Nope. If I am not hooked by the end of the second chapter I am out. I have a BA in English and forced myself to read too many books cover to cover when I hated them. Lol
It wasn’t until I was in my 40s that I finally broke my habit of always finishing a book. I finally learned to trust my instincts after reading literally thousands of books. I stopped thinking of it as giving up but knowing how to cut my losses and move on.
Yes, rarely do I find a book that doesn’t have some redeeming part to it, and often I find the ones I struggle with are the ones that stick with me the longest.
Yes! I just can’t give up on it because I always think it will get better. Then by the time I decide it won’t, I have dedicated too much time to not finish.
I give it 50 pages. At one time I would always finish the book, but I’m 71 years old, too many books that I’ll love out there to read stuff I don’t like.
That’s the rule I give to my students! If you don’t like it by page 50, move on to something you will love. I believe we kill the love of reading in kids by making them read books they don’t enjoy.
I have only not completed 6 books in my 50+ years. It is ok to walk away when it just isn’t your time for the book or not your style or it is just a bad book in your opinion. Some author, editor and publicists must have liked it or at least thought they would make money to publish it, if not self-published.
If it seems tiresome, I’ll skip through sections and check out final section. That can turn things around and I’ll read more. I read so much that I skim/speed-read through non-compelling verbage. There are, simply, too many great books out there I want to be able to read!
I’m finishing one right now, The Lilac Girls. I would not recommend this book to anyone. Such simple writing, I wonder who the target audience was. My reaction may come from just having finished A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles. A wonderful book, beautiful writing. I have seldom quit a book before finishing it.
I like The Lilac Girls, but you’re right I enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow. I usually finish a book especially for Book Club. Love to talk about the ones I didn’t like.
After reading for many years, as well as many great books out there, there are also a great many bad, poorly written books out there, too. Or maybe just not my style.
Yes! It’s something I feel obligated to do. Once I’ve begun, I must finish, even though it often takes me forever to do so. While I other books I am dying to dig into sit and wait.
Book I just finished went right in the trash. Painful four days – but had to finish it. Yep – he sold the house. By the end I wouldn’t have cared if he burned it down.
It has to be HORRIBLE for me not to finish. i’m not saying that’s a good thing, but in my whole life I have probably only put down three or four books without finishing them.
Not any more. I used to give a book 100 pages. If I’m not intrigued by 50 i’m on to another book. Life is just too short and there seems to be a lot of poorly written fiction out there.
Absolutely not. If I do not like a book then I stop reading it. Life is too short to waste on books I dislike when there are so many books out there I would enjoy.
Yup, always finish my Phenom Book Group members’ choices. That way I can weigh in with credibility…and you know sometimes, the book proves worthy after all.
I read on average 100 books a year. I can count on 1 hand the number of books I just couldn’t bring myself to finish. Needless to say, they gotta be pretty bad for me not to finish. Fifty Shades of Grey was 1 of them. Killing me it’s on the list lol
I used to finish, but now l think that life is too short to waste reading a book that you don’t like. There are too many other good ones to spend my time on.
I used to always finish a book, no matter how terrible. Then i started working at a library 10 years ago and realized how many good books there are out there that need to be read. Now, if a book doesn’t capture my attention pretty quickly, I stop reading it and move on.
I have a 20% rule. If it’s not catching me by then, I can go to the next book. Sometimes I might try it again later. There are several books in my Goodreads “Currently Reading” that have been there for…ever.
I used to. Now I give it to page 100 give or take. Life is too short and there are too many books to read. One thing I’ve learned and this and other book club groups have confirmed, not every book is meant for everyone, and that’s ok! It doesn’t mean the book is bad nor is it a reflection on the reader.
I sometimes put it on the shelf for awhile and circle back when I am ready for it. The beauty of reading more than one book at a time is you can jump around depending on your mood.
Life is too short and books too plentiful. If it was something everybody but me seems to like I will sometimes revisit the book at a later date. Sometimes I just found the book at the wrong time and end up liking it. Sometimes I give it up for good after a second attempt .
I used to be that way….changed my tune after I had kids and time became more precious. But I still really try to give most books a chance….have only probably not finished 6 books total.
It depends who the author is. I keep the book. Sometimes, I go back and find it got better. If I like a book or a movie, I can read/watch it over and over.
I always swore after the “Devil’s Laughter” by Frank Yerby I would always finish the book. I hated that book halfway throught. But I persevered and it was soooo good! However, now that I’m pushing 70, too many books and too little time. I just quit on “The Shack” after 90 pages
If I don’t love a book, I will often give myself permission to skim through parts of it. This way I satisfy my curiosity about plot and I can say I read it.
I did that at one point in my life but life is short, time is precious, and there are too many books out there that I want to read. I won’t waste my time anymore.
If it’s a classic, definitely, but sometimes it takes a couple tries. I’ve been reading one particular book nearly a year now… only have 120 pages to go and I’m determined to finish it this summer. I’m hoping to find its redeeming qualities that make it a classic.
I used to. Same with movies. I can’t anymore though because there are too many I’m waiting to read and can’t waste precious time with something I don’t enjoy
Nope Nope Nope! Reading should be enjoyable, not tortuous. It’s perfectly fine if you don’t like something. I recently tried to read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Its just not for me. And that’s ok!
