Wednesday, August 12, 2009

the great {book} debate

Here’s a question for you, my bloggy-blogger friends – if you’re in the middle of a sub-par book – do you keep reading or put it down?

After reading Olive Kitteridge, which was without a doubt the best book I’ve read so far this year, I am now reading a book that is rather dull.

I am almost halfway through and not enjoying it at all. It is called Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian. I was hopeful, in that he was the auther of Midwives, which I thoroughly enjoyed many years ago. Unfortunately it falls flat for me in more ways that one and I am now in an internal debate.

Do I stick it out or just say no and start the next book on my list of To-Reads.

What do you do when you’re reading a book you’re not really into?

I used to finish it no matter how much I disliked it. i had a thing with finishing books I’d started and because of it, I would dread bedtime, when I’d have to pick back up the book that bored me to sleep. Or worse yet, I would go to sleep without reading at all {and that is not something I like to do, seeing as that’s really my only time to relax and read, except for the weekends}

But in the last couple years I’ve decided, life is too short to waste time reading books that I don’t really like. I keep a list of all the books I’ve read and all the books that I want to read – in a little notebook on my desk. A friend tried to get to me to go electronic with my book lists, but something in me is resisting. I’ve signed up for {GoodReads.com} but have yet to use it…I’m just such a pen and paper kind of girl…but maybe I’ll give it a try. Baby steps, Aime, right?!

So here I am, looking forward to a free night tonight with a book I really don’t want to pick back up. What’s a girl to do?

2 comments:

Amie said...

What's a girl to do you say?! I say put it down, find something else you will love. Maybe down the road it will be the right time for this particular book. I definately believe that there are the right and the wrong time for books. Don't you think?

Oh, and about the goodreads... what I love about it, is that it is sort of like amazon.com. You can search from book to book, look at lists, and find new books you never knew existed. And it also helps me research all those long lost books I forgot I read before I started keep a list of them :)

Marisa said...

ditto to everything your friend amie said. especially about there being "right times" for certain books. different seasons in life, and so forth.

i reluctantly signed up for goodreads awhile back, but now i love it. it hasn't replaced my pen + paper list, i use it more as a tool for discovering new reads and sharing book reviews with friends.

 
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