# How long do you keep reading if you don't like the book?



## vickir (Jan 14, 2009)

I apologize if someone else already started this thread, but I was wondering how long do you read if you don't like the book?
I read about a librarian's rule of 100 that I love. If you are under 50, read the first 100 pages before quitting. If you are 50 or over, subtract your age from 100 and that's how many pages you read.
Told that to people in my book club and one woman, in her 70s, said she's doing that from now on.

Too many good books to read to bog down in one you don't like!!

Your thoughts?


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## lib2b (Apr 6, 2010)

I tend to always finish books I start, even if they're painfully bad.  I have problems with not finishing something I start (books, movies, tv shows).  It's a bad habit because it does mean that sometimes I waste my time doing something I don't enjoy for no good reason.


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## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

lib2b said:


> I tend to always finish books I start, even if they're painfully bad. I have problems with not finishing something I start (books, movies, tv shows). It's a bad habit because it does mean that sometimes I waste my time doing something I don't enjoy for no good reason.


ITA


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I will quit a book at almost any point if I don't like it. Probably most often, if I do quit, it will be somewhere between 15% to 50% of the way through: I'll make myself read for at least a bit to see if it gets better, and if I've gotten really far into it I'm more likely to make myself finish...or maybe just skip to the end.  One thing I do love about the Kindle is the ability to sample books, so I can make a no-go decision without feeling financially committed to a book. Unfortunately, every now and then you run across a book with so much front matter in it that the sample doesn't really let you know what a book is like.  

I do find that as the years go by, I'm more likely to quit on a book if I don't like it. I'm not sure how much that is due to an increased desire not to waste time, and how much I'm getting pickier as to what I consider to be worthwhile to read.


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## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

few chapters


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I usually finish what I start, because there is usually a reason why I chose the book.  Sometimes I just put the book aside (at any point) with the idea that I will come back to it after I read other books.  Exceptions that I never went back to were Eat Pray Love and The Da Vinci Code, although I continued to read Da Vinci for a while only while using my exercise bike and stopped about 3/4 the way through.  I just didn't care to find out what happens.


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

This is an interesting question. If I have read a lot of reviews and people have told me the book is great I will persevere longer. Eg the Stieg Larrson trilogy - many said the first book is not the best one but keep reading. Then there are books like 'Eat Pray Love' that people have raved about but which I truly hated. I also tried reading 'The Gurnsey literary ...' and lasted three pages. 
Funny thing is, I was showing my kindle to a librarian recently and she randomly said she loved 'Eat Pray Love' and I said I disliked it immensely. She then asked if I had heard of 'the Gurnsey' book and I said that was the other book I can remember disliking. She said that she thought that might be the case. So I thought it was rather confirming of all the books the librarian could suggest as being a book I would also dislike if I didn't like 'eat pray live' she got the exact book.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

There have been books that I didn't make it past a couple pages.  Usually, though, I'll give a book between 20% an 40% before I chuck it.  It really depends on how uncertain I am about it.


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## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

I used to read to the end no matter what but then one day I thought what a waste of time it was when there are so many other books I could be enjoying.  So I give it a couple of chapters and if I'm not into it, I let it go.  Sometimes it depends on mood, I've often given a book a second chance and found I enjoyed it.


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## Veronica (Jan 23, 2009)

I used to compulsively finish bad books.  Like some others who have posted, I just couldn't leave a book unfinished.  However, as I've gotten older, I've gotten better and am okay about quitting a book.

I'll read about 15 to 20%, sometimes more.  If I'm considering quitting the book, I ask myself--do I care about what happens in the end?  Even though it's bad, do I have a burning desire to know what happens with a particular character?  If I can sleep at night not knowing how the story turns out...that's a sure sign I should just quit reading.

If I do really want to know how the story turns out, I'll finish the book no matter how bad it is.


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## DenverRalphy (Mar 24, 2010)

If a book doesn't grab me within the first few chapters, I'll at least keep the book to give away to somebody else who may find it interesting. I don't think I've ever not given a book at least 3 chapters to convince me to read it to the end. I'll even read a book about 50% of the way through to give it a chance if while I'm not big on the story, the author at least has a writing style I can enjoy.

