Abandoned Books

This picture makes me feel so sad BTW.

Did you know that there is a such thing as the most popular abandoned books list? Who knew. That's awful if you think about it. As an author I'm sure you want to be a part of a list. However, I doubt you would want to be the #1 book that people stopped reading.

Unfortunately, my shelf is littered with books I began with good intentions. Books I started reading with gusto and just knew that I would fly through this amazing book with the amazing cover and I would love love everything about it. I would feel all the feels and have a favorite new novel. Every book begins this way.

To me, there is an excitement to purchasing a novel. Oh the possibilities! So how do books go from a world waiting to be explored to a sad, abandoned book collecting dust on the shelf. Personally, I have 3 reasons why this happens to me.

1. The SLOOOOOOOW Starter:  
I have learned in my many years of reading that I have to plow through the first 50 or so pages all at once. If I start a book and read a couple of pages then set it down, it tends to stay down. By page 50 or so if I'm not totally thinking about the characters next steps or what happened in the first 50 pages, there is a chance that I will not finish the book. When I'm not reading, the characters have to be on my mind. I must look forward to the spare time I will have throughout the day to get back to the story. This is detrimental to books that start slow. I understand building the scenes and making introductions but I need to feel something immediately about the main character. Whether its love or hate or worry, just something to keep them on my mind.

2. The Line Cutter: 
Poor books sometimes get skipped in line like kids at the water fountain. I've made the mistake of picking up another book, knowing that I am completely wrapped up in this other book, just to have the new book make me forget all about the first one. The new characters start to infect my thoughts then the old characters get dusty and forgotten. This has happened several times. I just mean to read a little to get a feel for it but it takes over my mind. I'm going through this right now with Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. We all know that Mr. King is an amazing author, his stories make you grip the edge of your seat and possibly give you nightmares but in my case two books jumped right in front of Mr. Mercedes. I still think about the crazy guy driving the Mercedes, mowing people down just not at much as the little 16 year old girl who just figured out she is orange instead of green.

3. She's Just Not That Into You:
Reading is my leisure activity, my way to escape and relax. Before I rarely put stipulations on my reading (like challenges or book clubs). I never wanted to be forced to read something in my spare time, I had enough of that in high school and college. If I'm not enjoying the book, I have a very VERY hard time forcing myself to finish it. I've tried. I've said self, now, you started this and you are going to finish it, then only to be distracted by a new release or pretty cover. I rationalize that if you aren't enjoying it why waste your time. Reading should never feel like a chore.

Anywhoo, so have you abandoned any books lately? If so, why? What causes you to put down a novel never to return? Or do you plan to come back to them? 

There is now an option on Goodreads to create your own list of books you have abandoned.

Also, check out this article on Most Abandoned Books and the Psychology Behind It: Business Insider: Most Abandoned Books