Ask A Wench

Pat here, with this month’s question from Karen:

I very much enjoy the monthly What We're Reading columns, and I began wondering about books that you, the Wenches, do not mention. I'd be happy to hear the answers to any or all of these questions: Do you abandon books with abandon or do you finish every book you begin? Do you read a significant number of books that you don't mention for any reason? Are you a slow or quick reader?

Nicola:

Do you abandon books with abandon or do you finish every book you begin?

 I’m quite a hasty reader in the sense that if a book doesn’t grab me reasonably quickly I will probably abandon it. I’m certainly not the sort of reader to battle on regardless on the “I’ve started so I’ll finish” premise.  I think I may miss out on some good books this way by not giving them the time to get going, so sometimes I will come back to them for a second attempt. Once I’m into a book it’s very unusual for me to give up on it but if something happens in the story that makes it a wall- banger then it’s all over! I recently read a top 10 bestseller that I was really enjoying until very near the end and then (to my mind) it took a completely wrong turning and I wanted to give it up. However I also wanted to know what happened at the end so that was a real dilemma for me!

Do you read a significant number of books that you don't mention for any reason?

 Yes, I usually choose my favourite one of two each month to talk about, or one or two that I think the other Wenches and our readers might find interesting. I do read lots of others most months, often biography or current affairs or non-fiction and I’ll mention these if I think they will be of interest or if they’ll give a bit of variety. I don’t do guilty pleasures! Reading anything is good with me!

Are you a slow or quick reader?

 Again this depends on the books. If I’m really into it I read quickly. If I have to work harder then it’s a slower process!

Anne:

I'm a fast reader — I learned that skill young — and I read constantly. Reading is my relaxation, and I spend more time reading than watching TV. In fact I will often go a day or two without turning on the TV, whereas I never miss a day without reading. And by reading, I mean novels, though I do read a number of on-line e-zines and articles, as well as non-fiction books for research and writing craft. I also do a lot of rereading, enjoying dipping into books I've known and loved in the past, enjoying the revisiting of that story world and characters.

Because I read fast and voraciously there are, inevitably, a lot of books I start but don't finish, sometimes because they don't engage me sufficiently, or because the writing annoys me — writers can be picky readers. I will also skip to the end of some, not really engaged, but in mild curiosity to see whether it ends how I think it will. And sometimes I'm just not in the mood for that book. The "not in the mood" books I will sometimes go back to and try at a later date. In fact, two of my recommendations for the May WWR post are ones I set aside, and later went back to and enjoyed. But a book that bores me, or has clunky writing, or stupid characters, or has a premise I just can't swallow? I don't usually give them a second chance.  I keep telling myself that I should read an excerpt before I buy a book, but I hardly ever remember.

I read too many books to list them all on our WWR posts, so I pick one or two that I can confidently recommend. I don't feel at all comfortable posting negative reviews — reading is such a personal activity: what one person loves, another might hate. So I stick with recommending books I enjoyed.

Photo credit: Photo by Lenin Estrada on Unsplash

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Christina

Do you abandon books with abandon or do you finish every book you begin?

 I used to always persevere to the end, but now I’m getting older and much more impatient so if I don’t like something, I will stop reading and move on to the next book. I think it’s also a question of there being a lot more choice. When I first started reading romance novels, it was difficult to get hold of them here in the UK. There was only one shop in London that sold US imports and not very many UK romances published each year, so I had to really savour them. These days I can get however many I want with one click on my Kindle and I don’t have to feel guilty if I don’t finish them.

Do you read a significant number of books that you don't mention for any reason? 

At the moment I’m reading more or less one book per day, a habit I developed during the Covid lockdown. I get the BookBub email every day with offers of bargains and free books so I often try out new authors that way. If I like them, I go on and buy their other stuff. Because I read so many, and I’m trying authors I’m not familiar with, many of them are not books I’d recommend to Wench readers. For our WWR feature, I only select the ones that really stand out to me. It’s not that the others aren’t readable (well, some aren’t), but they’re not that great either. And I doubt Wench readers want 30 recommendations a month from me!

Are you a slow or quick reader?

I’m extremely slow – I average 60 pages an hour – but it doesn’t matter. I’ve accepted that it’s going to take me a while and that’s fine. I did try going on a course to learn “speed reading” but it ruined the enjoyment for me as I felt I wasn’t absorbing the content properly. Much better to truly savour the experience.

