Aussie Lovers of Crime/Mystery/Thriller/Suspense discussion

The Mysteristas had some summer polls and one was asking readers why they don't finish a book. I've noticed I'm not finishing mystery books more and more and I wonder if other readers are experiencing the same thing. My reason is largely boredom. The book isn't taking me anywhere new or the writing isn't carrying me through my doubts.

I finish every book I start even if I'm bored with the story. I'm not sure if it's because I'm hoping the story will get better or if it's because I paid money for the book and I'm determined to read it all.

It would have to be really bad and long for me to give up. Such Is Life: Being Certain Extracts from the Diary of Tom Collins is one that I DNF'd

If it's not for me, too many books out there to waste on one I'm not enjoying

That's the way I feel too Kat...life's too short!

You're lucky Michael! For me, there are far too many good books out there waiting to be read. If a book doesn't grab me; or any other reason - it's a DNF! I'm lucky I haven't had too many...but there definitely have been a few!

So consider yourself lucky;)

I remember reading somewhere about an author that gives a book 50 pages to hook them in, that's been my mantra since then.
I agree....too many good books out there to waste on one that you don't enjoy.

I give them more than than 50 pages but if I get to a point where I am saying to myself "oh this is rubbish - I can't bear any more of this" then I stop. Reading is for pleasure:)

Kat wrote: "If it's not for me, too many books out there to waste on one I'm not enjoying"

So true Kat you may be missing a fabulous book

If the writing is terrible, I give up straight away. But if it is just hard to get into, or a bit slow, I will keep going till about 1/3rd of the way, give it a chance to improve

I will stop reading a book if it has not "grabbed" me. I have only not finished 2 this year. I have so many books on my TBR list and I read for the enjoyment.

I have been on GR since the end of 2009. And, in that time, I have only DNF'd two books. One was a translated book that won the Nobel Prize (Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter), but I just could not follow the story! The other was just inane, as far as I was concerned, and I lost patience with it (Murder at the Academy Awards: A Red Carpet Murder Mystery).

Yes, I have read bad books, although very few. I seem to feel that, if the book was written, there must be something the author is trying to say. Some books that I start go on my "to finish reading" shelf. These are books that aren't working for me at this time, but that I will give another try in the future...maybe. So far, I only have four on that shelf - 3 of which I know that I will read at some point.

Generally speaking I agree with the sentiment that life is too short to be bogged down by a book you don't like, and there are so many other great books waiting to be read. I had the dilemma only a couple of weeks ago with a book which had a very appealing publicity blurb, which had attracted my interest. I got half-way through and thought, "this is dull and repetitive, will I keep going?" I persisted to the end, the book livened up a little at one stage, but I finished with a decidedly flat feeling. Could have spent that time reading something far more engaging.
I think there are three good reasons for abandoning a book part way:
1. if the prose is so poor or obscure you can't bear it
2. if the narrative structure is so convoluted or incoherent that you can't follow it
3. if the subject matter is so dull or offensive that you don't wish to endure it any longer.

I took a book back to the library just this week after reading only the first chapter. I could tell it was not something I was going to enjoy and I have so many other books waiting that I know I am going to love! Life’s too short:)

I agree with the "life's too short" sentiment now that I'm older and know I don't have as much time as I'd like to read all the books I'd like to! I used to read them all to the finish even if I wasn't enjoying them, but feel now that with the amount of books I have in my hands, that I want to love them all!

Yep, I'm getting less tolerant, or impatient with books that I don't care for for the same reason. I don't have time, or care to read a book I don't enjoy. Having said that, I'm also taking far more care when adding new books TBR than I was even a year ago.
I look to see what my friends have said about it first and formost. I'm very grateful that I have very similar tastes as a number of friends, Brenda, Phrynne, Carolyn, Crumb, to name a few off the top of my head. I've met so many friends who love the same books that I do so I don't go wrong 99% of the time. It's been a long time since I read a book I didn't like. I have very few books that rate lower than 4★'s.
In fact, if I come across one I'm not into, I give up. I don't always DNF them though as it's usually me and not the author that's the problem. I learned that from a friend from this group and from Assie Readers. I have come far in a year!
Thanks, friends!
xx

I stop reading because the book is boring characters are not that great & there are plenty of other books I want to read I DNF because the book is poor.

Is there a DNF button on Goodreads? If I stop reading a book, I just delete it off my book list completely.

We make our own DNF shelf Kerri :) Just the same as any other shelf you create...

ahh, gotcha. I will just delete I think, there aren't that many of them.

As Brenda has noted, we can make our own DNF shelf, or as Kerri says, we can delete completely. Formerly I would have done as Kerri does, but in recent years I feel I want to keep a record of what I have started but not finished. I also made a shelf called "Stinker", so with some of the books I abandon, I know why!

Yes that's the main reason - so I'm not tempted to pick it up again, thinking I haven't read it :)

I started not finishing books after I joined a book group first year or two I persevered after that I decided life's to short and there are lots of books out there I want to read

I stop reading once I find that the book is:

Not what I want to read
The book is badly written, or uses too much foul language
Has a lot of incest and descriptions of abuse, especially on children
Or is totally bland

I do read on to about the halfway mark and often I am surprised that once I get into a book, I start to enjoy it. I have only stopped reading one book this year

If the book doesn't really grab me though I used to plow through books just in case it got better. In the last eighteen months I have nearly stopped reading completely as my partner has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and I found that I was either to exhausted or just could not concentrate

Brenda wrote: "That's the way I feel too Kat...life's too short!"

Agreeing both with Kat and Brenda. Life's too short...so many books, so little time. Choose wisely those that have the capacity to entertain and leave impression on your soul.

Laur wrote: "Brenda wrote: "That's the way I feel too Kat...life's too short!"

Agreeing both with Kat and Brenda. Life's too short...so many books, so little time. Choose wisely those that have the capacity to..."

Yes I agree as well. Life is too short.. and there are too many books!

After spending years finishing books I didn't like I decided lifes to short stop wasting time on something you are struggling through. If I don't like the book my reading rate slows down and with so many other books waiting to be read nope these days they get the flick.

As a writer - I'm loving this thread!
Personally, if you can't appreciate a writer's style in the first page, or it doesn't trap you by the end of the first chapter - my advice is to walk away.
If it's offensive - add it to a shelf or write a review so other's don't get trapped. If it's personal taste (e.g. swearing) rather than prejudiced (e.g. racist) I generally don't let that affect my rating - albeit I do expect these things to be disclosed in content warnings.
Ultimately, DNF what you don't love. Spend that time finding something to fall in love with instead.

Everyone has different tastes in books and those tastes change as we age. It is also easy to get a bit bored with a particular genre and find books become repetitive.
I like to see reviews that state what people do and don't like about particular novels. It is often the bad review that can help make up your mind if the book is something you will appreciate at this point in time.
Even some of my favourite authors blow it at times. Neal Stephenson's Cryptominicon was abysmal, or at least in my opinion. But then again I found Shakespeare as the most unreadable books I have ever come across!! We are all different.

I agree Andy that's why I like to have a wide ranging of friends that can give me some insight into my next next read. I also likr to have a large want to read/wishlist many books on them I won't read often when you pick them up they are not what you thought or whatever and checking other peoples reviews really does help.

sometimes I stop reading because I am in low depressed, mood and do not want to read anything