At what point do you stop reading a book, if it is not turning your crank?
At what point do you stop reading a book, if it is not turning your crank?
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At what point do you stop reading a book, if it is not turning your crank?
When I have to force myself to read it, I usually give up at that point
When it stops turning your crank; no need to waste any more of your time.
When it doesn’t “grab my attention”.
If anyone wants a reading recommendation, read any James Patterson book. I haven’t found one that I don’t like….. yet. You will never get bored. They are that good
If I’m having problems getting through, I either go chapter by chapter and take a break inbetween or I spend 15 mins at a time reading.
@Kandace yep, I’m a chapter by chapter girl too. If it’s really tough I take a break and read another book then crack on. I can’t give up on a book ?
@Kandace me too if I’m finding it a drag. I always think, maybe it will get more interesting as I get through it. So one chapter at a time.
I give books 100 pages. If by page 101 I’m not into it, I’m out!
What if a book you read is that long? What do you do? Read the entire book?
@AJ lol… I’d use my judgment… I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel under 100 pages so, I’m not sure how to answer that.
It has to grab my attention on page 1! I always read page 1 before buying a book!
This method has worked quite well so far! ?
That’s a good method
@Roxann I like to read a sample too
Usually after the first chapter. Life is too short to keep reading a book that deep down you know you won’t enjoy x
About 20 pages in
What’s a crank?
??
It depends. If the writing itself is atrocious I give up pretty quickly. If the story isn’t doing it for me but I like the premise, I’ll give up around 100 pages in. Everything else falls somewhere in the middle.
50 – 100 pages
@Nikki agree
30-50
When I finish it. Cause I keep telling myself “maybe it’ll get better next chapter “ and then I run outta chapters and just think “no. That most definitely did not get better”. It’s a character flaw of mine ?
Sometimes I have this problem too.
I can usually tell within the free kindle sample (1 – 2 chapters) if I’m going to buy it or not.
Once I purchased a book – I used to ALWAYS finish. No matter what. However, recently (the last couple of years) I’ve given up on some books. A couple have been tossed aside even after over 70-80% of the way through. It’s easier than I thought to move on.
I feel like I have to finish every book I start, but rather than wasting my time on something that just isn’t for me, I should really start to learn to know when to put the book down and start another.
This is what I am struggling with at mo. Still Me.
@Eileen oh, I loved that book! Do persevere x
Thank you everyone! I will not let it bug me next time I quit reading a book 🙂
I just finished a book that I should have left unread the first time I thought it wasn’t right for me, but I kept going. And each time thereafter that I found it less than enjoyable, I continued on, convinced it was going to get better. It never got better, and I’m upset that I wasted my time!
I would never struggle too many to read
I find it depends on the type of book and why i am reading it. Long novel i will persist with for at least 100pg or 1/4. If i am reading it to analyze it because its popular i will push through till 1/2 before i make my decision.
About 100 pages at the most if the story is not gripping my attention.
After about the first quarter I’ll start skimming – sometimes I get to a point which gets me back in and sometimes I just skim through to the end.
When it stops turning your crank!
I wish I hadn’t bothered finishing The Binding.
Depends on what I don’t enjoy about it. If it’s quality of writing, maybe only a few pages. If it’s boredom, a few chapters, in case it’s a slow burner.
If I’m not enjoying it but feel it’s important or might improve me in some way, I might finish it even though I’m not enjoying it.
I also take into account the reviews and what I’ve heard about it (some books start slow but get better).
I agree with all you’ve said. I seldom quit a book, especially if it’s a classic or one that everyone seems to like. There have been plenty of books that have taken me 100 pages or more to get into, but then I end up loving them. At the very least, I can give a real review if I’ve read the whole thing. Otherwise, all I can really say is that it just didn’t grab me and I prefer to be able to be accurate in my assessment. If you find a book that’s poorly written and edited, that’s a whole different matter, especially in today’s world of self-publishing. In that case, I might quit it, too.
@Monica yes, exactly!
