This week’s topic: Dessert First
1. Do you cheat and peek ahead at the end of your books? Or do you resolutely read in sequence, as the author intended?
2. And, if you don’t peek, do you ever feel tempted?
Believe it or not, I have the first question on my list of “topics to ask as a ‘question of the day’ “. Yes, I keep a running list of ideas of things to ask, and am always on the lookout for more. I’ll have to remember to mark this one off of my list! 
Ok, time for my answers. I don’t cheat and peek. I don’t like to read the ending. I read it in order, and even if I’m struggling, I still plod on along and don’t read the ending. I’ll tell you what I do, do, though – I do flip to the very back when I first look at getting a book and I first start reading it. I always want to know how many pages it is! I have this mental roadblock about books that are too long. My limit is usually in the 350-400 page range. I start struggling around then, and if the book is any longer than that, I really probably won’t even attempt it. I guess my attention span is just too short 🙂 Anyway, I read in order and rarely feel tempted to cheat and peek. I don’t like to know how it’s going to turn out until I turn that last page.
Great question! Leave me a comment and let me know if you cheat and peek at the ending, or play along at your blog. This is a great meme if you like books and reading 🙂
The only time I ever looked at how many pages a book had was when I knew I only had a limited time to read the book so I looked and figured how many pages I’d have to read a day in order to finish on my deadline. 😉 That was Shogun and I wanted to finish it before the mini-series started on television.
PS: I don’t peek although I have been tempted. 😉
that is a great question, Stacy! I would never look to the end. That would ruin it for me. What’s funny is I do what you do on the pages. I’m just very careful not to look at the text!! LOL
I used to be really bad about peeking ahead cuz I couldn’t stand the suspense. But I’m not as tempted to do that as I used to be. The only time I do that now is if I don’t want to read the whole book and just skim or look through parts of it to see what happens without trudging through the whole thing.
I used to peek all the time. But in recent years I try my best to resist that temptation, because it always seems to take something away (or confuse me…one or the other).
I don’t even peek. Am not tempted either… I like reading it in it’s entirety.
I never peek at the end. But I always check how many pages in a book. big books don’t scare me. Stacy – there are a lot of BOB’s (bib ol’ books) out there that are really good. Don’t let the size of the book determine if you will read it or not. Over on the Weight Watcher’s board, we have a BOB thread. We read a big book over a 3 month or so period and discuss twice a week. If you break it down to about 10 pages or so a day, it’s not bad. I always have another book going at the same time.
I can’t skip ahead. I just have this thing about “cheating” (even if it’s only with myself).
I’m with you. No Cheating. No peeking. I can’t read a book if I know how it’s going to end.
Happy Reading!
I’m a peeker. *ashamed*
Sherry
Like you, I don’t peek either for same reason. Re to the many pages, am always scare when I discover the books are thick LOL ! But I still read thick books even if it take me two weeks to finish. Like the way Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books did to me. But it worth the thick books though *grin*
Thanks for visiting my blog, Happy BTT! Have a good day
Julia-Yen
I have peeked before, but not usually!
I’m a peeker! But only because if I don’t peek ahead I will stay awake until 4 or 5 in the morning reading because I can’t bear to put the book down! And I ALWAYS finish the whole book even if I’ve peeked because I still have to know the WHOLE story!
I’m not a peeker or a cheater either, but like you, I like to know how many pages are in a book before I start! Not because I don’t like to read really long books or anything — I just like to know. The no peeking at the end thing is all tied into not wanting to read series books out of order or with any of them missing. That drives me crazy!
There is going to be one exception to my tendency to check the last page to see how many pages a book is though — when the last Harry Potter novel comes out, I’m not going anywhere NEAR the last page, lest I inadvertedly see the last word of the book. Or anything about the last page! 😉
No peeking – unless it’s a quick glance (with eyes semi unfocused) to see if a book might have a cast of characters at the end or a list of unusual words that are used along with their meaning. Those type of lists (or maps) usually stand out without having to focus enough to accidentally see the ending {g}
I don’t look at the endings, but since I read mysteries, I periodically check back on what I have already read and make sure I catch the clues. For me, the ending is the best part and I love a good twist.
Glad you liked the question! This one has been getting some really good responses . . . I love it when that happens!
We share the same sentiments, Stacy! 😀
The thing about a really good but long book is that it doesn’t feel like long.
I only look ahead to see how many pages there are so I can guage how far into the book I am, 1/4, 1/3 etc. I am currently reading Gregory Maguire’s “Son of a Witch” the sequel to “Wicked”
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