pages and was ready to go burn it in a bonfire. I didn't finish it and I threw it away. I didn't even want to donate that garbage to the library.

Like others have said, I have probably started and not finished hundreds of books. Now, with samples, I don't have to consider them "started." They were just sampled. Makes a huge difference in my mind and in my budget.

L


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## RangerXenos (Mar 18, 2009)

I have a hard time stopping if I'm more than 40 pages or so into it.  I keep hoping it will get better.

It doesn't happen a lot, as I usually won't even pick up a book that I know I won't like at all.


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## egh34 (Jan 11, 2009)

I know there are some really great books out there that have bad beginnings, but I will never find them. Can't do it. If the book doesn't grab me in the first few chapters, I move on because there are WAY too many other books out there.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

egh34 said:


> I know there are some really great books out there that have bad beginnings, but I will never find them. Can't do it. If the book doesn't grab me in the first few chapters, I move on because there are WAY too many other books out there.


I know. I remember reading something a few years ago and I was plowing through and ready to quit and my sister said, "Stick with it, it gets really good at the 2/3rds point." 2/3rds? I have to read that much before it gets good? I actually did finish it but I am not sure it ever got "really good" but I was far enough into it that I wanted to find out what happened.

For anyone who is curious, it was *Possession* by A.S. Byatt and apparently, there are a lot of people out there who liked it a whole lot more than I did.

L


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## Figment (Oct 27, 2008)

mattswifeof15yrs said:


> My neighbors and I just had this conversation last week. I cannot stop reading a book no matter how bad it is. When I get a story in my head I have to finish it. My husband says I have a form of OCD or some kind of addiction, I guess its better then a drug addiction.


This is me. If I start it, I have to finish it...and since I can read no more than one book at a time, I have to slog through it in order to be able to start another.

(And I agree with your husband: I do believe it is a form of OCD.)


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## egh34 (Jan 11, 2009)

That is one of the reasons I have never read James Michener. Can't get past the first 300 pages of build up.


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

meljackson said:


> Not anymore. I used to force myself to finish everything I started but now I can stop. There are too many books I want to read to keep reading something that feels like a chore. I try to read the samples first to make sure I'm going to like it. The samples have really saved me some money!
> 
> Melissa


This is exactly how I feel!! With so many great choices at my finger tips, I can't read a book I don't like anymore. But I used to trudge through before more for lack of something else to read.

Rachel


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Like many, I used to *have* to finish a book I started, but no more. Life's too short and there are too many books easily available for my Kindle. Unless there are many many reviews that all state "stick with it, it starts slow but then it picks up quick and you'll really love it and it's really worth it", then if it doesn't capture me within the first few chapters, it's gone. And even then I may think twice and give it some real thought to see if it sparked even a tiny interest -- I rarely feel the need to like/read something just because "everyone else did."

I much prefer books that grab me right away to something that takes time to develop my interest. I don't mind if the overall *story* takes time to develop, but I want it to grab me quickly in some fashion.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

I guess it's pretty rare for me to find a book I hated that much. I have one on the Kindle now that is written in 5 parts--and I can't get into the fifth one because I'm still so


Spoiler



pissed off


 about the ending to the fourth section. LOL But I can't say I hate the book, I actually loved it up until that point. I just need a little more distance from it before I'll be able to finish it.

I did have one batch of freebies from one author's site where I got into the first one and it was SO bad that I skimmed to the end (which was even worse than the rest of it). I promptly deleted all the remaining books from that author from both Kindle & hard drive. I only wish I could delete it from my mind that easily.

Other than that, I'll eventually finish everything I start. I'll drop a book for a while if I'm just not into it (usually time for a genre change for a while), but I've nearly always gone back to it at some point. I'm actually toying with picking one back up from a series right now that I dropped in April. At this point, I'll have to start it over!


