Prompt 50: A book you started but never finished

[Ann]

What books are you reading in this category? What are some reasons you don't finish books? Why didn't you finish the one you're going to read for this challenge?

[Leah]

There are many books I've started, but never finished. Reasons range from I lost the book, started other books/projects and simply forgot about it, or I simply wasn't enjoying it. I still haven't settled on which book I'll read for this prompt.

[Kerri]

Pride and Prejudice. I started it senior year of high school in the spring when I was ready to be done with school. I stopped reading half way through in favor of a shorter book. What I'd read I enjoyed, it's time to pick it back up and finish.

[Burcu]

I'll go with non-fiction for this prompt. I have more than a few history and economics books that I skimmed through for class/articles/thesis. They were really interesting but I never got around to reading them properly.

[Meryl]

I think I'll go with Sarum by Edward Rutherford. I've tried to read it several times since high school but never got more than 200 pages in. Not sure why because I liked it.

[Ann]

The book I feel like I should read for this prompt is Jane Eyre. I got 3/4 of the way through for a school project and just got burned out. I think I would feel better if I went back and reread the book. The only time I will stop reading a book now is if it is absolutely one of the worst books I've read. I tend to make myself push through even if I hate the book just so I can say I finished it. The only three books I have on my gave-up-on shelf here on Goodreads are Tempted by PC Cast and I couldn't read that again. I felt my brain cells dying while I read it, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher that I just couldn't get into and Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman who is one of my favorite authors so I may give that another shot as well. Full Tilt I just couldn't do at the time for some reason. I tried more than once.

[Lynn]

Ann wrote: "The book I feel like I should read for this prompt is Jane Eyre. I got 3/4 of the way through for a school project and just got burned out."

I know I'm in the minority, but I definitely felt like Jane Eyre was one of the worst books in history. I felt the same way about Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I've decided that the Bronte sisters and I do not get on well and nothing can make me pick up another one of their books.

[Amii]

I am going to read The Children's Blizzard for this challenge. I have picked this book 2-3 times at various points over the 10 years or so that we have had it. I'm hoping I actually finish it this time.

[Martta]

I think I might read the Earthsea Chronicles 5-6 for this prompt. I started reading it many years ago - I can't even remember when - and seem to have stopped in the middle of a page, and I have no idea why.

[Anne]

I'm leaving two books "undone" from 2014: The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver and Cronkite by Douglas Brinkley. I'll finish one of those and get them off my currently reading shelf.

[Heidi]

I attempted The Hobbit when I was around 11/12 and gave up on it. After watching the first two films, I've decided to give it another go this year now that I'm older

[[deleted user]]

I'm going with The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams. The reason I stopped was because of the fox (or "tod" I suppose) character's dialogue. It's written in a thick Scottish dialect that made it extremely difficult to read.
I think now that I've had a few years and I know it's there going in, I'll be ok.

[Samantha]

the hobbit is one of the best books I have read, my kids loved it also. and I have loved Jane Eyre and Wuthering heights since I was a teen :) but there are so many books for so many different tastes, hope you find one you love

[Pandora]

I think I'll (try to) read To the lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. I've began it two times, and abandoned it... two times lol. But third time's à charm (I hope ^^)

[Daneil]

I am absolutely awful at finishing nonfiction books; I can love the content and still get really burnt out by how unimaginative the writing is sometimes. I'm not sure which one of the 10 or so on my currently reading list I'll choose, but it's going to be nonfiction.

[Tris]

I tried to read Dracula about a year ago. I stopped halfway through partly because I was busy with work but also it just wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be. It's the only book I didn't force myself to finish so Dracula will be my choice by default!

[Alycia]

My choice for this one is The Kite Runner. Despite all the rave reviews, I started but couldn't get into it. I'll give it another go!

[Tribefan]

I read One Sweet Ride by Jaci Burton

I started this book back in September and for whatever reason had never finished it. It is a brain candy read with lots of sex! Haha! Anyways, all of Jaci's books in this series seem to be all the same, maybe that was why I had such a hard time finishing it at the time!

[Hailey Magstadt]

I kind of what to read Gone with the Wind for this prompt or I'll use it for my book over 500 pages. I cant decide.

[Alex]

I have false started once and have had other commitments overwhelm it on my second attempt but Tolstoy's War and Peace is a good fit for this prompt.

[Jules]

This will be What is the What by Dave Eggers for me. Despite loving A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, I struggled to get going with this book. This had less to do with Eggers' writing and more to do with the fact that I was juggling two or three other books at the same time. Some books seem to need an exclusive approach...!

[Lauri]

Alycia wrote: "My choice for this one is The Kite Runner. Despite all the rave reviews, I started but couldn't get into it. I'll give it another go!"

Wow Alycia, I thought I was the only one who could not get into The Kite Runner. I am going to give it another try myself. I found it a little too predictable and only got about a third of the way through.

[Alycia]

Laurie wrote: "Alycia wrote: "My choice for this one is The Kite Runner. Despite all the rave reviews, I started but couldn't get into it. I'll give it another go!"