Unfortunately I've been known to hover over a trashcan while reading the last few pages of DTB, knowing full well I've wasted too much time on a book I forced my way through, hoping beyond hope the author would redeem him/herself before the final page. That only happens when the first few chapters were gripping, then the whole book just sinks to abysmal levels. Then sure enough, after the final page, the book ends up in the trash. Which is a bit sad because I rarely throw any book away, because on a certain level I feel it's blasphemy.


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## jesscscott (Aug 5, 2009)

Not for long at all. One or two chapters, then I'll skim the rest. In contrast, I can spend days and weeks (and years...when it comes to anthologies) on something I really like


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

<I read about a librarian's rule of 100 that I love. If you are under 50, read the first 100 pages before quitting. If you are 50 or over, subtract your age from 100 and that's how many pages you read.>

Oh, that's a great rule to have. I've been doing something like that without a real rule. When I was young, I always finished any book I read. It was a point of pride. Then it got to where if the book was so-so, I'd skim to the end once I decided that. Now, the minute a book can't hold my interest for more than a few pages, it's gone. That doesn't always happen in the beginning either. There have been quite a few times when I was somewhere in the middle, and I know there was at least once when I was very close to the end, and found myself thinking, I just don't care how this comes out.


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## DenverRalphy (Mar 24, 2010)

vickir said:


> I read about a librarian's rule of 100 that I love. If you are under 50, read the first 100 pages before quitting. If you are 50 or over, subtract your age from 100 and that's how many pages you read.
> Told that to people in my book club and one woman, in her 70s, said she's doing that from now on.


Not to question the rule, and by no means trying to be critical...

However; Should I achieve the noble age of 90, I'd rather think I would have the patience to read more than 10 pages to give a book an opportunity to grab me (not withstanding my previous earlier statement in this thread). I'd hate to think for a moment that my time was so limited and therefore wouldn't give a book any reasonable chance. I'd rather think at that age I had more time on my hands to dedicate to reading.


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## J.L. Penn (Mar 17, 2010)

I think many here are pretty generous.  I wish agents were as generous! LOL  As a side note to that end ... I once read that with the competition being so tough, every sentence of every paragraph has to be stellar to grab an agent's attention.  Makes me wonder how some true you-know-what makes it out to the marketplace (b/c it does), and also makes me think that it's absurd to say that if a novel doesn't hook you in the first paragraph that it should be written off as no good.  Most novels require a little build-up (character and setting set up etc.) before really gripping you, IMHO.  Anyhoo ...

I used to be one of those people who read all the way to the end even if I didn't like a book.  I also did the same thing with movies.  I guess the curiosity of whether the story ever kicked in got the best of me.  But now, with time at a major premium for me, I just can't do it anymore.  I have closed books after just a few pages as well as after as many as 100 pages.  The more time I invest in a book, the less likely I am to give up on it though.  A book that I close after a few pages has to be either really bad or really, really outside my genre preferences.

-Jenn


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

I can generally tell within 2-3 chapters whether or not I'm going to like a given book, and if I don't like it, I stop reading it.  I refuse to finish a book I'm not enjoying.  Life is too short.


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)

If it does not grab me by the first chapter, I put it down. Too little time and too many great stories out there to be discovered!


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Many good books do not grab me right away, so I don't feel I'm giving a book a fair shake if I only read a paragraph or a chapter.  Sometimes it takes me a while to get into the mood of the writing style.  If it's really awful (the writing), that's different.  I'd give it up.


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## Bigal-sa (Mar 27, 2010)

vickir said:


> I read about a librarian's rule of 100 that I love. If you are under 50, read the first 100 pages before quitting. If you are 50 or over, subtract your age from 100 and that's how many pages you read.


Anyone want to try and convert this to Kindle locations 

Books that I can't get into pile up on the cupboard next to my bed. Every once in a while I have another bash at them, and every once in a while the missus takes the choice out of my hands and puts them on the bookshelf. Of course, since Kindle arrived, the chance of having another go at them has become very small.

As far as price goes, I'm willing to pay a premium for a classis that isn't freeware, someone has to do the proofreading of the OCR conversion, but to have to pay more than a DTB for something that was written on a wordprocessor goes against the grain.


