Comments for Book Blogger Hop for July 01, 2011

Book Blogger Hop for July 01, 2011: 07/01/11

What keeps me reading beyond the first couple of pages?

At any given time I'll have about a half dozen books going. I tend to stash a book in each room in the house: one in each bathroom, one under my bed, one by my computer and one in my purse. Then there might be one book I'm focusing on finishing that I will carry around with me from room to room.

For the books that I'm stashing in rooms, I read in short bursts. To keep reading them I must be able to remember where I am even if I've only read a couple pages or haven't been able to read in days. If the book is too confusing, too dense or too dull to keep my attention between these bursts, then I won't keep reading it.

Next comes characterization. If the main character or supporting characters aren't interesting or memorable, I give the book the boot. But the characters also have to be at least semi-plausible. If they start doing things that don't make sense in the context of the book, I toss it aside.

Poor or absent punctuation will usually result in tossing the book. That includes dialogue. I'm not a fan of dialogue that's missing quotations. I don't care if it's single (British style) or double (American style) but I'd to know where the spoken sentence begins and ends.

I'm reading a book right now that breaks this dialogue rule, Innocence by Jane Mendelsohn. The first person narration includes dialogue but not quotation marks. The protagonist though is clearly being drugged by her school nurse, for nefarious reasons, so the lack of punctuation is helping to portray her disjointed state of mind.

So what about you? What stops you from finishing a book?

books | book blogger hop

Comments (26)

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Comment #1: Friday, July, 1, 2011 at 03:32:34

GraceKrispy

My answers are really similar to yours- I review mostly indie books, and I've had that punctuation difficulty more than I'd like to (in my most recent read, as a matter of fact!)

Happy Hopping! GraceKrispy@MotherLode blog

Comment #2: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 22:05:33

Pussreboots

I have reviewed quite a few indie books too over the lifetime of this blog. The punctuation problems seem to be evenly distributed amongst the indies and the big publishing house books.

Comment #3: Friday, July, 1, 2011 at 09:27:31

Anja Kasap

Poor, clunky writing makes me crazy, and it's the biggest reason I will stop reading. I also have many books going at one time.

Comment #4: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 22:09:32

Pussreboots

Clunky I can handle if the characters are memorable and the plot is at least engaging.

Comment #5: Friday, July, 1, 2011 at 11:07:14

Jenny

Wow, good for you! I can't read multiple books at once, I have a compulsion that makes me have to finish one before I can start another:) Have a great weekend!

Comment #6: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 22:14:10

Pussreboots

It's no different for me than following multiple TV series. I have no compulsion to finish any book I start. although I do finish most of what I do.

Comment #7: Friday, July, 1, 2011 at 12:36:02

Megan @ Book Brats!

Ugh, yes, bad grammar is a no go for me. I spent too many years taking editing classes before I switched majors from English to PoliSci to think that it's okay for a novel to get by with bad style. Some books coming out nowadays have bad style on purpose and I just can't read them!

I'm a new follower and loving your reviews so far! Happy Friday!

Comment #8: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 22:17:23

Pussreboots

Grammar though helps make speed reading easier. If I have to slow down because the grammar is wrong, missing or just weird for artistic reasons, I usually don't bother finishing the book.

Comment #9: Friday, July, 1, 2011 at 13:24:32

aloi (@guiltlessreader)

come on over and see my answer :)

Comment #10: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 22:17:23

Pussreboots

Thanks for stopping by.

Comment #11: Friday, July, 1, 2011 at 13:27:28

Sarah

I don't think I could do up to 6 books at a time! I get having them in each place you tend to read though. I just kind of carry my current read around. lol The most I can really do is up to 3.

Thanks for stopping by my follow friday and book blogger hop as well!

♥ Sarah

Comment #12: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 22:17:23

Pussreboots

I'll sometimes have a book that I'm carrying around but I like having the others stashed in case I forget to carry it around.

Comment #13: Friday, July, 1, 2011 at 15:58:34

Howard Sherman

These book blogger hop questions just get better and better. This one looks easy but I think it's a trick question. We all know it's the same answer 'the writing' but we all have different perspectives of what good writing is.

Hop on over to my blog and read my three-prong answer as I explain why I'll decide to pick up a book or put it down in under sixty seconds.

Happy July 4th Weekend!

Comment #14: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 22:29:55

Pussreboots

I think it's the editing more than the writing that makes a book worth finishing or not.

Comment #15: Friday, July, 1, 2011 at 17:23:03

Vicki S.

I've found more often the problem with quotations is found at the end of the line, rather than the beginning. It seems to be a lot easier to miss the end quotes before 'he said', than the marks that begin the quote.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Comment #16: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 22:30:13

Pussreboots

I also hate the misuse of the so-called "smart quotes" which are anything but smart.

Comment #17: Friday, July, 1, 2011 at 19:10:53

Susan (Reading World)

Yikes! My son can read multiple books at once, but I can't figure out how he (or you!) can keep them all straight. I'm generally in the middle of one with each of my kids and one of my own, and that's all I can handle.

Comment #18: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 22:31:31

Pussreboots

Maybe he can explain it to you. My stock answer is that it's no different from following multiple TV series.

Comment #19: Friday, July, 1, 2011 at 21:34:05

Alison

Hopping through. I think confusion is a big deal for me. I can be confused for a little bit, but I will put the book down if things don't clear up and run smoothly pretty quickly.
My Hop

Comment #20: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 22:33:13

Pussreboots

Exactly. Well put!

Comment #21: Friday, July, 1, 2011 at 23:59:49

Jezebel Lee http://jezsbookcase.blogspot.com

Hey, stopping by! I think it's amazing you have the courage to put a book in the toilet. What if it falls of the rack and dive into the toilet bowl? Or if the water hits it when you're showering? Nevermind, that's just me.

Happy weekends!

Jez

Comment #22: Friday, July 1, 2011 at 22:35:35

Pussreboots

In the room that has a shower, there's a book shelf at the far end off the room where water won't reach the books even if things flood. For the water closet, I only read books I don't mind get wet, although I've never had a book get wet.

Comment #23: Saturday, July, 2, 2011 at 14:56:38

It's Time To Read Mamaw

I started reading a book the last month and it was suppose to be a very good book. But after giving it a couple of chapters I just couldn't get into it. I put the book aside to read another day. I don't like to do that because I feel as if my mind might have had too many distractions and I didn't give the book a chance. So I always try to wait for another day to give it another go. I have so many other books calling to me from my to-be-read list that it can really be distracting. READ ME! READ ME!

I prefer reading and reviewing Christian Fiction but I do read a varity of other books. I just can't handle too scary or gory. Suspense and Mysteries I like. No explicit adult books either if I do find one I really want to read I just skip over the x-rated stuff. So what genre do I read?

I am your newest GFC follower.

Comment #24: Sunday, July 3, 2011 at 21:29:45

Pussreboots

Welcome to my blog. I only rarely review religious fiction, ditto erotica. I find erotica to be excesively silly and oft-times boring. You can see what genres I review by checking out my archive which is accessible from the left nagivation.

Comment #25: Sunday, July, 3, 2011 at 00:47:14

Holjo (Pedantic Phooka)

Stopping by via Crazy-For-Book's Blog Hop. I'm following your blog.

I'm having a giveaway on my blog this weekend so please stop by!

Comment #26: Sunday, July 3, 2011 at 21:43:04

Pussreboots

Thank you for stopping by.