No, don’t stop reading books, as that headline implied. Stop reading bad books. Stop reading garbage.
That’s my two cents rant for the day. Based on massive experience.
Over the past 2-3 years, I’ve increased my book reading -- from probably three books or so a month (could be an exaggeration) to two or three books a week (which also isn’t entirely accurate, but presumes a prodigious output on a good week).
That intense reading is spurred by quality and having more time to read. If something engages you, you want to pick it up. You turn the pages quickly. You absorb the plot. You WANT to get to the next chapter or see how some character resolves a problem. Good writing brings that to you.
Conversely, bad writing is boring, mundane or just plain predictable. I’ve mentioned to my wife as my reading input has increased that my willingness to stop reading something I’m not interested in has also increased. I’ll put down a bad book. I’ll read 50 or 70 pages, sometimes even more, and say to myself, “What am I doing? This is terrible.” And I return the book to the library.
There are too many good books in the world worth reading to continue journeying through pages that you leaf quickly through without thought or absorption, scanning for something worthwhile or interesting. That’s what I found myself doing before I came to the decision to stop reading bad books (by my judgment; others certainly could find interest or value in something I discard; kind of like putting junk in your front yard with a “free” sign on it, and the stuff disappears within a day).
I was daydreaming while reading. I didn’t remember the plot. I couldn’t align with any of the characters. Nothing made me think. It was like reading words, but no words were there.
After having that happen and slogging through to the end of five or six novels over the course of a year or so, I thought, “Why do you keep doing this? This bores you. Put it down. Try some other book.”
This leads to the question of how far to get into a plot before hitting the rejection button. Should you make a quick decision and jettison the author after 25 pages? I know people who will do that.
Do you set 50 pages as your threshold to give the writer a chance? How about 100?
There is no pat answer. Every reader has a different boredom button and ability to slog through something they find less than fulfilling.
We stick with books for various reasons: A friend recommended the book or writer and you believe it HAS to be good. You’ve read other things by the writer and were compelled by the plots and wonder why this new one is so bad. Someone reviewed it, giving it five stars, so that makes it great. And so on. None of these reasons pass muster though to continue flipping pages when something has lost your interest.
Life is too short to be bored while reading. Give the book and author a fair chance. Be willing to press the reject button if necessary and move onto something new.
That’s my two cents rant for the day. Based on massive experience.
Over the past 2-3 years, I’ve increased my book reading -- from probably three books or so a month (could be an exaggeration) to two or three books a week (which also isn’t entirely accurate, but presumes a prodigious output on a good week).
That intense reading is spurred by quality and having more time to read. If something engages you, you want to pick it up. You turn the pages quickly. You absorb the plot. You WANT to get to the next chapter or see how some character resolves a problem. Good writing brings that to you.
Conversely, bad writing is boring, mundane or just plain predictable. I’ve mentioned to my wife as my reading input has increased that my willingness to stop reading something I’m not interested in has also increased. I’ll put down a bad book. I’ll read 50 or 70 pages, sometimes even more, and say to myself, “What am I doing? This is terrible.” And I return the book to the library.
There are too many good books in the world worth reading to continue journeying through pages that you leaf quickly through without thought or absorption, scanning for something worthwhile or interesting. That’s what I found myself doing before I came to the decision to stop reading bad books (by my judgment; others certainly could find interest or value in something I discard; kind of like putting junk in your front yard with a “free” sign on it, and the stuff disappears within a day).
I was daydreaming while reading. I didn’t remember the plot. I couldn’t align with any of the characters. Nothing made me think. It was like reading words, but no words were there.
After having that happen and slogging through to the end of five or six novels over the course of a year or so, I thought, “Why do you keep doing this? This bores you. Put it down. Try some other book.”
This leads to the question of how far to get into a plot before hitting the rejection button. Should you make a quick decision and jettison the author after 25 pages? I know people who will do that.
Do you set 50 pages as your threshold to give the writer a chance? How about 100?
There is no pat answer. Every reader has a different boredom button and ability to slog through something they find less than fulfilling.
We stick with books for various reasons: A friend recommended the book or writer and you believe it HAS to be good. You’ve read other things by the writer and were compelled by the plots and wonder why this new one is so bad. Someone reviewed it, giving it five stars, so that makes it great. And so on. None of these reasons pass muster though to continue flipping pages when something has lost your interest.
Life is too short to be bored while reading. Give the book and author a fair chance. Be willing to press the reject button if necessary and move onto something new.