I saw an author complaining yesterday on Facebook about people who don’t like her books, but continue to read each one in the series and complain about them on Goodreads and Amazon? “I mean, if I take one bite of food I don’t like, I don’t eat it again, right? I don’t keep eating it and complain about it.”
Am I the only out here who does this occasionally, keep reading a series I don’t love and do complain about? I have actually enjoyed the couple of books of this particular author that I’ve read, but I can think of at least one (or two or three) series where I’ve read 3, maybe 4 of the books and have been annoyed, but picked up the next one anyway.
Here are some reasons:
- They are easy to get hold of. My library does not necessarily have the best selection and sometimes, especially when it comes to audios, I have to take what I can get. A mediocre book is better than no book at all.
- The series has potential. I keep feeling like the next one will be perfect it just hasn’t made it there yet.
- I should like it. Everyone likes it, it’s right up my alley, maybe I’m missing something so I need to read the next (and the next).
- I didn’t like the book overall, but there’s one plot point that I NEED to see how it’s resolved.
- I agreed to review more than one in the series and it was a bad choice. (This hasn’t actually happened, but I can see where it could.)
- It’s number 7 or 8 and I’ve already read the others. I hate to have wasted all that time and energy by not seeing the series to the conclusion even when the books start going downhill.
What about you? Do you ever continue with series you don’t actually like?
YES! I am on book 19 of the Stephanie Plum series but I have despaired since book 12. But I want to know what happens
That series actually falls under #3 for me, even though I stopped reading after about 3.
I would probably not continue reading, but odds are I would never start reading something of this nature. There’s always something worth reading out there. Even if it’s on the internet.
The availability of only mediocre books is a good argument to start writing something yourself that you would want to read.
Lee
Wrote By Rote
Interesting question. I would have said no, I don’t continue a series I have stopped enjoying. But it is true that I may read a few more books in the Stephanie Plum series just because I have them (#10 – #12). There are some series that no longer thrill me the way they used to, but they are still readable and I do want to see what happens with the characters, so I continue. Elizabeth George is a good example. I really like some of the characters in that series, but the most recent book is so long, I don’t know if I can read it, since her last book was disappointing.
I don’t generally continue a series if I hate the first book. But, I am the sort of person who begins a TV series and will continue watching it even when it starts to annoy, so I could see how that could happen. It hasn’t happened yet. All the series that I read I enjoy.
Now tv shows I will give up on way quicker.
Well, I usually don’t read series I don’t enjoy but I can relate to number 3. I think that’s what is happening to me with the 50Shades books.
Hi Carol, it’s been a while! I don’t finish a series I no longer like or find worth pursuing. Initially I loved Sookie series (True Blood?) but then I sort of lost interest and decided to stop reading all together.
Hmms not in my case..I have a short attention span and if I am not digging the direction I ditch the series!
Only because of #4, and then I usually just skim the book or read the relevant chapters to find out what happened. It can be very dissatisfying, though. If a series isn’t working for me anymore I have no qualms about dropping it.
I tend to give the series I love a few bad books before I give up completely!