Mary Jo:

 If when I started to write my first book, someone had told me it would forever change my reading and make it much harder to find books I liked, would I have stopped writing immediately?  Probably not, but becoming a professional storyteller comes with a price!

 In days of old, once I started reading a book I just about always finished it. Now, there are lots of books that I wave on by.  I invariably read the excerpts online before I buy a book and if I don't like the writing--PASS!  It's not a matter of whether the writing is good or bad, but whether I enjoy the author's voice.  Some just don't appeal to me. 

 Or the story just looks too familiar.  I get a BookBub digest every day, and skimming that shows that there are some story tropes that are way overdone.  With so many books now available, finding a fresh story is hard. Especially for jaded old readers like we Wenches. <G>

I've always got a book on the go, which makes it tough if I can't find something I like after I finish the previous book. Luckily, there are some books I can read again and again, always enjoying and finding new things, which is good when I'm stuck for a new read. Two such books are Jennifer Crusie's BET ME, which is wickedly funny and includes body image issues, Bridezillas, and a memorable cat.  Another is Lois McMaster Bujold's CURSE OF CHALION, which is powerfully rich and imaginative, has possibly the most tortured hero ever, and a wonderfully satisfying and romantic ending. (I have other such reliable keeper books.)

 Sometimes I'll read a book I'm ho-hum about just to see what happens (and I may jump to the last chapter to find that out), but I'll never mention it on a What We're Reading round up.  That's for books I really enjoy.  I'm not sure if I'm a fast or slow reader. When I'm reading for pleasure, I want to savor the words.  But I go through several books a week so maybe I'm a middling speed reader?

But always a reader!

Susan:

Becoming a writer can change you as a reader, and that has influenced my reading now - it's not so easy to get that editing pen out of the mind when reading! A bigger influence these days is simply time. With a busy family and lots of work to do, I don't have much time to read, and that often determines what I read and how long I stick with it. I'm a fast reader for research and nonfiction - I can blow through a book and pick up just what I need. With fiction, I'll go more slowly, so with limited reading time, it can take a while to get through a book. If I truly connect with a story, I'm more likely to go more quickly and make more time. If I'm not grabbed but still want to read it, I'll keep going, though chances climb that I'll have to set it aside and move on. 

Will I abandon a book if it's not working for me? Yes - a chapter or two, and that might be it, though I might come back to it another day. Sometimes I'll skip ahead to see what's going on - if I like the direction, the characters, the writing, I'll keep going. Honestly if I had more available reading time, I could give books more time, and I'd be a more patient reader. Just now, there's not much time for reading - and there are a lot of books that I'm eager to read! I'm also likely to read a book again if I loved it the first time - there are some that I have more than once, even several times over decades, books that are very special to me for various reasons, whether it's the caliber of the writing, the setting and characters, the sense of discovery and awe that I felt when reading it the first time, or some other captivating quality that brings me back. Those books are worth the precious reading time. 

Andrea: 

Being a lover of books, I’ve always had a certain reverence for words printed on a page. So as a young reader, I pretty much made myself finish a book, even when the story didn’t really capture my imagination. Now, I’m much more ruthless, maybe because I’m so busy with various projects and reading time is precious. If the voice or plot doesn’t grab me, I move on to something else that will. A good story is such a pleasure and a wonderful source of relaxation as I escape to another world that I don’t want to waste time with something that doesn’t resonate with me.

I love non-fiction, and read a lot of nerdy books that likely wouldn’t interest many people but appeal to my quirky love of arcane history. It’s how I discover fun little details that often get worked into my books. But I don’t often mention them in our monthly WWR post because we have limited space.

I also never mention books that I disliked and quit. I know how hard it is to write a book, and appreciate the discipline and dedication it takes to get to “THE END,” Just because I didn’t like it, doesn’t mean it’s a bad book, so out of professional courtesy, I prefer not to say negative things about another author’s creative work.  

I’m neither a fast or slow reader. If I’m really loving a book, I tend to glom right through it. (You know that feeling—it’s one in the morning and you’re telling yourself, “Just one more chapter!”) For the most part, however, I take my time and enjoy savoring the structure and language of the book as well as the characters and plot.

Pat here again:

I’m right there with the other wenches. I only list on WWR books that I think most of our readers will enjoy. I just finished a historical fiction book the other day that was beautifully written and depressingly interesting because it was about slavery and undertaking, and the ending was shattering. There are enough good books out there that I’ll not recommend one that will depress you!

