Is It Okay to Leave a Book Unfinished?

There are some books I have bought, read the back of it with a brief description and most likely read the first page or two, and I have not finished reading it once I actually got into it. I would try to force myself to finish reading it because I like a challenge and I have never hated a book so much that I just gave up on it. Instead what I tried to do was keep it on my bookshelf still marked where I left off and attempted to pick it up again but every time I looked at it, I'd think "Meh, I don't want to go down that road again".

I left it for months. One day, something changed and I picked it off my second shelf in the living room. I opened it to where I had last left off, slipped the bookmark out swiftly, and slammed the book shut. Quickly, I stuffed it on the lowest shelf as I didn't have to heart to donate it just yet. I placed the baby pink, fairy bookmark with a tassel on the end in my bookmark mug which is on my book series shelf.

My bookmark will have another life in another book, but not with that book. I just can't finish it and I won't force myself to finish it. I didn't like it anymore. I wasn't enjoying myself when I read it, but that's where I end it. If I'm not enjoying reading it, after a long while of trying and the plot has completely lost me, I have no shame in putting it down and giving up on finishing it.

To this day, I think there have been four or five books that I have quit. I can't remember all of them but one of them was The Notebook by Nicolas Sparks. Go ahead and hate me. I don't care. I saw the movie first (as I didn't know it was based on a book), but after I bought his book and tried reading it. Personally, I just couldn't get into it. I gave up happily, and I enjoy watching the movie version every now and again. Everyone said he was such an awesome author and I wouldn't even finish The Notebook which is a popular one. Whatever. I'm sticking to my guns here. I wasn't a fan and gave up about two thirds through. It just got so dry and I just couldn't keep forcing myself to read it. I was in agony.

On another note, I'm sure there are some people that would disagree with me... If you can get through an awful book, good for you! I just can't. It's torture for me. Reading is my way of escaping reality and if that sucks too, then what am I doing with my life? I read for the joy of it. It's exciting and keeps my mind occupied on something else for a while.

I don't want reading to be a forced experience. Then it becomes mandatory and that just takes me back to school. It could be a book I really enjoyed, but having to read it for school and analyze it with an essay, then just let me poke my eyes out with forks already. I don't want my personal, free reading time to be filled with the emotions that I got from reading something mandatory for school. That is just awful and I don't wish that on anyone.

Conclusion: If you're not feeling a book, it's okay to give up on it and leave it unfinished. Or, if you're one of the people that needs to finish a book regardless of how good or bad it is, that's awesome, but please don't judge me if I just can't do that.

Happy reading, fellow bookworms!