The Next Best Book Club discussion

I didn't really like poison wood either, it was a little too nice and apologetic for me. And I know this is a sin but I didn't like girl with a dragon tatoo either, just couldn't warm to it

Linda...I have tried to finish Poisonwood Bible several times as well, with no success. I just cannot get into it! I have the same problem with Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz. My husband LOVES that one and I just put it back on the shelf after reading about 60 pages. Oh well!

Eat, Love, Pray was a strange mix of love/hate for me. The author's voice rather irritated me as I read the book, but when I went back and refocused on the points I'd highlighted, I found myself really appreciating the insights she'd provided.

I loved Poisonwood Bible, especially the first half, although I can't say that I found many of the characters terribly sympathetic. The second half seemed to drag a bit for me.

I quit reading The Historian after about 100 pages and simply gave away the book. I just couldn't get into it at all, but I've read many reviews that just rave about it.

I generally try to finish the books that I start, but that's not a hard and fast rule. I'm actually more likely to give up on a book that just doesn't go anywhere, or capture my interest at all than one that I hate.

Case in point, I gave up on The Cider House Rules and Howards End, both of which were dragging along like they were carrying 2-ton weights, but finished Beloved even though I hated it.

There are lots of books that I regret finishing though. Beloved, obviously, but also The Reader, Water for Elephants, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Kushiel's Dart... etc. All of these were just time wasters.

Hello!

Please don't get upset with me!! I didn't like The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I really wanted to. It was my first time reading one of his novels. I still have hope for The Shadow of the Wind which is on my bookshelf, but I am going to wait a few months before starting it. I have heard from many who have read both novels that The Angel's Game was not enjoyed as much as The Shadow of the Wind.

I don't usually give up on a book unless the content is something I cannot take. I may put a book on a hold because alot of times it is the mood I'm in and if I return to it later (a week, month, or longer) I will usually finish it.

I try to read a sample of a book before I commit to reading it, and in general books that grab me at the beginning stay at least moderately interesting so that I will finish them. However, what I find frustrating are those books that start off strong and then something goes horribly wrong. Because I have grown attached to some part of the story (character, writing style, etc) I end up slogging it through to the end (although I have skimmed the end of really bad books just to technically say I finished it and be able to provide a review/rating that I feel is correct).

Dalene wrote: "I don't usually give up on a book unless the content is something I cannot take. I may put a book on a hold because alot of times it is the mood I'm in and if I return to it later (a week, month, o..."

I am the same Dalene. Sometimes it is just my mood that makes the difference.

Dan wrote: "I'll walk out on a bad movie much more easily than I'll put aside a bad book. A bad movie is just a waste of time whereas a bad book can still teach me something."

I totally agree! I finish every book I read. The only ones I have started that I really didn't want to read were school required so I had to finish them anyway.

Life is short - I'm not wasting any of it, reading books I don't like . . .

Two of 'em - you wouldn't catch me going through Catcher in the Rye, or Frannie and Zooie again. 'Catcher' I finished once because it was on a school course - Frannie and Zooie, 'cause I discussed it here at Goodreads - and I didn't discuss much.

Another school course book I didn't like - that thing about the schoolboys stranded on the island - they make that pig their god . . . can't think of the name - I think my mind deliberately blocks the title, I hate it so much.

Carly wrote: "Life is short - I'm not wasting any of it, reading books I don't like . . .

Two of 'em - you wouldn't catch me going through Catcher in the Rye, or Frannie and Zooie again. 'Catcher' I finished..."


Lord of the Flies?? I didn't like it much at the time I read it either.

Steph D (Cherry) wrote: "i'm reading 3 books at the same time and really don't really like any of them. i know that i will finish at least 2 of them because they came with strong recommendations. the 3rd one i'm not sure a..."

I read the first two books of that series thinking the same thing, "It has to get better." I'd hate to disappoint you, but it doesn't. The second one is just as bad as the first one and Sookie is still just as annoying. I hate her character and since everything is kind of from her perspective, I think that's what bothered me so much. The funny thing is that I really like HBO's True Blood series. But, in keeping, with the topic of this discussion, I did finish both of those books (I mean, come on, its not like they're hard reads) and I rarely don't finish a book. But, I have stopped reading Runemarks (some YA book from my middle school classroom shelf) and A Beautiful Mind, as well as some others I can't think of right now.

I really did not care for "Halo Effect" by M.J. Rose. After 4 chapters, I simply gave up. For someone who has several published novels, this one seemed to come out of a "Creative Writing 101" course. The characters were wooden, there were obvious plot manipulations to fix errors made earlier (rather than just fix them) and very simplistic style. Maybe it was meant for the YA market, but some of the murder descriptions seemed too graphic for that audience in my opinion.

Could not finish "Pillars of the Earth". Had a lot of trouble with some of Tolstoy's books. Could not read "Brothers Kar... either.