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2009)

It's not often that I don't finish a book I start. I'm a completist. If I truly can't stand a book, though, I'll dump it. One book I stayed with even after I had my doubts was A Confederacy of Dunces. I really didn't like the story, which was over the top slapstickish, or the main character, who was annoying and reminded me of people I wanted to not be around. There was some great exposition scattered throughout the book, though, and that kept me going. I stuck with it also because it was a Pulitzer Prize winner and I felt I needed to read the whole thing to figure out why it had won. In the end, the strategy paid off, the ending was priceless and made the experience worthwhile. If it hadn't been for the prize and the little diatribes of wisdom here and there, I would have dumped it easily. I now worry about other books I've dumped after the second chapter. What fabulous literary experiences have I missed?


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Neekeebee. . . I'm not sure how far it was either. . . .but it really DID get better. . . .and while TC is a guy you just love to hate, you begin to meet other characters that you love to love and they slowly begin to reform TC. . . .takes 6 books though!


Yikes! 6 books!  LOL

N


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

I think I was in my 30's the first time I didn't finish a book.  Until then it was a point of pride.  Now that I'm older than dirt I'm getting fussier and fussier.  The other night I stopped reading about 2 chapters short of the end, which was so obvious I just couldn't be bothered wasting time over it.  The Sample feature of the Kindle helps me choose better these days, but there have been a couple of Kindle books that I've just quit on.  A particular gripe of mine is books that are supposedly mysteries but are actually romances with a little mystery stuck in with the panting, yearning and other stuff.  I've only been fooled a couple of times on the Kindle, but as soon as I realize it, I'm through with that book.


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2009)

ellenoc said:


> I think I was in my 30's the first time I didn't finish a book. Until then it was a point of pride. Now that I'm older than dirt I'm getting fussier and fussier. The other night I stopped reading about 2 chapters short of the end, which was so obvious I just couldn't be bothered wasting time over it.


Mysteries can be pretty bad. Sometimes they are so formulaic that you can guess whodunit by the end of the first chapter. You can also tell who's going to be sleeping with whom. Really no point to reading the thing unless the writing is fresh or in some way of a superior quality. Usually, though, the writing is standard commercial formula. Yawn.


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## JetJammer (Jan 18, 2009)

I follow the *50 pages* rule as well.  If I'm not enjoying a book by the time I get to page 51, I stop and pick up something else (I usually call it 10-15% on the kindle).  I won't live long enough to read everything I want to read, so why read something I don't want to?  I almost never reread a book for the same reason.  No matter how much I enjoyed it, there's always something new to read!

As I've gotten older, I've even walked out of a couple of movies for the same reason.  Why waste two hours of my life sitting in a theater watching something I hate?


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I usually choose my books carefully, and it's rare for me to read something that is awful.  A lot of what I read is non-fiction/history and if it's too dry, I'll put it aside and come back to it at some point (unless the book is out of sight, out of mind like so many things in my apartment).  I've also put a few books aside to read what a history group is reading and discussing online.  Well, I did that when the NY Times had books forums.


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## akpak (Mar 5, 2009)

When I find I'm disliking a book, I usually give it a few more chapters before putting it down. That said, I have slogged through books that were supposed to be good (recommended, etc) to the end, just to see what the fuss was about.

I have no problem abandoning a book I'm not enjoying.


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

I can only think of two books offhand over the years that I actually quit reading.

The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey, I just couldn't get past page 100 or so, loved the 1st two books in the series and the Silmarillion by Tolkien, absolute torture.

The really funny thing is both of my boys read the Dragonriders of Pern series as well (I keep all my old books) and _both_ of them quit the White Dragon as well. I don't remember how the conversation came up but neither of them were aware that I had given up on the book years ago nor that there brother had given up on the book.


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## OliviaD (Jul 21, 2009)

Hi, Everyone.  I thought this was an interesting question.  I've asked myself the same thing a number of times.  I read all the way through Les Miserables (Victor Hugo), the most aptly named book in the history of print in my humble opinion and then wondered why   .  I believe that I kept hoping it would turn out all right.    Also I wonder if anyone has ever really read the Silmarillion?