After spending over half my life learning the craft of writing and editing, I am not very patient with poorly written and/or edited books. And since I’m an incredibly fast reader, I’ve read way too much, which makes too many books predictable. I know every author can manage a different spin on the same storyline, but no matter how much I love cozy mysteries, there are only so many I can read about fixer-upper, bed-and-breakfasts on the beach. Adding cats, a library, and a coffee shop will not change my mind. Maybe, if they’re space aliens. . .

So I do read the cover copy (Bookbub takes the blame for making all books in a genre sound the same) and the excerpts so I can tell the writing and editing are strong. But the predictability factor kicks in much too often after I buy the book. I’ll skip to the end, say yeah, that’s what I figured, chuck the book, and move on.

But I’ve found a new way of not wasting those predictable books! Instead of chucking, I leave them sitting, unfinished, until I’m bored and my TBR stack is low. Then, because I have no memory, I pick them up where I left off, and I’m so pleasantly puzzled that I’ll keep reading to see if I can remember what the first part of the story was. Maybe I should start reading everything in the middle of a book!

Does any of this sound familiar to you? Do YOU read to the end?

Comments

[Binnie Syril Braunstein]

Pat -

I always read to the end. Sometimes that's painful. And I don't read the end first, as my mother did. And soemtimes, after reading/grinding my way to the end - if it was less than wonderful - I might eliminate that author from my "buy" or "read" list Of course, sometime, even one of my favorite authors might have a misstep, but I will most likely give them another chance. And now, back to the Kelly Hunter book that I'm currently reading - and very much enjoying. (Thanks, Mary Jo.)

[Katja]

I am a fairly fast reader, which is lucky giving the limited time available for reading. And I am an "End-Peaker" (does that word exist at all), so I have been known to read the first three or four chapters, than go to the last and basically read backwards chapter by chapter. Which I admit is an odd thing to do. But then I do prefer "the making off" to the actual movie in a lot of cases as well ;) And really as most of the wenches have said, so often you have an idea where a book is going and then I like to confirm that and find out how exactly the story got there.

[Quantum]

I remember an episode of 'Hancock's half hour' where he gets into a mystery novel only to find that the last page (revealing all) is missing .... oh the agony! LOL

I enjoy WWR, I think because authors who write books that I enjoy reading also read books that I will like. Interesting hypothesis which definitely works in some cases!

If a book or author don't hit the spot for me I rapidly move on.

[Patricia Rice]

Binnie, you are a true bookworm and still a dedicated librarian if you can keep track of people you'll not read again! I can't even keep track of books I've not finished and often buy them again.

[Patricia Rice]

oh, interesting concept! I may need to try that so as not to waste all these books in my DNF pile! End-peeker, I like that!

[Patricia Rice]

There was a show on Britbox that exploited that missing ending concept but I'm not paranoid enough to check the end to be certain it's there. Yet.

I don't know if writing and reading the same kinds of books/genre/concepts means those who enjoy the writer will like the same books, but I daresay we do have similar attitudes about life in general that might rub off on our reading/writing material.

[Annette N]

I am a fast reader, and I no longer finish all books I start. I do not have patience for shallow books. I like well written books, and I am old so no longer have time to read books which do not appeal to me.

I do respect writing, even writing that is not for me. So, I do understand the idea of not trashing something simply because I do not like it. I like vanilla not everyone does.

[SAMANTHA CRAIG]

I don't always read to the end but I usually stop early if the book isn't speaking to me. I have tried a lot of new authors and I don't enjoy some of their voices or their herione's are ridiculous and I don't like them so I don't waste time finishing. That said, I have enjoyed Kindle Unlimited these past few months and have found quite a few new authors who's stories and voices I enjoy very much but would not have tried if I had to buy the book in the store. Of Course, if my FAVORITE AUTHORS *looking around the room* would publish more often I wouldn't have the need to look elsewhere. hahahahah

[Elaine Fearnley]

I read a LOT. I am a quick reader, and once a book has captured me, I can’t put it down til the end! Previously, I was sent a lot of ARCS to read/review, with a timescale to do so. Not always easy, particularly if the story doesn’t captivate me! However, I fully appreciate the time, effort and hard work that goes into creating a novel, and do try very hard to read to the end. There have been times when, after 150 pages, if I can’t get into the story, I will say so in my review. Fortunately it doesn’t happen too often, and I think in 21 years there have only been a small amount of books that I’ve been completely unable to connect with.