Carly wrote: Life is short - I'm not wasting any of it, reading books I don't like . . .

Two of 'em - you wouldn't catch me going through Catcher in the Rye, or Frannie and Zooie again. 'Catcher' I finished once because it was on a school...

I completely agree about Catcher! I read it for school too and hated ever minute of it!

Also, Of Mice and Men. (if you haven't read it, skip to the end to find out what happens to Lennie and you'll understand)

Actually I found the movie "Of Mice and Men" to be so much more engaging than the book. It is another one of the books that I could not get into. But the verbal dialogue in Mice and Men was memorable. Especially the end scenes. It is a classic movie like "Grapes of Wrath" that comes alive because of the actors and the dialogue.

i try to finish all books i read. Though, i kinda have to cause @ school we have readers cup and we have to read five books (whether you like 'em or not!) and answer questions about them next month! On my birthday! so, i am really trying hard to finish all five books. So far i have liked the first book, but the next one is really boring... so i have been told...

I will give a book the first 30-40 pages. If it doesn't interest me after that I just put it down. There are far to many good books in the world to 'suffer' through reading anything!

Books I didn't like... I wasn't a big fan of 'The Red Tent' even though my mother LOVED it and pretty much harassed me until I read it haha. And I wasn't a fan of the last twilight book... at all. It was way to melodramatic in my opinion.

- K. :)

The first Twilight novel, funnily enough called Twilight :), was an ok nice flirt read, unfortunately each subsequent book seemed to get worse and worse, well for me at least. I agree with Kaitlyn the fourth was way over dramatic.

I usually try and finish a book to try and the whole over all feeling, and if I don't like a novel I I like to have reasons for it.

If I read past the first chapter, I feel an obligation to stick with it, even if I have to skim through the rest of the book. But if a book hasn't captured me in the first chapter, I will put it down and set it aside for another day. I do always intend on finishing what I start... eventually.

I used to finish books even if I hated them (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time) but then I decided life is too short. I put down The Historian, Suite Francaise and Daughters of Eve. I don't plan to ever pick up any of those again even though I have set aside books before and picked them up at a later date and liked them (We Were the Mulvaneys, for example).

I also used to always stick with a book if I didn't like it -- then I realized how many books were waiting on my TBR pile and there were too many good books to spend time on one I wasn't enjoying..... I apologize to those who loved them, but Life of Pi and Eat, Pray, Love were two I just couldn't stand and tried to get through but couldn't. It took me about 3 tries with Poisonwood Bible too, but I ended up really enjoying that one.

I have a GR bookshelf called "i-give-up" so you can see I don't keep with a book if I don't like it. I only has seven books shelved there, so I don't give up on too many, but I will give up: The Joy Luck Club, Justine, The Corrections, Lord of the Flies, We Were the Mulvaneys, The Hobbit, Watership Down, and The Poisonwood Bible.

Like many others here I have a difficult time NOT reading a book I've started.

I recently finished a book that I really thought I would enjoy given that it's a ghost story. Her Fearful Symmetry. Started off okay and had TONS of potential, but mostly ended up just being weird. Terribly disappointed by the end.

The classics Brave New World and one by Capote (other voices, other rooms????) were both books I wish I'd quit reading, but I finished them.

If I started it and well into it like almost halfway, then I'll trudge along to the finish. I did this recently with American Gods (sorry Gaiman fans, it just didn't connect with me!).

I didn't do the same for The Historian though. I think I only managed about 60 something pages until I had to put it down. I was reading it too slowly and I felt like I was wasting my time trying to get into one book, when I could've been flying through a couple other books in the meantime.

I didn't get through The Historian either. I really wanted to like it.

Christy wrote: "I didn't get through The Historian either. I really wanted to like it."

I'm going to give it another chance some other time because oddly, I feel like I failed lol

I had a hard time reading The Historian, just couldn't get into it. BUT...while on a roadtrip by myself, I borrowed the audio cd version from my mother and listened to it in the car. MUCH better and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would never have finished reading it any other way!

Liesl wrote: "I have a GR bookshelf called "i-give-up" so you can see I don't keep with a book if I don't like it. I only has seven books shelved there, so I don't give up on too many, but I will give up: The ..."

I gave four or five stars to four out of the seven books you listed here, the other three I haven't read yet...maybe I should add them to my reading list! ;)

I rarely don't finish a book. I try to suffer thru til the very end bu there have been a few that I just couldn't do it. Spirit of Independence by Keith Rommel was just such a book.

I recently gave up on "Wild Animus", which was truly awful and with no redeeming value at all.

I try to finish I feel horrible if I dont lol

I try to read at least the first 100 pages, and after that I have the opportunity to put it down. I usually try to finish it anyway and give it a chance, unless another book really captures my attention.

