I’m very curious about the opinions and experiences of others, especially when it comes to bookish things. Recently, I asked the question:
What is the number one reason you’ve put a book down without finishing it?
Reason #1: The book started out too slow and was not engaging.
This was my personal reason, so I’m glad others feel the same way! On a more depressing note, it seems that this is a real problem these days. I know introductions are hard, but I want to be hooked if I’m going to continue reading. I love books, but my time is valuable.
Reason #2: Distracted by other books.
Yes! This is a good problem to have, in my opinion. I’m constantly tempted to buy other books and add them to the TBR pile or even start them before I finish others because I can’t wait. There are so many books out there, and I guess a lot of us have the same problem of wanting to read them all!
Reason #3: Plot/character chemistry fails to develop.
This one is more subjective, I think. We all have those moments where we read books that are at least semi-popular and just don’t feel it like others do. Or at least I have. But, of course, plot and character development are key to any good story. It’s sad when you pick up a book because it sounds so good and then the plot just falls apart or the characters are inconsistent.
Reason #4: Typos and grammatical errors.
I have a lot of things to say on this topic, but I’ll try to keep it short and sweet. A few little errors are excusable; there is no excuse for a ton of them. I have put down so many books for this reason. So many books with potential. It saddens me.
Reason #5: Not enough backstory.
It’s rare that I see this problem, but I think it is more prevalent in post-apocalyptic stories. There have been some times where I find myself distracted from the events of the story because I’m wondering what catastrophic event made the world that way. I’m not saying we should be slapped in the face with the story right at the beginning or have a long boring prologue, but I did agree with this reason. The proper amount of backstory in any book is key to keeping the reader’s attention. This also ties in with reason #1; too much backstory can slow down the beginning.
And then, of course, there were a few that said they read all books until the end no matter what. You all are saints.
Any thoughts on these? Have you put a book down for any reason not mentioned above? I would love to hear it!
