I used to never not finish books. I had a compulsion to finish them, even if I wasn’t enjoying them. But lately I’ve been SUCKING at finishing books, and it’s gotten to the point where I’m wondering if there’s something wrong with me rather than the books.
Here are a few recent books that I’ve started but not finished:
Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff
I only got 4% through this one before quitting it. I didn’t even really give it a chance, so I’m not even sure if it’s worth including. I don’t even have much to offer up in terms of reasons, except that I couldn’t get into it and it just wasn’t clicking. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood to read it.. but when will I be in the mood?
Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi
I got 28% through this book before quitting. This wasn’t a bad book by any means.. I think I just wasn’t in the mood to finish it. I remember when I went back to continue reading it, I just decided I wanted to move onto a different book. Into the Still Blue wasn’t bad, I just wanted to move on for some crazy, unknown reason.
Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
Guys, I longed and lusted after this book. I drooled a thousand drools over it. Then I started reading and was bored. I got 18% through it until I finally acknowledged that it was slow. Big time. Then I read through a few reviews to see if anyone else felt this way, and people do. People who mentioned the slow beginning went on to say that Antigoddess reads like a really long prologue to a series.. and that made me not want to continue.
All three of these happened within the last month or so
…and it makes me feel like I’m in a slump or something! I never not finish this many books, especially ones that I was excited about. In general I just feel… upset. I’m honestly terrified of not finishing yet another book. I feel like I desperately need a book to blow me away before I go cry in a corner out of fear that I’ll never love another book again (</dramatic>).
Yeah, I’ve been through that recently. I was so bored and tired of reading books in genres I didn’t feel like reading. I had too many ARC’s or R2R books. I was excited about all of them when I got them, but when I had to read them… It sucks, but for me it helped to just stop reading a few days. Watch some series instead. =)
Yes, and it is driving me crazy …… I thought I was the only one 🙁 At the moment I am really struggling to finish Red Hill by Jamie McGuire. I have been reading it for 4 days now, which is unheard of for me. It is not that it’s a bad book – it is just ………… I don’t know.
Two months ago I DNF three books in a row, finished one and then DNF another two books. And yet I go to a lot of trouble researching a book before buying. I thought that every book I buy this way will be great – but no, it doesn’t seem to work that way.
I think I am going to take a break from reading for a week or two – after I finish Red Hill.
LE GASP. Ashley, if you don’t want to finish those books, then give them to me! I want to read those books, every single one of them. *grabby*
*pats Ashley* But hopefully, you get out of this slump. I haven’t really experienced it yet, since I spend my days doing a lot of stuff. School is hard, and with looming exams, book blogging isn’t the most important thing at the moment in my mind.
Honestly, I have never been in a reading slump. However, there are times where it’s hard for me to finish a book. But for me, that means something is either wrong with the book or I am just not in the mood for that genre or type of book. It’s no big deal. You need to move onto another genre. That always helps me. Or reread an amazing book that you loved just to get in the spirit of things. I am always rereading Ilona Andrews books when I get a little bored. They always cheer me up and get my book juices flowing.
It’s happened to me, and sometimes all it takes is a really, REALLY effortlessly good book to take you away from that, and then it usually clears up. Sometimes, if the book’s not that great at start, then it can get tedious waiting to be grabbed by it, and I know I get impatient. Sometimes, also, when I know the book might be worth it, I give it another chance, and is usually works out.
To me, it sounds like you’re in a reading slump because you’ve finished shitty books before, like… way past any point that most people put up with it. You’re prolly just not in the mood. It’s okay; it happens. Just wait for the right one to come along. That’s where I am right now with my reading, and it sucks, but it does happen, so. *shrug* Yeah.
Oh, yeah, and the first commenter made a good point–it helps, A LOT, to do somethin’ else for a while. Like watch TV or read a manga or play games or write or go on a photography binge, or any number of other hobbies you undertake (those are my options, anyway, but I trust you get the point). It helps that my day job (if you can call it that haha) takes up most my “other” time, though.
Point being–take a break then come back to it when you are ready.
A couple on months back I had several unfinished books sitting on my kindle. I decided to base the following month’s TBR on those books and managed to get two of the three of them read. Progress, indeed!
I don’t get easily into a reading slump, but when I don’t enjoy the books I’ve been reading I like to return to an old favorite one. It always makes me happy to return to a book I once loved – a book I know I will love again 🙂
I often go through a period of reading one good book and then the next 4 seem to be DNF’s and then one decent book happens and 4 more Dnf’s and so on. It happens. Sometimes a book is not for us even when every single review is stellar. Sometimes, a great book sets the bar so high that nothing seems to compare. The only time I feel flouncers remorse, is in a sequel. I loved Matched. Crossed was okay… And Reached, I think I read 25% of it and just decided that I was too bored to care how it ended. I can’t get through the first quarter of On the Jellicoe Road, Wuthering Heights bored the crap out of me and the Night Circus? Wtf is this book?
It happens. And life is too short to read books that don’t do it for you.
I have been doing this for the last couple months! And the weird thing is that some of the books I like but I just wasn’t in the “mood” for it. I made a Goodreads shelf just for these books because they didn’t deserve my regular DNF rating 😉
If a book doesn’t grab me during the first 100 or so pages, I will usually put it down. I’ve actually marked some as a DNF and then went back a few months later and really enjoyed it. I think some books depend on my mood.