Awww – my grandmother listened to that book over the radio many years ago and recommended it to me when I was 13. It’s always had a special place in my heart.
I always try but it wasn’t until just recently that I came to the conclusion that I didn’t have enough time to waste on books I just couldn’t get into.
I have so many books that I want to read that I do not waste my time with a book that I do not like. I will give every book that I start a fair chance….but some just don’t redeem themselves and I do not feel any guilt about moving on.
Nope. I used to do that, but I’ve realized there are too many great books in this world to choose from. Why torture yourself spending time on something you don’t enjoy?
oh no!! If I can’t ‘get into’ a book after the first 1/3 (it’s slow, uninteresting, boring) I almost always put it down – forever :'( … Fortunately, that hardly ever happens
I used to, but life is to freaking short. I work at a library and I bring stacks home and then sit and read and move on, like changing tv channels but better.
No, I can’t. Normally if a book doesn’t catch my interest to where I just can’t stop reading by the second chapter, then I’m done. There’s always something better sitting on the shelf.
I used to. But someone told me, several years ago, they don’t. They have too many books they want to read. So I tried it…stopping a book I don’t enjoy was so hard the first time. The guilt!! But now, I don’t feel bad.
Not anymore. I’m 65 and realize that now is the time to read all those books that I was going to read “someday”, but if I just can’t get into it I’m on to the next one.
Me too! Reading Everyone Brave Is Forgiven right now, and it took half the book to slowwllyyy build all the background. I almost gave up, but I am glad I stuck with it because I am soo immersed in the characters now that I don’t want to leave them!!!
I try to give it a few chapters, but if I really can’t get into then I move on. My reading time is precious and I have too many books in my TBR pile to waste time on something I do not enjoy.
Sometimes. I guess it depends on why I don’t like it. I have had books I don’t enjoy end up being ones I spend months or years thinking about randomly after finishing them. You never know!
I have, but I won’t any more. I try to be careful about choosing my books too and skim through them to get an idea if I will like it. So far, that works for me.
It’s pretty rare for me to quit a book that I’ve started, especially if I’ve set a goal for myself or am participating in a challenge. It helps sometimes to switch to the audiobook or pick up another book for a while. There have been a few that I just couldn’t finish! I’m currently struggling with On the Road by Jack Kerouac. 😣
Nope 60 pages and I am out. Following grad school, I decided I was not getting paid to read a book. If I’m on the fence then maybe 100 but it if is bad, I chuck it. Life is short and there millons of books to read.
I try to give books a chance, even if they don’t start out too well, but there comes a point when you decide that life is too short to reach schlock even if it is a best-seller.
✋🏽 I’ve only bailed on 2 and that was because one was a part of a series (but I first struggled through the first book and half of the second) and the other was a tome that I just couldn’t keep on reading.
I used to think I had to finish a book but now I feel that time’s too valuable . I’m 82 and plan to live forever ( so far so good) but just in case, I have to move on to another recommended one.
If it’s generally considered a “great book”, but I get bogged down, I might set it aside for a few years and then come back when I am more mature, or something. I set “Moby Dick” aside 3 times before I read it all the way through on the 4th try at about the age of 50. I still haven’t been able to get through “Catch 22” or “The Sound and the Fury”; I plan to attack these two books again when I am 70. (I simply haven’t found “greatness” in either of these two books, yet.)
I used to be that way but not any more. There are so many books I want to read and relatively little time left (on the wrong side of 50) so I don’t want to waste time on a book that doesn’t draw me in.
Not any more! There are too many other books out there that I want to read. Why waste valuable reading time on a book that is not doing anything for you? Different books speak to different people.
I finish almost any book I start, unless I had to return it to the library. I don’t go through the trouble of rechecking it out, if it’s a book I don’t enjoy reading.
I, I hate that, but once I get it started, I will sit through a bad book and a movie. I Hate when I do that. But on a good note, I like to finished anything I started. I recently finished a memoir call : The Last Nomad. I did it while caring for my kids, working as nurse and under a lot stress both for my sick daughter and my mentally ill brother. All because I love telling stories even though I hate editing.
Forced myself to finish “The Blue Flower” for a book club; arrived to discover that only the organizer had also read it 😞 Everyone else gave up…not much of a discussion that afternoon 💙📚💚
Sometimes, I feel that it’s a waste of my time to read a book that doesn’t hold my attention, but other times I speed read a bad one just to complete it! It’s a quirk!
I used to always finish lousy books. Then I realized my time is too valuable. If I get halfway through and I hate the book, I’m not going to finish it.
No. A friend once told me if you get to page 100 and you don’t like it, don’t finish it. There are too many good books out there to finish one you don’t like. That rule works well for me.
For many years I read every book I picked up cover-to-cover. And then when I became a certain age I gave myself permission to stop reading a book if it doesn’t live up to my expectations. As another writer wrote earlier life is precious and there are too many books to read.
@Zhuo, until you’re 50 give a book 50 pages before you decide if you’ll finish it. After 50 subtract your age from 100 and read that. By the time you’re 100, you can judge a book by its cover.
I was a fan of James Patterson, especially the Alex Cross series. I don’t care for books that are written in collaboration with anyone else. He’s done this before and the books didn’t interest me. Now he has a new book out, The President is Missing, in collaboration with Bill Clinton! Too political for me!
