Why You Should Stop Reading That Book

Why You Should Stop Reading that Book

or
How to Start Loving Your Reading Life Again

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Do you ever feel like someone is forcing you to finish a book?  You start to feel obligated to pick it up and read a few pages.  Or you find yourself doing other things to avoid reading it. The face on its cover stares at you from the coffee table where you last left it like it’s judging you for not opening it back up again. 

Sometimes, this might even be a book you want to read!  You are interested in it!  But for some reason, it has begun to feel like a chore. This happens to me the most when I am reading a genre that I wouldn’t normally. 

My Reading List

Strong, powerful women who shape history are intriguing to anyone.  And I have found royal women to be endlessly fascinating.  So, of course, when Elizabeth of York was recommended during Nonfiction November I added it to my TBR.

Do you every have trouble reading a certain genre?  I do.  I’m just so slow at reading nonfiction.  So, I decided to combat this by reading Philippa Greggory’s The White Princess at the same time.  It’s a novel about Elizabeth of York, and I’ve read (and loved!) several other books in this series, so it sounded like a win!  

And it was interesting.  I am fascinated by this tumultuous time, and it was interesting to see Weir and Greggory explore it through two different lenses.

But…I started to feel obligated to pick up the book.  I would think, okay, I have to read a little bit of this.  Just get through a little more.  Of course, other times I would find a captivating tidbit and have to read it aloud to my husband. The book isn’t awful – far from it!

I also noticed myself anticipating my next reads.  If you read this post you know I got several books from Amazon recently, and I can’t wait to read them all!  Every day I would pass my dresser and see these two sitting there, staring me down:

And I would think I can’t WAIT to read those!  Or I’m so excited to get to those books – I’d better hurry and finish my big biography.  I knew that if I started The Forgotten Garden or Nine Perfect Strangers I would get so engrossed in them I would read the whole thing before I picked up my Elizabeth of York again.

But why wait?  I’m jumping at the bit in anticipation to read two books that are literally in my own bedroom, yet I’m not?  All I have to do is pick them up!

So, I did.  I cracked open The Forgotten Garden, and so far, I love it!  I’ve already cried once and read way faster than I had been reading.

Why you should put that book down:

1.    You’re wasting your time

2.    You could be reading something else

3.    You won’t enjoy it if it becomes a chore

4.    You might enjoy it with fresh eyes later

Now, I’m not abandoning Elizabeth of York all together.  She is an interesting woman in a historically time period that I like.  I want to know more.  But I don’t have to read the whole thing this month.  Life will go on!

And, in fact, I think I will end up reading it more quickly by adding in other reading loves to my life.

How to Start Loving your Reading Life Again:

1.    Find another good book

    An author you love or a genre you enjoy

2.    Re-read an old favorite

    It should refresh you!

Then maybe you can pick up that “hard” book again

Have you ever stopped reading something that you liked, but kinda couldn’t get into?

Do you ever feel obligated to finish a book you’ve started?

If you need help finding a good book check out my posts here and here. Also, be looking for my list of new books coming out in 2019 that I can’t wait to read! 

Happy Reading!

Hannah

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