What do you do when you cant get into a book?

Question

Do you give up or push through it. Im 160 pgs into Stephen Kings Bag of Bones, and Im bored to death.

Answer 1

When I go to the library, I check out 5 or 6 books. If I get to page 60 or so and I am not enjoying the book I start another book. I do not ever feel obligated to finish a book.

Unless I have been fortunate enough to pick up books by a couple of authors I know and trust, I rarely find more than one book in 5 that I enjoy/finish.

Find another book. Which can be easier said than done.
I have be making lists from books recommended here on answers.... Some I have not tried because I am not in the mood for another vampire series at this time. :)

Anyway do not waste your time on a book you do not enjoy.

Answer 2

I usually stop reading the book and come back to it later. In my experience some things that I thought sucked the first time I heard or read it I loved after a second or even third try. As for Bag of Bones, I like it so far. I am reading it too but I have had to stop because I just don't have time between school, work and baby.

Answer 3

I had an English teacher once who always followed this rule: read at least 50 pages plus your age (I'm 40-so, 90 pages). If you can't get into it by then, put it away for a bit and come back to it later. If you can't get into it a second time, then don't bother. Don't feel like you HAVE to finish a book, not everyone likes every book out there. Life's too short to slog through something that doesn't catch your interest. Unless you need to read it for an assignment-then you're out of luck! lol

Answer 4

If it's simply for pleasure I'd just stop reading it. There are so many great books in the world, why waste my time on one that doesn't spark my interest.

However, if I have to read it I make books more entertaining by inventing my own scenes. Usually it just involves me interjecting an imaginary me into the story and punching out some character who's annoying me but it never fails to keep me entertained. It certainly made Robinso Crusoe a lot more interesting *shuders*. I struggled to read even the 20 page excerpt we had from that one.

Answer 5

i usually stop reading that book and save it for later. i just move on to a different.
i am also reading a Stephen King book right now called Everything's Eventual and some short stories in it are really boring.

Answer 6

I always have to finish books I've started -- it's a compulsion I wish I could break, as I've suffered through some pretty horrible prose as a result. But I also think it benefits me, as a writer, to take a good long look at what *doesn't* work and why, so I avoid making the same mistakes.

Answer 7

Is it for a class or bookclub? If so then I try to push through it - but ask myself questions about it while I'm reading (why did he do this? what is that conversation about?) and so forth. If it is for pleasure - but I still want to read it - I put it aside for a bit then come back to it at a later date. Otherwise I just forget about it - not every book is one that you'll enjoy.

Answer 8

Put it down and start a new book. I keep going once and actually completed the book. I got to the last page and had to kick myself for continuing on. It was a total waste of time.

Answer 9

If the book is so pleasure reading, I stop reading it. Why read a book you don't enjoy? If it is for an assignment, I push through it and hope that it gets more entertaining.

Answer 10

give it up, if it isn't interesting by now (And to me, Stephen King never is. ) it never will be. Put it down and get a book you'll actually find interesting.