When I was younger I would struggle through to the end, but now that I am in my twilight years I am afraid I might miss another great read, so I read only what really grabs me. 📚
Yes I always finish it. There has only been 1 or 2 that I’ve really disliked and 1 I actually threw away after finishing the 3 book series, after completely enjoying the first two and completely hating the final book.
I have given up on a couple myself. But in all of the books I have read, giving up on a couple is a small amount. Confederacy of Dunces was one of those.
Me
Me too!
Always
I used to do that, but now I feel there’s no need to punish myself.lol
Guilty
I used to; no more – too many other books
I do
Nope. Life is too short, my TBR pile too high for that. Every reader her book, and every book its reader — and they are not necessarily the same.
No more….. Too many other books to read in my stack.
I did until I turned 45. Then I let it go. It’s hard!
🙋🙋
Are
Usually… but the older I get the less patient I am.
Nope.
I used to …now if a book does not intrigue me by page 💯 it is history….
The only book I never finished was Infinite Jest. Damn, I hated that book.
Not me. I do chug along wanting to give the book a fair chance, but there comes a time to put it down.
My husband calls it “Hate-Reading” and I used to do it ALL the time! I’ve quit that habit!
Nope!!! My time is too precious and there are a zillion other GOOD books to read.
Not anymore. Life is too short for unliked books.
I used to suffer through books I didn’t like, but my TBR list is too long to stick with them.
If l am not ” hooked” by page 50…then l am done.
I only give a book 30 pages. Ha ha
Yes, I chose it; I finish it.
You have got to be kidding, I have a TBR shelf that is falling over and a Little Free Library outside that is always full of things to read.
I used to/ but not anymore. Could not finish Gentleman in Moscow
I liked that book. BUT, I’ve learned that not every book has universal appeal.
Yeah… But it may take me a few years
Nope. If I am not hooked by the end of the second chapter I am out. I have a BA in English and forced myself to read too many books cover to cover when I hated them. Lol
It wasn’t until I was in my 40s that I finally broke my habit of always finishing a book. I finally learned to trust my instincts after reading literally thousands of books. I stopped thinking of it as giving up but knowing how to cut my losses and move on.
Yes, rarely do I find a book that doesn’t have some redeeming part to it, and often I find the ones I struggle with are the ones that stick with me the longest.
I just read a summary on wikipedia if I can’t hack the book anymore for whatever reason.
Nope!
Case in point: 50 Shades of Gray. So unoriginal and predictable. Lol.
I used to. I’m too old for that now. But I do give it a good college try.
I use to but then decided my time was worth more. If the book doesn’t grab me by the fourth chapter, I’m done.
Never used to, but now I do quit.
Yes! I just can’t give up on it because I always think it will get better. Then by the time I decide it won’t, I have dedicated too much time to not finish.
Nope. Too many books to read!
no way……life is too short……I give it 100 pages and if I don’t like it by then …it’s goodbye.
Me
I give it 50 pages. At one time I would always finish the book, but I’m 71 years old, too many books that I’ll love out there to read stuff I don’t like.
That’s the rule I give to my students! If you don’t like it by page 50, move on to something you will love. I believe we kill the love of reading in kids by making them read books they don’t enjoy.
Yes!
No way! It’s the right of a reader to abandon a book.
Not me
Li
If the author is a mean person I don’t read it. That is to say has her/his characters
Do mean things to others.
Yep. I have to finish it lol.
Usually, but I’ve quit a few.
I do because I’m an optimist!
Almost always. When I do give up on a book I feel terribly guilty.
Me. Even if it takes me a year because I forgot about it and started other ones lol
Nope. Life is too short.
Yes, I do this. I’m not a quitter
Usually but I have occasionally bailed.
Nope. Too many good books out there to waste my time reading a lousy one.
Not anymore. Life is too short.
I used to have that rule for myself, but not anymore. Now I’m too old to waste time on things I don’t enjoy.
Me
Nope, I won’t waste my time. I may come back to it another time to see if it was just me and my mood or if I truly just didn’t like the book.
Yes, I’m currently having this issue.
Not any more! I used to try -switched to 100 pages – then to 50 -now if I don’t like after a few chapters – it’s gone!
Nope, too many books, too little time. Still regret that I finished Gone Girl and Girl on a train. Hours of my life I can never get back.
I try to, but sometimes they are just that bad!
Nope too many good books too little time!
Sometimes
I do
Yep!!
Not any more!
Normally yes! But there has been a handful I couldn’t force myself to complete.
A wise woman once told me life is too short to waste it on bad books.
Yes, even if reading it is painful.
Not me. Way too many books I want to read to waste time on one I hate.
Oh, I try! I feel too guilty if I don’t.
Me
I try but don’t always make it.
Not any more, although it still has to be really, really bad before I will abandon a book.
Yes. An novel is always someone’s masterpiece and I can’t critique it unless I read the whole thing.
I take it back… Gertrude Stein’s writing is like fingernails on a chalkboard and I couldn’t stick with it after a paragraph.
Nope. I quit because I don’t waste my time🤗
No. I used to, but, if I can’t excited about it within a chapter, I move on. Life is too short to spend it doing things you don’t enjoy.
I have only not completed 6 books in my 50+ years. It is ok to walk away when it just isn’t your time for the book or not your style or it is just a bad book in your opinion. Some author, editor and publicists must have liked it or at least thought they would make money to publish it, if not self-published.