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## RhondaRN (Dec 27, 2009)

At first when I got my Kindle, I tried to read all books I started even though painfully to my distaste.  Tess of the D'Urbervilles to name one.  I finished it.  I always want to give a book a chance.  Now, I have changed my mind.  Why put yourself through torment?  I won't do that again and think your 100 is a good idea.  Now in case of the Kindle, what location # do I stop at?  Hmmmmmm.......Maybe at 10 percent.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

mlewis78 said:


> Many good books do not grab me right away, so I don't feel I'm giving a book a fair shake if I only read a paragraph or a chapter. Sometimes it takes me a while to get into the mood of the writing style. If it's really awful (the writing), that's different. I'd give it up.


I agree! I push through pretty doggedly most of the time. Hate leaving a book unfinished, though I do it more often now than I used to, as others have said. I do remember one book by Trevanian that became quite a slog, but I pushed through and the payoff at the end made everything worthwhile.

Betsy


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## blazfglori (Feb 18, 2010)

If I can't make it through the first chapter or two, I give it up.
I figure why waste my precious reading time on something that doesn't interest me?
Reading should be enjoyable and relaxing, not a chore that you have to trudge through. 
JMO.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Like a lot of posters here, I find I'm getting less and less tolerant of bad books and am less likely to persevere to the end if I don't really care how it turns out. To some extent I think that has to do with costs - when I was younger books were harder to afford for me and therefore I was more inclined to read every page I'd paid for!

I'm looking forward now to making the most of the free sample option on Kindle books to hopefully weed out a few of the unsuitable ones before I make the mistake of buying them. I think an important part of that option is that it also means I can take a chance on more authors I'm not familiar with, whereas with DTBs I tended to stick to authors I knew.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Depends more on what is going on with my life.  If my time is really pressed (dont have a lot of free time), I will drop it pretty quick.  I rarely have more than one hour per day to read, so why spend it on a bad book when there is so much better out there?  I work a full time job and own a business so my dance card is pretty full.


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## vickir (Jan 14, 2009)

Thanks for all your comments. I do want to mention to those of you who actually throw away a DTB (painful thought) to please check with your public libraries. Many accept used books. Other charities, such as homeless shelters, may take them. I like to share mine with those who can't afford them.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

blazfglori said:


> If I can't make it through the first chapter or two, I give it up.
> I figure why waste my precious reading time on something that doesn't interest me?
> Reading should be enjoyable and relaxing, not a chore that you have to trudge through.
> JMO.


This. I've read a lot, for a lot of years. I pretty much know after 2-3 chapters if I'm going to enjoy a book, so if it hasn't hooked me by then, it probably won't. So why waste my time any longer? It's not like I _have_ to finish to write a book report or anything...


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## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

For every ten books I want to read, I only have time for one. So I never waste time on a book I'm not enjoying. If a dozen people have told me it's terrific, I'll get through a chapter. If I'm intrigued by the premise or plot, but not enjoying the writing or character, I'll skim through and read the ending sometimes. 
L.J.


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## donna callea (Dec 25, 2009)

Sad to say, it depends on how much I paid.  That's why I love to find 99 cent books.  Less risk.  Recently I paid $9.99 for Angelogy, a New York Times bestseller, and I didn't like it all all.  Still, I read to the end.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

By all the other comments I've read, I feel like I'm an evil man. Either that, or born to be an agent/editor. I will usually give an author about three pages, so by the librarian rule my reading age is more than triple my real age. It is rather common for me to know I will dislike a book just by the first paragraph.

Now, I know some stories need to time to get started. I know some people need to get into the swing of things. But frankly, someone's _writing ability_ is not going to magically change. I can get a sense pretty darn quick of how well this author can keep my attention, how intelligent they are at picking perspectives, and how much they value my time. If I start a book and the sentence structures are weak, the setting is vague, the initial dialog is lackluster and unrealistic, and they feel like meandering along maybe telling me something important, maybe not, then I don't want to waste my time. I've got far more books than I have time. Tell me a dang story, and tell it well.