I have often found myself in a reading slump. I also think sometimes it’s finding something to fit my mood, so I start one and I am like..meh..so I start another one and meh..so I try another one and it might stick. Then I try and go back later and see if the other ones are appealing. Some times I get a book that just isn’t reading fast and I give up on it for a few days and read something else and then come back to it. (That is how I finished Friday Night Alibi just a few days ago)
Hope you get your reading mojo back soon! 🙂
Aw! I hate being in a slump (which I’m in right now too). I have several books I’m about 20% in and just haven’t felt overly eager to get further. Sigh. I know that mood has a lot to do with how I receive a book so I always try again later but if it still doesn’t grab me I DNF.
I hope you get back into the groove.
Into the groove soon—was what I meant to type.
I am in the same boat as you right now. Though in my case, I am blaming my reading slump because of college. I got so busy with school that I didn’t notice immediately that I am reading less books compared before until it got to a point that I am no longer reading any books. I am still experiencing a reading slump until now. 🙁
I think I’m on the same boat and curiously with two of these books as well. I’ve probably started reading avout 10 books and not finished one yet. I feel awful about it 🙁
I’ve been in a reading slump AND I’ve also started DNFing books. I always used to make myself push through the book to the end, but now I’m realizing that not every book will wow me and why should I waste me time on them when there are so many other books out there.
I am in a significant reading slump. Several books that I have been dying to read,have been really hard for me to get into. One in particular has got a really strange writing style so I know that’s the reason for that one. I have been reading a ton of review books lately and I think I need to do some me books for awhile.
I never have had a problem DNF’ing books but I hope I don’t have to do that for awhile. However, I am not going to force myself to read them either.
I am like you where I hate not finishing a book! I hate more starting a book that’s not so great knowing I might not finish it! I am againnot like you where I don’t read as often. I need a vacay or an airplane ride. Thank goodness I have a 7 a.m. flight where I can sink my teeth into my new 2,000 page read of “Shantaram” which isn’t your type of read but I’m enjoying it!
I find I have a hard time finishing books when I read many of the same ones or I force myself to read one on my TBR that I wasn’t quite in the mood for. Just because I didn’t finish doesn’t mean I won’t in the future and love it. Sometimes it is just a mood thing. Don’t give up, you will find your mood soon.
Oh man! I just finished Into the Still Blue, and I LOVED it. Maybe you’ll feel differently about it later. I know there are times I DNF a book just because I’m not in the mood for it at the time. I’m doing pretty well right now, but earlier this year I think I gave five books in a row either 1 or 2 stars. Hope you pulls out of your reading slump soon!
Oh Ashley you are so not alone – happens every once in a while and just now I am in the same reading slump.
I started Kinslayer and just like you I stopped after 4% – I started again and stopped, I just couldn’t bring myself truly reading it.
Same with All That Glows – I stopped at around 40%, I was getting so bored and there were so many books I rather wanted to read than this one.
You know what helps? Finding a good and awesome book that brings the spark back. I just finished Faking Normal which ripped my heart out! Really good!
Mood reading has been my theme this year, and I’ve DNF’d a lot fewer books this way. Pick something completely different. Or something in a genre you usually love. Last time I was in a slump, I thought hard about what I really wanted to read about, and then picked a book that fit that mold. All you need is one good book to break a slump.
I’m right there with you on the slump, too. I’m slumping on a previous favorite author that I just can’t seem to get into anymore. I’m about to put down the second book by her and it’s kind of breaking my heart to do it but I’m just not into the genre right now.
Hopefully my tastes will come around again and I’ll pick up again. But you’re totally right, it’s not it’s the book, it’s ALL me!
What?! I don’t think I could answer this one without feeling sheepish. If you’re on a reading slump, I am on a reading frenzy. I just can’t stop reading right now even if I have an exam tomorrow and that I still need to update my CV. The frenzy has kind of put me in a commenting and reviewing slump.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to read some more. And don’t give up on Into the Still Blue. My ARC request for it just got approved today and it would be my next read.
Slumps happen, for sure. I think I’m in one for STARTING new books, because I can’t get past 2-3 pages, I swear. But I’ve had times too where I haven’t been able to finish multiple books within a few weeks.
When I get in any kind of reading slump, I usually turn to old favorites and reread one or two of them. Or if you’ve been reading a lot in the same genre, try a different one.
Great ideas, thank you! 😀 If my current read is a bust then I might go back to the familiar and finish my Harry Potter re-read LOL.
A Harry Potter re-read is one of my tried and true tactics! It always works for me, hope it does for you 🙂
I know how you feel! I had the same problem the last couple of weeks…after I finished Kinslayer actually (you really should give it another try when you’re in the mood!). I started 3 or 4 books in a week and only read a chapter or two before moving on. I couldn’t get into anything, and the few I did finish were only 2.5 or 3 stars. I pushed through, and now I’m over it (I think). Pawn was the first book I enjoyed again, and I really think it could have rated higher for me if I hadn’t been coming out of a slump. *sigh* #bookbloggerwoes
But now I’m reading Parasite, and it’s awesome! I hope you can find something kickass to pull you out of it, Ashley!