Usually, when I start a book I finish it. If I don’t, it’s because it gets buried in a corner.
In the last week there were two books I was listening to that I had to stop and return to the library. One, there wasn’t any saving it for me considering the number of curse words in the opening paragraph. The other was a 20 hours audiobook that I listened to for 8 hours. There was much I loved about the book, and I told my husband if I’d had a paper copy, I could have skipped the parts that stopped me cold, but an audiobook doesn’t allow you to do that easily. (And no, I won’t tell you what books. It doesn’t matter, because I’m certain some of you probably loved the longer one.) But it got me thinking…
Are there elements that stop you cold in a book and make you walk away?
For me there aren’t many.
+ Language would be one. If it’s excessive and doesn’t add to the character or intrudes on the story, I’ll stop.
+ Excessive violence. Yes, I write suspense, but you’ll notice (if you read those), the violence is largely off the page.
+ Characters just didn’t grab me — this is rare. I’ll usually keep plugging if I’m the least bit interested in the plot and characters. It’s amazing the number of books I’ve plowed through that others quit. But I have to want to spend time with the characters. It helps if I’d love to travel with them or have coffee with them.
There are other things, but they vary from book to book.
I’m giving myself permission to enjoy the many wonderful books out there, rather than stay committed to one that isn’t engaging for one reason or another. Lest you think I haven’t read any wonderful book this month, here are a few of my top reads from January:
I may be on a historical kick. Look at all these time periods!
And if you haven’t already, be sure to join the blog tours for Lethal Intent and enter the giveaways for that novel! You can find the Celebrate Lit tour here and the Partners in Crime tour here.
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There aren’t many books I don’t finish. I keep hoping they’ll have some redeeming value in the end. But cursing or coarse language is a turn-off for me. Also too-descriptive sex scenes or violence. I can’t remember the last time I set aside a book out of boredom or not being able to get into the plot or care about the characters, but I would if I didn’t have some indication things were going to change. There are too many good books I want to read to waste time with a poor one.
I think my approach is a lot like yours, Barbara. I keep believing it will get better!
I don’t often stop through a book even if it’s boring. But I would stop if the language is too violent.
Anna, I think it’s so interesting to see how many of us will keep on reading.
Since I’m highly selective on the front end of my reading choices, I rarely stop reading a book and simply set it aside, never to finish it. However, excessive violence, sex, and bad language would be causes for me to do so. I usually let the bloggers’ reviews guide my choices of Christian fiction, and rarely do I venture out of that abundant field of choices.
Suzanne, I love how many options we have in Christian fiction. It’s wonderful!
I will stop reading a boo if the plot is too full of ‘holes’ or is just plain badly written. I’ve found with the rise in self-publishing, there are a lot of sub-par books out there. Those I will drop in an instant. The times I persevere through and finish, only to decide it wasn’t worth my time, are the worst!!! Hours of my life I can’t get back. 🙂
I tend to be highly selective on the picking up a book end. Maybe that’s why I’m so committed to trying. That feeling of lost hours isn’t fun!
I agree with previous commenters. Plot holes, bad language, too risqué. But I also tend to be very picky on the front end. I think I have two on my dumped shelf. There are just too many quality Christian books out there to get bogged down on slogging through the others.
I love your three quality reads! I’ve read Rachel’s and would love to read the other two.
Wasn’t Rachel’s such a fun twist? The time period was great!
Like Suzanne above, I choose my books carefully, so usually are engaged in books I enjoy. I have always finished every book I’ve started, although two were especially hard. One was on the best seller list for a while, but I kept putting it down and took a few months to finally finish. A friend who was a high school English teacher told me it was a genre called magical realism. The other was a selection by a book group I used to belong to, and it was very graphic in its description of terrible treatment of a young girl. One cozy mystery series I used to enjoy began to include curse words and other awful language from a character I used to enjoy, so I stopped reading that series. Over the past 5 years, I find I have gravitated to almost entirely Christian fiction. I am turning away from authors I used to enjoy, who now write graphic sex scenes and focus on social issues that don’t fit their characters and that I don’t care to read.
