@Helen50@bookstodon Pretty much never, TBH. I have several unfinished books and series pending, but it's been a very rare book that I've set down without ever intending to pick it up again.
@Helen50@bookstodon
Occasionally I love a book so much that I never want it to end.
My 'solution'? Stop reading before the end of the book. Crazy, I know, but... there you have it. ;-)
@Helen50@bookstodon I used to never quit. I do a lot of audio books now while commuting and quit those if I don’t like the narrator or the book doesn’t grab my interest. I still rarely quit physical books or ebooks, but audio books just have to work right away for me.
@sylwylvia@bookstodon That I can understand, the narrator makes such a big difference. I've certainly abandoned a few because the voice grates on my ear.
funnily enough, I don't have the same qualms about stopping an audio book as I would a paper book.
@peachfront@bookstodon
mmm. My experience with Dickens leads me to doubt that approach. May a time I've been somewhat bored until ~ 2/3rds of the way through, when the thing takes flight. Sometimes it is worth wading through for the gem it turns into. But not always, I grant you!
@Helen50@bookstodon Either right at the start (within the first few pages), or pretty much never. The only books I've abandoned in the middle were books that I started over again later and that became among my favourites.
@Helen50@bookstodon Fifty pages is a good stretch for me to tell whether I'm enjoying a book. But I have a high tolerance threshold, or just choose wisely, so rarely abandon them.
@Helen50@bookstodon The thing that made me better at abandoning books was reading Sarum. It's over 1,100 pages and tells the story of five families from pre-history to 1985 in the area around Stonehenge. While it had its moments (who doesn't like Stonehenge?) most of the book was incredibly tedious.
I slogged through it as a teenager - I'd started and by damn I was gonna finish! I got to the end and... it really wasn't worth it. I decided I never had to finish any other book I wasn't enjoying.
@Rhube@bookstodon@Helen50 I remember feeling guilty (for some unknown reason) the first time, many decades ago, I abandoned a book. Since then, I realised that I have so many books on my TBR pile that making myself read a book I'm not enjoying was just plain silly. I now quite often (more than 1%, less than 10%) abandon books without finishing them. Life's too short!
@ericsfraga@Rhube@bookstodon@Helen50 I read on one of my Kindles, for various reasons. One of the upsides, if I "abandon" a book I don't like, there isn't a half-read book sitting there giving me bad looks. Gone is gone.
@Grizzlysgrowls@Helen50@bookstodon@Rhube Same with me (Kobo). Further, many of my not finished books are borrowed from the library so they're gone completely even from the Kobo after a short time. Those I've bought remain on there but I don't see them unless I really go looking for them (which doesn't happen 😉).
@ericsfraga@Grizzlysgrowls@Helen50@bookstodon@Rhube
I notice more and more that the length of a book has become one of my criteria for choosing my next read. A long book represents a fair chunk of time and effort, and thus becomes a factor.
@jd@ericsfraga@Helen50@bookstodon@Rhube I am likewise impacted by book length, but I am more likely to take a longer series. At the library I'd grab that big SF book before the small one.
Getting my money's worth? Maybe once I immerse myself, I want a longer swim. But if it's a -bad- long book, I can dump it as easily, especially from my Kindle.
@ericsfraga@Rhube@bookstodon
mm. I have actually abandoned 3 this year (out of approaching 90 read), which is a huuuuge number for me.
more than 1%, less than 10% seems a good ratio. Might see if I can get the complete finisher in me to shut up a little bit more!
@Helen50@ericsfraga@Rhube@bookstodon I never worry about abandoned books. Sometimes are the books, or the moment or... Never mind. Life is too short to feel guilty for an abandoned book. There's plenty of new books in my TBR list.
@Rhube@bookstodon
I read that as a teenager, but I seem to have fonder memories of it than you. I still have it on my shelves. Occasionally tempted to re-read but haven't so far.
@Helen50@bookstodon
If I'm reading for pleasure, I give up pretty quickly if I'm not enjoying it - 1-3 chapters. Sometimes it's just not the right book for my mood at the moment and I might try again another time.
@Helen50@bookstodon One of my biggest regrets in life, years ago, was not leaving a play at intermission when I wasn't into it (yes I remember which play but I'm not saying here in case it is someone's favorite). Learn from my mistake.
@Helen50@bookstodon Used to read everything all the way through when I was young, Stopped in my 30s because my time is limited on this planet. Now I'm so picky about what I read, I almost never have to DNF
@Helen50@bookstodon Only if I’m pretty sure there’s no value in continuing to read. There are reasons other than simple pleasure to keep reading a book.
@Helen50@bookstodon@adamvolle Sure. If it’s a school assignment or something you need to read for work, you should press on. But I think OP was feeling guilty for not wanting to continue a book that was turning into a chore.
@arensb@Helen50@bookstodon Well, quite right, but I also find I can appreciate fiction I don’t necessarily enjoy at first reading because I find them educational or different enough to keep going, e.g. Shakespeare. McCarthy’s BLOOD MERIDIAN and Robert Penn Warren’s ALL THE KING’S MEN are novels I fought my way through but am glad I read. Just my approach, tho’—certainly not a rule I’m prescribing.
@adamvolle@arensb@bookstodon
I get the concept that a book can be good while not necessarily positively enjoyable. My current read was just neither. It wasn't high art, it wasn't a valuable topic, it was just meh.
BTW - I have abandoned it. Picked up something else instead. 🙂
@Helen50@bookstodon When I’m bored with story, when book is so stupid or characters are toxic without reason. I don’t have problem with abandon a book, I usually don’t remember about this book later.
@Helen50@bookstodon I DNF more books every year, and l find that the more l DNF the more l read because I’m only reading books l love. I don’t have any set rules, l just aim to set a book aside if I’m not loving it. Life’s too short (and books too plentiful) to read anything you’re not loving imo.
@Helen50@bookstodon When I get bored enough to critique it rather than enjoy the experience. Or if it feels like a chore to read and I find little to enjoy about it.
@Helen50@bookstodon To my detriment never, there was a reason why I chose that particular #book in the first place so I tend to stick with it till the end.
@Helen50@bookstodon I used to be bad about abandoning books, but there is always too much to read to spend on something I'm not enjoying. I'll usually give it 50-100 pages. If I'm not motivated to continue, I'll move on to something else.
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