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## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

Beryl said:


> Also I wonder if anyone has ever really read the Silmarillion?


I did when I was in high school, but I remember that it took me quite a while.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Forster said:


> I can only think of two books offhand over the years that I actually quit reading.
> 
> The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey, I just couldn't get past page 100 or so, loved the 1st two books in the series and the Silmarillion by Tolkien, absolute torture.
> 
> The really funny thing is both of my boys read the Dragonriders of Pern series as well (I keep all my old books) and _both_ of them quit the White Dragon as well. I don't remember how the conversation came up but neither of them were aware that I had given up on the book years ago nor that there brother had given up on the book.


Weird....White Dragon was my favorite of the 3!


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

Chad Winters (#102) said:


> Weird....White Dragon was my favorite of the 3!


I know, I may have to revisit the series at some point and stick with it. Looking at the popularity of her books I find it funny that that was one of the books I never finished.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

I rarely flat out hate a book - the exception being humor that's blatantly un-amusing.  I've read books in their entirety even though they evoked feelings of anger or revulsion .... and can say that I enjoyed them in that they did provoke an emotional response and were entertaining because of that.

Most of the time I stop reading a book because it bores me.  In those cases, I just cannot get into the book because I just don't care.  Sometimes that's just a matter of timing and a book I know is well written just doesn't work - in that case I'll try it again some weeks or months later.  But, other times its just not something that floats my boat.


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

I don't hate books too often but No I can't stop reading even if I do - pathetic isn't it


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## Francis (Jun 23, 2009)

Depends on how much I hate the book. If I absolutely despise it, then yes. If I only marginally hate it, I keep reading to see if it will get better, sometimes to my regret.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Chad Winters (#102) said:


> Weird....White Dragon was my favorite of the 3!


Mine too! It's the one I keep returning to on my audiobook file also.


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

Yes. I just did recently. It was 1 of the free romance books. The plot sounded iffy & contrived as it started out, but then as I read, still ch. 1, the writing was so horrible. I deleted it. I have too many books to read.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

rho said:


> I don't hate books too often but No I can't stop reading even if I do - pathetic isn't it


Put me in this category, I keep reading to the bitter end. It will stop me from buying future books even if I have loved the author/series to that point. A couple of folks mentioned Patricia Cornwall earlier - I LOVED the Scarpetta books and always bought the hardbacks the day they were released until I read Black Notice. I absolutely made myself finish reading it and haven't read anything of hers since.


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## Daisysmama (Nov 12, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Oh, God, I had repressed the name of that dreadful, dreadful book. I think I read about 5 pages and was ready to go burn it in a bonfire. I didn't finish it and I threw it away. I didn't even want to donate that garbage to the library.
> 
> L


Couldn't wait to get Southern Cross when my turn came up at the library. Only made it to about page 50 or 60 when I couldn't stand any more of it. Gal at work was next on hold list and I told her my feelings about it and was anxious to hear her opinion. Well, she didn't make it any further than I did before quitting. Didn't bother with any more in this series. Really sad as we both loved her Scarpetta books.


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## LisaW. (Jun 1, 2009)

I used to ALWAYS finish any book I started. Partially because when I was in high school/college/early 20's I read almost exclusively sci fi and fantasy books (which limited the amount of library books available to me). I currently read a much wider variety of genres, so I'm not nearly as limited as it used to be.

That being said, at age 31, if I don't like a book, I don't finish it. Either the plot or the characters have to grab me in some way. If they don't, then it's on to the next book. There are too many books that I want to read at any given time, so I refuse to force myself to be miserable reading a book I can't get into.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

I make it a point to finish every book I read, no matter how bad the book. However, there are those rare occasions when a book is so unforgivably bad that all the willpower in the world can't make me finish it. A few books come to mind. But Shadowmoon by Chris Clairemont and George Lucas was sheer agony to read and I gave up only 100 or so pages from the end. Even now I cringe at the very thought of that book.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Out of curiosity, I just went and looked up *Isle of Dogs* on Amazon. There were 739 reviews and 613 of them were one star! That gives you a flavor of just how bad this book is.

