Thursday, October 17, 2013
Is it ever ok to drop a book?
Recently, I got some advice from one of my fellow teachers. She said, "Life is too short to read a bad book. I've got way too many good books to read in my lifetime and I won't waste any time on a bad book." This got me thinking. I really don't like the book I'm reading. I love to read, but I just can't force myself to read this one. What do you think? Is it ever ok to drop a book?
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Yes it is okay to drop a book every once in a while when the book you choose is boring. If you drop books frequently or every book you read then it is a problem that you will probably not learn how to read books correctly. I have dropped at least 2 books every month this summer.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it is okay to drop a book. I'm not saying you can just not pay attention in the class novel. But if its a really bad book, its too hard to understand, or your not learning anything and you don't intend to, then drop it. However, if you find your self dropping A TON of books then there is a problem. Try reading a different genre, try getting suggestions from people who enjoy the same books as you. Hope this helped!
ReplyDelete~Taylor
I think it's okay to drop a book because not every book is perfect. At least a couple books drift of and loose their detail. Also sometimes I think that a book that has too much info can really drag on. I've at least one book in the summer. Because it got boring!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSure it is, but you should give the book another try later on unless you were half way.
ReplyDeleteIt is okay to drop a book if you really don't like it but if yo love the book don't drop it! If you have a HUGE pile of books you want to read, read them! Your teacher was right! Life is to short so drop the book. Hope it helped!
ReplyDelete- Alicia
It is okay to drop a book every once and a while. If you didn't like it, try and read another genre! If it doesn't make sense, then drop it. If you find that you are dropping every book you read, then that's a problem. But all I'm saying is yes. You can drop a book.
ReplyDelete~Josie
Yes it is if you are at least past some of the pages and you dislike the book. If you drop a book a lot though it probably is a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteyeas it is ok to drop a book but not all the time if you pick a book and you drop it when your in the middle of it and you do it all the time its not ok.
ReplyDeleteI'd Agree but if you drop a book if you're in the middle of it, Shouldn't you just suck it up and read it or read it later?
DeleteI think it is ok to drop a book because what if you are not enjoying a book so why would you want to keep reading it.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think it is ok to drop a book if you honestly dislike it that much. Except, if you do that all the time you will never learn anything. You will end up never finishing one.
ReplyDeleteI think it is ok to drop a book because if the book is not exiting than why read it. I dropped 2 books this summer cause I was bored out of my mind
ReplyDeleteI dont think its ok to drop a book because my old teacher told me if I drop a book that you would not be a good reader.So I would not droop a book.
ReplyDeleteYes and no. If the book is bad and you have a bunch of other books you want to read, then drop it. But if it's a really good book and you get a new really cool book you should wait for that book instead of dropping that other book.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! Mrs. Braatz the 7th grade English teacher here! I just had to post a reply to this question. I think that it is only okay to drop a book once you have given it a true try. Sometimes a great book can start out slow, and if you give up too soon, then you may be missing out on a great experience. For example, the teacher book club is reading Dracula which starts out really slow, but then it gets good. It isn't as high action as the books a lot of us like to read today, but for the time period of when it was written it is quite intense. I also think that when a book is a "Classic" such as Dracula, there is a reason that it is so famous. Dracula is especially important considering how vampires have grown to be so culturally significant today. I also think that you should ask yourself what you are getting out of a book. If it is truly boring, and not a challenge for you at all, and you gave it a good try, then its okay to drop it. However, I like Eve's idea of giving it another try later on. Sometimes a book that doesn't work for us one day could end up being a favorite later on!
ReplyDeleteMrs. Braatz,
DeleteI've got a couple of questions for you:
1. If the book I was thinking of dropping wasn't a book club book that you are also reading, would your post be different?
