Recently, I was reading Good Omens by Terri Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. I heard that it was a hilarious book and everyone would enjoy it. Well 3 days later and I was only on page 80, this was after many attempts to sit and read it. I was not enjoying the book but, I kept trying to read it in hopes that it would get better for me. It was not.
I am generally a quick reader so after only reading 80 pages after 3 days, I began to feel maybe I am getting into a reading slump. I felt that maybe it is me and not the book. As I was discussing my dislike for the book with TheRedHeadedBookLover, she made a good point that if you are not enjoying a book you should put it down. These books can lead to a reading rut.
That got me thinking. I find myself almost feeling guilty not finishing a book. It may sound silly, but even when I return a library book to the library that I did not complete because I didn’t like it I feel as if the librarians know and judge me (I know, I know! I’m a nut case). I just really have a problem not finishing books. I want every book I read to be great, but the fact of the matter is that’s not going to happen.
How do you feel about incomplete books? Are you okay with closing a book when you do not enjoy it, or are you like me and want to complete every book no matter what?
My Beloved Little Books 
Not finishing a book feels like not quite shutting a cabinet. I don’t feel guilty; I just have this sense that something isn’t quite right. I do it anyway though! There’s only so much time for reading. Let’s read the ones that inspire us personally, eh? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a good point. All the books out there to read it makes sense to read ones we truly enjoy :-)!
LikeLike
I want to finish every book I start, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen. I started The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand a while ago…I tried to finish it, I really did, but in the end I gave up. No guilt… It happens 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like you I always feel a bit guilty when I don’t finish a book and it seems to have happened to be a couple of times recently. I wrote a post about the last 3 books I couldn’t finish: https://diddyhash.wordpress.com/2015/11/27/3-books-i-couldnt-finish/ (hope you don’t mind me putting a link here!) I always feel worse when someone has recommended it or if it’s a ‘classic’ or something – I feel like it must be my fault for for not liking it! There are plenty of good books out there though so I reckon it is best to just accept you don’t like it and move on to one that you might 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to know I am not alone in my feelings. It is no problem that you put the link it :-). I agree, when it is recommended by a friend or a classic I feel “pressure” to like it. I also agree it is best to move. For me that helps prevent reading slumps, which I hate!
LikeLiked by 1 person