Ugh.

L


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## MoriahJovan (Jul 9, 2009)

I used to not do that, but then, like others, as I get older, I get pickier about my time.



> Mysteries can be pretty bad. Sometimes they are so formulaic that you can guess whodunit by the end of the first chapter.


Yes, if I figure out whodunnit anywhere before the 3/4 mark, I'll check the back of the book and if I'm right, I'll dump it. I did that with one of my favorite historical romance authors (although I had it figured out by page 70), and it pained me to do so because the concept was good.


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## Boston (Nov 7, 2008)

I read for pleasure and have no qualms about not finishing a book.  

With DTB's I was notorious for not finishing books (probably 1 in 4).  I didn't have to even hate it...not liking it was enough to put it down.  Usually, I'd give it a second try at a later time thinking it might just be my frame of mind.  But if it doesn't pass the "two try" test then I give up for good.

I have found that with the Kindle, I have stuck with more books  because it makes it easier to skim.  And I also find that the Kindle makes it harder to flip ahead to see if the book changes pace (something I used to do to determine whether I'd stick with it or not).  I've probably only abandoned a handful of books. 

The fact that I am finishing more books that I don't like from the start is a good or bad depending on whether the book truly gets better.    I feel better about my reading habits but I do find myself often thinking "I could've spent my time better than reading that one".


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

Boston said:


> I read for pleasure and have no qualms about not finishing a book.
> 
> With DTB's I was notorious for not finishing books (probably 1 in 4). I didn't have to even hate it...not liking it was enough to put it down. Usually, I'd give it a second try at a later time thinking it might just be my frame of mind. But if it doesn't pass the "two try" test then I give up for good.
> 
> ...


This is pretty much opposite of what others have said. The exact same reason they end up quitting on a Kindle book is because its easier to move on etc. But I see the reasons behind both sides and can understand exactly.


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## crosj (Nov 8, 2008)

Life is too short to waste my time on something I don't enjoy so I just delete it and move on.


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## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

Figment said:


> This is me. If I start it, I have to finish it...and since I can read no more than one book at a time, I have to slog through it in order to be able to start another.
> 
> (And I agree with your husband: I do believe it is a form of OCD.)


I'm the same way


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## loriltx (Jul 17, 2009)

I used to finish a book I had purchased no matter what.  As I got older and most of the books I purchased were hardbacks, I felt compelled to finish them.  Now that I'm 53, I think life's just to short to read a book that I am no enjoying.  However, I will force myself to read at least 1/3 of the book before I give up.  There have been several that I have wanted to give up on that actually have turned out to be okay.


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

Im actually surprised by the responses in this thread. I expected alot more people to fall into the category of "having to finish the book no matter what". I can see the other side p.o.v now though after reading through this thread. I just can't help myself even if I end up skimming 90% of the book I still have to get through it enough to finish. 

Maybe eventually I will get sick of finish every terrible book I start and learn to put it down and move onto a good one when necessary.


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## OliviaD (Jul 21, 2009)

loriltx said:


> I used to finish a book I had purchased no matter what. As I got older and most of the books I purchased were hardbacks, I felt compelled to finish them. Now that I'm 53, I think life's just to short to read a book that I am no enjoying. However, I will force myself to read at least 1/3 of the book before I give up. There have been several that I have wanted to give up on that actually have turned out to be okay.


I agree completely. Life is too short to waste valuable time reading books that don't grab me. I'm finding too many good things in Kindle to ever think about reading something like that. I do like to read far enough to get a real feel for the book before I give up, but once I decide... that's it. Beryl


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

Oh man, I just went through this a few weeks ago. I liked the beginning of the book but it never took off the way I thought it would, it just kept dragging out. I went into skimming mode. I thought I'd at least skim the rest. About 3/4 of the way through I just quit reading it and deleted it from my K. I won't pick it up again. It was historical fiction so I knew what was supposed to have happened which probably helps me not care how the author ended up finishing off his butcher job.

