Too Short?

By --Deb on

btt button

Suggested by JM:

“Life is too short to read bad books.” I’d always heard that, but I still read books through until the end no matter how bad they were because I had this sense of obligation.

That is, until this week when I tried (really tried) to read a book that is utterly boring and unrealistic. I had to stop reading.

Do you read everything all the way through or do you feel life really is too short to read bad books?


Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

Posted in: Wordpress

84 responses

  1. LMJ

    http://www.bloggang.com/mainblog.php?id=lmj&month=12-11-2009&group=11&gblog=8

  2. Veens

    I will definitely lose interest and stop right there. There are just too many good books waiting for me. So why not pursue them🙂

  3. Christy

    http://christysbooks.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-111209.html

    I have to finish, or it will bug me to no end.

  4. Schatzi

    I can’t not!: http://mealibris.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/booking-through-thursday-too-short/

  5. Melody

    Here’s mine.

    Happy BTT!

  6. BooksPlease

    Here’s my answer.

  7. Lexie

    Here is my answer.

  8. Novroz

    here’s mine🙂

    http://bokunosekai.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/btt/

    Happy BTT🙂

  9. iwriteinbooks

    I’ve been so conflicted on this lately…http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/btt-good-until-the-bitter-end/

  10. iwriteinbooks

    Woops!… this is my link, now the above one: http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/btt-good-until-the-bitter-end/

  11. Dot

    Here’s mine, Happy BTT everyone!

    http://dot-scribbles.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-too-short.html

  12. cutlex

    My first BTT!🙂

    http://cutlex.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/booking-through-thursday-11-12-09/

  13. Chase

    Here’s my answer!

    http://the-bibliophiles-lounge.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-1.html

  14. mervih

    My answer:
    http://mervih.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/too-short/

  15. gautami tripathy

    I wrote it and forgot to post my link!

    Here it is:

    http://readbookswritepoetry.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-bad-books.html

  16. Marie

    Here’s mine! http://www.bostonbibliophile.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday.html
    short answer- yes!

  17. ted

    for obligation or for love…?

    http://bookeywookey.blogspot.com/2009/11/reading-for-obligation-or-for-love.html

  18. JLS Hall (Joy's Blog)

    Good question! Here’s my answer:

    http://jlshall.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-too-short.html

  19. Tracie Yule

    What makes me put a book down:

    http://www.yuletimereading.com/2009/11/the-bad-bad-book/

  20. Yvonne

    Mine is here

  21. vampira2468

    Mine is here

  22. vampira2468

    here http://vampira2468.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/bad-blood/

  23. The Literary Omnivore

    I feel like I’m in the minority- there’s still something to get out of bad books. Very nice question this week.

  24. Allison

    I feel guilty, but I put it down.

    http://wellreadreviews.com/booking-through-thursday-meme-2

  25. Bluestocking

    Here is mine

  26. Lisa

    errr. Here’s mine

  27. Allison

    Good question! Here’s my answer:
    http://readintothis.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-17.html

  28. CoversGirl

    My answer is here.

  29. Marce

    Life is to short. My full answer here.
    http://teawithmarce.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-to-short.html

  30. Missy

    Happy BTT Everyone!!!

    http://missysbooknook.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-lifes-too.html

  31. Chelsea

    Happy BTT! It’s good to be back! Here’s mine!

    http://wereadtoknow.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/btt-a-readers-duty/

  32. Nise'

    My BTT.

  33. MARIE BURTON

    LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO READ BAD BOOKS!!
    http://www.theburtonreview.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursdaylife-is-too.html

  34. Booking Through Thursday – November 12, 2009 « The Crowded Leaf

    […] What about you and your guilty conscience? Do you finish everything you start? Post your answer here or at Booking Through Thursday. […]

  35. Alayne

    Great question! Here’s my answer: http://thecrowdedleaf.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/booking-through-thursday-november-12-2009

  36. Marilyn

    Here’s mine:
    http://thestairlanding.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-too-short.html

  37. mizb17

    Here is my answer:
    http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/btt-too-short/

    ~MizB

  38. Barbara H.

    It depends. My answer is here:
    http://barbarah.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/booking-through-thursday-when-to-give-up/

  39. Amy Reads Good Books

    Here’s mine:

    http://amyreads.com/?p=740

  40. Sarah

    Yep. Life’s too short.

  41. Priscilla

    Here’s my post. I can’t wait to see everyone’s answer to this one!

    http://eveningreader.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/btt-abandoning-bad-books/

  42. Zee

    Here is mine

    http://readinginthenorth.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-bad-books.html

  43. Suey

    Yep, too short. My longer answer here.

  44. Lisa (Books and Cooks)

    I hate being a quitter!! LOL Here’s my answer:

    http://southerngal-lisa.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-too-short.html

  45. cbjames

    Today I’m #45. Tomorrow is my birthday and I’ll be 46.

