Not Finishing Books

Sometimes I find it REALLY hard to get through a book. I'll always be putting it down or thinking about something else when I read it. But I always feel like I have some sort of obligation to finish a book, even if maybe I'm not enjoying it as much.

So, I'm wondering. At what point do you stop reading a book? Or what point should you stop reading? Is it better just to read books that you really enjoy, or can reading books you don't enjoy benefit you in some way?

I read books for enjoyment, so if I don't like them, then I will put them down and not read them, and then search for one that I will enjoy, or more like try another book and see if I'll enjoy that one. If I don't enjoy it, then I think it's a waste of my time, and don't take anything away from it other then I bad feeling.

I love this topic! For me, like Taylor, I read for fun so I hate when my time is wasted by a book I got that I just don't like enough to read. Normally I'll either look on Goodreads and see what the books about and how many stars it got (any lower than 3 1/2 and I normally won't read it just because it means there's a lot of problems with plot and voice that I know I'll see and hate). If both look good I'll read it. There have been a few books that I've gotten and still hated and I normally stop after chapter two. I have this thing where chapter one can suck (you know, maybe the author had trouble starting off the book but it gets better, type deal) but if it still feels like torturing to read after chapter two I stop reading.

Such a good question! And I've never really thought about it. I kind of also have the whole I-must-finish-this-book issue. When I start one, it becomes a kind of personal challenge (even if it's an easy read) whether or not I *LOVE* it. I don't often stop reading.

I think what makes me keep reading if I *don't* like it is a mixture of curiosity (I pretty much always want to know what's going to happen, even if it's just a teensy bit), some kind of (faint, sometimes) hope that IT WILL GET BETTER, and the fact that I only buy books if I hear great things about it or it *really* hooks me. *shrug* Because books are expensive and I have a tiny bookshelf.

The library's a different story, though.

Yeah.

/endramble

I buy books very, very rarely because really I only want to buy books that I know I will read again. The library is my best friend.

I also do the holding-out-hope thing. Usually by the time reading the book gets too torturous to bear, I give up.

@Alyssa Haha, yes, exactly! To the too-torturous-to-bear bit. XD

I do it too! If I don't like a book I'll stop reading it.