Wow Alycia, I thought I was the only one who ..."

Great! We'll slog through it together :) Hopefully we'll reach that magic point where it becomes un-put-downable.

[Julia]

I finished "The Summer Without Men" by Siri Hustvedt; and it was horribly painful.

[Mooni]

Dracula by Bram Stoker . I started reading it at the beginning of last year, but didn't finish it, I think because I was interested in reading others. Yet, now that I've finished it, I love it.

[Mooni]

Dracula by Bram Stoker . I started reading it at the beginning of last year, but didn't finish it, I think because I was interested in reading others. Yet, now that I've finished it, I love it.

[Nadine in NY]

I started a book in December (it was The Kite Runner! I see I am in good company. I am really NOT liking this book...) and set it aside and finally had to return it to the library. I'm picking it up again now. Do you think it counts as "book I started and never finished" if it was only a few weeks downtime?

[Lynn]

I just finished The Little Girls by Elizabeth Bowen. I started it over year ago and just could not get into it. And now that I have finished it, I can truthfully say it was a terrible book. I really feel like I wasted over a year trying to read such a bad book. But I have ticked off the task and now I can throw the book very far away from me.

[Nikki]

I read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis for this prompt. Its not that I didn't enjoy this book each time I started reading it, but I found it a difficult book to read. Its very philosophical so I needed to be in the right mind set in order to truly appreciate the novel. I am glad I can now officially say I read this book.

[Jackie]

I just finished Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. I picked this up before and didn't get very far before abandoning it. Finished it last night and was a little "woah" when I was done. Glad I re-read it and finished it finally :)

[Brandy]

Another one for Pride and Prejudice. I've tried it at least three times and can't get into it. Maybe I'll listen to it on audiobook. Does that count?

[Nadine in NY]

Audiobooks count for me! That's how I got through The Kite Runner, I was a "captive audience" listening on my daily commute

[Katherine]

Maybe that's what should do for The Road. It's not my book for this category, but it's slowly becoming a book that I wouldn't finish if I hadn't put it on my list. Ugh. Beautiful writing, but sooooo sloooow.

[Karen]

I'm going to read The Flounder by Gunther Grass. I've started it twice, and this time I intend to finish it!

[Jana]

I finally read Fight Club.

[Jules]

Thinking of reading Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals, by Robert M. Pirsig for this, but not sure if I'm cheating.... I've completed it once, then abandoned it on the second read -- would love to give it another try!

[Sara]

Jules wrote: "Thinking of reading Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals, by Robert M. Pirsig for this, but not sure if I'm cheating.... I've completed it once, then abandoned it on the second re..."

I don't think that's cheating. Like others have said, these prompts aren't strict rules and are open to interpretation for each reader. If you feel that this book qualifies then go for it!

[Jami]

The only book that food this category for me is Moby Dick. I've been slowly working on it. I think I've finished 4 or 5 other books since starting it. Just can't get into it. Ugh, I'm now wishing I had given up on some other books along the way.

[Rem]

I have many reasons why I abandoned books in the past: usually it was because they were boring or I was not interested any longer. I started reading my abandoned books this year. One that I am currently reading is 'Interview with the Vampire'. Some others I recently finished were 'Ladyfingers& Nuns' Tummies' & Priestess of Avalon.

[Jules]

I've been persuaded (outside the group) that as I've finished Lila once, I can't count it as a book I've 'never' finished... Looks like it's going to be Don Quixote in that case, as I can't remember another book that I've completely failed to finish! Having just finished the 900 page Lonesome Dove, and having already ticked the 500 page prompt, I'm racking up some pages here!

[Marisa]

I've started life of Pi probably about three times and couldn't finish it. It just seems to drag on for me but, it's been some time since I read it so maybe I can give it another try.

[Alexis]

I read East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. It is a wonderful book, but took a while to get going and it is big, so it intimidated me when I tried to read it before, but one of my best friends loves it, so I gave it a go again. So glad I did. It is a beautiful novel about the weakness in all of us and how the weaknesses define us, but also how we struggle to be more than those weaknesses.

[Megan]

Amy wrote: "Ok so I just finished The Host by Stephanie Meyer it took me awhile to get through it but at lest I can say I finally finished it"

I've read that book before - its tough to get through. The movie is cringe-worthy too (in my opinion)

[Tara]

I haven't seen the movie but I actually liked it much more than the twilight books, I think maybe there was a bit of development in her writing style? Not awesome but I found it better lol

[Guylian]

Finished Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales.

[Melody]

For this category I read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I have started reading this book maybe half a dozen times over the course of my life? I think the biggest reason why I never finished this book was because I would always pick it up while I was over at someone else's house, maybe while they were busy with an unexpected phone call or during a lull at a house party. I didn't own a copy myself, and so couldn't finish it after the social engagement. I had seen the movie as a kid and loved it and been meaning to finish it for about a decade now, and I am very glad I did. As I expected, the book is fantastic and fun and funny! Hopefully it won't be another ten years until I can finish the series!

[Kerryann]

I've just finished angels and Demons by Dan brown