Abandoning Books
Admitting we don't like a book can be a surprisingly difficult thing to do. In a way, I sometimes feel like I am letting someone down or ruining my reputation as a reviewer by saying so. Of course, I respect the time and effort someone put in to their creation. But, trying to trudge through a book for any number of reasons, is never a pleasant thing to do and can cause a rut in our reading lives.
I have compiled a list of reasons and anecdotes surrounding some of the most common situations we find ourselves in when it is time to abandon our current read.
First, we hate the book.
This one should be the most obvious. If you hate the book why would you finish reading it? Sometimes, I only hate aspects of the books so I will try to power through, especially if it isn't too long to begin with. But aside from those few instances, and potentially reading for a homework assignment, if you hate a book then it is time to move on.
The timing is wrong.
There are times when I am really excited about reading a book, but when I try to pick it up, I just can't get engaged. I really believe that everything that goes on in our non-reading lives impacts what it is we look for in our reading. This one is a big factor in what I pick up and when it finally gets read. Usually, I will read about the first 20 or so pages and know if I am feeling it or not. Sometimes I just need a brain break and the book in my hands is way to complex for that. Or I get really busy and don't have time to dedicate to the 400 page book on my shelf, so I opt for a smaller one. Our lives are fluid and our books should be allowed to be that way too.
Our friends/Bookstragram thought we would like it.
Sometimes we really want to like a book because so many other people liked it or someone close to us recommended it. Personally, I know that sometimes the book I dislike is a book that everyone else is raving about. Be true to your reading self and find books that you actually have a desire to read. If you are trying, great! But if you dislike it, abandon!
We tried to branch out into another genre.
Branching into another genre can be scary. It's as if you are talking to a complete stranger in a new city. For me, that genre was romance. I didn't want the steamy, cliche, cheesy romance. I wanted to try to find more realistic but still heartfelt romance. I know that I love the cheesy movies, and an element to all romance literature is slightly cheesy, but I just didn't want it over the top. When we aren't comfortable with what we are reading, we tend to drop it.
The author's style isn't our style.
This one is one that is usually the cause of why I put down a book. I can be excited about the content, the story that was outlined in a synopsis, but then the way it was written just made it unreachable for me. This is why I recently put a book down. It was written in a very casual, talkative, "I might have mentioned this already," rambling way and I just lost interest in the story completely. I might try to finish it later, but for now it is not where my heart is at.
Whatever your reason is for abandoning a book (or sticking with a book), I hope it is true to you and what you want to be reading. There are so many books in this world from great writers. Why stay with something that you just don’t enjoy?
Happy reading.