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Jennifer talks about judging books…
Since we restarted our alphabet blogging, I’ve been giving a
lot of book reviews. I’ve enjoyed highlighting authors people might not have
heard of, and it’s helped me with my resolution to read more.
Forget about whether or not I have time to read—we’re all
busy, we are all pulled in a million different directions and it’s up to each
individual to prioritize what’s important to them—reading as an author is a
challenge. We are too used to critiquing our own work that when we sit down to
read for pleasure, it’s difficult to turn off our inner editor and just read
for enjoyment.
So if that’s the case, how far into a book do you read
before you give up? When my kids were little, they were told by their teachers
to do three pages or three chapters, depending on their reading level, to
determine if the book was right for them. That advice was geared more toward
their ability than their enjoyment. For me, I have to say it depends.
I try for three chapters, but lots of glaring errors will
make me put down the book sooner than that. If I put it down and don’t want to
go back to it, that’s another clue. Most of my reading is done on my Kindle, so
it’s easy to get rid of a book and quickly start a new one. When I go on
vacation, I tend to bring paperbacks. If I don’t like the book, I leave it at
the hotel for someone else to read, thereby lightening my load.
What about you? How long do you give a book?
It takes a lot for me to stop reading a book, even when I'm taken out of the story by endless typos and/or grammar errors - I always have hope the story will be worth it if not the writing. 98 times out of a 100 I'll finish it no matter what.
ReplyDeleteYou've got way more patience than I do, Donna!
DeleteI say this with acute chagrin, but my reading time is limited, and therefore precious. If a book doesn't sweep me up by the end of Chapter One, I set it aside and rarely go back to it.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Ana, although I will sometimes give it 3 chapters.
DeleteI usually read the 'look inside' facility on Amazon before downloading a book, and if that excerpt doesn't grab me, I don't download it. Occasionally I'll pick up a paperback in a charity shop based only on the blurb and first page. The last time I did that, I tossed the book aside after about 10 pages (even though it was by one of America's most well-known romance writers!)
ReplyDeleteYes, Paula, that "Look Inside" feature is wonderful!
DeleteI'm afraid if a book doesn't grab by the end of the first page I don't read it. Wrong, I know, but that's how I am.
ReplyDeleteFor me it honestly depends on why I don't like the book. If it's lots of errors but the story is good, I might be willing to live with it. If it's poor writing and a poor story, I put it away after a chapter or two.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm not into the story, I'll generally try to give it half a dozen chapters or so (depending on length) to see if it gets any better. If not, I put it away.
I used to be a stickler and finished every book I picked up to read. There are just not enough hours in the day and too many enjoyable books out there for me to stick with this philosophy now.