    Here’s my entry

    http://readywhenyouarecb.blogspot.com/2009/11/btt-life-is-too-short-for-bad-books.html

  46. Robin

    Here’s mine for the week!

    http://almostcrazymommy.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-bad-books.html

  47. Michelle

    I love this question! I definitely have strong opinions on this very topic.

    http://www.michellesmastermusings.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-too-short.html

  48. Amused

    Definitely too short! http://amusedbybooks.blogspot.com/2009/11/too-short.html

  49. LIbrary Diva

    I used to keep going. Now I stop. Find out why at http://yourlibrarycard.blogspot.com/2009/11/rotten-reads.html.

  50. Karoline

    I got way too many books to stick with one I don’t like to read:

    http://okbolover.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/booking-through-thursday1112/

  51. becca

    here’s mine:
    http://ravenousreader.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/booking-through-thursday-5/

  52. Chantele

    Here’s mine!:)
    http://alwayssomethingtoread.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday.html

  53. Alison

    Sometimes I do read on when I shouldn’t.

  54. Alison

    This is a great question!

    http://aliteratus.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-too-short.html

  55. alitareads

    I was just thinking about this last night!

    Here’s my BTT answer.

  56. Lynne

    What an appropriate question for me this month.

    I used to be “Lynne’s Letters” but now I’ve got a separate book blog. Come and “follow” me, wontchya?

    Lynne’s Book Reviews

  57. Julie

    http://bookhooked.blogspot.com/2009/11/bad-books.html

  58. La Coccinelle

    Mine is here.

  59. RD

    Life is too short, and I am too impatient.

    http://readerlydiversions.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday.html

  60. Nikki O

    I like this question.🙂

    My answer: http://bookizzle.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-nov-12.html

  61. kaye

    I usually finish a book unless it’s vulgar. Breaking Dawn, the 4th book in the Twilight series was a killer for me. The first 100 or so pages were great but the last 500 or so I just about died. There’s been a few in book club I’ve had to force myself to read so that I could participate in the discussion.

  62. Tracee

    Great question:

    http://reviewfromhere.com/?p=513

  63. pussreboots

    I don’t read every book to the very end. See why here.

  64. Matthew

    I do actually, but speed up reading something I don’t enjoy. Full answer is posted on my blog.🙂

  65. Jennie

    I try, but often fail!

    http://www.jenrothschild.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday.html

  66. Bookaholic

    I won’t waste my time on a book I’m enjoying any more. 🙂

  67. Stormi

    No time to waste on boring books.

    Here is mine:

    http://writesthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/11/btt-too-short.html

  68. Kathy

    I’m definately one that will stop reading if I’m not enjoying the book. Why waste time on something you’re not enjoying?

    http://bookwormnation.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday.html

  69. Melanie

    http://www.cynicaloptimism.net/2009/11/btt-for-1112.html

    here we go!

  70. mkowalewski

    Mine is here. Enjoy.

  71. Unruly Reader

    I live — and read — by that rule.

    Gory details here:

    http://unrulyreader.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-too-short.html

  72. crestina

    I just want to read….http://addlife21.blogspot.com/2009/11/are-there-really-bad-books.html

  73. Victoria

    Hooray for Thursday!
    http://baker-bookworm.blogspot.com/2009/11/btt-too-short.html

  74. Ambrosia Jefferson

    Fire & Ice Booking Through Thursday

  75. Bitsy

    from what I have understood

    reading a bad book could

    help you learn about your limit

    to reading something so insipid

    so does that make a bad book good?

  76. Jamye

    I think I need to change my ways…

    http://fictionfanatic.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/btt-too-short/

  77. Diane

    Not gonna waste my time on books that make me go zzz…

    http://thebookresort.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday.html

  78. Marineko

    Here’s my answer, late as usual: http://mylittlecthulhu.livejournal.com/7877.html

  79. Plottings

    http://30ishgirlnextdoor.typepad.com/plottings/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-too-short.html

  80. DeSeRt RoSe

    Better late than never🙂

    http://desertrosebooklogue.blogspot.com/2009/11/booking-through-thursday-too-short.html

  81. Dreadful Penny

    Have to finish everything I start, else it hurts my OCD. I’d like to think this makes me more selective, but it probably doesn’t… *sigh*.

  82. vanilla

    No guilt. I picked it up, I can put it down.

  83. Weekend Reader

    Considering that my tagline is “For people who don’t have time to read bad books,” I have to say that I have managed to overcome my reluctance to quit a book before I’m finished. I used to share “Dreadful Penny’s” OCD, but now I agree with “Vanilla” – I picked it up, I can put it down. I don’t have time to read all the great books that call to me – why would I waste time on those that don’t really pan out?

  84. jesika

    I have to finish, at least to make sure its a bad book all the way through, because then i’ll regret not knowing what happened…

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