What you ID at the end is part of what’s bothered me. Things in historicals that don’t fit. Social justice issues are as old as humans, but there are some that fit in certain times and not others.
Exactly. Thank you for responding, Cara.
It’s not often that I put a book down without finishing. But if I have to convince myself to pick it back up while wishing I was reading something else, that’s usually a pretty good indicator for me. For audiobooks, if I find that I’m zoning out while listening and having to rewind frequently, I’ll ask myself if it’s the book or the environment in which I’m listening. Now, if I’ve been given the book for review, I will push my way through it. I just had to do that with a book this week. I don’t like going back to the publisher and telling them I couldn’t finish it. I like to give it the full read and give thorough feedback knowing that it may help other readers which is kind of the point in reading for review I think. I read a wide range of genres in both general market and Christian… there’s not much that offends me to the point of putting a book down. There are usually some things that I don’t particularly enjoy in a story and so that might deter me from picking up another book by that author, at least without first reading reviews to see if anything similar is mentioned.
Joy, I appreciate that you right thorough reviews. I enjoy reading those and seeing what you note. Sometimes it’s things I didn’t pick up when I was writing (or reading).
I will usually finish a book but I did a dnf on three books in goodreads. Swearing I don’t like much. Sex in books is a no no for this reader. It really bothers me to not finish a book but there are times I have to.
Shirley, I think I’m similar. I have a short list, but I’m realizing it’s okay to not finish one or two.
I try to stick with the Christian authors that I can trust not to include all of the negative things mentioned by the other comments. Some authors tend to straddle the fence to sell their books. Another thing that has crept into some “Christian” fiction is New Age theology, I will stop reading when I find it in a book.
Alva, I’ve got my go-to authors as well. I slowly add to that list, and usually because someone I know and trust has similar reading tastes recommends them.
If it’s a paper book I usually finish it, However, I find it much easier to delete books on my Kindle, so if I get bored or just don’t like the book, off it goes.
Joyce, that’s a great point. I also find it’s easier to “lose” a book on Kindle. When I’m reading for endorsement, I’ll ask for a paper copy since there’s a time sensitive deadline.
I’m with you on abandoning a book for violence, language and I’ll add too detailed romantic descriptions (I don’t need to visualize that). I try to read items that follow this passage of Scripture:
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8 NIV
That’s a great standard, Jen.
I don’t set aside many books, but I think the majority that I do set aside, is because of what I see as bad writing, or just not good editing!
Also I’ve started a few books written in the first person and seem to struggle more with those.
Patty, bad editing is a killer. It pulls me right out of the story and makes me so grateful for my editors! They make me look so much better.
There are very few books that I don’t finish. I stop reading a book if there is foul language; any type of occult/mysticism/witchcraft/magic involved; & anything against the Bible… Once in a great while the story line might be “far-fetched” & I stop reading & return it to the library! There are so many excellent Christian authors that I don’t need, nor want, to waste my time on a book that doesn’t support my values.
I love that you’ve thought about where you want to invest your reading time, Barb.
Some books start out good and then have filthy language or immoral situations. If I win these in a giveaway, they end up in the trash.
The only books I will keep reading when I’d really rather be reading something else are books I have promised to review. The good thing about this is it makes me think deeply about what I like about a book that I am not enjoying. Our book tastes are as vast as our food tastes, I think! But I am lifted-up here to see that many will toss a book aside because of the boundaries of reading they have placed upon themselves. It shows we value our minds and our time.
Cara, I found a quote that I was searching for from Cassandra Claire “One must always be careful of books and what’s inside them, for words have the power to change us”……and I will add myself, that we will be changed for good or not. Authors have a large responsibility for the words they put in a book!