Books - Are you a perseverer?

With me it tends to be wether I have anything else to read, I have two stand out perseverers.
First ; The Adventures of Goodnight and Loving, which was dreadful in the beginning but so glad I stuck with it.
Second; The Gollum, a very strange story indeed but worth the read.
I have a lot of books lying around which I am loath to start just in case,,,,,.

Life's too short to waste my time on a book I find tedious. I quickly put it aside and usually charity shop it.

I am in total agreement with whitewave she took the words out of my mouth.

Also in agreement with whitewave, although sometimes I do skip read to the end, but it is annoying when a book starts out so well, and then peters out in the middle.

I agree with whitewave on this. I sometimes try to carry on if the book has had rave reviews. But then I just think it's pointless. If I don't like it, I don't' like it.

I usually pick it up 3 times and if I haven't gotten into it by then I'll give up and either charity shop it or pass it on. Girl on the Train is currently on its 2nd strike so one more go and thats it

I am another who agrees with whitewave. Life is too short, there are too many good books I haven't read yet. I don't like a book to be too light hearted - e.g. cosy murders or romances, but I am not really into 'literature' read enough for A levels.

Perhaps I persevere more as books in English are very expensive here, and I have pretty much read everything I like on the Church bookshelves.

I go on for 20-30 pages and if it hasn't got me by then, I give it up. Also if while I'm reading it I keep thinking about another book that's waiting to be read, I reckon it's a loser!

I'm not a person who perseveres with a book I find tedious either. Recently got really irritated by a book with several spelling mistakes in the first couple of chapters. I lost the thread and just started looking for more mistakes then.

I always used to plough on and finish a book even if I found it tedious [why?]

However, I think my philosophy is more the same as whitewave's now, although I have found exceptions.
I have just gone back to a book which I had started then put into the pile for the charity shop and I'm glad I had a second try because it is quite gripping.

I finished Girl on the Train and at the end thought 'why did I bother'!
Especially since the ending was obvious way before

I could not get into Girl on a Train so I did not bother.

I read Girl on The Train a couple of years ago and Apple Tree Yard and thought they were both quite good. I think there are a lot of writers trying to produce that genre with quite mediocre results. I've been picking books up in Sainsburys prior to googling their reviews on Amazon and find I'm often disappointed. I think I should stop doing it and go to my husband's "recommended read pile". I'm a bit addicted to buying books, eventually they find their way into a charity shop if they're unexceptional.

I used to persevere, an attitude hanging on from school I think. Now I don't, if I'm not interested after a couple of chapters I put it aside. Thinking about it the only ones I do persevere with are the GN giveaways, I sort of think I should finish them. .

I had to put Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell aside, 100 pages in I was beginning to form the opinion "this is worse than homework". It's still on my shelf though.

No, I don't carry on reading a book if I am not enjoying it. As already said - there too many good books to read. However, I do re-read books many times over if I've enjoyed them and strangely always find bits that I don't remember. Does anyone else do this?

I didn't enjoy Girl on the Train, either.
I tend to read the first few pages of a new book, read the ending and speed-read a bit of the middle. If it grabs me I read the whole thing.
Just re-reading Life After Life. Best book I've read for quite some time, and the sequel's good, too.

I loved Life After Life preferred it to the sequel which I also enjoyed but not as much. I always keep my stand out books.

DanniRae - Yes, I do - & have paperback & Kindle copies of favourites!

Must admit if I am not enjoying a book, I will not persevere with it, though in some cases I know I probably should give it more of a chance. Such a recent book was "Behind the Scenes at the Museum". I had a struggle with "A God in Ruins" but stuck with it and was glad I did, but I lost the will to live with the aforementioned. I do sometimes go back to books I have abandoned. I have tried several times over the years to read C.P. Snow's "The New Men", but it has defeated me (lightweight!).

If I think 'I really don't care what happens to these people ' out it goes!!

TerriBull- I make good use of my local library & "try before I buy". Like others have said, if a book doesn't really hold my interest I discard it & return it.

However, if the book in question is the library's Reading Group book, I do my best to work my way through it, as I feel that you can't have a reasoned discussion about a book you don't like without being able to say exactly what it is about it that you didn't like, can you - if you're still with me!?
I admit that if that happens,(a book by a motormad chap called Jeremy Clark-something springs to mind), I will skim or give up very quickly.
Waiting patiently on a shelf for me to have another go at is Gormenghast.

Never! But I take it to the library for our independent stock so don't feel bad about it - out of sight out of mind!