Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Chose to Not Finish

I do not finish books for these reasons:

1. It’s boring me to death (or at least putting me to sleep)
2. There are too many historical errors
3. A character annoys me too much
4. I run out of time on a library check-out and can’t renew
5. Something idiotic happens
6. The reader is just wrong for the audio book
7. Right book, wrong moment

#2 and # 5 are important. I gave up on WILD when dear Cheryl praised herion useage. Really??? Are you THAT stupid? and I’ve given up on countless historical fiction titles for things that were just plain wrong. One Thousand White Women was among those.

 

When I’ve Kept Reading or Listening

 

Recently I chose to finish the completely improbable story of the Chilbury Ladies Choir by  Jennifer Ryan even though the historical inaccuracies were many because I wanted to understand why it got such sensational reviews. I decided it was because the editors were too young to realize the story was improbable.

I also kept listening to the Last Girls by Lee Smith even though Baby made me want to scream and throw the cd out the car window because I like Lee Smith’s writing and because the other characters had come to matter to me.

 

The Ones I Gave Up On Recently

 

 

White Houses I tried in print. It was “fine” it just wasn’t my vision of Eleanor OR of Hick.  I also tried Daughters of the Night Sky in print. How anyone lived after making a joke at the expense of the Red Army in a Red Army barracks was beyond me! My Dear Hamilton, unlike her earlier book, America’s First Daughter, just didn’t hold my interest.  My Grandmother…. was just plain annoying and I’ve loved everything by Fredrik Backman.  Carnegie’s Maid was too superficial. Inheriting Edith lost to only awful audio performance Cassandra Campbell has ever given.

 

What about you? What makes you give up on a book? Or, do you slog on to the bitter end? Leave me a comment with your answer.

Top Ten Tuesday is held each week at the blog Artsy Reader Girl. You can join in any time. Here are the rules. And here are all of this week’s posts!