After hearing so many rave reviews about All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, I decided that this was a book I needed to read. It had almost everything I love in a book: historical setting, interesting characters, Decent heft. Since I'm trying my best to NOT buy books right now, I requested it from my library, and when it came in, I immediately began reading it.
That was about a week ago.
And I'm only about 175 pages in. This, my friends, is not normal reading behavior for me. Normally, I can crank out a 500 page book in a couple of days.
But not this one. For some reason, it's just not capturing me the way I had expected. I've thought about it, and I've even talked to others who have read the book, but I can't put my finger on my disconnect from this book.
And that gets me thinking about abandoning books. This is not something I typically do, though I am more likely to do it now, after serving on a book award committee and having to make decisions about how to best utilize my reading time. I don't like to abandon books, but I also don't like to feel like I'm wasting my time.
I know me. I'll probably end up finishing this book, and I might even end up finally connecting with the characters and loving it.
We'll see.
I am supposed to read this for my book club and am having the same problem. I hate to show up with the book unfinished, but I also don't see how I can get it done. Maybe it is a summer read- when we have more time to invest. I love the descriptions, so I want to love the plot too!
ReplyDeleteI am supposed to read this for my book club and am having the same problem. I hate to show up with the book unfinished, but I also don't see how I can get it done. Maybe it is a summer read- when we have more time to invest. I love the descriptions, so I want to love the plot too!
ReplyDeleteI have been there many times. I am usually a person that plows through no matter what, but it's hard to know when to make that call. I usually do abandon though when it is keeping me from books that I know I would be enjoying more and I have slowed down so much that I've lost a week of reading. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI have found in the past few years that I am more likely to abandon books than I would have done years ago. I think, like you, I realized my time to read is precious and dang it, I want to read something that engages me. I always get a tinge of "But, stick with it, man" when I abandon a book, as if I might miss what everyone else is seeing as great, just a few pages down the story road. I still abandon it, though, and hope I find the next book more to my liking.
ReplyDeleteKevin
I have taken 3 years to read a book because it doesn't capture my heart right away. I don't abandon, but I do give it a rest.
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