Speaking as a reader (as opposed to someone who's actually written something), I usually try to get to the end, even if I skim a lot. But there are some books ... sigh ... either the plot has me thinking been there/done that without any redeeming new element, or I really dislike the main characters (and there aren't any interesting secondary characters), or it's badly written, or I find myself compiling lists of anachronisms or of misused words, or something about it makes me hate it I'll give up.

I never give up on a book. It's a failing, actually, because I waste a lot of time reading really really subpar books. But I read fast, so it's okay. Closest I ever came was Cryptonomicon or whatever the hell that hot mess was. I threw that book (a shocking act from must-not-damage-the-books me), but I finished it. And that was a damn lot of pages.

I read fairly quickly, too. But I've come to accept that some books just aren't worth the time. I recently read a rather odd book - "The Cowboy and the Vampire" - that I'm still iffy on, but it held my interest enough to finish it. But a little while ago I was reading a romantic suspense book and found that I disliked both the hero and heroine enough, and could see exactly where the story was going, that I gave up on it.

"This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force." - Dorothy Parker

I loved Cryptonomicon, but I had a high fever while I was reading it, and keep trying to crack codes in my sleep.

I used to slog through them all, but I've given up on a few in the last few years. One was a mystery that was written almost entirely in similes.

Well, I came to the realization today that I just need to give up on the idea of ever selling a romance manuscript-- at least in today's climate-- after reading a review for an Angel/Mermaid story that apparently involved the gentle brushing aside of her scales in order to get to the glittery hoo ha of happiness, and seeing all the enthusiastic oohs and ahhs from the readers.

And when I submit what I think of as a good, solid contemporary romance to an editor who wants good, solid contemporary romance and receive a rejection because it's "too real and ordinary."

Well, damn, of course, it's going to be too real and ordinary compared with scales and angels and glittery hoo-has.

that apparently involved the gentle brushing aside of her scales in order to get to the glittery hoo ha of happiness

Ew! Ew!

Ew! was definitely my response.

If it's a suspenseful book where I really like the characters, I'll sneak a look at the end to see if it "all comes out right." If a book is trending towards dull, I'll peek at the end to see if the end point is interesting enough that I want to see the trip. The dull normally kicks in about a third to halfway.

I'm having trouble with a current piece where I'm in the middle of crucial introduction of people and establishing initial reactions between characters. I'm finding it horribly boring to write because I know where it all ends, but I have to keep reminding myself that the reader will need this information. It's like pointing out the emergency exits and flotation devices that may be needed later in the flight when you really want to get to the takeoff.

oh my ... Mrs. Giggles reviewed J.R. Ward's black dagger brotherhood thing. She didn't like it ... said it read like information for fan fic Mary Sue stories. Not having read any of the books in the series (I have, I must admit) she's seriously put off by the way names are spelled (the author seems to be trying to do for the letter "H" what SG1 did for the apostrophe).

They used the phrase "glittery hoo-ha"??!! And neither the author nor publisher was 12?