Exceedingly Mundane

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Jun
14
Posted by Stace

To Read or Not to Read

that is the question of the day. Please read below and cast your vote in the form of a reply (I need to find a poll system for my blog!) 🙂

How many of you have started a book, and not been thrilled with it, and then just abandoned it? I seem to have a completion complex that drives me to complete what I start. I hate to give up on a book and not see it through to the end. I had this dilemma a few weeks ago when I was reading trying to read “Blue Shoe” by Anne Lamott. (You can check out the review here). I really struggled to finish it and was rather disappointed at the end that I “sort of wasted” my time reading it.

I am starting to feel that way, a bit, about the one I’m currently reading – “Sushi for Beginners” by Marian Keyes. I like the premise (remember, I read “chic lit”) – career girl working at a London magazine, thinks she is on the fast track to a glamorous promotion to New York, only to find she’s been shunted off to the hinterlands (Ireland) to helm a new start-up magazine there. She’s learning the ropes, the different culture, the people, the new city, etc. I like it, per se, but it is soooo slow. It’s dragging along like a dental appointment. I’m only 1/3 of the way through it (and it’s about 425 pages long). I just can’t decide whether to keep plugging along (maybe it will get better?), or just chuck it and read the next one on my list. Mind you, I check these out of the library, so I’m not out any money. But still. I hate to give up on anything.

Can anyone out there help me solve my dilemma?

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  1. deb Said,

    I say set it aside and find something else to read. I do this quite often lol! Sometimes I pick them back up and it appeals to me on an entirely different level afer it’s set a while ;~)

  2. Suzanne Said,

    My philosophy has always been if a book can’t capture me within a certain number of chapters or pages then I put it down and never go back.
    I also sometimes scan ahead and see if I can skip parts. But rarely.
    Life is too short and there’s too many great books out there to waste your time.
    SKP

  3. Gail Said,

    that’s probably right to set it aside and not read it if you can’t get into it. however, there have been some books like that, if i give it enough time, i do end up enjoying them but its hard sometimes to figure out which ones!

  4. Stacy Said,

    Well, I gave the book one more chance last night, and it got better. It was just slow. Tim had to work till nearly 4 AM and I stayed up fairly late reading (although nothing like him). I am almost finished with it now, have about 40-50 pages left and want to see how it ends, so I will definitely finish it. Thanks for all the feedback everyone! 🙂

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