Bookmarks Subscribers discussion

Thanks to Nancy for a great discussion suggestion! What are books you have started and discarded, but then gone back and given a second chance to? Tell us what the title is, why you stopped reading it the first time and what you thought the second time.

Believe it - Jane Eyre. It just didn't "grab me" in about 3 pages. Then last year, my book discussion decided to read it. I'm so glad I read it. I'd read it again.

Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and then I quickly became bored and DNF after 120 pages. Fast forward to last year and my brother is telling me about a book I HAVE to read and of course, Station Eleven. He makes me promise to read and push past where I left off and he was so right. Shortly after the point I had stopped I was right back into the story and ended up rally enjoying and have recommended multiple times.

Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and then I quickly became bored and DNF after 120..."

Just got it out ofthe library to give it a second chance.
Thanks Jeana.

Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and then I quickly became bored and DNF after 120..."

I did read it all the way through the first time, and just didn't love it. I have to admit, I do tend to get a little oppositional about books that are hyped so much. I was also unexcited by All the Light We Cannot See.

Betsy wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and then I quickly became bored and..."

I tend to avoid over hyped books as well. I may have missed some good books because of that but I feel like I'm being manipulated and that just puts me off. I often wonder if publishers realize how too much hype can actually work against a book.

Nancy wrote: "Betsy wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and then I quickly be..."

But, how do you know when a book is OVERhyped vs just a great book.

Linda wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Betsy wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eeven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and the..."
Good question. Not really sure - it's just a reaction I have to a book.
And I'm sure I've missed some good ones along the way

Linda wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Betsy wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and the..."

Good question. For me, it's just a reaction I have to a book. If someone whose reading taste are similar to mine recommends a book I've dismissed , I'll rethink my decision. I've changed my mind after reading reviews on Goodreads as well.

Linda wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Betsy wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and the..."

Linda wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Betsy wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and the..."

Nancy wrote: "Linda wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Betsy wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eeven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so ..."

That is a great question Linda. For myself, I find hype around a book sets my expectations too high so then I am disappointed. It might be a reflection on the book but more likely it is that I expected too much so, I try to not read too much about the hype and just plunge in.

Just to clarify my question.

I have read many books long after the publicity has died and I have been disappointed. Most notably have been books given prestigious awards. It's not unusual for me to wonder why it got an award.

Elle wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and then I quickly became bored and..."

Elle wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and then I quickly became bored and..."

Elle- I agree, I know that I set expectations too high for books that many people are discussing and can often be disappointed. I am trying very hard to wait on these types of books at least until the initial hype subsides to give a fair chance.

And as others have noted in this thread, I don't always end up loving the books that have received high praise, Cutting for Stone is a book everyone I know loves and I don't. I have given it a couple of shots without success.

Jeana wrote: "Elle wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and then I quickly bec..."

I hear what you are saying. I read (inhaled) and loved The Time Traveler's Wife. I recommended it to a close friend. She, too, just ate it up. We suggested it to our book discussion group. Oh, my! So many did not like it, could not follow the threads, got confused, etc.

BTW, I've read Cutting for Stone three times. I don't usually re-read books. One of the subsequent times was for the book discussion group. Most of them really liked it.

There's no accounting for taste.

Linda wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Elle wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and then..."

Cutting for Stone is one that would be a desert island book. I have read it twice and anticipate re-reading it in future. It is such a beautiful book. When my book club read this book, some gave it 5 stars and some gave it 1 star. I also am a firm believer that it is about my mind-set when I read a book (i.e., if I am mentally exhausted with work, I may not be receptive to a book that, at another time, I may love).

Linda wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Elle wrote: "Jeana wrote: "Station Eleven - there was so much hype around the book a couple of years ago so I picked it up. I was totally engaged for the first 50 or so pages and then..."

Thank goodness there are all kinds of taste, otherwise there would be even more starving artists! Imagine if every book was written to the same style/genre. I suppose that is what it would be like in an authoritarian government where all publishing is controlled. There has to be some middle ground between that and the promulgation of truly fake news (and I don't mean just biased) we have now. I'll stop now, I think I am getting too philosophical or political.