2. Do you want me to go through the pain of reading this book because you are too?
3. How's Pride and Prejudice coming along? Also a culturally significant book because many books and movies now are just a remix of Jane Austin's classic tale. :)
Ok, I'm done being silly now. In all seriousness.... You have given me some good things to think about. However, I'm still not sure that you have convinced me to spend my time reading this book. I have given it a true try, and it's just not for me. I've got Nothing to Envy - Ordinary Lives in North Korea sitting on my table, and I really want to read it. That book won't be easy either, but it has a message that I truly want to hear.
How about this? I will read it for one hour over the weekend and give it my very best effort and see how it goes?
Ms. DeVries
Ms. DeVries,
DeleteI have a few answers for you!
1. I think that every book deserves a fair shot even if it isn't a book club book. If a book was a classic, or it was recommended to you by someone, I think you need to read at least half way.
2. I do not find Dracula painful, I'm quite enjoying it.
3. I have struggled with Pride and Prejudice, however, I would not say that I have officially dropped it. Yes it has been a few year process, but I WILL get through it!!
However, I can't pretend that I have never dropped a book before. I'm coming to think that it may be a very individualized decision to make and that we all probably make it differently.
Unfortunately, there is always going to be times when we all have to read books that we don't want to read. I think we all need to find a way that works for us to get through that reading that we don't necessarily want to do. I know that book club books are not required but they sometimes can remind us what it feels like to be "assigned" reading that we don't want to do. I bet our students can relate to that!!
Clearly, everyone has a different way they go about deciding whether or not to drop a book, and I love that we have had the opportunity to have this discussion!
Mrs. Braatz
One of my teachers said give it a few chapters and if it still doesn't grab you, then drop the book. I have always remembered this. Usually when I drop a book, I have given it several chances to grab my interest. There are so many great books out there, that I don't really want to waste my time continuing to read a book that doesn't interest me. I can still learn things by reading it, but the reality is that I probably won't finish it.
ReplyDeleteThis is from the perspective of a high school English teacher. I say DROP bad books! I agree that you have to give them a chance. I almost dropped Cry the Beloved Country and someone told me to stick with it and I thought it was AMAZING by the end. But I also remember reading Cold Mountain until the end and I literally threw it across the room because I had wasted time on a book that had bored me to tears the entire way. Life is too short for bad books, and there are plenty of awesome ones out there to discover. I frequently read Amazon reviews before considering a book. It helps me weed out the gems from the imitations.
ReplyDeleteyes i think it is ok to drop a book because if it's boring or you are forcing yourself to read it then you will know that you should drop it. Drop the ones that you don't wanna read or that are boring. Don't drop it because you think it's cool, but normally teachers aren't that cool anyway, but you get my point, but i'm wasn't talking to you........ Don't drop good books, only the bad.
ReplyDeleteIf your truly hate it that much then, you could put it on hold. But, if you are almost done with it, or half way through, then no. Suffer though it.
ReplyDeleteNo and Yes. Yes when it is a bad or boring book. So no it is not ok to drop a book. No when it is a really good book.
ReplyDeleteI think it is ok to drop a book SOMETIMES. But not every book you read you should be dropping. Don't go and drop every book you drop that you touch! If you truly don't understand anything and it is way to hard then you can drop it!
ReplyDeleteYes and no yes because if its a book that you try to read to wow the teachers but if you just cant then thats good .No because you might miss out on what really happens.
ReplyDeleteI dropped that butterfly book we were reading for bookclub after about 3-4 chapters. I am sticking with Dracula though. It is a classic and I sort of like it. But I don't think there is anything wrong with dropping a book once you have given it a few chapters at least to try it.
ReplyDeleteJesse L.
ReplyDeleteI think that is okay to drop a book if it does not interest you. I don't think that you can just go dropping books left and right though. So it is okay to drop a book if you don't like it though.
Thanks so much for all of your feedback! What a great conversation. I decided to stick with my book, but I ended up skimming though a lot of it. I thought it was a good balance between dropping it and spending too much time on that book!
ReplyDelete