The only time I make exceptions is when the story comes highly recommended. Then I'll force out a chapter or two, but I have no inner sense of obligation. If people are reading my novels, I consider it a privilege they are willing to spend their time on my hard work. The second reading becomes a chore, its time to put the book down and find another, and if you absolutely must know how a book ends, that's what wikipedia is for.

David Dalglish


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## cagnes (Oct 13, 2009)

I try to finish every book I start & usually force myself to read about 50%. .... if I can't get into it by that point, I chuck it.


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## angelad (Jun 19, 2009)

cagnes said:


> I try to finish every book I start & usually force myself to read about 50%. .... if I can't get into it by that point, I chuck it.


Yea, I'm usually close to 50% or just finish it. I've had a few books recommended to me that were getting positive reviews everywhere, and eventhough I didn't like them from the get go, decided to finish them so I could evaluate it on my own. But most of the time, I read a few chapters, have my doubts, continue to 50% and stop if still sucks.


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## worktolive (Feb 3, 2009)

It's interesting, unlike many of you, as I've gotten older, I've actually become more likely to stick with a book that I don't initially like rather than just tossing it after a few chapters. I think this is partially due to my being in a book club now. I've made a commitment to myself to really make an effort with every book club book. Since the other people in the club have very different tastes than I do, I've been forced to read quite a few books that I otherwise would never have picked up and I've liked quite a few of them, so I'm much more willing to give books a chance these days, or at least skim over the boring parts if I'm not really into it. 

Also, thanks to the joys of sampling, if I get a sample and can see that the writing is trite or lame, or the plot doesn't grab me, I just don't buy the book. That's really cut down on my DNFs. These days, most of the books I don't finish are freebies - on those, I don't usually bother to sample. If I like the plot, I go ahead and get them since I'm out nothing if I don't like them.


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

I really don't have a set rule.  On my Kindle there have been a few samples that I've deleted after just reading a page or two.  Like Half-Orc said, the writing style isn't likely to change further in.  If I get to the end of the sample and wonder what's going to happen next, it goes on the TBR pile.  And, occasionally, I'll be so anxious to know that I'll buy it immediately so I can keep reading!


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

I don't have a set rule. 
When I select something to read I'll usually read a chapter or two and go from there -- if it doesn't strike an *immediate* interest why continue?? -- there's way too many really great choices to continue on with something I don't really enjoy. 
Do I toss aside some really good books -- probably -- but I'm not going to lose sleep (or READING time) over it.


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## melissa6705 (Mar 30, 2010)

I can't start a book and not finish it, Even if I absolutly hate it. It is a rule that I gave myself a long time ago and I have always stuck by it.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

It depends on _why_ I don't like it.

If it's just a slow beginning, no problem, I'll keep going.

But if it's badly written (plodding development, stilted language, jarringly anachronistic dialogue, otherwise unnatural dialogue) or if there are so many grammar errors or typos that they distract from the reading, then I'll give it a dozen pages, tops... unless for some reason it comes_ very_ highly recommended by someone whose opinion I trust.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> It depends on _why_ I don't like it.
> 
> If it's just a slow beginning, no problem, I'll keep going.
> 
> But if it's badly written (plodding development, stilted language, jarringly anachronistic dialogue, otherwise unnatural dialogue) or if there are so many grammar errors or typos that they distract from the reading, then I'll give it a dozen pages, tops... unless for some reason it comes_ very_ highly recommended by someone whose opinion I trust.


I agree: I'm more likely to quit early on if the writing itself (grammar, vocabulary, imagery, sentence/paragraph structure*, etc.) is just plain bad, as opposed to being well written but not interesting. A really interesting story can carry mediocre wordsmithing, and exceptional wordsmithing can carry mediocre storytelling, but if both are mediocre or either is really bad, I'm on to something else; but it usually takes longer for me to decide for sure if the storytelling part is bad.
___________
* In other words, no better than this paragraph.


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## ayuryogini (Jan 3, 2010)

I almost always finish a book; it has to be REALLY bad for me not to.