Me. Once it took me two years, but I finished it. Cannot remember the name of the book.
No, too many good ones to read unless our book club is reading it.
Nope. I have too many on my TBR to read
*hangs head in shame* Yes, the struggle to let go is real. Not sure which is more persistent, hope or stubborness
Me too
Lately yes because I have a certain amount of books I set for myself each year 😂
I always try my best!
No way.
I really, really try to finish, but I have had to quit on a couple of books.
I have to admit that on some books, like with Michener and Clavell, I have had to read at least 100 pages to “get into it” but so-o-o worth it!
Not me. After 60 pages, if I’m not into it, I stop and pick up something else.
me its an ocd thing
Just finished the Four letter word. Never again.
Not me, life is too short for bad books ( for me)
If I’m losing interest in the first 50 pages…I’m done…too many other good things to read out there.
My times too valuable to do that! And I would rather read a book I am enjoying!
<<< Right here.
I used to finish books that I really didn’t like, thinking it has to get better. No more. If a book doesn’t talk to me I donate it and move on!
Me! 🙋♀️🤦♀️
I used to but as I have become older I don’t see any reason to read something I don’t enjoy
Not me. Life is too short and there are too many wonderful books waiting for me.
Yes. I can’t stop reading a book without finishing a chapter as well. Really inconvenient with books that have long chapters!
Depends on how bad it gets.
If it seems tiresome, I’ll skip through sections and check out final section. That can turn things around and I’ll read more. I read so much that I skim/speed-read through non-compelling verbage. There are, simply, too many great books out there I want to be able to read!
If after 50 pages I hate it I don’t finish it
I’m glad I not the only one that has implemented the 50 page rule.
usually, but there have been a few that I didn’t finish… some just put away for later, some put away forever… LOL
No. Nononononononononono.
I’m trying to decide now if I want to finish Things Fall Apart. It’s moving so slowly but I want to find out what the point of the story is.
Yes but it’s usually drawn out. I can’t seem to finish it.
No. If I can’t get into it for whatever reason I put it down. I may go back to it later and see if I feel differently about it.
Life is too short and my to-read list too long to waste time on a bookIm not enjoying.
I’m finishing one right now, The Lilac Girls. I would not recommend this book to anyone. Such simple writing, I wonder who the target audience was. My reaction may come from just having finished A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles. A wonderful book, beautiful writing. I have seldom quit a book before finishing it.
I just bought The Lilac Girls at a used book store, was recommended by the bookstore owner.
I like The Lilac Girls, but you’re right I enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow. I usually finish a book especially for Book Club. Love to talk about the ones I didn’t like.
There are too many good books to waste time on a bad one.
I used to, but not any more!
i give it 100 pages and then put aside to try again later – sometimes its me, not the book!
Not any more. I used to do that, but there are too many books out there to waste time on something I dislike.
The only one I couldn’t/wouldn’t finish was 50 Shades. The quality of the writing was so awful in the first chapter that I couldn’t stomach it.
I have been known to abandon a book.
Nope! I ain’t got time for books I don’t enjoy!!
No!
I used to feel this way, as if I owed it to the author. I’m 64 years old and don’t have time for that now!
Sad to admit, but I have to finish. Even if the book is horrible, I just have to know what happens.
No life is too short to read bad books unless they are required.
Yes once I start a book I have to finish it
Not even
Yep!
I used to. Now I don’t because there are too many good books to waste time on bad ones.
If I’ve gotten farther than a few pages in, I’ll finish it!
no, if by 50-100 pages, I move on
EXACTLY my philosophy! Life’s too short.
Yes. I don’t know why torture myself sometimes 🤓
If I purchased the book I’ll finish it. If I checked the book out of the library, and it doesn’t interest me, I don’t finish it.
Only if it is required reading.
Yes!
Yes
Never, there are too many other books I want to read to waste my time reading something I’m not enjoying.
After reading for many years, as well as many great books out there, there are also a great many bad, poorly written books out there, too. Or maybe just not my style.
No way.
So many books so little time
Yes! It’s something I feel obligated to do. Once I’ve begun, I must finish, even though it often takes me forever to do so. While I other books I am dying to dig into sit and wait.
I was told by a very wise lady that if you hate the book you are reading, pick up another one! There are lots of great ones out there!
I usually keep going, but I had to quit a book once: Twilight. I hated it.
Book I just finished went right in the trash. Painful four days – but had to finish it. Yep – he sold the house. By the end I wouldn’t have cared if he burned it down.
me. If I start I have to finish.
It has to be HORRIBLE for me not to finish. i’m not saying that’s a good thing, but in my whole life I have probably only put down three or four books without finishing them.
No. If I can’t get into it I let it go. 😊
Used to…not any more. Life is too short to read stuff I’m not enjoying. I am so over “have to’s”.
Life is too short.
No more. Life is too short, time too valuable.
Life’s too short to finish a meh book.
I used to. But add I’ve gotten older reading good, enjoyable books has become more important.
I usually finish the book no matter what.
No, too many books I want to read.
I have stopped in the middle of many……not worth it to me.
YES! I always get SOMETHING out of it.
Every time! I can’t not finish.
Took 2 years to finish Game of Thrones.
I love that show, but it was a slow read for me too.
Not any more. I used to give a book 100 pages. If I’m not intrigued by 50 i’m on to another book. Life is just too short and there seems to be a lot of poorly written fiction out there.