The Golden Compass, got a couple chapters in and stopped reading, didn't hold my interest. Same with the Harry Potter series.


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## legalbs2 (May 27, 2009)

I agree with all of you.  I feel guilty not finishing a book I purchased; however, I am getting over it the older I get.  Life is too short for sure!

I am presently reading 5 books for various reasons, and am enjoying only one of them right now.  Some books suck you in and then you get bored, but eventually finish it.  I try to read one book from start to end, but now with the Kindle; not so much.  Too many fun free reads too.

Anyone ever buy a Sample from the Sample and have the book ACTUALLY begin where you left off in the Sample?  I never have.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

legalbs2 said:


> Anyone ever buy a Sample from the Sample and have the book ACTUALLY begin where you left off in the Sample? I never have.


That's because it's not designed to work that way. If you read a sample and decide you are going to buy the book, you should note the location number at which the sample ends so you'll know where to pick up reading. The sample and the full book are completely separate files.

And, incidentally, you can download samples more than once. . . . .


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## legalbs2 (May 27, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> That's because it's not designed to work that way. If you read a sample and decide you are going to buy the book, you should note the location number at which the sample ends so you'll know where to pick up reading. The sample and the full book are completely separate files.


I thought so. However, I know I read somewhere that it would do that. Makes sense that it won't since they are two different files. Thanks.


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> And, incidentally, you can download samples more than once. . . . .


Yes. I do this _all_ the time! 

N


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Yeah. . .that's why I mentioned it. . . every now and then I change the sort order from my usual 'most recent' to 'by title' to find and delete the extra samples. . . .one time I found 3 copies of a sample.  I took that as a sign that I ought to just buy the book since three separate times I thought it looked good enough to try.


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> That's because it's not designed to work that way. If you read a sample and decide you are going to buy the book, you should note the location number at which the sample ends so you'll know where to pick up reading. The sample and the full book are completely separate files.
> 
> And, incidentally, you can download samples more than once. . . . .


Can you purchase/download the same book twice from amazon? Or do they let you know that you already own this one somewhere if you try to buy it a second time?

I've often thought I might one day accidentally forget Ive bought a book on amazon and go to re-buy it. I hope they give u a warning that you already bought it once before.


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## egh34 (Jan 11, 2009)

koolmnbv said:


> Can you purchase/download the same book twice from amazon? Or do they let you know that you already own this one somewhere if you try to buy it a second time?
> 
> I've often thought I might one day accidentally forget Ive bought a book on amazon and go to re-buy it. I hope they give u a warning that you already bought it once before.


It has been my experience that you cannot download a book twice and get charged. I think twice I have done that and they come back with "Sorry, you have already purchased that book."


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

When your at the Amazon site on your computer it will say whether you've already purchased the book.  Not sure about the Kindle store from the Kindle. . . . .


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## mumsicalwhimsy (Dec 4, 2008)

I recently abandoned a book I never should have purchased in the first place.  
Subject matter was not something I could embrace or endorse....  thought I could skip a few pages and get on with the story, only to discover... the erotic violence WAS the story.
Now, I just wish I could remove it permanently from Amazon....  it is an embarassment and a thorn in my OCD side.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

mumsicalwhimsy said:


> I recently abandoned a book I never should have purchased in the first place.
> Subject matter was not something I could embrace or endorse.... thought I could skip a few pages and get on with the story, only to discover... the erotic violence WAS the story.
> Now, I just wish I could remove it permanently from Amazon.... it is an embarassment and a thorn in my OCD side.


What book? If it's from one of our KB authors, I can understand your reluctance in naming it.

Otherwise, spill the beans.


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## koolmnbv (Mar 25, 2009)

CS said:


> What book? If it's from one of our KB authors, I can understand your reluctance in naming it.
> 
> Otherwise, spill the beans.


Im curious too.


