How Do You Decide If You Want to STOP Reading a Book?

[♥Jessica,]

I quit if..

1) It feels like a chore to read it.
2) I hate the writing style.
3) I get a book that looks more interesting.

[Maeve]

I usually stop reading a book if I can think about it and realize that something like that could never happen to anyone in my life. Also I stop if the books is boring enough to make me fall asleep, that's a usual no no.

[Adam]

The curse of the next great read. Its tough to balance the grass is always greener. I typically will at least skip to the end to see if there's a clever plot twist or something since I've invested so much into the book already.

[Cheyenne]

I hate to quit a book but sometime it's just what you have to do. I stop reading when I lose all interest in the book and I have to push myself to read it. It's just not worth the effort to try and read something I don't want to anymore.

[Sarah]

I always try to finish the books I start - I just hate the thought that I haven't finished it. But there are some books that I just couldn't get through. I decided to stop when I realised that I was having to actually convince myself to read the book, rather than be excited about reading it.

[Sarah]

I'm looking for abit of encouragement guys. I'm in abit of a reading slump and looking for any tips on how to over come it. I'm currently trying to read delerium and I can only seem to read a few pages at a time before I put the book down

[Adam]

The best way to get out of a slump is to find a book that really excites you. Sounds like that one isn't a good one, maybe try another? What's your favorite style?

[Marybeth]

Maybe I can help. I personally liked delirium but I didn't like the others. Give me your favorite genre and maybe we can figure something out

[Sarah]

I generally like YA or contemporary.

[Adam]

Sarah wrote: "I generally like YA or contemporary."

Maybe try Legend?

[Sara]

Hm. With me, if I find the story become more and more unrealistic, and the characters even more unrealistic, I quit. I guess you could say that I like consistency and, well, realness.

Another thing that might turn me off is writing style. If it's too flowery or is full of nonsensical metaphors, I will drop it. That's just me :P I know some that are in love with that kind of writing, but it personally makes me sick

[J.S.]

If I don't get interested after the first ten pages or the end of the first chapter--whichever comes first--then that's it for me. My editor has always told me to grab the reader within the first five pages. If they're hooked...they'll read. I just hope that I can do it!

[Ilona]

I try to read 10% at least of the book. If I am really bored or annoyed , I may stop. Except if it's a super popular or classic book, I try harder. If it's really short, I try to finish it.

There aren't that many books I didn't finish though there are many I dislike or hate. I am not really sure I am more entitled to have a really bad opinion of a book if I have read it completely or if I have stopped. On the other hand it can be fun when a book is so bad.

[Mackenzie]

I have never not finished a book, it just takes me a lot longer to read it. My major pet peeve is not knowing an ending without reading the whole thing. If I absolutely loathe the book I still keep reading even though it pains me.

[Mei]

As much as possible I don't mark a book ‘DNF’. But if I reached 60% and I still feel bored by the narration, characters, or I couldn't draw myself into the story, or if there is lack of action, well...I have to stop. There's also the reason that if I find the lack of logic and I read something offensive or pathetic.

[Jessy]

I try to read as much as possible. When I just lose all interest, I will usually flip forward in the book and start reading there to see if it gets better. If I see that it does, I go back to my spot and trudge through until I get to the better part. If when I flip forward it is still bad, then that is usually my decider to put it down as DNF.

[[deleted user]]

I stop reading a book,if the plot is too predictable, too boring, too juvenile,
if the writing is bad
if the characters are bad..
just if I dont see a reason to finish it I wount.but if I like one or 2 chraracters I might read more.

[chinami]

i quit when book becomes boring or looses track of story or has crappy characters.

[John]

If I can't stick with a book, I stop reading. Either the story is a compelling read or it isn't. I can force myself to read a bit more to see if things pick up, but ultimately, if it isn't worth investing the time, I say give it up and move on. There's plenty more to read out there.

