What should I read next?: The book ending support group discussion

Hello;
have you ever got stuck with boring or uninteresting books? what would YOU do?

when I stumble over such books I think of ditching them, but I feel bad not to finish what I started... So I sometimes force myself to read them, but end up postponing reading them and everything else ... and can't think of the "next" book!

so what would you do?

I will try my level best to finish it. I am doing the same thing now with "How we met" by Katy Regan. It's dreadfully boring. Also I did the same with Treasure Island and Great Expectation a few years ago. Peter Pan and Tale of Two Cities are the two books I ditched reading, because it was humanely impossible for me to continue... :)

when this happens to me, sometimes I just walk away from the book all together. Ugh. I just can't torture myself with something that it supposed to garner enjoyment for me. I might revisit and give it another chance...later.

I did ditch 3 books already and feeling bad about that...
recently I'm stuck with another 3 boring books... why 3? because when I figured the first was hard to finish I started another one, but turned out to be as boring, so I thought if I started another I might be able to finish the first two... but in instead I didn't finish any, and I dare not to start another! :\

Beeb wrote: " I just can't torture myself with something that it supposed to garner enjoyment for me..."

torture it is... I do feel with such books that reading is more like a job than fun and enjoying!

When I start getting bored of a book especially if its a genre I read a lot I change genres. I even read manga from Japan (translated) because its,a small break from the normal.

But there are some that you just cannot finish which is all good. Were not going to like ev ery book. If its one I bpught I either resell or donate it

I used to feel guilty about not enjoying a book and not finishing it, especially if it got great reviews or was personally recommended to me. Now I accept the fact I find it boring and realize like in life, not everything is for everyone.

I do speed reading. That's the only way for me to finish such torturous books. Then, I'll donate it away as it may yet to encounter a reader who may enjoy it.

I used to finish every book I read, but time is short. So now I just give them away.

I had a friend who suggested a book to me that she loved, and we typically enjoy the same books. Turns out this was one I just couldn't stand. After trying more than once to read it I gave up. I DID go back to my friend and ask what SHE liked so much about the book. Turns out I liked her telling me about the book. As a general rule though I finish books I start but if I don't like them I give them away.

I also speed read and if that fails and I nod off every time I pick it up, I return it to the library.

There's a say "if you read only what you like you'll never learn"
I think it's true, but sometimes reading what you HATE just makes reading a tough job.

The only time to will finish a book I don't like is when it is for a book discussion. The other times I find myself with a boring book I put the book down and find something that will hold my attention. I usually give a book two tries and then I get rid of the book.

if I am not hooked by the beginning of chapter 3 or if the pase of the book changes then i ditch it

if I am not hooked by the beginning of chapter 3 or if the pase of the book changes then i ditch it

"Interview with a Vampire" by Anne Rice. Its so torturous almost left me crying. I tried to do speed reading too, but even that didn't work. I have made a point to read one or two chapters first and then buy them since then. Also I have made a point to avoid Anne Rice books.

Lavanya wrote: ""Interview with a Vampire" by Anne Rice. Its so torturous almost left me crying. I tried to do speed reading too, but even that didn't work. I have made a point to read one or two chapters first an..."

Couldn't agree more! Had the same experience and I sure am not too keen to pick up another one by her. Managed to finish "Vampire" by speed read and good reads in between. Certainly took me much longer to complete the book and I kept glancing at the number of pages to go!

Jacqueline wrote: "Lavanya wrote: ""Interview with a Vampire" by Anne Rice. Its so torturous almost left me crying. I tried to do speed reading too, but even that didn't work. I have made a point to read one or two ..."

Well it was kind of pathetic. I have grown to love the Vampires since I read Dracula and Carmilla, I expected the same eeri excitement from the Vampire Chronicles too. And then there was the Tom Cruise/Brad Pitt movie too. But I must admit they were the most boring vampires I've ever met. Lestate was funny though, but their callous activities were too much to handle. What kind of vampire turns a child? Isn't that off-limits or something?

