Weekly Tête-à-Tête - Feeling A Bit Intimidated?

[Shanon]

Ever feel intimidated by a book? Is the the length, huge number of characters, long series, deep topics? What do you feel intimidated by or try to avoid in your books?


Personally lengthy series intimidate me. It's doubly so if the individual books in the series are long as well. I have this drive to be caught up in all the series I start so if there is 8+ books out I have to think about it long and hard. I've been VERY happy with some of these long series so it's worth getting over that initial "WHAT?!?" moment when I learn how many books there are. Sometimes getting started on the long series takes longer for me than actually reading them.

[Heather B]

Shanon wrote: "Ever feel intimidated by a book? Is the the length, huge number of characters, long series, deep topics? What do you feel intimidated by or try to avoid in your books?


Personally lengthy ser..."

I can totally relate, a lot of the recommendations that I've been getting latly have at least 5 books out in the series so far that I haven't read. And I definetly don't have the time for all of that, but yes most of the time I end up really liking the series.
But one the second hand I don't like having to wait for a book in a series to come out, I hate not knowing what will happen. So this is a where having all the books in a series out already is a good thing.

[Kathryn]

Since I've joined Goodreads, I do not feel as intimidated as I once did. I've tackled a lot of books that I never would have before joining, if it were not for my friends and so many wonderful reviews.

Length never used to intimidate me yet I have been hesitating lately. I guess its kind of ridiculous but I hesitate over a super long novel more than a super long series, which ends up thousands of more pages. You know a series that intimidates me? The Outlander series. I have all of the books, they're my mom's favorites, and I keep meaning to read them but I am nervous. The series is long, each book is thick, and the whole thing is incomplete.

As for deep books, I guess there are some that I am hesitant to read, but I know I'll eventually get around to the ones on my to-read list.

[Shanon]

Heather wrote: "But one the second hand I don't like having to wait for a book in a series to come out, I hate not knowing what will happen. So this is a where having all the books in a series out already is a good thing."

It's a catch 22 either way! Stress about reading all the books that are out or wonder what's going to happen and not be able to find out for a year or so.

I've read a lot of books I probably wouldn't have if it hadn't been for Goodreads too. I don't know if I would've ever read a post-apocolyptic book without reviews & recs here. Now there are a few that are some of my favorite books.

The Outlander series scares me too - so does another one that's name escapes me right now but it has 20+ books out now I think.

[Heather B]

Shanon wrote: "Heather wrote: "But one the second hand I don't like having to wait for a book in a series to come out, I hate not knowing what will happen. So this is a where having all the books in a series out ..."

WOW, thats alot of books for one series, that would definetly scare me. And same here I have read some books that I probable wouldn't have since joining Goodreads, and I think that's a good thing.
An other thing that kind of intimidates me is the language in a book. I tried to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen but the language is so different then what I'm used to that I found myself having to reread what I was reading just to understand what was happening, I never ended up finishing the book, but I plan to some day. Also with language, I find that shakespeare is intimidating, I don't really mind reading it and actually like some of it, but I suck at analising it and that's all you do with it in school.

[Paula]

I'm not intimidated by the size of a series. It's the number of pages a book has that gives me pause. I won't read a book much over 500 pages. I prefer books around 350 pages. My thought is that an author should be able to tell a good tale within 350 pages, especially if the book is part of a series.

When I first joined groups in GR I got stressed out about finishing books for the reading groups. I have learned to relax and read what I could.

[Amanda]

I agree the length or the amount of books in a series doesn't bother me, its basically how many books do i have at home that I want read first before buying more.

[Heather B]

ya I definetly have trouble trying to pick which book to read next there are always so many to pick form and I'm constantly buying more :P I think that I have an addiction.

[Melodie]

I didn't used to mind BFBs (big fat books), but now I really think about it before I tackle one. I've got the new Stephen King book sitting here and I know it will be awhile before I get to it just because it's over 1000 pages.

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ]

I'm definetly intimidated by Outlander. A friend highly recommended it and gave me a copy of the book. I havn't read it yet because I read alot of reviews of the book. Either you love it or you hate it. I'm not happy about the (although mild) abuse in the book. (If you've ever been a victom of abuse, you seriously don't need to read about it.) or the male kissing. I've got the first two books in the series... but havn't read either.

[Wendy]

I sometimes get nervous about starting a large book because I have soo many books to read and I think "I could read two books in the time I will spend on that one book" but long series doesn't bother me. Some series are read back to back like a fever and others I split up. I am currently halfway through the first outlander book and I have to say that I am getting hooked. It was a tad slow to begin with but it getting really good now.

[Julia]

I read BFBs like they're going out of style.

Gabaldon is one of my favorite writers.

I am a lover of science fiction & fantasy books, so yeah, I read series with twenty books in it...(By some authors, not by all authors.) (For instance, I like Mercedes Lackey plenty, but I don't read her books anymore cuz she writes too darned many books!)

I like Shakespeare *a lot.* (Drama major...)

This summer I discovered Book Lust and in it Nancy Pearl gave some interesting wisdom I am trying to follow: if you're not liking a book *stop reading it*! Life's too short to read books you hate, that are not assigned. She suggests reading to page 50 or so.

OTOH, I don't read many classics, so that's one of my challenges this year...

[new_user]

I seek out BFBs actually, LOL.

[Erin]

I suppose not much intimidates me in books anymore, other than extremely lengthy series. I am a fast reader, but when there are 15+ books out already, that's a lot to get through. Of course, some of my favorite series are that long and longer, so once I get started it all works out. I was an English major in college and after the number of difficult books I read then, it's hard to find too many now that are intimidating.

[Heather B]

ahaha ya I bet it is, I could never do an english major, I really suck at english.

[Erin]

Heather wrote: "ahaha ya I bet it is, I could never do an english major, I really suck at english."

I enjoyed it for sure, but some of those classes and books were definitely intimidating. I took a senior seminar on William Faulkner who is now one of my favorite authors, but at the time was extremely challenging.

[Heather B]

Ya I don't think that that would be for me I'm more of a math and science person, but I still love to read.