[Constance]

I remember quite clearly the moment I realized I’d never live long enough to read all the books I wanted to read - and that was decades before e-books or what seems to be an ever-increasing number of publications! At that moment, I knew I’d never again finish a book that didn’t grab me quickly, nor would I read a book just because it was a best-seller. I’m sure I’ve missed some wonderful reads along the way, but my still-growing print and e-book TBR pile (I blame Wenches and WWR!) indicates I’ve found plenty to love!

[Alison Y]

Like so many of you, I will not finish a book that I find boring, repetitive, silly or poorly written. I feel that, if by a few chapters in I am not enjoying the book, that means I will be spending a few more hours being unhappy and why would I want to do that to myself.
There are times I find that I am just not in the mood for how the story is going. When that happens, I will note the name of the book and get it out of the library at a later date. Usually this turns out to have been a good decision.

Since some of you mentioned going back to reread and reread some books, I would love a post about which those books are.

[Patricia Franzino]

There is an epic fantasy writer, Peter Orullian. I tried to read his first book, "The Unremembered."

After a few chapters, I found the book so heavy emotionally, I decided to leave it unfinished.

He is a great writer. I just couldn't deal with the feeling coming from the narrative.

[Margot]

I am a slow reader so the book has to be good. I rarely stop reading a book but it can seem like a waste of time when reading is slow. I then know not to read that author as readily or to avoid that trope or style. Some non fiction books are more of a struggle to get through but those are easier to scan for parts I want to read. Novels have to start well for me to want to read it all the way through.
I also have books that I will gladly read again. Second time around is easier to take in the story.

[Kareni]

Thank you, Pat and all the Wenches, for answering my questions. I've enjoyed reading your answers and the comments.

As for me, when I was younger, I used to finish all the books that I began. However, that changed with parenthood when reading time became much more precious. I now abandon books with abandon after a few sentences or after half the book if it does not hold my interest.

I read quickly, but I also retain only a part of the whole. (If you were to ask me the names of the lead characters while reading the book, I may or may not be able to tell you.) I think that is why I so often reread books that I enjoy.

[Patricia Rice]

You nailed it precisely. I most generally choose well written books. If I don't finish them, it's on me.

[Patricia Rice]

LOL on favorite authors. I can manage 3 books a year because I work with a small publisher. Those of us working with larger publishers might want to write 3 books a year, but those publishers don't have room in their schedules, and contracts don't allow for publishing outside of their schedules.

Please comment when we do the next What We're Reading on new KU authors you've enjoyed. It's really difficult to find new authors in the immense corridors of Amazon these days

[Patricia Rice]

You are a good person and we honor you. I lack that patience.

[Patricia Rice]

Most excellent! I used to read anything that fell into my hands because I had no way of differentiating other than knowing I liked a particular author. These days, I know what I want. So I'm glad you're able to dive in and sort through them all!

[Patricia Rice]

huh, intriguing question. I shall make note of it and see what the wenches think!

[Patricia Rice]

Good point. Some books are just too painful to read

[Patricia Rice]

Exactly! I have to like at least one of the characters before I'll finish. With nonfiction, there are no characters and we can jump around

[Patricia Rice]

Sigh, you may be my reading doppelganger. Of course, the same applies to TV shows.

[Jeanne Behnke]

I’m not fast or slow so I guess I’m middling speed like Mary Jo. I generally always read to the end. If the book interested me enough to buy, there must be something good happening. I think the only books I haven’t stuck with to the end are the ones “everyone” tells you are must read like The Gulag Archipelago. Lol.

[Christina Courtenay]

I'm guilty of checking the end of books sometimes if I suspect it might be a happy ending. Saves me tears later on! But usually I stick with authors who I know won't let me down.

[Christina Courtenay]

Sorry, meant to say 'if I suspect it is NOT a happy ending' of course - hit send too fast!

[Christina Courtenay]

Loved Hancock - so funny!

[Christina Courtenay]

LOL on being told what to read Jeanne - I'm with you, I want to choose for myself! If someone says I have to read something, I'll immediately NOT want to. Contrary, moi?

[Mary T]

In my younger days I forced myself to read some of the classics and other books I felt I "should" read. Nowadays, I read for my own pleasure. I'll give a book several chapters, but if it doesn't catch, I let it go.