Absolutely not. If I do not like a book then I stop reading it. Life is too short to waste on books I dislike when there are so many books out there I would enjoy.
Absolutely this. Actually had a conversation with Orson Scott Card about this and he is firmly in the camp of “give the book away and move on” too.
I used to but decided life is too short to read bad books.
Yes. I decided the same thing.
i know within the first 2 pages if i need to drop it or continue
Same here. 😊
No. I read for pleasure, but I will stick with a book until I’m sure.
I try really hard–there’s been a few I couldn’t get through.
There are only a few that I haven’t finished.
Yup, always finish my Phenom Book Group members’ choices. That way I can weigh in with credibility…and you know sometimes, the book proves worthy after all.
Not any more. Too little time left
Life’s to short.
The Only one I’ve ever not finished is Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Started it 5 times, could not get into it.
sure try
I used to, but not anymore. I have too many books on my list.
Nope…I’m 70. Too many books…too little time.
Nope. If not hooked by p. 100 – ditch the book
Yep. 😬
97% of the time I finish. But there are those books that just don’t pan out.
Me!
Not me. Life is too short to read bad books!
nope, not anymore; life is too short to waste time on unworthy books
Yep. Only one book I can remember not finishing.
I read on average 100 books a year. I can count on 1 hand the number of books I just couldn’t bring myself to finish. Needless to say, they gotta be pretty bad for me not to finish. Fifty Shades of Grey was 1 of them. Killing me it’s on the list lol
Sometimes I “fast forward” through and sometimes I ditch it.
Nope. Life is short and libraries large.
I used to finish, but now l think that life is too short to waste reading a book that you don’t like. There are too many other good ones to spend my time on.
No I sometimes give up. Life is too short.
I am reading one now I am determined not to quit.
What is it?!
@Julie can you believe, All The Light We Cannot See”. I like the book it just feels like I am trudging through it. And I hate to not finish a book.
I couldn’t put it down! 😂😊
@Julie maybe I am missing something. But I am going to keep at it!
good luck
It give a book between 50 and 75 pages. If I’m not hooked I’m done. To many books on my list to read
Nope
I used to always finish a book, no matter how terrible. Then i started working at a library 10 years ago and realized how many good books there are out there that need to be read. Now, if a book doesn’t capture my attention pretty quickly, I stop reading it and move on.
No! Life is way too short to waste time on a book you hate!
97% of the time yes. I’m fighting the urge to quit Catch-22 right now!
I used to. Now I realize life is too short. But many tim s I revisit the book and have found I enjoyed it
🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️
I used to teach my fifth grade students when/how to abandon a book.
Nope. 100 pages. Lifes too short.
No, I know longer fight it.. but I do sometimes go directly to the end
I have a 20% rule. If it’s not catching me by then, I can go to the next book. Sometimes I might try it again later. There are several books in my Goodreads “Currently Reading” that have been there for…ever.
I used to. Now I give it to page 100 give or take. Life is too short and there are too many books to read. One thing I’ve learned and this and other book club groups have confirmed, not every book is meant for everyone, and that’s ok! It doesn’t mean the book is bad nor is it a reflection on the reader.
I’m with you. My list is too long!
Nope! I agree with Maryann McConnell…it’s very rare that if a book doesn’t capture your interest right away it will eventually!
I sometimes put it on the shelf for awhile and circle back when I am ready for it. The beauty of reading more than one book at a time is you can jump around depending on your mood.
I used to be more that way, but no—life is too short to read bad or even just bad fit books…
Nope. If I don’t like it, cover shut and back to the library it goes – or donation bin if I own it.
Unfortunately yes
Nope
Not any more!
That’s what I was going to write! I used to feel COMPELLED to finish a book but the older I get the less it bothers me!
Life is too short and books too plentiful. If it was something everybody but me seems to like I will sometimes revisit the book at a later date. Sometimes I just found the book at the wrong time and end up liking it. Sometimes I give it up for good after a second attempt .
Absolutely NOT! Life is too short!
I do
No but i feel guilty if i dont!
Me. too, but it is unwarranted guilt–“you should finish what you start.”
I used to be that way….changed my tune after I had kids and time became more precious. But I still really try to give most books a chance….have only probably not finished 6 books total.
It depends. If it’s pure torture I move on. If it’s just ok I try to finish it.
Yep that’s me!! No matter how torturous it is I finish the book
That was me until about 5 years ago 🙂
Used to..now I have no qualms about putting a book down. Life is much too short and I have so many, many worthy books to read
It depends who the author is. I keep the book. Sometimes, I go
back and find it got better. If I like a book or a movie, I can read/watch it over and over.
I always swore after the “Devil’s Laughter” by Frank Yerby I would always finish the book. I hated that book halfway throught. But I persevered and it was soooo good! However, now that I’m pushing 70, too many books and too little time. I just quit on “The Shack” after 90 pages
Congratulations😉
life is short, i’m using ‘gone girl’ as a coaster
No regrets…I just move on to the next one. 😃
Yes.😐
Life is too short for a bad book!
Not me. I’ve learned to skim a lot although I feel guilty for the authors who have put so much work into their writing.
If I don’t love a book, I will often give myself permission to skim through parts of it. This way I satisfy my curiosity about plot and I can say I read it.
Nope. I’m 64. No time to waste!
