How much do you read before deciding whether you are going to like a book? -

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Cheryl Bradshaw

17 May 2011, 05:15 AM | Post: #31

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RE: How much do you read before deciding whether you are going to like a book?

It usually only takes a chapter before I know whether I want to keep reading. I'm really picky, and there are so many books that I want to read, so I will put something down and move on in a heartbeat if it doesn't pull me in quickly Thumbs Down

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LexiRevellian Reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

17 May 2011, 05:59 AM | Post: #32

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RE: How much do you read before deciding whether you are going to like a book?

(17 May 2011 05:15 AM)Cheryl Bradshaw Wrote: It usually only takes a chapter before I know whether I want to keep reading. I'm really picky, and there are so many books that I want to read, so I will put something down and move on in a heartbeat if it doesn't pull me in quickly

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Cheryl, I'm like that these days, though I used to give a book a lot longer when I was younger. Probably because I had more time...

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Aislynn Archer

17 May 2011, 06:43 PM | Post: #33

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RE: How much do you read before deciding whether you are going to like a book?

If the writing is OK, I read a chapter or two before deciding whether to read further. If the writing is terrible, I stop as soon as that becomes apparent (usually before I've made it through the description on the book's Amazon page). There's just not enough time to spend it reading a book I don't enjoy, even if it's well written.

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DrDLN Reading "A Treasure of Great Spiritual Stories" to raise my spirit

18 May 2011, 02:31 AM | Post: #34

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RE: How much do you read before deciding whether you are going to like a book?

I usually look at contents first before I start reading. But this is mostly for nonfiction.

For fiction I read free sample before I buy.

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davethedc

02 Jun 2011, 01:25 AM | Post: #35

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RE: How much do you read before deciding whether you are going to like a book?

Perhaps a tad hasty, there, Jan.
Though, I have met those who evaluate a book on its last sentance Kindle Sad

I am a glutton for giving an author a chance, and will go 4 to 8 chapters in. I have only left a handful of books unfinished in my life due to the fact I didn't like what was happening. I have dropped exactly 3 into the trash after the first chapter.
I am probably on the other end of the continuum from you.
Sometimes an author salvages a book after a shaky start. Sometimes, it just gets worse.
I guess everyone will have their own parameters as when to quit. I always go on the side of caution, though I can't say that it's the way to go.
Margaret Lake would probably agree that a little wine helps Wine3

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Jan Hurst-Nicholson Reading Haven't got a Kindle. A big pile of books.

02 Jun 2011, 12:12 PM | Post: #36

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RE: How much do you read before deciding whether you are going to like a book?

(02 Jun 2011 01:25 AM)davethedc Wrote: Perhaps a tad hasty, there, Jan.
Though, I have met those who evaluate a book on its last sentance
I am a glutton for giving an author a chance, and will go 4 to 8 chapters in. I have only left a handful of books unfinished in my life due to the fact I didn't like what was happening. I have dropped exactly 3 into the trash after the first chapter.
I am probably on the other end of the continuum from you.
Sometimes an author salvages a book after a shaky start. Sometimes, it just gets worse.
I guess everyone will have their own parameters as when to quit. I always go on the side of caution, though I can't say that it's the way to go.
Margaret Lake would probably agree that a little wine helps

I do actually give most books a fair chance. I've got a whole box of paperbacks sitting by my bed, given to me to pass on to a charity, so in a way I'm spoiled for choice. But most of them are not books I would have chosen myself, so I am slowly going through them. Just tried Imperium by Robert Harris, but gave up after two chapters because it wasn't really my type of story, and I was tempted by a Sue Grafton buried further down the box. Tongue

Working in a charity book shop opened me up to lots of authors I perhaps wouldn't have tried if I'd had to pay full price. Smile

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Susanne Reading I Woke Up This Morning by Stuart Ayris

11 Oct 2012, 03:48 PM | Post: #37

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RE: How much do you read before deciding whether you are going to like a book?

I'm resurrecting this thread, as it occurred to me that there are two different reasons why I might not finish a book - or even get into it.

I have one book which has been on my Kindle since February of this year - it is now a shortlisted Booker prize book - I loved his first book, but just can't get into his second. Twice, I've picked it up and read for a while, but found I wasn't in the right mood for it, so have left it, even though I feel I really "should" read it. It has great reviews, although most of them say the book is slow. Although I say "should read", I don't subscribe to the school of "should read", but nevertheless, I loved this author's first book so much that I feel I need to read his second one.

My second reason for not finishing a book is because it is just so badly written that I get annoyed reading it. Usually when I read a book like that, I will just drop the book, why waste valuable reading time on rubbish, but this time, I have a reason for reading it, - and have promised to read it - and it grieves me to read such awful dross. Do I carry on until the end because I said I would read the book, or do I drop it and get reading pleasure from another book?

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quaser Reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

11 Oct 2012, 07:13 PM | Post: #38

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RE: How much do you read before deciding whether you are going to like a book?

I need to be 'grabbed' by a book pretty quickly or else I will not persevere beyond the first couple of chapters (except for books I am reviewing). As many on here have said, life is too short to be bogged down in a book which doesn't hold ones attention. When reading for pleasure, that is what I want - pleasure. I don't want reading to be a chore, or a bore. I want to be entertained, gripped, left wanting more.

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George Hamilton

11 Oct 2012, 07:59 PM | Post: #39

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RE: How much do you read before deciding whether you are going to like a book?

(24 Mar 2011 12:51 PM)joo Wrote: I did get annoyed at a sample I downloaded in that by the time I got through the acknowledgements, thank yous, introduction, contents, I was at the end of the sample before even the first word. I refused to buy that one even though the synopsis looked good.

That's why many are putting their acknowledgements etc at the back of the book, which I think I'll do in future if they are long.

As for how long before I give up, I tend to give it a chapter or two. If I stay with an uninteresting book any longer, then it can turn me off reading for a while.

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Streaky Steve Reading Gladiatrix by Linda Gruchy

12 Oct 2012, 06:39 AM | Post: #40

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RE: How much do you read before deciding whether you are going to like a book?

If I'm reading the sample to decide whether I'm going to buy then a page or two is usually enough.

Once I've bought it then I will usually read to the end. However, if it's really boring I'll stop before the end - as happened recently with Dirty Game where I decided just over half-way through that it just wasn't going to get any better. The author hadn't made me care about any of the characters or incidents meaning that there was no incentive for me to continue.

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