Do you finish reading every book you start? I have trouble giving up on a book, especially if I spent money to buy it. Sometimes, if I “can’t get into it,” I put it aside for awhile and try again later. Sometimes it’s just my mood, or level of concentration that makes reading difficult.
Sometimes, however, a book is simply not very good, or not meant for my tastes, and I should just give up. But all too often, a combination of guilt and the fear that I will miss something keeps me going.
“Most of us give up on people faster than books. Imagine you’re at a cocktail party and the first person you chat with turns out to be a stupendous bore. Do you keep talking to him for the next hour because you started with him? To the contrary, you suddenly develop a passionate interest in the spinach dip across the room and excuse yourself.
“Or consider wine tastings. Do we finish the whole bottle for each wine we sample? Tastings wouldn’t get very far if we did.”
That was from a piece by Steve Leveen. (Read the whole thing here.)
Still, my reading list continues to grow. A while back, I promised to compile a list of the books that fill the nooks in my bedroom, living room and office, patiently waiting for me to give them my attention. I have taken the short list I posted that day, added several more, and posted them here. (You can see the list anytime by clicking on Books Awaiting in the Pages box on the left side of your screen.)