[Patricia Rice]

Oh back when Gulag came out, I was still in my reading everything stage and really hadn't read much romance. I was fascinated and appalled, read the whole thing, and picked up more of his books. Doubt I'd do that today!

[Patricia Rice]

We need to explore when we're young. Once we know what we like... We're probably stunting our brains.

[Teresa Broderick]

I read all the time. I'm never without a book on the good. Even when I go for my daily walk I listen to an audio book:)
I read a LOT of books from NetGalley. I always feel when I get a book for free that I have to finish it and write a review. If it's a book I bought myself and I'm trudging through it sometimes I'll put it aside. There are so many good books out there and not enough time to read them that I can't waste time on something I'm not enjoying.
A very enjoyable post!!

[Janice J.]

I don't finish books that don't hook me in, but the hook can be due to different factors - good writing style, intriguing storyline, well drawn and individualized characters (I get impatient with books where I have to look back along a conversation to remember who's speaking because they all sound alike to me) or an interesting milieu (historically correct if that applies). Physically, the book better not be too heavy or the print too fine.

I have several favorite audiobooks and I listen to those over and over. They are like music; I don't tire of them.
They have in common a great book and a good narrator.

I usually have several books going at once and I tend to go back and forth; while parts of one book are settling I am reading or listening to another. Right now they are The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen (a fat trade paperback), The Marquess Tames His Bride by Annie Burrows (a mass market paperback) and Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer (audiobook - this narrator Eve Matheson is great; she does the most annoying Maria Farlow I can imagine; she brings out all Maria's silliness and frozen fear).

If I find myself ignoring or abandoning any book through lack of interest, I likely won't finish it. Sometimes I'll skim to the end to see how the situation was resolved. If I do abandon a book, it's rarely because the story is too familiar; it's more likely because the writing style didn't please me or the situation became too ridiculous and the author couldn't get me to buy into it any longer.

[Karin]

Great question, Kareni! I suspected the Wenches were picky readers. I very rarely DNF a book, mainly because I spend a ridiculous amount of time deciding what to read next. I read reviews and look for recommendations from sources with similar tastes that I trust. If it's online, I always read the free sample, my Kindle is littered with them! So by the time I buy the book, I'm usually hooked, and I rarely go wrong that way.

[Patricia Rice]

I pretty much had to give up on Net Galley. I can't write a negative review about another author and there were just too many books I couldn't recommend.

[Patricia Rice]

Since I don't listen to audio, I had no idea it might be pleasing to listen to a book like music, over and over!

[Patricia Rice]

which is the smartest thing to do!

[Teresa Broderick]

I think I must be very lucky, I have rarely got one on NetGalley that I haven't enjoyed. Even if I don't like a book I try and write the review in a way that makes people realise it's more to do with me than the author if I don't like it. I never pan books!!!

[Nalini]

I am still haunted by a book I started but didn’t finish (Mum returned it to the library) when I was in primary school. I wasn’t enjoying it, which is why I hadn’t finished it, but if Mum had said “you have until X date then it’s going back” I would have finished it.
However, since I started reading for reviews and interviews, that has changed. I might stop a book I’m enjoying because a publicist is pushing for a podcast and I need to read for research. Or, for several years, I found I’d “lose” ebooks because I’d forget about them because there is no physical copy to “wave” at me. Or I’d dread a book, start it, then…
Most recently I agreed to review a book that I really should not have. Once I got it and read the blurb from another author I thought “uh oh, it’s ableist”. And the first few chapters were mostly about how extremely debilitating her disability is, before she’s going to suddenly transform (ta dah!) into a swordswoman. I thought I’d stop, I went to other things. Then I thought I should be fair and at least find out.
When I read, I tend to read every word. Considering I’m vision impaired and my vision is deteriorating, this means I am SLOW. (I used to be fast but, as my eyesight worsened, I slowed.) But currently, “to be fair” to this book, I’m speed reading to see if I’m right about the ableism then, when I have decided, I’ll decide whether to keep reading, whether to review, what to do.
And, to be fair, I’m seriously looking at buying some Lucy Score books just because “I deserve it” although I have other review books waiting. Temptation. Poor discipline. That’s me.

[Patricia Rice]

You present multiple difficulties that make me cringe with indecision! I think Id be tempted to give up on books faster if I read slowly, so I can get to the books that let me sink into them. But then you have the review books hanging over your head! I do hope youre finding lots of good ones...