Admittance. I’ve had the hugest problem lately with finishing books. I just can’t seem to do it. I start a book with the best intentions and then end up leaving it by the wayside. In the video below I talk about the books I’ve been unable to finish and the curse it is to be inflicted as such.
Leave a comment if you too have gone through a can-not-finish streak or if you have any advice on how to break it!
Brandy
AH! While I *hate* that you’re struggling with finishing books, this makes me feel OH-SO-MUCH-BETTER about my own issues with reading right now. For me it’s varying reasons – I’m not that “into” it and once I set it down I don’t pick it back up (or I *am* really into it at the time and *still* don’t pick it back up); I don’t like the writing/characters/world building/whatever and I’m over it; life happens and I get distracted from reading. But this has been an ongoing problem for me in the past six months or so. And it’s driving me BATTY because I WANT TO READ ALL THE BOOKS.
I’ll be checking back for anyone’s fantabulous ideas to help get out of the rut.
And, btw, I probably only wear makeup like a month out of the year, if that. F*ck the haters. 😉
Lucia @Reading Is My Breathing
This hasn’t happen to me in some time but when I can’t get into books and feel reading slump coming over me, I just re-read some of my all time favorites books I keep in paperbacks. It usually helps.
Hope it gets better for you soon!
Paulo Goncalves
Obviously we’re read different types of books but I have the same problem with two. Well, I’ve got two problems. One – I have a great number of books in my house that I want to start because I am afraid it will spoil the book for me… this is absurd but it’s what I feel. I read the covers, some reviews and I imagine something but am afraid of starting and not enjoying. Its absurd. Then you’ve got the trilogies and infinite-logies that I have, like Robert Jordan Wheel of Time, or Robin Hobb series, or Adrian Tchaikovsky 10 books series, Steve Eriskson Malazan Book of the Fallen or others. I’ve bought them all, and then I am afraid of starting and not enjoying… I really can’t understand. Then, there are other thing that happens is that I can’t start solely one book. I have to read two or three books at the same time and toggle between them. Never happened to you? Bah…
Guppy
Can’t say this happens to me very often. Like movies, I tend to slog through to the end – unless its a real challenge. Like I’ve been ‘trying’ to read the Tibetan Book of the Dead for months now!
Tracy
I thought I was the only person this happens to. I’ve been in a slump for months now. Between my job, house renovations, my dog, my husband, my daughter getting married I’ve had no time to read. And when I do after a few minutes of reading I put the book down and never pick it up. It makes me sad.
Nina
CAN I HAVE THE WINNER’S CRIME?! ;P heuheu
Ash @ Typing Tiara
I’m at that point with a few books and for the most part I’ve set them aside until I feel like I’m ready to go back to them because it doesn’t work out well for anyone if you force yourself through. Instead I’m going for books that I am excited for, usually by a favorite author, and that helps to propel me through. Sometimes going back and rereading an old favorite helps too; it just makes you realize why you love reading and therefore you want to read more.
Michelle
Oh my goodness, great video! I am so relieved I’m not alone in this. I especially love that you put down books despite loving them — maybe loving them TOO much. I do this as well, and it kills me . . . but not more than reading it probably will. (I mean, who needs that extra tension in their lives???) Good on the author for writing characters we’re that invested in, though!
If I’m feeling brave, I’ll sometimes skim through the stressful parts to get to the end. I’m not sure that’s much of a cure/solution, but at least (and hopefully) I can make sure the characters end up okay in the end. 🙂
Taylor
I soo feel what you’re going through. There are four books I have not even finished in the last…five or four months? I’m 75% through with Dreams of Gods and Monsters. The next three is: Finnikin of the Rock, Untold, and Evertrue. Everytime I look at any of them, I feel like they’re telling me to ‘Pick me up!’