I start skimming, especially if I'm far enough into the book that I feel obligated to finish it - usually about halfway. I'll skip entire passages if that's what it takes. I agonize over not finishing books, so it's really rare that I just give up altogether. (Though it's happened... looking at you, 1Q84.)

I used to feel obligated to finish every book I started. Now I realize there are more books than time. If a book bores me after 100 pages I give it up and don't look back. I'm glad to see I am not the only one who hated "Interview with a Vampire". I did like the movie though.

I tend to stop change to another book & then go back to it! I then find reading only a chapter or two then leave & go back often works! Ive only not finished very few books! I can skim read a dull book gleam the story but do not identify with the characters! Now I know if a book gets the better of me relax & change book go back try again

If I find the plot interesting & want to know what happens, I'll either skim read it to the end or google the summary & find out the ending that way. I do feel guilty if I don't finish a book, but if a book is making me hate reading it's not worth it.

One author I feel ashamed of never being able to complete - Jane Austen. I've tried Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility. Both put me to sleep. It's like instant literary Ambien. Love the movies of her stories.

I don't agree that reading things you don't like helps you learn. I think reading things that are challenging & require more attention then the regular paperback help you learn. I.e Dante's Divine Comedy.

Dante too hard only ever got to page 34! Monty you cannot complete Jane Austen (Who I adore) I cannot complete Dante.Reason why we have so many genres so many authors! Great we all have different likes! I did try Dante just not my thing.

I think different authors are challenging to different people. I've never read Dante but Raymond Carver is challenging to me. I'm attempting to read him because of his reputation. Love Jane Austen, especially Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. Maybe I just have more then the typical amount of patience. I loved The Little Friend too. All the backstory and description that may have seemed unnecessary was right up my alley lol.

Maybe my problem with Jane Austen is I've watched basically all the movie/tv editions of each book, so now I know it too well. The suspense is all gone. I do like her books, I just can't stay awake to read them. It saddens me.

A book I really want to read, but I always get bogged down in it - Anna Karenina.

I didn't finish reading Dante, I just liked what I read. With texts like that I revert back to college habits & take notes - somehow I can't not take notes.

I had the same problem with Jane Austen, although I was so happy when I bought Sense and Sensibility several years ago... but I couldn't finish it... I just kept sleeping or daydreaming about other things I want to do... so I just gave it up!

I still want to read Jane Austen, so I might try Pride and Prejudice... someday ;)

I'm glad I'm not the only one!! I truly love Jane Austen's stories. I just can't make it through reading them. But I love their essence. Sigh. I think the only one I barely managed to finish was Northanger Abby & that's only because it's quite a short book.

Hi everyone - just joined this group so this is my first comment... I've got almost 90 books at home to read and I try to read one I really want to followed by one I'm less interested in. I finally decided that reading should be a fun, enjoyable experience and shouldn't be a chore - I shouldn't be justifying reading books I really want to... so I started a new virtual shelf of books on Goodreads called "bottom of the pile". I'me listing the books there and will come back to them when I've read the ones I really want to. If I decide I really don't want to read them I'll take them to a book swap (which I attend twice a year and replace them with books I really want to read).

Hey guys, this question means a lot to me since I experienced a veeery boring book. It's "Le Rouge et le Noir" or "The Red and the Black" written by Stendhal. When I reached the page 180, I stopped and read the summary of the book on the internet than threw it away. Do the same ;)

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking of reading that book, now I probably won't.

I usually skim read a boring book & if its a book club one I can recall certain facts but my zest/enthusiasim for the book dosn't shine through. I love being drawn into a book feeling each character coming to life & sharing their laughter,happiness & tragedy. A boring book for me doesn't engage me with the characters by half way through I switch off & skim read auto pilot. Ive failed to skim through one from the Library book club Gold- bored me endlessly & too many skim reads makes me not want to pick up another book for a while.
Sometimes being made to read too many not your genre books can make you lose the love of reading.A few years back this happened & after a 8 month no books! I re read a favourite book & fell in love with reading again.

