When do you stop reading a book you’re not enjoying? That is the question I’m currently asking myself. Normally, I give a book 25 to 50 pages before deciding it’s not right for me.
Currently, however, I’m about 90 percent finished with a mystery book whose ending I don’t particularly care about. It’s a book I’ve been slowly reading for a while, and I hate to stop reading it so near the end.
But I haven’t fallen in love with, or come to hate, any of the characters. The truth is the characters all bore me, and Ihave no passion for the plot.
In my world, the best books are ones that you learn something from, either about the world or about yourself. Even better are the books that do this and also make you both laugh and cry.
On average, I usually have about five books I’m currently reading, each from a different genre such as travel, mystery, nature, fantasy, memoir and essays. I read just about everything except horror (I like to sleep peacefully at night) and true crime (I get enough of that in the daily news).
Sometimes I stay up until the wee hours of the morning finishing a book I started just that day – such as What Comes Next and How to Like It by Abigail Thomas. And sometimes I take a month to finish a book because the writing deserves deep thoughts – such as Hell and other Destinations by Madelaine Albright.
And believe it or not, reading multiple books at the same time, actually helps me better remember what I’ve read, probably because each time I return to a book I need to remember where I left off.
On average, this method lets me finish reading two books a week. Sadly, that only adds up to about 100 books a year. And I have just about that many books on my future reading list.
So, why am I asking if I should finish reading a book I’m not enjoying – even if it’s almost finished – when there’s so many others to choose from? I think I just answered my question.
Pat Bean is a retired award-winning journalist who lives in Tucson with her canine companion, Scamp. She is a wondering-wanderer, avid reader, enthusiastic birder, Lonely Planet Community Pathfinder, Story Circle Network board member, author of Travels with Maggie available on Amazon (Free on Kindle Unlimited), and is always searching for life’s silver lining.
Pat Bean's blog 
I don’t know, 90% is so close to finishing, but time is precious, and yes there are so many books. I used to say that if I went to a restaurant one time and did not like it I would not return, after all there are so many restaurants. But would I not finish my meal? I suppose that depends on how bad it was and how hungry I was.
I’ve started letting go of books I dislike much quicker, because like you said, so many books, so little time. I can’t juggle so many books at a time, but I do get the benefit of reading multiple genres at once, as I find that I’m not always in the same mood to read the same thing. But 100 books a year is crazy awesome. I’d be glad to even reach 30. Anyway, thanks for sharing!
My mother, an avid reader, told me when I was dragging through some book whose name I don’t remember that life is too short to waste time on books I don’t enjoy. I give one 25-50 pages and then that’s it. Once in a while the book group I belong to will pick one I find boring but that is the only time I push through. Like you, Pat, I have 2 or 3 books going at a time. Usually a book of short stories, a novel and a history. Beats TV any time.
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If it feels too much like a drag to read I’ll put it aside. Like you said, time is so precious & I want to get to the good stuff. Came to your blog as you mentioned Paul Theroux in another post. My favourite travel writer besides Bill Bryson.