I used to be totally obsessed with reading the whole book, unless it was really offensive. I'd feel guilty if I didn't. My curiosity compelled me and I just had to know what happened. Sometimes I just kept going thinking it just had to get better, had to grab me at some point or had to redeem itself in my eyes somehow. Now with so many books waiting to be read in my book basket and on my Want to Read list, I've just come to the realization that life is too short to keep forcing myself to read something that is just not enjoyable or is just not a book suited to me. If it's a fiction book, I'll push through for quite a few chapters, even if it's hard just to see if it changes and grabs me, but then I put it away. If I think I might get into it a little better at another point in time, I make note of that, but I no longer feel guilty for closing the covers on it.
With non-fiction, I'm not so good at finishing them to begin with, although this year seems to be a record for me for finishing non-fictions. Biographies I tend to enjoy more in this category but even those I have no qualms about laying down if the book is really irritating me or if it just gets offensive. Teaching books that repeat themselves continually throughout I have no qualms about closing. Sometimes I may come back to them, most times not, although there has been the exception.
Bonus Question: We have less than one month left in Fall Into Reading 2010! Can you believe it? If you’d like to share…how are you doing? Are you on track with your goals? Will the upcoming holidays derail your reading plans?
I'm doing really quite well with the challenge. I've already completed 6 out of the 10 I had listed, one of those being non-fiction. I've finished another non-fiction that I had come in for review and am in the process of finishing up a third non-fiction for review. Three non-fictions in one challenge! And I've read each one totally. It's a miracle! Because of review books coming in, my challenge was upped to 13 books instead of the original 10 but I must say I'm pretty much sticking to my list. I've been on a real roll with reading not just this challenge but all year so hopefully I'll finish my whole list.
4 comments:
Three non-fictions -- great job!
Sometimes I look at all the books on my bookshelf that I have yet to read and I tell myself I really should get over the guilt I feel when I want to walk away from a book. I think it's a very healthy approach to give it a good try but to eventually be able to just put a bad book down. :)
well i didn't officially join in on the fall reading challenge but I have read 5 novels that I really wanted to read....since I only watch tv 1-2 evenings per week and only an hour at that, i find it easy to complete a book. I'm like you. I find it more difficult to actually FINISH a non fiction book unless it is a topic or author i thoroughly enjoy. I am currently reading a very good one about raising teens in today's confusing culture. It is listed on my side bar. I highly recommend it. I am currently reading one my sis loaned me because the waiting list at the library was way too long! It's the latest Nelson DeMille (The Lion) the sequel to The Lion Game.
Ah, you're still reading, I see! I have several half-finished lying around. They're always turned upside down, open to the page where I last read. I think this is really annoying and would like to stop doing it. I wish someone would invent some doohicky you could slide in between pages to MARK your spot, LOL!
I used to be the opposite -- not finishing books, then I began to discipline myself to finish. But I think I've found more balance now -- usually I finish, but as you said, there is too little time and there are too many good books to read to waste time with something uninteresting. And I do think certain books are right for certain times. I do agree that non-fiction is harder to finish than fiction (excepting biographies) -- especially when you feel the author could have made his point with fewer pages.
I'm doing pretty well on my FIR goals, too.
Great work on getting so many non-fiction books read!
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