Comments on: 7 Tips for Quitting a Book http://yannabe.com/2009/07/05/7-tips-for-quitting-a-book/ Book reviews & writing tips from a wannabe YA writer Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:07:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Kelly http://yannabe.com/2009/07/05/7-tips-for-quitting-a-book/comment-page-1/#comment-2072 Kelly Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:03:04 +0000 http://yannabe.com/?p=1323#comment-2072 Heather, you are a girl after my own heart! I luuuurve reading stats. Have you seen <a href="http://yannabe.com/about/reading-stats/" rel="nofollow">my charts</a>? :-) I'm sure I waste a lot of reading time by not putting up-front work into making sure a book is going to be something I'd like. Then again, I would never have picked <a href="http://yannabe.com/2009/09/01/review-jack-tumor/" rel="nofollow">Jack Tumor</a> for myself after reading the premise, so I like to be flexible. I don't have my "rules" worked out yet, but I'd like to figure out a good way to weed out stuff I won't like. Here's <a href="http://yannabe.com/2009/02/08/so-many-recommendations-so-little-time/" rel="nofollow">a post</a> I made a little while ago asking how others do that. Can you share your "rules" so I can learn from what works for you? :-) Heather, you are a girl after my own heart! I luuuurve reading stats. Have you seen my charts? :-)

I’m sure I waste a lot of reading time by not putting up-front work into making sure a book is going to be something I’d like. Then again, I would never have picked Jack Tumor for myself after reading the premise, so I like to be flexible.

I don’t have my “rules” worked out yet, but I’d like to figure out a good way to weed out stuff I won’t like. Here’s a post I made a little while ago asking how others do that.

Can you share your “rules” so I can learn from what works for you? :-)

]]> By: Heather http://yannabe.com/2009/07/05/7-tips-for-quitting-a-book/comment-page-1/#comment-2058 Heather Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:58:37 +0000 http://yannabe.com/?p=1323#comment-2058 Okay, so I'm a nerd and I did my own math. I added up the number of pages you read in unfinished books in July and August 2009 (358), and (assuming the average YA book that you tend to favor is ~250 pages) that results in 0.75 wasted books per month, which is 9 books per year, or 450 books over the course of the next 50 years that you could read didn't even start books that you were unlikely to finish. 450 isn't a ton, but it's a dent toward that 1,300. .-= Heather´s last blog ..<a href="http://literaturecrazy.blogspot.com/2009/08/best-sellers-08282009.html" rel="nofollow">Best Sellers (08/28/2009)</a> =-. Okay, so I’m a nerd and I did my own math. I added up the number of pages you read in unfinished books in July and August 2009 (358), and (assuming the average YA book that you tend to favor is ~250 pages) that results in 0.75 wasted books per month, which is 9 books per year, or 450 books over the course of the next 50 years that you could read didn’t even start books that you were unlikely to finish.

450 isn’t a ton, but it’s a dent toward that 1,300.
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Best Sellers (08/28/2009) =-.

]]> By: Heather http://yannabe.com/2009/07/05/7-tips-for-quitting-a-book/comment-page-1/#comment-2057 Heather Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:53:54 +0000 http://yannabe.com/?p=1323#comment-2057 Hey, I've been noticing that you've had a fair number of "Unfinished" books relatively lately. Do you track the numebr of times you quit and/or the reasons for it? (Maybe I'm just a nerd who thinks reading analysis is interesting.) I only ask because a while ago I did a little looking into my reading habits and found some common threads and that drives my reading now--similiar to the way that the other Heather (who commented above) has her own set of "rules" for picking books--and I find I'm more satisfied with my choices. I finish everything now because I don't make bad picks (in my opinion). I'd be interested to look at the math of how many more books somebody could read if they took all of the started and not finished books and put them together. In addition to wasting time by reading books we don't love, are we wasting time by willy-nilly picking our books? .-= Heather´s last blog ..<a href="http://literaturecrazy.blogspot.com/2009/08/best-sellers-08282009.html" rel="nofollow">Best Sellers (08/28/2009)</a> =-. Hey, I’ve been noticing that you’ve had a fair number of “Unfinished” books relatively lately. Do you track the numebr of times you quit and/or the reasons for it? (Maybe I’m just a nerd who thinks reading analysis is interesting.)

I only ask because a while ago I did a little looking into my reading habits and found some common threads and that drives my reading now–similiar to the way that the other Heather (who commented above) has her own set of “rules” for picking books–and I find I’m more satisfied with my choices. I finish everything now because I don’t make bad picks (in my opinion).

I’d be interested to look at the math of how many more books somebody could read if they took all of the started and not finished books and put them together. In addition to wasting time by reading books we don’t love, are we wasting time by willy-nilly picking our books?
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Best Sellers (08/28/2009) =-.