No…life’s to short and there are way to many great reads. I do give a good 75 to 100 pages to decide.
No, too many books to waste time on a dud!
If it’s required reading for something, yes. If it’s for fun, definitely not. There are too many other amazing books to get to.
Yep. Eventually; find I can just pick up where I left off, even after months!
I did that at one point in my life but life is short, time is precious, and there are too many books out there that I want to read. I won’t waste my time anymore.
Nope
No, there are too many good reads to waste time on one you don’t enjoy.
🤚🤚
No, I stop.
That is one reason to borrow a book from the library so you don’t feel compelled to get your money’s worth.
If it’s a classic, definitely, but sometimes it takes a couple tries. I’ve been reading one particular book nearly a year now… only have 120 pages to go and I’m determined to finish it this summer. I’m hoping to find its redeeming qualities that make it a classic.
Not anymore. Why should I waste my time.
I rarely give up but…
I usually stop after 100 pages if I don’t like it. But then if I go to book club and everyone else liked it I will give it another try.
Sure do. It can be dreadful sometimes, but that is what makes the incredible ones even more amazing.
Yup – including Moby Dick! Does anyone know why they said it was “funny”?
I do, now, because I try to get our students to finish their library books. Teach by example.
Nope, I don’t, too many good books to read
I used to. Same with movies. I can’t anymore though because there are too many I’m waiting to read and can’t waste precious time with something I don’t enjoy
This is my thing, I feel like I have to do it and feel guilty if I abandon it!
Nope Nope Nope! Reading should be enjoyable, not tortuous. It’s perfectly fine if you don’t like something. I recently tried to read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Its just not for me. And that’s ok!
Awww – my grandmother listened to that book over the radio many years ago and recommended it to me when I was 13. It’s always had a special place in my heart.
I try my best…
I used to be that way but I decided life is too short and there are so many books
I always try but it wasn’t until just recently that I came to the conclusion that I didn’t have enough time to waste on books I just couldn’t get into.
Yes
I don’t bother. If I don’t love it, I quit and start a new book.
I have so many books that I want to read that I do not waste my time with a book that I do not like. I will give every book that I start a fair chance….but some just don’t redeem themselves and I do not feel any guilt about moving on.
I don’t and sometimes it haunts me.
I set it aside sometimes thinking that maybe I’m just not in right frame of mind.
Nope. I used to do that, but I’ve realized there are too many great books in this world to choose from. Why torture yourself spending time on something you don’t enjoy?
if it is part of a series, yes
If a book doesn’t hold my interest, I don’t bother finishing. This isn’t school anymore..
oh no!! If I can’t ‘get into’ a book after the first 1/3 (it’s slow, uninteresting, boring) I almost always put it down – forever :'( … Fortunately, that hardly ever happens
Not any more. I realize I can only read so many books in my lifetime. I only want to read books I really like. Period
not me….life’s too short!
Yes!
Yep, it’s sickness 😂.
No I quit after 50 pages!!
Always….but it takes me forever
Yes I try to make myself.
Nope, life is too short.
I agree, life is too short.
No
I hate to, but…
Yep
no, i gave myself permisssion to drop a book about 20 years ago & i’m very happy with the decision.
No, life is too short!
Nope. Too many good books to read one I’m not into.
I used to, but life is to freaking short. I work at a library and I bring stacks home and then sit and read and move on, like changing tv channels but better.
Always!
Always, even if it takes years. The Orphan Master’s Son took 2 years.
Ugh, I feel you! That was not a fun read. Important, but not fun.
No. Too many books, too little time left in life.
Nope. I used to but several years ago I gave myself permission to stop reading bad books and move on to the next one.
Yes
No, I can’t. Normally if a book doesn’t catch my interest to where I just can’t stop reading by the second chapter, then I’m done. There’s always something better sitting on the shelf.
No, if it’s something I really can’t finish I will stop as I would rather read a book that I can enjoy.
No
No
99.99%
I go by the age rule. If I’m not invested in a book by page 69, I’m done. Minus your age from 100 and that’s the page you should be invested by!
That is awesome! I usually give it 3 chapters, but may steal your idea.
Yes!! Let me know how it works out for you!
Nope.
No …if book does not grab me in the first chapter I am moving on. Too many good books to waste time reading one that I can not get into.
I don’t.
Nope
No…
I don’t. I can usually tell by the first sentence whether or not I am going to like the book.
You’re even quicker than me; I give it 3 pages.
when I was younger I felt that I had to finish. Now If I don’t like it after the first. couple of chapters I move on.
No. Won’t waste my time. Too many other books to read.
Used to. Not now.
Nah. I give it 50-100 pages then give up if I’m not into it.
I usually read a good size sample before buying. So I have a good idea what I’m getting into.
Not me life is too short
Yes.
I used to feel I had to read the whole book, but at my age, there are too many good books I have to read
I feel the same.
I am one of these people.
Absolutely not!! Too many others to read.
No there’s just too much good stuff out there to waste time on a book I don’t like.
Not me! I often delete a book off my Kindle when it is too boring!
Most of the time, but on the rare occasion, I will give up if it’s horrendous!
I used to. But someone told me, several years ago, they don’t. They have too many books they want to read. So I tried it…stopping a book I don’t enjoy was so hard the first time. The guilt!! But now, I don’t feel bad.
