Not sure if I've blogged about this before but I tend to have a hard time making the decision to abandon reading a book. I spent a couple of days deliberating if I would return
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest to the local library. I'd recently read the first two books in the Millennium Trilogy and felt the need to read the final book before I forgot too much of the continuing storyline. However, the beginning of this book just dragged for me with the political background of some of the characters. Since the story is set in Sweden, I had a really difficult time understanding the various government departments and even keeping some characters' last names straight. I kept pushing myself to get through it thinking to myself "Well, you read the first two, you can't just not FINISH this series that so many people loved and talk about!" Since right now I'm only reading for pleasure at night, it's even more challenging for me to have to "think hard" about a book at bedtime. And you know what? I decided I'm 48 years old and there are plenty of books I'd rather read right now. I am not going to
force myself to finish reading it if it is not engaging me at this time. I don't have to
answer to anyone about my reading choices.
So...the book is going back to the library. Maybe I'll pick it up again one day but most likely, I will not. I already know I can watch the Swedish movie and find out what happened and save myself a lot of reading frustration!
What are YOUR thoughts on abandoning books? Are you as indecisive as I am about making that decision? Or do you force yourself to finish every book you started? I'm curious.
2 comments:
This is always a difficult topic for me. I rarely give up on books. They have to be really bad, or these days, have a lot of violence or language or filth, for me to abandon them. But, like you, the older I get, the easier it is to let them go. Especially if I've gotten them from the library or downloaded them for free on Amazon. What I absolutely hate is to buy a book, pay good money for it, and then dislike it so much. That always feels like such a waste. My solution is one that works for me, but not for most people - I just read what I know I'll enjoy. I read mostly Christian fiction or very clean mainstream fiction. I don't "challenge" myself with a lot of new books, new authors, the "latest" big books or whatever. It won't work for most readers, but it suits me just fine :)
Are you enjoying your Kindle? I read almost exclusively on mine now. I haven't been to the library but once since I received mine. And I still have a fairly substantial pile of "real" books here at home, that are now languishing because I don't want to hold them and read them the "old-fashioned" way. LOL! I'm so spoiled :)
I feel the same way. Several years ago I gave myself "permission" to stop reading a book. I used to wait until I got to page 50, just in case it turned into a good book. Now I'll give up a book even if I'm only on the second page and I just feel like its a chore to read the book. Life is too short and there are too many books out there waiting for me to read them to waste my time on a book that is boring.
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