I have a dumb question that may reveal too much about myself. I have diagnosed OCD and have reading habits. When do you stop reading nonfiction? I have read epilogues, acknowledgements, notes, and bibliographies. Once, as a teacher, I found that the author had thanked one of my former students who had become a journalist in Boston. I feel guilty if I do not truly finish the book.
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I will usually read epilogues, occasionally will read acknowledgements, but will almost never read bibliographies / notes unless I’m particularly interested in the subject matter and want to learn more from their sources.
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@Anthony_Conty I don’t think that’s a dumb question at all! I read all the end material, too, although I’ll generally just skim the notes and bibliography unless the notes are especially good (i.e., additional info vs just sources).
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This is an excellent question! While I don’t read the bibliography, I do read the acknowledgements and (most of the time) the footnotes. There is often fascinating information in the footnotes. That said, I think most of us who are avid readers have our little quirks. Here’s mine: Once I start a book, I HAVE to finish it. It doesn’t matter how boring or awful it is. I know…life’s short. Don’t finish books that don’t sing to me. But I can’t help it!
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I’m with you on that one, Cathryn! It’s super rare for me to give up on a book. Every now and then I’m glad I persisted, but that’s rare.
Exactly! I always wonder what gem I might miss by not finishing the book.
that’ll change as you age. at some point you realize that life is really too short.
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it not unlike watching all the credits at a film.
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Thank you! I agree. Now that the slow burn is so common, I cannot give up on a book. The last few pages are so intense that I have to see its point. James and The Mighty Red come to mind.
I love this question @Anthony_Conty. I always read epilogues and acknowledgements. I take great pleasure in finding names of people I know or colleagues with special expertise. I also love to see which other authors they call out. Sometimes it leads me to try the works of those they have acknowledged.
I will reference notes/bibliography while reading and sometimes will look one up at the end for additional clarification. I do not read each one front to back however. I don’t even read footnotes if I feel like it interferes with the flow of my reading.
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If a book is so-so, yet there’s hint of interest, I skip chapters, delve in again, skip more pages until I reach the end chapters. I know I miss details but usually find this method is sufficient for me to garner the gist of the story. There are times I do quit a book after a hardy try.
I used to always have to finish each book. But I have found in the last year a few of the books I have skimmed the last few chapters. But at age 77 that means there were many books I should have just given up on but did not! I also have OCD so maybe that is the problem!
I will read the epilogue and the main body of the text. Only if I plan to do more digging on the topic will I read the notes and bibliographies. However, walking away from a book is not an issue for me! If the book doesn’t engage me, I set it aside with no FOMO in the least.
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I’m with you. No problem setting a book aside.
@Gabi_J, @Judith_Swartz & others:
Do you think being able to give up on a book is an age thing or a personality thing? I consider myself pretty old at 63 and I can’t give up on a book. But then I see @Paula_Walters is 77 and has only recently changed her reading behavior.
So in other words: Is there hope for me, that someday I’ll be able to set aside a bad book? LOL.
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take pride in your determination to see it through to the bitter end. just remember: the older you get, the less time there is to read the good ones.
I agree, Judith. As I age (75 on the near horizon) I become pickier. There are mystery series that I no longer choose to read. Louise Penny and Nordic noirs are exceptions. I find myself searching the Pulitzers and Booker fiction titles. Since joining BB, though, my reading list has lengthened! There are many newly and recently published books that sound appealing.
Kim, give yourself permission to use your reading time wisely. 