Sunday, February 3, 2013

Do You Finish A Book When You Hate It?

My coworker and I have had this conversation dozens of times.  We make our living with books.  We both work in an elementary school library. I am the Media Specialist. She is my assistant and my right arm. (I'd be lost without her.) We are both avid readers.  We LOVE books. But- what if you start reading a book and suddenly realize , well....it sucks. Do you finish it?
This has happened to me twice in one week.  The first was an actual Newberry Award winner. I wanted to love it. I tried to love it. But... well, every time I picked it up it was with a sigh...more of the same. It was insanely boring to me. Notice I said to me. Obviously it was great to someone. (Lots of someones) But not to me. Finally I said, "I can't do this. I really hate this book." Her reply? "Girl, I never got past chapter three!"
The same happened with an adult fiction book.  I started it one week ago. It had promise. Great plot. But as the week wore on...well, let's just say I didn't sit up at night waiting to see what happened next. Earlier today I had to face the facts- I dont' give a rat's ass what happens next. (Sorry.)  What started out as an amazing book is now bogged down in a mire of endless, needless detail. I've given up on what happens next. There is no next- just more of the same, same, same...
So, what do you do with a book you hate? Do you optimistically keep reading, hoping it will pick up it's original momentum? Or do you give up and move on to better books?
 I won't review either of these books. I can't. I'm a witter. I know how much of a writer's heart and soul goes into his/ her writing. See my review policy. If I absolutely hate it I won't review it. Maybe the book is great. Maybe the problem is me.
So..what do you do with a book you hate?
I'd love to know? Can't wait to see your comments.
Happy Sunday
Beth :o)

4 comments:

  1. I really hate not being able to finish a book. If I come across a bad book, I will have to put it down for a while and finish it later. Worst case scenario if I really can't finish it, I'm usually half-way through the book. I never stop reading after the first few chapters.
    Enough of my rambling, hope you have a happy Sunday :)
    -Jelly @Jelly's Insider

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  2. I'm reading one right now that just keeps getting worse. I feel like I have to finish it now because I am way too far into it. I've only dropped one or two books and I always regret it, I feel like maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance.

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  3. Yes! To me a book is a commitment. And I will read it from cover to cover. Then if I really don't like it I can say "I don't like the beginning, I don't like the middle. And the ending!!! Arrgh, don't get me started".

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  4. I used to be the same way. I can't really say when it changed. I will say I have gone back later and re-read a book and decided I liked it. I put the one I was reading aside last night and began a new one that I like much better. I have another one on my shelf that I plan to re-read soon. It was one of those "Maybe one day, but not now" situations.....

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