[Mel]

I quit reading if I hate the characters, if the story just seems too ridiculous to continue, or I'm bored. I generally don't DNF a lot though.

[Dana]

I used to never put a book down but I'm trying to train myself out of that and so far have ditched a couple of books. For me, if it's making me miserable trying to finish it I'll ditch it. Reading is supposed to be fun after all. My only issue comes when I am reading a terrible book that I have agreed to review, then I make myself finish it.

[Morrigan]

If I am finding myself DREADING reading, or I feel disturbed by the content, and I am only a portion of the way through, I will stop. Or if it doesn't grab me in the first few chapters, I stop. No matter how many people love it, I have to love it, not just follow the trend.

[Miodrag ★❥]

Lately I gave up on some books, and I do that because I can't get into the story. I am reading, but I don't feel it, it's like reading, like I need to read it and I hate that. Then I just stop it, but I try to come back and try to read it again, especially if it is second book in the series, but if again I got this feel, then I try not to come back.

Also there are some books that really are boring when I start to read, then I just stop it, and no coming back. No matter if book have good ratings or really good reviews!

One more thing, also it's with my mood, that's why now I read 2 books, then I can choose which one to read and which one will continue reading later, this is good because sometimes I start good book, but I can't read it, I just feel... I don't know, but when I get to it later, after couple of days, surprise, I love it!

[Brigid ✩]

I almost always finish whatever book I start, even if it means skimming through parts of it. Occasionally I'll give up on a book, but usually it's only if I'm so bored that reading it feels like a chore. If it's taking me more than a couple of weeks and it's just preventing me from getting to books I actually want to read, I'll set it aside. But I try to get at least 100 pages into it or so before I give it up.

[Rob]

I stop reading if:
a) I fall asleep (this rarely happens)
b) I find myself rereading the same paragraph because my mind wanders
c) I roll around as if the book is making me uncomfortable

[Rachel]

I'm almost guilty of reading a book right to the end just because I want to make sure that it doesn't get good at some point. It's rare that this happens as I'm usually drawn to the right type of book.

I don't tend to finish a book if I've stopped reading it for longer than a month. :)

Interesting topic!

[Molly]

I'll just convince myself that I'll come back to it. Sometimes I do.

But I rarely stop because I feel bad if I don't give it it's full chance. Because who knows maybe page 99/100 will be worth it? Lol.

So yeah, I only have 4 books -that I can think of- that I have started and not finished. and I know for sure 2 of them I will finish.

[Courtney]

Same. I tend to finish but if its absolutely awful I move on and ask someone else what happened.

[Mzzie]

If I can't stand the main character, I can't continue to read the book.

I can finish the book only if I can connect to the main character.

[Rebecca]

I stop reading a book when reading the book becomes like a chore instead of for fun.

[Gina's]

When I have the urgency to commit suicide (Cohelo's books) or when the books are really bad and get worse I just put them down and leave them.

Fortunately it only have happened like 3 times, usually the books I pick I finish reading them all.

[Gina's]

Usually when I start skipping pages I know that I won't finish that horrible and bad book, for me.

[Angie]

When I can´t focus on the text that I'm reading :3

[Rich]

Usually within 20 - 30 pages, if I'm still having trouble immersing myself into the story and visualizing -seeing through the eyes of the characters like I am really there experiencing it all, I know and will stop and mark the book as did not finish and move on.

[Mzzie]

Rich wrote: "Usually within 20 - 30 pages, if I'm still having trouble immersing myself into the story and visualizing -seeing through the eyes of the characters like I am really there experiencing it all, I kn..."


I hate when that happens to me, sop that's definitely a reason to stop reading a book!

[Katie]

Whether I finish a book or not, I always read the first 3 chapters. If I have a horrible time getting through them and it looks like it'll stay that way then I quit it. The reason I make myself at least read 3 is so I don't just quit what could be an awesome book that just has a slow beginning. But I don't believe you should waste your time reading a book you don't like when you have hundreds of others you would love.