I remember the first book I didn't finish; it was a huge tome called Hanta Yo, and I really hated it; I think I read 1/2 of it, and disliked it so much; I finally realized, "Hey! I don't have to read this book if I don't want to!"  It was a real revelation for me, I was in my early 20's, and have never forgotten it.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

vickir said:


> Thanks for all your comments. I do want to mention to those of you who actually throw away a DTB (painful thought) to please check with your public libraries. Many accept used books. Other charities, such as homeless shelters, may take them. I like to share mine with those who can't afford them.


I usually drop my used ones off at the local jails. There is a local federal prison for disabled here where I take them.


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## TC Beacham (Nov 23, 2009)

Thank goodness for samples! I always get and read samples, whether I'm familiar with an author or not - sometimes I love the writing, but find the setting or subject matter doesn't interest me. By the end of a sample, I know if I want to read the whole story.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

NogDog said:


> _
> * In other words, no better than this paragraph.


LOL! I like your wordsmithery.


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

I'll usually slog thru the whole thing.  I may take a lot of breaks from it if it's really bad, which is unusual for me because I typically only read one book at a time.  And I'm bad and reading a series even if I'm not keen on it.  Mostly I think I hold out hope somewhere that it will get better, tho it usually bites me in the butt.  I read the entire Twilight series and hated it.


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## vickir (Jan 14, 2009)

I've never tried a sample! Thanks for the suggestions.


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## AndrewJack (Apr 14, 2010)

I try to finish anything I start, but the threshold for something really bad is three chapters. If I after three chapters nothing's grabbed me I will just stop reading and try something else.


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## 5711 (Sep 18, 2009)

Most Kindle samples tend to give me enough to go on -- or not. I used to feel obligated to finish a book no matter how much I didn't like it (or told myself I had to like it). Not sure why that was. Feeling bad for a fellow author? Too many mandatory book assignments in school? In any case, not any more! Life's too short and there's too many good books out there to pick up and sample instead.


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## ScottLCollins (Dec 7, 2009)

I've never not finished a book.


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## Sofie (Dec 30, 2008)

I suffer through. I feel I have to finish if what I start


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## MCM (Apr 20, 2010)

I usually give the book a chance to prove itself. In some types of stories, the author creates intensely unlikeable characters who only start to redeem themselves after the first 20% of the novel. It makes for a really satisfying ending, but it's pure torture until that point. So I usually give a book until at least the 20% mark to suggest it's going in the right direction.

More often than not, I start to imagine virtues that don't really exist, just to make it easier on myself... "Oh, that obnoxious flowery repetition of facts already in evidence at the end of each chapter is actually meant to evoke the psychological impact of the..." blah blah blah. If I get to 75% and I'm still annoyed, I'll usually bail. I'd rather quit early than seriously resent the author for wasting my time (as I now do after reading all of Her Fearful Symmetry, despite constant misgivings).


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

I'm with David on this one.  I'll give it a few pages if I think I might like it after it picks up... or such.  But if I don't like the writing, I'll chuck it after one page.  I'm much pickier now that I've learned about writing.

Vicki


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## CaroleC (Apr 19, 2010)

I keep reading until I am absolutely certain that there is no way I could end up liking the book. I can usually tell after reading for 3-4 hours, divided between at least two different sessions (in case I was in a bad mood and didn't know it). 

When a book becomes PAINFUL to read, I call an end to the torture!


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## Belita (Mar 20, 2010)

I rarely give up on books, but if I do feel like I don't like a book I give it 2-3 chapters, sometimes up to 1/3 of the book if I really want to like it.


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## Blanche (Jan 4, 2010)

> I do find that as the years go by, I'm more likely to quit on a book if I don't like it. I'm not sure how much that is due to an increased desire not to waste time, and how much I'm getting pickier as to what I consider to be worthwhile to read.


Same here. Seems like I have less time to waste on books that don't grab me. However, I do find that I have not yet allowed myself to quit midstream on the "indie" authors. So many of them post to the 'board that I feel as if I know them so I feel honor-bound to complete them once I start them.


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## freelantzer (Apr 28, 2010)

I usually give a book at least 50 pages before I abandon it. Although, I am pretty picky about what I pick up in the first place, so I rarely abandon a book. The only one that comes to mind is Wicked. The more I read the less I liked it, and I finally thought, "Why am I continuing to read this book I hate?" When you get to that point, it's time to walk away.


