Recently I found myself reading a book that made me feel like I was slogging through mud. I found myself trying to do anything other than reading my novel. I put the book down and wondered if I should force myself through the book. It is a dilemma for readers.
I have a list on Goodreads called “not enough time”. Somehow calling it “did not finish” seems so final, so impolite. I have found that there are just books I can not read, whether it is not holding my interest or the timing is all wrong and does not fit my current mood or life situation. This makes getting ARC (copies of books before they are published) sometimes troublesome as we all know that the description does not always describe the book.
I have been told that people are afraid to not finish the book because they might miss some great turning point or they spent money on it and don’t want to waste the money. I have noted that in the last 10 years I have put down 116 books and put them into the “not enough time” pile. I don’t worry about missing a great turning point when I don’t like the book. The money part doesn’t bother me as much either as most of my books come from the library or arc novels. Although not finishing novels isn’t positive for my reputation of getting books from some publishing companies.
Right now, I do not have a set number of pages or chapters before putting the book aside. I do not have a set of criteria for stopping reading. I stop when I realize I am avoiding reading, but lately that is not the best reason. Why do or even do you not finish a book? I am interested, so let me know!
Elise sent in an interview with Terri Parlato. Watch Your Back is the novel of suspense and romance with the drama of a family struggling with all the drama life offers. This book is written with multiple points of view with the characters. Elise tells us that the plot is fast paced and intense.
Take time to read this week.
