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How long do you give a book before you give up if you don’t get hooked on it

How long do you give a book before you give up if you don’t get hooked on it

Jodi #questionnaire

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71 Answers

Lynn

Years ago I used to give it 100 pgs. That has decreased over the past 10 yr and now I’m down to 25 pages.

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Angel

I’ve been giving it to about halfway through. Assassin’s heart was recently one of those books

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JodiQuestion author

I try and read like 10 chapters

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Courtney

call me crazy but i read the whole thing anyway

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Angel

I used to do that. But there are soooo many books to be read. It feels like a waste.

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Courtney

i have over 100 books (so far, still sorting) on my TBR pile but cant help mself

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Angel

I don’t have that many I have about 20. It can be overwhelming lol I just had a friend that was out, then brought me 4 more books!

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Courtney

luckily i read pretty fast usually, today was just a true crime magazine and richard laymon novel

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Angel

Lol I used to read 3 books a week. But I had a new baby, and she takes up majority of my time along with my 3 other kids (and in watch 3 more) I’m lucky if i finish a book in two weeks.

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Courtney

@Angel sounds like the best kind of chaos though

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Wendy

I finish all of them. Lol.

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Angel

@Courtney it really is!

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Gretchen

If it doesn’t grab mine with in first 2 chapters I but it away and try again later. Many books I didn’t like first try I ended up loving.

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Kim

4 or 5 pages. Less if foul language.

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Jess

50ish pages.

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Genna

I always give it 100 pages

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Rose

I try at least 100 pages or, several chapters. Maybe one character won’t grab me but another will.

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Joan

50 pages.

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Laura

A few chapters

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Cynthia

Yeah, 50 pages or so. Although lately I will quit sooner is the writing is just lousy.

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Judy

70 pages

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P.a.

50 pages or so

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Pat

50 pages

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Deborah

50-100 pages.

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Trude

1/3 to halfway. Usually by then I know

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Tuscania

About 100 pages if I could tolerate it that long.

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Cindy

50-75 pages. Life’s too short to read a book that doesn’t interest me.

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Whitney

Never give up!!

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Jami

50 to 100 pages I used to feel like I had to finish a book if I started life is too short!

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Cheryl

100 pgs or two hours

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Jan

Usually 25-50, but sometimes and lately it’s been just after I started the book, if so it’s because I this this book just isn’t for me.

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Roxanne

50 pages or so.

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Wendy

Well I give it about 60 pages but by then I’m forced to finish what I started because I wonder if its gonna get better!

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Jan

I used to do that, but not anymore, I now think, why waste my time for a book that might get better, when I can read something that will get my interest on the first 25 pages.

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Laurie

50 pages. Used to go to 100 but I am either too old now or too impatient. ?

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Kelly

if I get to page 100 I have to fnish

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Vicki

50 pages

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Jen

Couple if chapters

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Heidi

100 pages

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Jessica

3 chapters

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Eileen

5 chapters

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Earl

I don’t have an arbitrary limit or line. If a book isn’t grabbing me but I can see how it might be able to, I will give longer. If it is written in a way I don’t care for, I don’t give as long since that is a function of the writer’s style rather than the book itself. An arbitrary line is just, for me, too, well, arbitrary. I’ve been pleased I have gone longer in many books, past many of the lines people draw. I have also been even more disappointed by going further. But in those cases I at least feel pretty certain I both gave the book a chance and didn’t miss out on a good book. For me, kinda like “how many bars do you give a song before deciding you don’t like it.” The first bars might not capture the power of the song any more than the first x-number of pages or chapters do. So rather than making some arbitrary line in the sand I take each book individually.

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Connie

This is a great point! If I don’t care for the style I tend to give up a lot sooner. Also, I often revisit the books I have set aside to see if maybe I wasn’t in the right mood at the right time. A book I gave up on at page 80 became one of my favorite books when I finally returned to it months later.

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Earl

Another factor for me is whether I am viewing the book as primarily entertainment or whether it seems like a book that might enrich my life through either giving me completely new perspective or information. Those I will give more time to. Some of the books through my life with a big impact have been borderline “enjoyable” reads but have been tremendous “thinking about afterwards” reads.

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Connie

Yes, this too! I seem to read half for pleasure and half for enrichment which may be why I put in more effort for some than others.

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DonnaLee

Usually 100 pages, but, recently, I put down The Forgotten Girl after the first chapter. I might go back to it later on

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Penelope

50 pages

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Kate

I just quit one at 100 pages. I’m actually surprised I made it that long…my attention was not hooked on it, and I kept finding myself reading the same lines over and over

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Roxana

I always finish a book

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Sherri

A few chapters

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Wanda

50 pages

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Nancy

50 or so pages…no more than 75

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Deb

Chapter 4

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Sandy

I put it down and come back to it in case it’s just not what I wanted to read at the time. After three tries, I’m done.

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Kayleigh

Could be the first, could be almost the end. Whenever it strikes me that I’m not invested… I don’t force it.

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Lynette

75 pages

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Sumi

No specific rule as such. There will be something in such books which make me stop reading. This year I stopped reading 2 books, one after about 4 Chapters and the other after reading more than half the book.

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Elise

50 pages

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Donna

A few pages.

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Jacqueline

Usually a couple of chapters. I think one of the things that frustrates me most is when they introduce too many characters at the beginning of the book and I am trying to figure out who is who.

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Jennifer

depends . . . if everyone is talking about it – 100. Otherwise 50.

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Connie

Usually not until I am halfway through, but I am trying to stop myself earlier these days (around 50pg). I used to always finish, no matter what, but there are just too many books I want to get to.

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Dottie

My point of view exactly!

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Deb

I love it when they hook me on the first page. Sometimes I am more patient than others. Right now I am approaching page 200 of a book that has not totally won me over.

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Roslyn

A couple of chapters.

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Ashley

I usually just stop reading after a couple chapters if I’m not interested, I’ll stop reading and move to the next on on my list.

However, I’m seeing ALOT of comments that says 50-75 pages, and I think I’m going to start doing that. Lol

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Charlotte

100-150

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Angelica

Maybe 2 or 3 chapters but I stop reading it whenever I’m not connected to the book. I thought I was the only one that stopped reading a book because I wasn’t interested!

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Lou

If its an ARC, I commented to it, so I will finish it. I may put it down and go to another book..a few times..but I will suffer through it! Lol. Not an ARC.. As soon as it looses my interest and I see I won’t come back.

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Becky

Sometimes it takes me to the middle of the book, to decide if it is worth reading. Then I either continue…or skip to the end to just see how it ends.

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Roxie

About 100pgs

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