Put the book down! It’s okay! (It really is.)
Today, I’m going to write a little bit about reading habits, specifically whether or not it is ever okay to give up on a book. Spoiler alert – it totally is. Personally, I have major book abandonment issues and giving up on a book will always be a little bit difficult for me but I have learned that it’s all right. I’m also here to tell you that it’s okay to quit a book. Would you continue eating something that grossed you out with every bite? Why should you do something similar with a book? Here are five things I have learned about book commitment and putting down a book at the right time.
- Trust your gut. Some people have formulas for how many pages they give a book before they give up on it – like, divide the page number by your age and add 50. If that works for you, great. But if you’re ten pages into a book and something throws you off or doesn’t feel quite right, and you really just don’t want to pick it up again, let it go. It doesn’t matter whether or not you can explain why you put it down – if the book doesn’t feel right, don’t force yourself to keep going.
- Some books are the right book at the wrong time. Have you ever started a book knowing that you should love it and just don’t? Personally, mood has a lot to do with my reading selection. Maybe the book you want to love didn’t come along at the right time. Putting a book down and giving it a second chance later is a better option than trying to force yourself to read something that you might love in a different mood but end up resenting now.
- Just because everyone else loves a book doesn’t mean you will. OMG have you read that new bestseller? That classic from high school? The book your mom really loved? Wait, what do you mean you didn’t like it? Don’t let peer pressure force you into reading a book that you don’t want to read. It’s okay to not be interested in the same books as everyone else. As an addendum to this, don’t feel that you have to read the books your favorite shows are based on. If you want to, that’s so cool. But if you don’t have time for 4,000+ pages of A Song of Ice and Fire and over 20 years of waiting for new books in the series, don’t sweat it.
- It’s okay to love an author without loving all of their books. All books are not written equally. When I feel guilty for not liking all of an author’s work, I tell myself that even Shakespeare had some stinkers. Because he did. Do you like every episode of a television show? Every dish on a menu? Nope. It’s okay to not like every book an author puts out.
- Librarians aren’t going to judge your reading habits. Librarians love to recommend books to patrons, but none of us are offended if those books turn out not to be your cup of tea. Book recommendations are part of our job and we enjoy the puzzle of helping you find books you love. It’s okay to tell your librarian that a book wasn’t for you – that can generate some great conversations about what books are for you. We want you to be happy in your reading!
Post by Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist
About #FDL
Welcome to #FDL! #FDL is a twice weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and East Peoria. Twice a week, library staff will make posts that highlight some aspect of library life and relate it to you – our readers. Have you ever wanted to know which Dewey number represented a certain topic? Are you looking for book recommendations based on your favorite television show or television recommendations based on your favorite book? Have you ever wondered about the secret details of librarian life? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then #FDL is for you. We look forward to writing posts that are informative and entertaining and hope that you enjoy getting better acquainted with Fondulac District Library.