Just curious.

When you pick up a new book, do you decide in the first two pages if you like the book or not?

Also how long will you read a book that is not interesting you?

I usually give it a chapter.

I usually try to make it through at least two chapters to decide whether or not I'm going like a book. If I can't make myself read past two or three chapters and there are long gaps between my reading any more, it's pretty clear that I don't like the book or am not ready to read it at that time. For example, I've made it through several chapters of Les Miserables, but keep taking large breaks from the book because I am just not quite ready to read it yet, but I gave up on Thus Spoke Zarathustra after two chapters and am pretty sure I'm not going back to it because I don't like the writing and am content to get my Nietszche from a second or third hand source. I do plan to one day finish Les Miserables, but I don't think I can say the same thing for the Nietszche.

I usually know right away whether or not I like the writing style, however, or how I'm going to feel about how they develop their characters. Sometimes I press on even if I don't like how the writer is writing or using character, just to finish a book, but I usually can't finish if I can't relate to the story in a meaningful way. Sometimes I even like the characters and the action but wish the writer had a better style, or vice versa. I'm picky, but I'm usually fairly open to suggestion and try to finish what I start.

How about you?

It depends on whether it is fiction or non-fiction. Fiction, I can drop fairly easily, but non-fiction I usually procure in support of an interest. What happens to me quite regularly is that I get into a book and get bogged down usually about 1/3 to 1/2 way through it. I still want to read it but I'm lazy. I notice that I take a sudden interest in my magazines, or someone will mention a really dynamite book that I want to read now. The first book gets set down with a book marker with the full intentions of returning to it when I finish the other book. I have dozens of books laying about with a book marker at about page 125.

The Kindle has created a solution and yet another problem. You can down load a sample of a book for free, it is generally the first 20 to 40 pages. You can't read a book by it's cover and sometimes the first chapter can steer you wrong also, but it is a nice feature that can save you some money. The problem arises when you see a neat book, download the sample and get hooked. Now I have all sorts of Kindle books with a completion of about 39%. Amazon is a giant drug cartel. They sell the pleasure of reading. And the Kindle is a very effective pusher to us book junkies! Gratification of your habit in less than 60 seconds, and here is a free sample to whet your cravings! One of the big problems with the Kindle is impulse buying--one click and it is yours--no nasty addresses to put in, no complicated credit card numbers and weirdo numbers on the back of the card. No need to be at a computer, let alone a book store. You can be out in the middle of the woods (providing that your woods has Sprint or ATT--depending on the model--cell phone coverage) and purchase your latest desire painlessly (until your credit card bill hits) and with a tiny bit of effort. There is no delay!

bleached, right on about writing style. Poor style can make the hottest sex scene boring, and good style can get you through a book on the joys of knitting. Perhaps an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

Because I have missed out on some good stuff in the past by giving up on a book too soon, I try to give it about 20% before I toss it. So, that's 60 pages of a 300 page book. I do get distracted though so, just like Veneer, I have several books lying around with bookmarks in them.

I gave it quite a few Chapter before i give up on it.

What about you Rancher1?

I picked up a book, No Doors, No Windows and I think I read at least 20 pages of that and decided that I just wasn't in the mood to read it. I usually give it at least a few chapters before I give up.

I'm surprised nobody else does what I do. When I'm finding a book a bit boring I'll flip to a random spot in the middle of the book and read a few pages. This usually tells me if the book gets better later in the read or if the book persists as a boring book.

Chris, I can't do that because I am obsessive-compulsive and if I am even contemplating reading further into the book, I don't want anything to be given away. Like, I will not watch any episode of a television show I am planning to watch someday if I haven't started at the beginning. Unless it is a stand alone episode kind of show like Law & Order or a sitcom, I can't let myself know anything in advance. I won't even look at the episode titles for the two Heroes seasons I haven't seen yet, because they will give too much away.

But I'm an oddball, so I can't speak for anyone else who hasn't mentioned that.