Nope, bought one in Ireland that was awful, left it in the hotel room 2 days later. It was a stinker. I tried!
I bailed on my first ever book this year. Fire and Fury. After about a third of the way in, I just didn’t need to continue.
Nope, I go to the next one.
Feel like I am cheating if I do not.
If it’s terrible to the point where I cannot remember what I just read then I put it down. It isn’t meant to be.
Not me. A couple popular ones I bailed on are Twilight and Outlander.
Same with me.
Yup👏🏼
Yes
I use to feel that way, but I got over it. Didn’t want to waste time on a book that didn’t interest me.
No, I give it 50 pages.
Yes!! Just in case 🙂
Almost always…It takes a lot for me to abandon a book. There is usually something that makes finishing it worthwhile.
sometimes i wish i could a refund on the time i wasted on whethering heights …
what a gawd aweful book ..
I really tried but could not finish Song of Solomon.
Nope
Yes!
Yes
Yes. Even whole series. I always hope the story will get better. And if it doesn’t I still feel the need to finish the story.
Not anymore. I’m 65 and realize that now is the time to read all those books that I was going to read “someday”, but if I just can’t get into it I’m on to the next one.
The only book I’ve ever given up on was The Time Traveler’s Wife
I’m working on one now. I’m slogging through it but it seems to slowly be redeeming itself toward the end.
Me too! Reading Everyone Brave Is Forgiven right now, and it took half the book to slowwllyyy build all the background. I almost gave up, but I am glad I stuck with it because I am soo immersed in the characters now that I don’t want to leave them!!!
There is only one book I have never finished. Gaston Leroux’s Le fantôme de l’Opéra. I get to this one part, and boom…I am lost. Can’t get into it.
I try to give it a few chapters, but if I really can’t get into then I move on. My reading time is precious and I have too many books in my TBR pile to waste time on something I do not enjoy.
No. Ann Patchett says there are too many good books to waste your time reading a non-appealing one after you’ve given it a try.
Sometimes. I guess it depends on why I don’t like it. I have had books I don’t enjoy end up being ones I spend months or years thinking about randomly after finishing them. You never know!
Yes
me, unfortunately…I always hope it gets better
Nope. Life is too short.
I have, but I won’t any more. I try to be careful about choosing my books too and skim through them to get an idea if I will like it. So far, that works for me.
It’s pretty rare for me to quit a book that I’ve started, especially if I’ve set a goal for myself or am participating in a challenge. It helps sometimes to switch to the audiobook or pick up another book for a while. There have been a few that I just couldn’t finish! I’m currently struggling with On the Road by Jack Kerouac. 😣
@Stacey – We finished Sophie’s Choice! We can finish almost anything!
Very true!
For sure.
No! Life is too short.
I admire your discipline!
Yes, but I always finish ( I can only think of two I didn’t)…I only hope they get better… sometimes they do
Yes.
Me
Yes. It’s a terrible trait LOL
No way! There’s always more on my TBR list.
Nope – used to, but not anymore. Sometimes, though, I persevere through a few chapters to give it a chance.
No, life’s too short and there are so many I want to read!
I used to make myself finish a book if I started it, but no more. I suppose aging has made me value my time more! 😊
Only recently. I’m hitting the big 5-0 and my time is more precious now. 😂
Used too but when turned 50, no more, may not have time to read everything I want ☺
Exactly.
I generally like books by Richard Paul Evans but found “The Looking Glass” very dry…. However, I did finish it
Never.
Twice… but I will get back to them…. want in the right frame of mind to read them.
I used to, but life is too short and I have too many books to read. 🙂
Nope 60 pages and I am out. Following grad school, I decided I was not getting paid to read a book. If I’m on the fence then maybe 100 but it if is bad, I chuck it. Life is short and there millons of books to read.
Not any more.
I try to give books a chance, even if they don’t start out too well, but there comes a point when you decide that life is too short to reach schlock even if it is a best-seller.
✋🏽 I’ve only bailed on 2 and that was because one was a part of a series (but I first struggled through the first book and half of the second) and the other was a tome that I just couldn’t keep on reading.
Not since I turned 50.
Yes. I have to find out what happens.
Yes.
Yep, even if I will never touch that book again.
Not any more, but it gives me an awful feeling. Hate non closure.
I’ve only ever wanted to give up on one book, but it was assigned reading, so I stuck with it; Moby Dick
Not any more.
I used to, but now with 3 kids under 4 and a growing stack of books I want to read I’ve realized there is no point in forcing it!
No
Yes, Fly Me. Horrible but I finished!
I used to think I had to finish a book but now I feel that time’s too valuable . I’m 82 and plan to live forever ( so far so good) but just in case, I have to move on to another recommended one.
If I don’t stop reading all the comments on the Great American Read I’ll never have time to read abother book!
never! life is too short to read a bad book
If it’s generally considered a “great book”, but I get bogged down, I might set it aside for a few years and then come back when I am more mature, or something. I set “Moby Dick” aside 3 times before I read it all the way through on the 4th try at about the age of 50. I still haven’t been able to get through “Catch 22” or “The Sound and the Fury”; I plan to attack these two books again when I am 70. (I simply haven’t found “greatness” in either of these two books, yet.)
Not as much as I used to, but it is very difficult to make the decision to stop reading.
Yes. Once I start reading I have to finish.
