I can’t believe I’m doing this. I don’t think I’ve ever done it on purpose before. I’m actually going to not finish this book.

It’s not that it’s not well written. Really, it is. Clearly the author is either very gifted, or took the time to truly hone her gift. Or both.

But I just can’t read it. Seriously. There are some subjects that just make me uncomfortable, and without any humor to balance it out, I just can’t read it. It’s not really depressing, just one of those subjects that tends to send me into a spiraling depression or causes me to lash out in anger depending on how it’s presented and how my mood is at the time.

This is not a good book for me.

I hate to do it, really. It’s just not in me to stop reading a book on purpose. When they’re badly written, I push on in the hope that it’ll get better. When they’re well written and I hate reading it? I mean, really? I’d actually prefer reading my shampoo bottles (Hey- they’re the ultimate in fiction and pep talks!). And yes, I actually have three shampoos, plus whatever my husband uses and the samples from hotels.

What it came down to is this. I was trying to rush through the book, so so that I could finish it and move on to the next. Not only am I not enjoying my reading time, but it’s spoiling the time that I spend not reading as well. Do I really have 3 more days to waste feeling miserable? Just because it feels so unholy to not finish reading it?

I only learned to stop reading short stories two or three years ago. In general, I hate short stories. There have been a few that I’ve enjoyed, but they tend to be generally depressing. The ones that I actually did enjoy peeved me off because I’d rather them be full novels. Eventually I learned that I don’t have to read it just because it’s there. It’s hard, but I can just walk away from short stories now.

Novels, it looks like I’m just learning. So, does this mean that I’m maturing as a reader and writer (realizing that my limited time can be spent on more productive or enjoyable things)? Or have I just given in to the dark side?

Anyone else ever put down a book just because you didn’t enjoy it? I’m not counting based on bad writing here. I’m talking story/mood/whatever.

(And no- the book is not The Shadow Of The Lion. That’s what I’m starting instead of Book I Hate.)