In my attempt to remedy my struggle to put down books I’m not really into at all, I started Reconsider or Release to help me learn to put down books or decide it was a case of bad timing. I sporadically lay out my DNF books on the metaphorical table for my readers and let you help me decide if I should just MOVE ON and release the books or maybe reconsider them. So, vote either reconsider or release and maybe provide some compelling reasons for why I should reconsider or release OR at least just tell me what your general thoughts on the book were that might help me in my decision?
Stork by Wendy Delsol
Why I Picked It Up: NORSE LORE! It just sounded so magical and unique.
Why I Put It Down: I was listening to this on audio and I was just NOT clicking it all. I was actually almost done, I believe, with it but I just COULD NOT care at all about the characters or the story. It didn’t feel as interesting to me as I had hoped. Also, the audiobook made me find the MC annoying. I’m wondering if this just wasn’t a good fit for audio for me.
I Am (Not) The Walrus by Ed Briant
Why I Picked It Up: The cover. The thought of a music related book. AND UM Beatles reference! The promise of a male protag. I don’t read many of those.
Why I Put It Down: I just was NOT clicking with it at all. I think this may be a case of the wrong time for this book…maybe just wasn’t in the mood.
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
Why I Picked It Up: I loved Pride & Prejudice and I’m trying to read the classics again like I used to.
Why I Put It Down: Bored to TEARS. I would sit t here and feeling like I was reading forever and then I’d look and it was only like 15 pages. It might be my current stress level with the wedding only a month away but I just am not into this one. I’d like to ideally pick this one up again but I need to hear a resounding “YES! It gets better!”
So give me your opinion, friends! Reconsider or release?
Kailia Sage says
Jane Austen, like a lot of classics, can be hard to get into so I can understand why you’d want to put it down! As for the other two, I’ve never read them so I can’t really say much. Great freature though!
Jamie says
I’m hoping that maybe it is just a timing thing. I used to read the classics with no problem! Maybe I’m just used to a certain kind of pacing now.
Amadei says
I haven’t read any of them, though I do have Sense & Sensibility on my Kindle…it’s one of those books that I swear I’m going to read, but I just have SO MUCH TO DO.
My dad and I have a compulsion to finish any book we start, even if we hate it. That being said, no amount of money will get me to pick up The Grapes of Wrath or Freedom (even though I made it about halfway through). I’m trying to teach myself that life’s too short for books I hate.
Jamie says
Haha I totally get that. I’ve had S&S on my shelf for years and I was so proud of myself for finallyyy picking it up.
That’s my problem and the fuel for why I started this feature! I would read books that I was just SO not into and even hated just so I could finish them. I’m hoping that I’ll learn to put books down and then let my readers, who know me, help me decide whether I should pick them up at a later time or not.
Jenn says
Sense and Sensibility is my favorite Austen novel. It does start a little slow but it is so worth it. Edward and/or Colonel Brandon (my favorite) are so swoon-worthy!!
I haven’t read the other two so I can’t comment on them, but I really hope that you stick it out with S&S and that it gets better for you.
Jamie says
I didn’t get too far into it, to be fair. I got to the part where Willoughby was leaving and right before that Colonel Brandon had left suddenly. I think I may try to pick it up again and give it at least a 100 pages.
Coranne says
May I make a suggestion? Watch the Sense and Sensibility movie and then finish the book. Sometimes I struggle getting into those books- it is the prose that gets me. But I know with Emma it helped me to watch the movie first b/c I ended up LOVING it.
That being said, in S&S there is literally no action until the end of the book 🙂
Jamie says
That’s a good idea! Thanks for the suggestion!!
Brandyn says
I’m absolutely going to agree with this. The only way I made it through Pride and Prejudice was that I had just seen the movie. Jane Austen’s prose is interesting if you in the mood to marvel at it, but when I just want to read a story I find it tedious.
Deanna says
I stalled a third of the way through Sense & Sensibility too. It just didn’t hold my attention nearly as well as P & P. I’ll finish it….one day.