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## EricM (May 1, 2010)

I must finish to the end.


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## BlueEyedMum (Nov 26, 2009)

I have to finish a book once I start it...


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## MinaVE (Apr 20, 2010)

I try not to quit, but if I'm more excited about my next read then I find reasons to put the current one back on the shelf. 

Certain genres or authors though, I feel that I must support, so I read them to the bitter end.


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## HelenSmith (Mar 17, 2010)

I just saw this lovely clip on Maud Newton's blog: Jorge Luis Borges. His advice? If you don't like the book, put it away until another time. Forced reading does a disservice to the reader, the author and the book. He has some other lovely things to say about what it means to be a writer, too.


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## vickir (Jan 14, 2009)

I liked that, Helen. Thanks for sharing.


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## Shandril19 (Aug 18, 2009)

vickir said:


> I read about a librarian's rule of 100 that I love. If you are under 50, read the first 100 pages before quitting. If you are 50 or over, subtract your age from 100 and that's how many pages you read.


That's the rule I use.

Although, truthfully, I rarely don't finish a book I start.


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

I thought that I would try some Indie authors.  I have been more disappointed  than happy about my choices.  If I'm out $7 so be it, but I don't want to waste my time trying to make it through something that I really don't like.  I've changed my approach and have started to make choices based more upon customer reviews.  I was doing that at first and am now back to it.  Checking the cusomer reviews first works very well for me now.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

Shastastan said:


> I thought that I would try some Indie authors. I have been more disappointed than happy about my choices. If I'm out $7 so be it, but I don't want to waste my time trying to make it through something that I really don't like. I've changed my approach and have started to make choices based more upon customer reviews. I was doing that at first and am now back to it. Checking the cusomer reviews first works very well for me now.


Just out of curiosity, what haven't you liked about the Indie authors? Poor writing? Bad plot? Dumb ending?

For me, I always grab a sample to see if I like the writing, and if the beginning has a hook for me. If it has both of those things, I'm sold, whether or not it's an Indie author or not.

Vicki


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## Ben Lacy (Apr 20, 2010)

I'll quit a book anytime I start getting bored.  If I think it may turn around, I'll sometimes go back to it.  I recently stopped 3/4 thru one book when it suddenly had an annoying and predictable plot twist.  I'll probably go back and give it another try since it'd been ok to that point.


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

Victorine said:


> Just out of curiosity, what haven't you liked about the Indie authors? Poor writing? Bad plot? Dumb ending?
> 
> For me, I always grab a sample to see if I like the writing, and if the beginning has a hook for me. If it has both of those things, I'm sold, whether or not it's an Indie author or not.
> 
> Vicki


Uh oh. I really don't have anything against Indie authors...Honest! The problem has been me, me, me. I only read fiction and then I've "limited" myself to the thriller/action genre. Since that's what seems to hold my interest, I just keep reading it. I guess I'm finicky. I certainly would not state or even think that Indie authors are poor writers, etc.. I just haven't found the right books to read yet. I don't buy a book based on it's cover either, FWIW.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

Shastastan said:


> Uh oh. I really don't have anything against Indie authors...Honest! The problem has been me, me, me. I only read fiction and then I've "limited" myself to the thriller/action genre. Since that's what seems to hold my interest, I just keep reading it. I guess I'm finicky. I certainly would not state or even think that Indie authors are poor writers, etc.. I just haven't found the right books to read yet. I don't buy a book based on it's cover either, FWIW.


No worries! I was merely curious if you had a reason why you were disappointed. I'm sort of a picky reader too... so I totally understand. I usually sample a book if I'm interested, that way I know if I like the writing style or not.

Thanks for answering!

Vicki


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

It depends on the book, honestly. Some books are so painfully bad I can only get through a chapter or two. OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY, by Laurel K Hamilton, for example. I had to put that one down after 33 pages.

The furthest I've ever read into a book that I couldn't make myself finish was TWILIGHT. I read about 250 pages before I finally gave up on it.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

On my Kindle I'll usually go to about 20% before abandoning a book.  I have no compulsion to finish or else.  If I'm not enjoying it, I keep thinking I have so many other books, surely one of them is better than this!  Life's too short to waste on bad books....when there are so many excellent ones.