Yes. I even finish all in the series even if I hate the first book. Ugh!
Why?!
Nope….just can’t. There are too many good books out there to be read to waste time on one that I don’t enjoy. Life is too short
Haha! What I just said without first reading other comments. We seem to be on the same page, so to speak!
I used to be that way but not any more. There are so many books I want to read and relatively little time left (on the wrong side of 50) so I don’t want to waste time on a book that doesn’t draw me in.
no…if I read at least 50 pages and it’s not interesting, not going to finish it!
There was a book I didn’t finish, but otherwise I always finish.
Not any more! There are too many other books out there that I want to read. Why waste valuable reading time on a book that is not doing anything for you? Different books speak to different people.
The only book I permanently gave up on was Freedom
I can’t stand not finishing a book, I can’t help myself 😂
I finish almost any book I start, unless I had to return it to the library. I don’t go through the trouble of rechecking it out, if it’s a book I don’t enjoy reading.
I’ve only ever given up on one book – The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie.
I used to, reader’s guilt…but I’m trying to break it
Always
Nope. Other books await.
No way!!
Yep!
🙋🏻♀️ I just keep hoping it will get better 🤷🏻♀️
I, I hate that, but once I get it started, I will sit through a bad book and a movie. I
Hate when I do that. But on a good note, I like to finished anything I started. I recently finished a memoir call : The Last Nomad. I did it while caring for my kids, working as nurse and under a lot stress both for my sick daughter and my mentally ill brother. All because I love telling stories even though I hate editing.
I skip to the last chapter of it’s a really bad story
I am a bit OCD, I have to finish it.
Forced myself to finish “The Blue Flower” for a book club; arrived to discover that only the organizer had also read it 😞
Everyone else gave up…not much of a discussion that afternoon 💙📚💚
No. Some books I just put down and never pick back up. But they have to be really bad or kind of disgusting. Or both.
Sometimes, I feel that it’s a waste of my time to read a book that doesn’t hold my attention, but other times I speed read a bad one just to complete it! It’s a quirk!
No,but if it has come with great reviews, I might try it at a later date.
Nope. There are too many books and too little time! I give books 70-100 pages…..there are very few that I have not finished, however.
I used to always finish lousy books. Then I realized my time is too valuable. If I get halfway through and I hate the book, I’m not going to finish it.
did when I was younger–now too many books ad too little time
Yes
Alas, I confess NOT to belong to this cadre.
No.
No
Me!!
No! There are so many books out there, why read one you don’t like?
If I’m not interested in the first 50 pages I’m done
My sister gives them 79 pages. If the book doesn’t grab me by the first couple of chapters, I go to another one.
Nope
I used to. Now I have a mortgage and work two jobs so my free time to read is too precious to waste on crap.
I used to but now I just think there’s too many books I want to read out there to try to struggle through a book I don’t like!
No. A friend once told me if you get to page 100 and you don’t like it, don’t finish it. There are too many good books out there to finish one you don’t like. That rule works well for me.
For many years I read every book I picked up cover-to-cover. And then when I became a certain age I gave myself permission to stop reading a book if it doesn’t live up to my expectations. As another writer wrote earlier life is precious and there are too many books to read.
I used to feel that way. But as I got older I realized I didn’t have time for things I dislike.
I used to, but not any more. Need to save time for a book I live.
No. I quit reading The Kite Runner. I know people say it was a wonderful book but it was far too emotional for me and violent.
It’s a sad one for sure but worth reading twice for me. Try reading the Namesake- it’s GREAT!
Maybe not anymore: I just found out about the rule of 50!
What is the rule of 50?
@Zhuo, until you’re 50 give a book 50 pages before you decide if you’ll finish it. After 50 subtract your age from 100 and read that. By the time you’re 100, you can judge a book by its cover.
@Cathy Good to know. Thanks.
I used to be that way but my read list is too long to waste time on something I don’t like.
I look at it as time I can’t get back. If it’s a book or movie I’m not enjoying I move on.
I used to feel guilty if I didn’t! Have gotten over that!
No way. There is not enough time for me to read books I enjoy, so I’m not wasting time on one I don’t.
Nooooo… I won’t eat a food to nourish my body if I don’t like it no matter who else does. I read to feed my soul, so must be delicious to me.
Nope. Too many great ones out there. If you don’t connect to one your possibilities are endless!
I always finish no matter what.
I was a fan of James Patterson, especially the Alex Cross series. I don’t care for books that are written in collaboration with anyone else. He’s done this before and the books didn’t interest me. Now he has a new book out, The President is Missing, in collaboration with Bill Clinton! Too political for me!
So many books, so little time. If it doesn’t grab me in the first few chapters, it goes back to the library or onto a shelf!!
When I was younger I would struggle through to the end, but now that I am in my twilight years I am afraid I might miss another great read, so I read only what really grabs me. 📚
I used to do that , but not anymore. There are too many other books on my TBR list that I could be reading
Yes I always finish it. There has only been 1 or 2 that I’ve really disliked and 1 I actually threw away after finishing the 3 book series, after completely enjoying the first two and completely hating the final book.
I used to. But now I feel that I have better things to spend my life on.
No, I just give it up and take it back to the library.
I have given up on a couple myself. But in all of the books I have read, giving up on a couple is a small amount. Confederacy of Dunces was one of those.
Depends, if it is a known classic, yes.