Jamie says
I’m glad I’m not the only one! I kept thinking, “WHAT is wrong with me? Everyone loves this book.”…but with P&P I just immediately was into it.
Laken says
I agree with Coranne. Sense and Sensibility was so much better after I watched the movie. I was able to clearly visualize the characters in the book after watching the movie.
I have not read the other two books, so I cannot give my opinion on those. :/
Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books says
I picked up Sense & Sensibility for the same reason you did – I loved Pride & Prejudice. This book also took a while for me to get into and get through, but it did pick up about 3/4 of the way. It’s okay to DNF this one until you’re in the right mood for Austen, I’d say.
Tahleen says
I’m thinking S&S might be our first realalong book! I enjoyed it very much, but I had people to discuss it with when I read it for class in college. That might make it easier to get through too. (Side note: I can be the one who organizes this readalong if you do want to do it.)
Loni says
I actually read Sense and Sensibility before Pride and Prejudice. I know I’m probably one of the few. I loved it. I loved Colonel Brandon. I really felt so bad for him. I hated Willoughby (in a good way). I thought Elinor was great. Please try again!
Kristi says
I’ve read all of Austen’s completed novels and Sense and Sensibility is by far my least favorite. I thought Elinor was really boring, despite liking her in theory. I’ve never heard of the others so I’m not much help there.
Stevie says
For the first two I’d advice otherwise, I’d find it hard to pick up a book again when I didn’t click with it. Though for Sense and Sensibility, I’d recommend picking up the audiobook and reading it along with the text. That’s what got me through and fully enjoying Pride and Prejudice. I just find with classics it’s better to have the audiobook cause they can be pretty dense. xD
Happy Reading!
twan says
i can’t tell you anything for sure about Stork but i went and saw the author recently (we don’t get a lot of YA authors coming to my town so i was excited even though i hadn’t read her book) i read the premise and thought it sounded really interesting but listening to her speak didn’t draw me in the way other authors have and i didn’t leave wanting to read it at all.
Angela says
In regards for S&S, I found that one quite difficult to read. So difficult that I honestly couldn’t give you a summary without first looking up a summary. Even the movie was a bit painful for me, but I was around thirteen or fourteen when I watched it. I also love Pride & Prejudice. Some less painful Austen titles: Emma and Persuasion. I have Northanger Abbey on my TBR list, but I’m not looking forward to it.
VeganYANerds says
I think I read S&S in high school but I’m not 100% sure and I did get approved on NG for I am (Not) the Walrus only to find it had been archived the same day and I’ve been sad about that ever since but now not so much, because maybe it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be!
BarefootMedStudent says
I understand the desire to read Jane Austen, but I also struggle with her books. I feel like you need to be in a really happy and unstressed place to read her. So maybe wait till you’re less stressed to read her.
If you’re practically done with Stork, you might as well finish it… I don’t know.
As for the musical book – pick it up again, try to read a few chapters, if you still don’t enjoy it, let it go.
Jasmine Rose says
I read Stork and just thought it was okay. I read the sequel (Frost) and enjoyed it, but still just thought it was okay. I plan to read the third book and final book because I like to finish things, but I honestly don’t expect much out of it.
You should probably save your reading time for something more worthwhile :]
Heather says
It took a handful of chapters before Sense and Sensibility capture my attention. But, once it did, I couldn’t put it down!
April says
I actually love Sense and Sensibility. Shh…don’t tell anyone, but I prefer it over Pride and Prejudice. I just adore the characters, but of course I am picture each of the actors from the film version as I read it: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and the adorable Huge Grant. I think you should give it another go. It is definitely worth it!
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Sharon @ Fictionally Inclined says
Haha, that is the exact OPPOSITE reaction I had to Sense & Sensibility. Despite the slow beginning, I was completely enthralled and entertained by it…until the end. When I got so angry that I actually shed tears – and this was back probably a good 5 or so years ago, when I hardly cried at anything. Of course, I knew nothing about the storyline beforehand except that it had to do with two sisters who were opposites. So, you know. I wasn’t prepared for the fact that, apparently, the couple I attached myself to was actually all in my head, and the each was going to wind up with someone else. *sniff*