]]> By: Kelly http://yannabe.com/2009/07/05/7-tips-for-quitting-a-book/comment-page-1/#comment-1537 Kelly Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:26:36 +0000 http://yannabe.com/?p=1323#comment-1537 Heather, wow a stalwart non-quitter! It sounds like you have some great rules in place though to protect yourself. I am too impulsive about picking up the next book to read. Now you've got me thinking what my rules would be... Heather, wow a stalwart non-quitter! It sounds like you have some great rules in place though to protect yourself. I am too impulsive about picking up the next book to read. Now you’ve got me thinking what my rules would be…

]]> By: Heather http://yannabe.com/2009/07/05/7-tips-for-quitting-a-book/comment-page-1/#comment-1359 Heather Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:37:49 +0000 http://yannabe.com/?p=1323#comment-1359 My rule to prevent a lack of satisfaction: No characters under the age of 14. Childrens' books just aren't very exciting to a YA addict. Rule #2: Book must contain some kind of supernatural aspect. Anything ordinary just gets boring. As for quitting, I do not. I make myself finish the book, if not the series. But I've only had that problem a few times... My rule to prevent a lack of satisfaction: No characters under the age of 14. Childrens’ books just aren’t very exciting to a YA addict.
Rule #2: Book must contain some kind of supernatural aspect. Anything ordinary just gets boring.

As for quitting, I do not. I make myself finish the book, if not the series. But I’ve only had that problem a few times…

]]> By: Semi-regular link round up: bookish things of many flavours « what Elisabeth is reading http://yannabe.com/2009/07/05/7-tips-for-quitting-a-book/comment-page-1/#comment-1068 Semi-regular link round up: bookish things of many flavours « what Elisabeth is reading Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:30:19 +0000 http://yannabe.com/?p=1323#comment-1068 [...] And if none of the above appeal to you, try Seven Tips for Quitting a Book. [...] [...] And if none of the above appeal to you, try Seven Tips for Quitting a Book. [...]

]]> By: Kelly http://yannabe.com/2009/07/05/7-tips-for-quitting-a-book/comment-page-1/#comment-1536 Kelly Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:22:28 +0000 http://yannabe.com/?p=1323#comment-1536 Jodie, haha I didn't mean to scare you! It's funny though that some see that equation & want to read more classics, whereas other people are all "screw the classics, I need to read more of other stuff"... Jodie, haha I didn’t mean to scare you! It’s funny though that some see that equation & want to read more classics, whereas other people are all “screw the classics, I need to read more of other stuff”…

]]> By: Kelly http://yannabe.com/2009/07/05/7-tips-for-quitting-a-book/comment-page-1/#comment-1535 Kelly Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:21:02 +0000 http://yannabe.com/?p=1323#comment-1535 Kasi, I am really intrigued by the Kindle. Do you get sick of staring at a screen all the time though? I feel like I'm always in front of a computer for work & play, so reading is my non-screen time... Kasi, I am really intrigued by the Kindle. Do you get sick of staring at a screen all the time though? I feel like I’m always in front of a computer for work & play, so reading is my non-screen time…

]]> By: Jodie http://yannabe.com/2009/07/05/7-tips-for-quitting-a-book/comment-page-1/#comment-935 Jodie Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:00:51 +0000 http://yannabe.com/?p=1323#comment-935 Agh stop with the 'How many more books can you read in a lifetime' I just did my personal math and it was FRIGHTENING! I feel like I should pull out all the classics right now. .-= Jodie´s last blog ..<a href="http://bookgazing.blogspot.com/2009/07/weekly-geeks-2009-26.html" rel="nofollow">Weekly Geeks: 2009, 26</a> =-. Agh stop with the ‘How many more books can you read in a lifetime’ I just did my personal math and it was FRIGHTENING! I feel like I should pull out all the classics right now.
.-= Jodie´s last blog ..Weekly Geeks: 2009, 26 =-.

]]> By: Kasi http://yannabe.com/2009/07/05/7-tips-for-quitting-a-book/comment-page-1/#comment-931 Kasi Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:55:58 +0000 http://yannabe.com/?p=1323#comment-931 Great post. I also used to finish every book I started no matter how much I hated it. Now that I have my Kindle, it is even easier to quit reading. I just download the free sample of a book I am interested in and if it doesn't grab me by the end of the sample, I just push delete. I'm out no money and very little time. Great post. I also used to finish every book I started no matter how much I hated it. Now that I have my Kindle, it is even easier to quit reading. I just download the free sample of a book I am interested in and if it doesn’t grab me by the end of the sample, I just push delete. I’m out no money and very little time.

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