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## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

PG4003 said:


> On my Kindle I'll usually go to about 20% before abandoning a book. I have no compulsion to finish or else. If I'm not enjoying it, I keep thinking I have so many other books, surely one of them is better than this! Life's too short to waste on bad books....when there are so many excellent ones.


Well said!


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## BowlOfCherries (May 8, 2009)

If i'm not enjoying a book, i wouldn't keep reading just to finish it.  If i'm not loving it, i'll read about 40 pages and then start to randomly read pages later in the book to see if it gets better.  That's been the case with some of the best books i've read.  Started out horribly and then got incredibly fabulous.  One book I recently read that was like that was John Adams by David McCullough.  He's such a fabulous writer. Can't figure out why he made the first bit of the book so much different that the rest.


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## lonestar (Feb 9, 2010)

It depends on how bad the book is.  I used to read every book to the end no matter what.  I find that frustrating now.  I might try again at a later time but I won't keep reading something I am not enjoying.


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## blackbelt (May 4, 2010)

Seriously, life is precious.  I give a book about 50 pages, MAX.  It doesn't have to convince me that it's the best thing ever in those 50 pages, but I at least have to feel like I'm not wasting my time by then.


- Michaelbrent Collings


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## HaemishM (Dec 9, 2009)

I don't have a set number of pages to read. How long I stick with a bad book tends to depend on just how bad the book is. I've quit a book in the first 30 pages (Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality), I've hung on for over 100 pages of another really horrible Anthony book hoping it would get better. Other books I've not liked but read to the end simply because they weren't bad enough to throw away, they just weren't enjoyable.


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

Because I review almost everything I read, I feel compelled to read a book to the end so I can honestly say that I read the book. I also need to know if the book will get any better, or to look for something good to say. I'm not a negative person by nature, but if I don't like something I'll say so and say why, but I always try to balance it with something I like, and I always find that something.

Debra


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

I read six or so books simultneously, like a horse race. If one of the horses are lagging behind, I will send out for a replacement, or just send that book to the paddock. It can return to the race after a time, but with over 6,000 books in 1,253 items on my Kindle DX, my problem is who to leave my DX to in my will.

Ed Patterson


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## bvlarson (May 16, 2010)

Until the sample Kindle pages run out


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

^^^ And if you're lucky, a really bad one will also happen to be one of those with eight pages of acknowledgments and two pages of text.


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## OliverCrommer (May 17, 2010)

Honestly, I can tell just by the reading the back (book jacket) AND the first page if I'll enjoy reading it. I'm a really picky reader.


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## keithdbz (May 19, 2010)

Any book has 50 pages to keep me. If I'm not invested in the story by then, I'm out!


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## CDChristian (Jun 4, 2010)

Like so many of you, I too used to trudge through every book I picked up---whether I cared for it or not.

Only recently do I give a book about fifty pages or so before deciding, "No. This isn't for me." I do have to admit I still get twinge of guilt every time I give up on a book. I still mentally cling to that habit of finishing every book I've purchased. I wonder why so many of us did and/or do this to ourselves? 

Is it a sign of fairness, character, or just plain stubbornness?

I think it's stubbornness on my part.


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## D. Nathan Hilliard (Jun 5, 2010)

lib2b said:


> I tend to always finish books I start, even if they're painfully bad. I have problems with not finishing something I start (books, movies, tv shows). It's a bad habit because it does mean that sometimes I waste my time doing something I don't enjoy for no good reason.


I do that too. And I start getting irritated with myself when doing it, but then there is this little troll in the back of mind that makes keep reading "in case it gets better."


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I started a book the other day that I'll probably not finish. . . . . supposed to be set in the 1500's but the language was very modern. Just jarred. The story might actually be interesting but I can't get past 16th century pirates saying things like "And this you know how?" "Please, gather 'round!" (Pirates don't say 'please')

Oh, and this: "Those are just stories, Francis," he interjected. "Stories written to sell books to children. All those people you read about are just made up."