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## mumsicalwhimsy (Dec 4, 2008)

Yes, the author posts here....  so, I was surprised to find the erotic aspect of her work.... even though the product description on Amazon said not one word about the erotic nature of this thriller.    Perhaps I am naive in thinking thrillers do not require sexuality to be good reads.    
No, I don't want to say anything else about the author or book.... I am not out to hurt anyones feelings or sales.    I was just really surprised and quit reading.... I probably should have sampled the book first.... but I did not.... 'nuff said.


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## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> When your at the Amazon site on your computer it will say whether you've already purchased the book. Not sure about the Kindle store from the Kindle. . . . .


I've accidentally tried from my Kindle, and it says the same thing.


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## OliviaD (Jul 21, 2009)

Give us a hint... maybe some of us would like


Spoiler



erotic violence


 LOL! Of course, it wouldn't be me, but there maybe others...  Beryl


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

I've always finished a book whether I like it or not. One reason is that I'm a writer and if a book's not working, I want to understand why. Also, I want to see if the author manages to pull it together at the end, or if the story completely unravels. Third, as a writer, I do appreciate the work any writer puts into completing a book and the risk she or he takes once it's published. Very scary! Fourth, about two years ago, I started reviewing books, and although I don't work for any magazine, I take reviewing seriously and my conscience won't let me post a review of a book I haven't finished.

Having said all that though, I'm getting older and a little more irritable when I read a book that clearly should have had another round of editing before publication. So, I totally understand people who say that life's too short too waste on bad books. I'm becoming much more choosy about the books I decide to review.


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

I pretty much feel inclined to finish anything that I've paid for, I did manage to stop reading _The Pillars of the Earth_ but I just restarted it today (re-read five paragraphs or so to reorient myself) so I don't know if it should count.

Freebies, on the other hand, I will be much more inclined to quit, after all, most of them were selected simply because they were free.


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

Here's an intersting article on this:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/24/edge-closing-the-book-on-a-bad-read/

Rachel


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

While I agree with the overall premise that life is too short to read bad books (Hey, that would make a great t-shirt), I have to disagree with this:

"If I'm reading a truly, actively bad book, I'll throw it out," he says. His wife will protest, but he points out that he's doing a public service: "If I don't throw it out, someone else might read it." If that person is one of the many committed to finishing a book once started, he's actually doing harm.

If it's an actual, physical book I would never throw it out. Well, 'never say never' I guess, but I've yet to find a book _that_ bad. There have been a lot where I've said, "this is not what I like to read" but I always figure it's what _someone_ would like to read. So I'd donate it for re-sale or something.

I think it's the height of arrogance to assume that anyone should substitute my judgment for his/her own, or for me to conclude that a book, because I don't care for it, would be harmful to another. Maybe it's exactly what someone else needs! I mean, take the "best and worst" books thread here: There are a lot of books that you will find on both lists!


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

If I  actively dislike a book, not just  dislike the characters, as in the case of Lolita where the author wrote them all to be unsympathetic, but if a book is completely dislikeable to me I give it 30% then it goes. If it is a physical book I'll offer it on bookcrossing, wild release it, or donate it. Kindle book go back to cyberstorage.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

For a printed book, I'll give it a hundred pages, occasionally less if it really fails to interest me or if the writing style grates on me too much. Now that I'm reading mostl;y Kindle books, I'm not sure how much I would read before giving up, but probably 2-3 hours of reading.

This doesn't happen very often, maybe 5% of the books I read.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

30 pages.  If I'm not engaged by then, it won't make it.  Very rarely will I give it another 20 if there's some element that intrigues (plot or character or SOMETHING).  Mostly it's 30 or under, I set it down and that's it.

I think I have put down a few books at the halfway or greater point but it's usually due to a torture scene or some other scene/act that I can't stomach.


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## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

Absolutely!  I've dropped countless numbers of books midway.  Life is too short, and there are WAY too many good books in the world, to waste even a moment on something I dislike.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I will normally give a book 2 chapters. If the story is not keeping my interest at the end of two chapters, I will go get another book. If I don't like the writing style, I will put it down before then. Just this weekend I deleted three books in about an hour period. All were freebies from Amazon so I wasn't too gutted by the experience.