I’m trying to get through one now. I thought for sure I’d like it. I’m giving myself until the end of March to get through it lol.
@Shelly WHY?
@Shelly — with the most difficult classics I think you owe it to yourself to try extra hard to get why they are considered great … but not so much otherwise.
I don’t know! Haha! Maybe it’s my OCD?! I keep telling myself maybe you’ll like it soon. Haha!
It’s not like it’s a terrible book, those I quit right away. It’s just not something I can totally get into.
Anytime. Even after paragraph one. I did read a book not too long ago that suggested you read 90 pages before you give up. That book also had a list of good things to do before you start reading…… check out the jacket for indications of what’s coming, read chapter headings, read the dedication page and beginning quotes and if there are end page maps or graphics — check them out first.
100 pages or if it is really bad 2 chapters
First two chapters.. if it ain’t grabbed me by then it can ‘go an do one’!!
at the point I decide I have a finite number of breaths left and don’t want to use them up on this book
50 pages for me
About 50 pages usually x
After about 40pges in. If it hasn’t grabbed my interest by then- it never will do!
100 pages
It was at chapter 5…but I recently stopped reading at page 50. ??
Sometimes it’s good to put it
Down and then start it over again later down the road. I did that with The Book Thief. The first time I read it and I was bored ans couldn’t get into it. Picked it up again a year later and I it was amazing! Ended up being one of the the best books I ever read!
I stop when I realize I am not enjoying or getting anything from what I am reading. Sometimes it is page one, sometimes a book starts to bore me and I lose interest I am done. I always hava a list ready for the next read. I do let a lot of books go to read the ones that I truly enjoy. I will give anything a try. I will not continue if I don’t like it.
One formula we use in book club: subtract your age from 100. At that page consider quitting or forging ahead
It depends on the book. I don’t have any particular way of doing it. I guess at the point that my brain has wandered so much that I can’t tell someone what’s going on if asked. That’s when I say the heck with it.
Lol at “Turning your crank” ?❤️
Reading The Story of Ove.30 pgs left Very boring. Some love it Not me
Disappointed.
There are too many good books waiting to be read. Why force your self to finish one?
It has to really stink before I give up…I usually keep reading quite a ways then I usually finish it.
?I started 2 duds yesterday and am finally reading a good one. I changed after I forced myself to slog thru a book that everybody raved about. I just plain didn’t like it. There are too many books to read and reading should be fun.
Sometimes I can tell a few pages in if I’m really not feeling the book and other times I can read a hundred or more pages before I finally give up on it. It just depends on the book.
After abort 10 pages!
If I don’t get into a book in the first ten pages it’s unlikely that I will!
I agree, I used to keep trying to read but now if I don’t like a book I give up…so many books out there theres no point wasting time on one that doesn’t grab you x
Depends on the length of the book too. I didn’t enjoy “Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell” until 90 pages in. It was the first edition which was 1006 pages so it paid off to wait that long ?
As soon as it stops as you say turning your crank
When I stop going back to it I will let it go. I have come back to some later and found I was more interested that time. But I tend to be reading several books so they can slip away if they lose me.
After third chapter.
I plow through it.
Think every book is different. Some start well and turn, some start slowly and turn. Sometimes I have another book waiting, sometimes I don’t… it’s all very much an “in the moment” thing 😉
Too many good to waste time” trying “
30 pages.
Wow! You lot give up quick! At least a 1/3 of the way through, sometimes it takes a while to get into.
I didn’t get into my favorite book of all times until I was 50 pages in. Another favorite took 100 pages. How much time I give it depends somewhat on the length. I’ll give a long book more time.
As soon as you realise that
When I’ve had enough!
Depends. Some books will totally reward you in the second half, so it’s worth the slow pace build up from the first half. I go by my intuition, and I’m never wrong so far. If it’s total crap, I can tell. I can also tell if it’s going to be great and I should be patient and stick with it.
When I decide it isn’t – usually by the end of the second chapter – if they’re longish chapters.