The Books I Didn’t Finish in 2006

Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Grace—Norris I don’t know why I didn’t finish this one; I’d like to try it again. I think there were just too many interruptions.

Bark of the Bog Owl—Rogers I just couldn’t get interested in this children’s fantasy.

Child from the Sea—Goudge Again, I couldn’t get interested.

Christianity for Modern Pagans—Kreeft I dipped into this one here and there in a rather desultory manner. I’ll make a better attempt this next year.

Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius—Eggers And I probably won’t ever read it. Too crude, rude and socially unacceptable.

Lonesome Dove—McMurtry Same song, second verse. I thought it might get better, but it just got worse.

Moby Dick–Melville A I’ll get back to Melville again someday.

Ragtime—Doctorow Crude and not my cuppa tea.

Silence—Shukasu Endo I had to return it to the library. I’ll get it again and finish it.

Story—McKee I skimmed through parts of this how-to-write book.

Either my attention span is getting shorter (hope not) or I’m a lot more willing to give up on a book, maybe come back to it later, than I used to be. I think I’ve decided that at my age I’m never going to be able to read all the books that interest me anyway. So why waste time and energy on one that doesn’t capture my imagination? Unless I’ve been told by people I trust that there’s something there worth working at, I don’t read books anymore that I don’t like within a chapter or two.

So many books, so little time.

4 thoughts on “The Books I Didn’t Finish in 2006

  1. I’ve come to the same conclusion. I can’t live long enough to read everything I want to, so why persevere through books that don’t hold my interest or have some redeeming quality?

    It took me to age 50 to figure that one out!

  2. I have started books by Goudge several times and also not maintained interest enough to finish. Life is too short to read a book you are unable to connect with.
    Poiema

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