Jayme wrote: "I gave four or five stars to four out of the seven books you listed here, the other three I haven't read yet...maybe I should add them to my reading list! ;)"

Apparently we have quite different tastes in books. One of the many fabulous things about books -- there's something for everyone. :)

I read as far as I can take really. I recently read a Lovecraft book and *shock, horror*, I really hated it. Bored me to sleep so I gave up after reading 5 or so of the chapters. Not my thing at all, think he's a bit overrated tbh.

It used to bother me when I didn't finish a book, but now I just put it down and move on to the next one. There are just too many good ones out there that I don't want to waste time!

I wasn't a big fan of Life of Pi or The Book Thief, but I think it was because both were so hyped up for me and I was disappointed.

I'm with you on both those, Hillamonster. So much hype can ruin so many books.

El wrote: "I'm with you on both those, Hillamonster. So much hype can ruin so many books."

Yes, they weren't bad books, but I had people going, "OH MY GOD YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK IT IS SOOOOOOO AMAZING," and when they failed to be "amazing," I didn't like them as much.

Hype only ruins things that were mediocre to begin with.

I don't know, I think that if hype creates a false impression of what something is going to be, then you become disappointed. If I had gone into those books without knowing anything, I would have liked them more. There are plenty of books that I enjoyed that, if the circumstances or time frame were different, I might have disliked. And vice versa.

Hype can't ruin AMAZING books, but it can ruin good books. When you go into a good read expecting something life-changing, the hype ruins it and you're disappointed with the book altogether, when in another time and place you might have simply enjoyed it.

A book I did not like at all. Lady Chatterly's Lover.
Bleh! Talk about a whole lot of nothing in a novel to care about.
I struggled to get through this book, even though it wasn't very long.
To be fair the 'love' parts were very-well written and I can see why he's a famous author.
But this book was just a complete drag.

I find that more often, hype ruins a book, but I will say that I have been victim to the "hype makes a book wonderful" poison as well. For me, that situation arose when I read Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Now, I am almost neutral on that book, but, when I first read it, I was so enthused that I ran out and bought as many Gregory Maguire books as I could, realizing too late that I just don't like Gregory Maguire as an author.

I've read a lot of comments that mention that some of you guys feel reluctant to put down a book you're simply not enjoying just because it's a "classic," and I just never understood that. Mark Twain has a great quote on this: "A classic is a book everyone wants to have read but no one wants to read." More or less, that may not be the exact quote.

Either way, I feel like a lot of people finish books that they're not invested in simply because they're "classics," and I think that's just as bad as reading an entire book that's, say, written by Jodi Picoult (I loathe her as an author). If the book's not doing anything for you, then you should put it down. Yes, I read books to learn something, feel something, gain something, and I realize a lot of classics do this (that's what made them classics to begin with) but I also read to be entertained. I just don't have the time to laboriously sit through something that's more of a punishment than leisure, when I already have so many other things that are work. If your purpose of reading a book is solely to learn, then by all means you have my respect for sitting through Proust. If you want to actually enjoy a book, then read one you enjoy. Simple, right? I actually think I gain a lot more from books that make me feel rather than teach me. Not always, but a lot of the time. And a lot of the time this doesn't always come from "classics."

Just because they've been branded classics doesn't mean they're necessarily worth sitting through, is what I'm trying to say. Just my opinion, and I feel like I'll be opposed on this.

I've finished some classics I didn't like - for classes I was taking, so perhaps that doesn't count.

Because believe me there is no reason I would have read Waiting for Godot three times if it hadn't been for class assignments!

Another thing to consider is that just because you aren't enjoying a book doesn't necessarily mean you should abandon it forever. Sometimes people are not in the place they need to be mentally in order to enjoy a certain book. Sometime we need to mature or imature, have more life lessons or maybe reduce stress. Sometimes we need to be able to look at the story from a new perspective that sometimes only comes with time. There are a few times in my life where I loved a book and read it later and thought it was total garbage. Sometimes I can trace those feelings to what was going on in my life at the time. "Yeah I thought that character was so cool when I was 16, but now he just reminds me of my college ex-boyfriend and I think everything he does is stupid. Hate this book." Something like that. :)

I agree with that Felina. Timing is a lot of it. I've hated a few books. Of Mice and Men and Invisible Man are both examples of books I had to read for school and hated, but perhaps now I'd have new eyes going in, the only difficulty is making myself go near them hah.

I'm one of those who doesn't set aside books once started, I've had books drag horribly, take two weeks or a month when they should have taken a few days only to redeem themselves so completely in their ending that I was happy to have read them. So I continue to plow through.
When I read Henderson the Rain King I felt like I was wading through a mire. I was desperately bored. I didn't rate it very high and still don't look on it all that favorably, but I am unexpectedly reminded of it all the time. There are aspects of that book that I am randomly struck with and am forced to think through. I didn't know it at the time, and I still don't entirely know why, but that book has stuck with me.

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. It was for school and many years ago but I cross the room if I encounter it.