But I just hang my head and just roll on the otherside of the bed. I feel like reading has become a chore for me lately.
meghann @BecomingBooks
Great video! I have the same problem with not wanting to deal with character’s fates. For some reason in reading I’m good. It’s TV/Movies where I can’t watch. It takes me FOREVER to watch TV series because I’ll stop if I think someone’s time is coming to an end. Also, reality competitions. My heart breaks when people are eliminated. So silly, I know, but I can’t handle it! Hope it gets better for you 🙂
Nova @ Out of Time
Lately I’ve been MAKING myself finish books because I’m kind of hating more than half the things I’ve read. It’s so strange and something I’m not used to feeling. Usually, I have to make myself critical of books.
Also, I read this book that was written as non fiction and I put it down and I’m not even thinking of picking it up again. It’s like a quiet DNF.
Denai
If it looks like one of my favourite characters are going to die I refuse to finish a book. If that’s the case, I sometimes need someone else to tell me that they didn’t die so that I can keep reading. I’ve done it with many books, including Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.
Maybe you just need to find the book that you need to read, or maybe do something else for a while. Sometimes I can’t be bothered reading, so I play a video game until I get bored of it or watch a tv show.
Natalie M.
I usually reread stuff if I’m going through a reading slump. There was a summer when I had the misfortune to experience back-to-back mediocre books and I just went, “What the hell,” and reread Stephen King and The Iron Fey (not your usual combination…). That restored my faith in humanity.
Rebecca
My advice: take a break from reading. It’s obvious you want to want to be reading, but it’s just not happening. Maybe a little time away will be good? That or revisit a favourite. I’ve heard that helps a lot of readers. Hope the slumps is over soon!
Brigid
Sigh. Okay. Deep Breath.
Kat. I can’t finish books lately either. Within the past couple months, actually. It’s sad really and I blame my friend Cory. She’s an evil witch for shoving Darkfever in my face. GRRRR….
I am in a serious reading slump as well. Whatever I pick up, I get 10 pages in and drop it. It’s starting to piss me off. I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve forced myself to read something. Then, I one starred the shit out of it. Although, I did just read a good book. It was sort of good. I still feel like I’m in a book slump. I am with ya Kat.
Christina @ Christina Reads YA
Oh, yes, I’ve definitely had this problem before. When I’m in that mood, I get bored really easily and feel rather listless, then can’t read anything at all. I don’t know that I have any advice on how to break it. Sometimes I think it’s just got to be some book that you read and absolutely love from the start. Or, I guess, you could take time off from reading and then when you start to miss it, you might find it easier to finish things. I’ve definitely done that too, and it’s helped.
Mawa Mahima
Aww it’s soooo hard to get out of the not finishing books streak. I just read the beginning, skip over A LOT until I get to the ending then I dump the book. Gosh, it’s bad. But I’ve stopped now (I don’t for the life of me, remember how…it’s a phase for a reason…best bet is to wait it out) and can finish books! Haha. Yay (!)
Good luck with your streak – it won’t last forever!
La Coccinelle @ The Ladybug Reads...
I’ve got a busy couple of weeks coming up, so I haven’t bothered to start any new books. Because I know what will happen if I do: I won’t have time to get any reading done, I’ll lose the flow, and then I’ll end up not finishing the book… no matter how good it is.
I had a couple of DNFs at the end of 2014, too. I just wasn’t feeling either of them, and I wanted to start the new year fresh.
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[…] Kat confesses that she can’t finish books. […]
Jessica @ StuckInBooks
I AM ALSO HAVING THIS PROBLEM. And it really, really sucks because I am reading some amazing books right now. Two–count ’em–TWO Sarah J. Maas books. And yet I’m halfway through one and have been stalling from picking it back up again for a couple days. It makes no sense. I’m so enjoying it. Sigh.
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Shannon
I’ve had this problem A LOT of times. It comes in patches, honestly.
The most helpful thing for me is starting off strong and getting some momentum into the book. Then I feel like I’m in a rhythm.
Also, finding out at age 20 that I may have ADHD and no one ever noticed? That helped a bunch, too. Just knowing it’s my tendency to lose interest is good because when I realize I’m doing it, I am less critical of myself, and I feel less guilt.