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## Patra (Feb 24, 2009)

I've read a couple recently that I should have put down very early, but because of rave reviews I just kept thinking they _had_ to get better. Unfortunately, they never did. I've just about decided that anything with two words for a title, the first being "The," are going to be looked at very closely before I decide to buy. LOL


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

In the July/August issue of Bookmarks Magazine, the editor admitted to not being able to finish some books and asked readers to write in with their "I just couldn't finish it" stories.  The September/October issue just arrived at my house and they apparently got quite a response.  Usually the 'letters' section is just two columns of one page; this issue it's two pages -- 5 full columns.  Many of the books mentioned above are included. . . .


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Forster said:


> I don't know, sometimes I think I'm getting better at stopping but I think I am just fooling myself cause even if I stop reading a book for a while so far I've felt the compulsion to go back to it eventually......I just can't rest easy leaving unfinished business no matter how painful it is, lol.


Same here, I have to finish a book. I don't always finish it immediately, but at some point I have to go back to them. I keep hoping I will have matured in my reading or my tastes will be a bit more refined, or some other such nonsense because I too hate leaving things undone. 
deb


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I used to finish books, especially if I paid for them.  The older I got, the less I did it.  Now?  If I'm not liking it in 30 pages, that's about it.  If it's "okay" I'll skim and skip and see if there's a part that picks up.  Sometimes, I skip to the end just to make sure that, 'yup, this is where it's going and I don't care how it gets there because I'm bored."  You know I've never been wrong that I can remember when I've skipped to the back to check.  (Could be faulty memory to make myself feel better, you never know!)  I can think of a recent book that pretty much ended like I expected, but even the last chapter that I read was more boring than I could have guessed.

I have thrown 2 books in the trash.  I found the content so offensive I thought the books should have come with a warning or something to indicate the nature of what was inside.  I have returned...one or maybe two books to where I bought them--same reason--content that I found so distasteful, I refused to keep them or have contributed a single dollar to the publisher/author/bookstore.


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## CeliaHayes (May 25, 2009)

If I hate it, I usually give up, or maybe skim to the end of it, just to see how it ends. Life is too short to waste it reading something you really don't like, and there are too many better books out there.

Celia Hayes
_The Adelsverein Trilogy_


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## OliviaD (Jul 21, 2009)

I read a lot of non-fiction books about religion and mythology and sometimes it is so boring I have to keep putting it down and going back.  I have about 8 books right now that I'm avoiding 'going back' to.  LOL. Beryl


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## geneven (Jul 30, 2009)

I have actually gotten almost to the end of a book and said to myself, "you know what? I DON'T CARE how this ends!" And I've put it down.

Normally, though, I don't read  books unless I have some reason to think they are good, such as the opinion of others. So, I want to finish them, if only to find out why I disagree. If a book is just not  working for me, though, I put it down, and I try it at some other time, unless I have a really bad feeling about it,which is unusual.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Life's too short and there are too many books I want to read (and may never get to) to keep reading a book I don't like.


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## Kind (Jan 28, 2009)

I have absolutely no problem dropping a book right in the middle of reading it. And I won't wonder about how it ended or anything like that.


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2009)

I guess it depends on exactly HOW the book is bad.  Some books I've reviewed are like train wrecks.  You know you shouldn't look, but you can't help but stare and wonder how it got that bad.   

But for the most part, if I really hate a book, I put it down.  There are too many good books out there to waste my time on something that I don't like.


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## Shandril19 (Aug 18, 2009)

Somewhere along the way, I read about a "rule" that suggested that you give a book 50 pages.  If it hasn't grabbed you in 50 pages, feel free to put it down.  If you get bored anywhere after 50 pages, put it down.

The 50 pages guideline was for those aged 50 and under.  If you're over 50, subtract a page for every year over 50.  So if you're 60, then give a book 40 pages.  