[John]

Twilight is still to date the only book I have yet to finish. I avoid it like the plauge. Don't know why. No idea why I stopped reading it but it was making me feel like throwing it at a wall. I guess that's my answer. If the book makes me want to throw it at a wall.

[Jordan]

Normally I always finish a book, just because I have had experiences where I didn't like most of the book, but loved the ending (Leviathan), but what I used to do is I would read at least 100 pages, and if I was feeling iffy about it, I would find people on Goodreads who have read it, look at the reviews and maybe ask them if it is worth the read.

[Megan]

I've only stopped reading one book... well two when I think about it now. One was Beautifully Damaged I just COULD NOT get into it. The other I forgot the title of, but the author talked about every little action the girl was doing! I woke up, I rubbed my eyes, I placed my feet down, first the right, then the left. I scratched the top of my head, stopped after three scratches so on, I wanted to die.

I've had other boring reads but finish because I am too cheap not to finish it in its entirety. Now that I rent from my digital library I haven't found a bum book.

[Jessica (Goldenfurpro)]

I'm an optimist and NEVER give up on a book. I just always think that maybe it will get better! It usually doesn't, but I always hope.
I also figure that I invested this much time reading the book that I might as well finish it.
And while I never give up on books, I do give up on series from time to time.

[K.J.]

This used to be one of my seriously bad habits. If I couldn't get into a novel within the first few chapters, I would put it down. Sometimes I would even stop in the middle if it got boring.

I'm really trying to stop doing that, because I've probably put down a lot of good books. But it's really hard if I have to force myself to read it. The book I'm reading now is a good example. Ordinarily, I would have stopped a while ago, because it is really slow and I know it's not my cup of tea... But I'm determined to finish it. Just because I'm trying to break the habit.

I will also give up on series if I have to wait too long for the books to come out. I remember I was really into the Inheritance series, but then it took two years for the third book Brisingr to come out! By the time it did, I had lost interest

[Erika]

I stop reading if I'm really bored, but I hate it when I have to stop reading a book.

[Vicki]

I have rarely stopped, but the one I remember stopping most vividly I had kept thinking it HAS to start getting a little interesting! I ended up reading 150 pages and finally realized reading something I actually enjoyed and wasn't TOTALLY hating was more important.

[Tonya]

I rarely ever stop reading a book. Even when I get bored with it because I worry that maybe something good will happen. I think the one book I ever stopped reading was the good earth. The only reason I stopped was because it was one of the two choices for summer reading in my PreAP English class. I didn't want to read a book I didn't like because I wouldn't remember anything about it. So I read the other book and it was a much better choice.

[[deleted user]]

If it just bores me to death then it's out.
If I feel like I'm forcing myself to read it then it's out.
If I'm always pi**ed with all the characters then it's out.

[Kate]

I actually DNFed a book today! :D

If I lose interest in a book where I decided to read several others instead of continuing it, I take that as a sign that it's time to just DNF and move on.

[Anna 'Bookbuyer']

Kaitlin wrote: "I actually DNFed a book today! :D

If I lose interest in a book where I decided to read several others instead of continuing it, I take that as a sign that it's time to just DNF and move on."

Same.

[Trinity]

I have a 100 page rule. If it hasn't captured my attention by then, I am done. However, I have been warned not to do this with a few books and I'm glad I took the advice in most cases. Also, slang will throw me off. I don't mind it in the dialogue but DO NOT use it in your writing or I will lose a little bit of respect for you.

[Isabel]

when you start getting annoyed or when you think about boring things while reading:3

[[deleted user]]

Haha this happened to me earlier this month. Sadly I couldn't just quit because I wasn't allowed to. But I have continually put the first book down in the series because a more interesting book comes along.

If I'm not interested I usually just stop. Somtimes when I wanted to finish a series by a certian date and for a while I had no choice but to finish it then after the first book I have a choice I refuse to let the weight leave my shoulders and I finish the series anyway or try to. It's weird.