Now, admittedly, the above is supposed to be part of a dream the boy is having but the book started out with "It was a cool July afternoon in the year 1587." He's supposed to be the son of a fisherman in an English village. I'm thinking there weren't many books. . .the ones there were weren't for children. . . .especially not in a small fishing village. . . .and he wouldn't have been able to read them anyway.

<delete>


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## Capri142 (Sep 25, 2009)

Books are like wine....There are too many good ones to drink bad ones


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## jonconnington (Mar 20, 2010)

vickir said:


> I apologize if someone else already started this thread, but I was wondering how long do you read if you don't like the book?
> I read about a librarian's rule of 100 that I love. If you are under 50, read the first 100 pages before quitting. If you are 50 or over, subtract your age from 100 and that's how many pages you read.
> Told that to people in my book club and one woman, in her 70s, said she's doing that from now on.
> 
> ...


Depends if I bought it as a hardcover, downloaded it or borrowed it from the library. As to the first, I would read it to the end even if it was the worst piece of drek, simply to get my money's worth. As the latter two, only as far as I can before I can't take it no more....


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## Kristen Tsetsi (Sep 1, 2009)

"How long do you keep reading if you don't like the book?"

I approach it in much the same way I do a movie, I think. I can quit any time before the halfway mark - after that, I MUST read through.

(This is actually not entirely true, because I can think of two books I put down within 20 pages of the end...not because I was frustrated, but I apparently set the books aside, and then I wasn't interested enough in them to pick them back up to finish. And one of them was many many hundreds of pages long.)


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## daringnovelist (Apr 3, 2010)

It depends a lot on the book and why I stopped reading. 

Some books I just can't get into, but I'm not sure if it's my mood, so I set them aside to try again later. 

But a book with a screechy character (or a doormat main character who puts up with screechy, mean, offensive, nasty characters) will be gone in half a page.  A book with a style that leaves me confused or frustrated will be gone in a page or two.

I tend to know in the first couple of pages whether I'm in the mood to read a book.  If you get me past the first chapter, you've got me.

Camille


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## CNDudley (May 14, 2010)

Pushka said:


> This is an interesting question. If I have read a lot of reviews and people have told me the book is great I will persevere longer. Eg the Stieg Larrson trilogy - many said the first book is not the best one but keep reading. Then there are books like 'Eat Pray Love' that people have raved about but which I truly hated. I also tried reading 'The Gurnsey literary ...' and lasted three pages.
> Funny thing is, I was showing my kindle to a librarian recently and she randomly said she loved 'Eat Pray Love' and I said I disliked it immensely. She then asked if I had heard of 'the Gurnsey' book and I said that was the other book I can remember disliking. She said that she thought that might be the case. So I thought it was rather confirming of all the books the librarian could suggest as being a book I would also dislike if I didn't like 'eat pray live' she got the exact book.


Pushka, you are probably long gone from this thread, but I just had to reply because I think we are the ONLY two people on the planet who didn't like _Guernsey Literary_! But to really see if you have BBF (Best Book Friend) potential, what did you think of THE HELP? Took me two tries to get through, but then I liked it enough to finish.


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## vickir (Jan 14, 2009)

Kristen,
You're probably gone from this thread, but I wanted to tell you, I was once delayed ALL DAY in an airport, with flights overbooked, crew worked too many hours, etc. Finally get on the flight and the inflight movie is TERRIBLE. After the movie, I said something about it being so bad to stranger sitting beside me. He agreed and said he had to keep reminding himself how high up we were because he wanted to walk out!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

vickir said:


> . . . I was once delayed ALL DAY in an airport, with flights overbooked, crew worked too many hours, etc. Finally get on the flight and the inflight movie is TERRIBLE. After the movie, I said something about it being so bad to stranger sitting beside me. He agreed and said he had to keep reminding himself how high up we were because he wanted to walk out!


Ha!

This is why one needs a Kindle. . .always something _else_ to do!


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## Vyrl (Jun 7, 2010)

Depending on the writing style, I'll give it 20-60 pages. 

I want a book to make me fall in love, kick me in the gut, let me recall that warm feeling of home I knew as a child, throw me over a cliff, or surprise me with something completely unexpected. Sometimes this takes time to set up, so I tend to be patient.


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