Hi all, I'm currently reading "The name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco. It's for my book club and the only way I can get through it is by reading 15 pages a night which should get it read by 7th Feb for my next book club night! 2 people have already given up (there are 8 of us). I feel obliged to read it as it's the first book choice from a new member of our club but it's so difficult. It's overly descriptive, overly wordy generally and just difficult! Has anyone read it and enjoyed it?

I am historian. I haven't read it yet but I think I'd love it haha.

Carola wrote: "I am historian. I haven't read it yet but I think I'd love it haha."
Hi Carola, you may indeed! My friend who suggested it is a stone mason so I think she favoured the (lengthy) descriptions of the architecture! I have to say it's now slightly better, but still a struggle!

Don't give it up!

Hi Carola... I finished it! HOORAY! Unfortunately I never got to grips with enjoying it but I'm very satisfied that I managed to complete all 502 long, long pages!!

Boring books? I leave them at bus stops or other public places for people to find. I hope it comes as a nice surprise or just a bit of mystery for someone.

That's a wonderful & generous idea. I like the idea of it propelling a mystery in someone's head.

Well, who doesn't need a bit of mystery now and then? (Although, I don't read Mystery novels. Ironic? Not really.)

Has anyone read Quincunx by Charles Palliser? It had been recommended a while back after I read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. It's not a fantasy but it does take place in Dickensian England. I had searched for it for quite a while, found it at a book fair. It's been on my shelf for a while. Not long after I had gotten a kindle and started reading all my books on the device. I searched forever on Amazon to see if it was available in kindle format. It wasn't. Than a few weeks ago I'm searching the kindle for new books, and their it was!! It's a showstopper of a book but I am looking forward to reading it. But before I invest my time in this epic I'm curious if anyone has read the book. Love your feedback. Thanks!

Eve wrote: "Boring books? I leave them at bus stops or other public places for people to find. I hope it comes as a nice surprise or just a bit of mystery for someone."

I love this idea... I would truly be surprised if I found a nice, relatively new book at the bus station! but I'm too skeptical to just take it. ;)

I used to muttle through them, but as TBR pile has grown, now I give it a REALLY good try, then I end it. :( I always feel bad though

Trade it in? I rarely buy a book unless I know I'm going to re-read it for this very reason. The library is my best friend.

Eve wrote: "Boring books? I leave them at bus stops or other public places for people to find. I hope it comes as a nice surprise or just a bit of mystery for someone."

If you like to do this, you may want to check out bookcrossing.com; it is like message in a bottle except with books. I have dropped many books this way! The intriguing part is to know that your book is traveling from reader to reader. Yes, you get to track it provided the person picked it up logs into the system and updates.

I truge on hoping it will get better. Some do some I wonder how they were published. I never throw anything away. Books I have no desire to keep I donate to a library letting friends have first dig through the pile.

If I can't get into the book, find myself avoiding it day after day, and can only read a few pages in a go, I get rid of it. I've done all sorts of things in the past to try and finish a book I didn't like. I skipped whole sections of one book, attempted the audiobook for another, put it down and tried again and again and again from the beginning for a third.

It's simply not worth the time you are putting into a book you don't like. There are millions of publications out there you can read, why waste your time on one you don't like?

I usually stick to library books unless I've already read it and have deemed it a must have. I save a lot of time and money that way. I usually don't continue to read a book unless it's a classic. I start researching more about the book to see if I'm missing an element, which is why I'm not finding it enjoyable. In the end, though, time is short. It's best to read books you enjoy.

It depends on how boring the books is. If it's mind numbing, I stop reading it. If I'm curious about part of the story line, I skim it.

I used to force myself to finish the book because I was living in a book desert; I had to buy books to read (and books were costly)and free books were limited. But now I have moved to book haven! The library is just a stone's throw away. So I just move on to the next promising book and forget about the annoying ones!

One person's 'boring' book may be another person's thriller. I usually donate boring books to the library or put them in the 'little free library' a few blocks away.