Ankh-Morporknbeans t1_iufywwp wrote on October 31, 2022 at 12:55 AM

That's very peculiar but I am always going on about how it's about the journey not the destination and your attitude definitely supports that lol

tirnanog22 t1_iufz4sq wrote on October 31, 2022 at 12:57 AM

There is no law saying you have to finish every book you read , but if you do it on a regular basis maybe you are reading the wrong books..

marinekai t1_iufzhe1 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 12:59 AM

I think I'm just very picky about books, mainly about the writing style and if it "clicks" with me

tirnanog22 t1_iug20nk wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:19 AM

Well check it out before you buy it and see the writing style for yourself unless you buy on line ..

dreamgirllevill t1_iufzg6y wrote on October 31, 2022 at 12:59 AM

Part of the reason I love libraries is that if I read a couple pages of a book and think it's totally shite, I can just return it. If you don't like a book there's no point wasting your time reading it to the end.

Zanish t1_iug1hc5 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:15 AM

There's no problem with abandoning books imo but I don't think you can say you "read" it without finishing it. Like you can say "I tried it but not for me" or "I got most of the way through before dnfing it" but I don't think you should say "I read x" if you haven't finished it.

ehuang72 t1_iufz7ps wrote on October 31, 2022 at 12:57 AM

Depends on % finished/unfinished.

marinekai t1_iufzjrm wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:00 AM

Interesting. What % would you say counts as having read a book?

ehuang72 t1_iug0996 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:05 AM

I meant - if I only finish, say 1 or 2 books in 5, I’d say something is wrong. 3 or more, I’m good.

So there’s no need to finish all books you start but if you DNF “too many” then something is wrong.

BTW, I DNF too many. It leaves me dissatisfied- like I have no discipline, have no focus.

HauntedReader t1_iug0yv9 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:11 AM

I think there are a few factors, such as how much of the book you actually read.

There isn't anything wrong with not finishing a book but if you only read like 30 pages out of 500, then I don't really think you can claim you "read" the book. That tends to suggest you either finished the book or read the majority of it.

I personally don't count them as read unless I read the whole thing. Otherwise they go under "tried to read" or "started to read"

lordoftheborg t1_iug1bve wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:14 AM

Reading is meant to be enjoyable, if you're not enjoying it then put it down.

I finish every book I read because I get anxiety if I don't, but that's me . I'm living my best life, you should live your best life, and if that includes putting books down, more power to you.

marinekai t1_iug1kdr wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:16 AM

I think part of my problem is similar to yours, I feel really crap about myself if I don't finish a book, which then puts me off reading at all, but I LOVE reading so that's why I'm now trying to get out of that mindset

books-ModTeam t1_iug1fml wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:14 AM

Hi there. This subject has been very popular in the past. Please use reddit search and/or check the /r/books/wiki/faq.

readundancies t1_iug2t5c wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:25 AM

Absolutely not a big deal. Is it a nice feeling? Yeah. But am I gonna chase after such a fickle thing if I’m not having a good time with a new read? Naw.

I’m more than a bit of a miserable mood reader at times, and I think considering a book finished only if you’ve read every word from front to back and everywhere in between is setting yourself up for failure and disappointment if you’re anything like me.

On any given day, I pick up and start 3-5 books and rarely “finish” them in the sense that I’ve read them cover to cover. If I’m really into a plot, I’m skipping every other word minimum to figure out what’s going to happen next. That’s not a bad thing, that’s the sign of a good book, and if I’m enjoying it so much that I can’t stop reading from it, what does it matter how much I’ve actually read word for word?

I’ve finished books where I’ve read almost strictly the dialogue and nothing else. Those generally aren’t 5 star reads but if I hadn’t made the concessions I did, I would never finish a novel. I stop series all the time, and I read non-chronologically probably close to 50% of the time I’m reading. We’re talking anything from reading a series out of order or in bits and pieces to reading individual novels from beginning chapter straight to the ending and then the entire middle backwards until I reach the beginning again, and I’ve probably read every variation of chapter order of many books as well. Not to mention I DNF to the point where it may be concerning how little I can actually commit to when it comes to completing things.

But I also read a lot, and that just simply wouldn’t be the case if I had to force myself to finish every book I pick up.

Is finishing a book really a big deal?

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