It actually made it much much easier for me (and my parents who had come across it) to walk away from books.  No guilt.

Although now I'm trying to figure out how to come up with the Kindle equivalent....


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Shandril19 said:


> The 50 pages guideline was for those aged 50 and under. If you're over 50, subtract a page for every year over 50. So if you're 60, then give a book 40 pages.


But. . . . when you get to be 100 you'll never read again!


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Ann, too funny.  
deb


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## Shandril19 (Aug 18, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> But. . . . when you get to be 100 you'll never read again!


Hey - when I'm 100, a book better capture me from the very beginning. No point taking any chances then!


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

Ordinarily no! I found out recently that I do seem to have an awfulness threshold ... a book CAN be so bad that I stop reading it (discovered this while attempting the freebie "The Brass Bed").

Prior to that I had even gotten so stuck as to have to finish bad multi-book series (Twilight and Nora Robert's Circle Trilogy spring to mind).


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

I think with the Kindle, it's easier to stop reading a book that doesn't grab you. If you bought the book or got it free from Amazon, delete it. Then, should you feel obliged to finish the book later on, bring it back from your archive.


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

bardsandsages said:


> I guess it depends on exactly HOW the book is bad. Some books I've reviewed are like train wrecks. You know you shouldn't look, but you can't help but stare and wonder how it got that bad.


ROFLMAO!! That just made me laugh out loud because it is so darn true.

EllenR


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

I'm a habitual finisher of fiction, even if it is a slog I'll tough it out. Don't hold myself to that with non-fiction, mainly because I can usually short-cut to the end pretty easily (hey, the North won the war, shocker!!). Anyway, even painful books like the Wizards First Rule are passable and may even have a payoff, like the Last Revenant. Tolkein is about the only exception. I have read the Silmarillion and quite a bit of his ancillary LOTR works, but "Children of Hurin" would require more cross-referencing and effort (and I sorta bit him in the non-fiction category anyway  than I'm willing to invest.

I've gone through lots of samples in the Kindle, but even those are usually books I would read, based on reviews. I use the samples just to remind me to buy them later. I've gotten pretty discriminating as reading time becomes more precious, my only real period of new author discovery comes during plane trips when I can devour several books over a few days of traveling.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Sometimes, I'll put a book aside, thinking I'll get back to it. One such book is *Eat Pray Love*. I just remembered this when I read a blog article about that book yesterday. The book started out well, but later on I just didn't feel compelled to continue with it.


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## KLBrady (Sep 7, 2009)

I haven't been officially diagnosed, but I'm all but certain I suffer from adult ADD. You'd think as an author that I'd have more patience for reading books all the way through, but I really don't. I can get past minor grammatical things (I think we're all guilty of that), that doesn't bother me so much. But if the plot doesn't pull me in or the main character doesn't give me some kind of emotional reaction (good or bad), then I'll drop it in a heartbeat. I don't really care about how popular the writer is either--if it's not good, it's not good. 

The only time I'll read all the way through is when I want to read for mechanics and pacing so I can learn what NOT to do in my own writing.


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## Nicky (Sep 9, 2009)

There have only been three or four books that I've quit part way through. I'm a much larger offender of not finishing a series. Probably about half the series I start lose me somewhere between the 3rd and 5th book.


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## chilady1 (Jun 9, 2009)

As much as it might pain me, I tend to struggle through even a BAD book.  I think in all of my reading life, I have only ever stopped reading a bad book twice.  I have some kind of OCD like symptoms when it comes to this.  Even with a bad book, I feel like I have to complete it.  So I trudge my way through it even though I could be reading something else.


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## akagriff (Sep 8, 2009)

I'm currently reading Anna Karenina.  I'm about 50% through and I've been thinking about stopping.  Not because I hate the book, but because it's just gotten boring.  I keep thinking that I'm 1/2 way through and it would have been a waste of time if I didn't finish.  I've decided to read about Tolstoy and the book to see if it sparks some excitement for me.


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