As someone who’s been reading for decades .. literally 40 years .. I’m starting to read books that I want to give up on. Like .. in droves. NYT best sellers , top picks and even authors who are now writing ‘with’ some – who I used to like a lot.
Is it me? For those longtime readers .. a question. Has the quality of writing in the past 15-25 years really declined? Or is it my patience that is the ‘x’ in this equation. Like I have less patience than I used to.
Honestly I’ve toyed with the idea of writing my own book as a way to validate thought true or false.
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by YellowSea11
4 Comments
It’s you. Or possibly the books you’re picking. Try a different method for finding books, or remember survivorship bias that books from the past that are still remembered today are going to be the good ones. Never mind the sheen of nostalgia on other things you’ve read back in the day.
I feel the same way. It’s kind of made me lose my love of reading. I remember when I was a teenager I could probably count on one hand the amount of books I started but didn’t finish. 10 years later, even if I actually finish a book, there’s a good chance that it had zero impact on me and I will probably have a lot of things to criticise about it. I thought it could be that I’m more critical as an adult but seeing your post made me think it could be to do with the writing industry as well
For me, it’s that I have changed, and the authors that make me feel this way haven’t. For example, there is an author that I used to like and would always buy. This author has not grown in 30 years, is still using slang that has been out of fashion for many years, and writes to a formula. Ok, some are ok with that and the author still has a following, but I am just bored by it.
Others have a basic formula, but it’s more general, sort of into the MC, get you invested in them, then JEOPARDY! Next phase, intro a person, rebuild the life, then jeopardy comes back, and triumph. The story changes, and it’s always a comfy read, sort of like a warm blanket and hot chocolate on a cold rainy day.
So I find new to me authors. Not necessarily from the best seller list, but I surf around and read blurbs, and take a chance. Early on in my Kindle unlimited journey, I got a lot of stinkers, but got some gems as well. Note the ones you like and open the description and go to the section that says You May Like.. and check those out. I like KU because it is low risk. If I don’t like it, no big deal.
I read a book that I was iffy on the blurb, loved it, and now that author and her many pseudonyms are on my list to always buy.
I am 48 and have been reading for as long as I can remember. I think your struggles could be any one (or combination) of several factors:
1.) *Patience and Focus* — I love reading, but I am also (casually) on social media. I try not to have my phone near me when I am reading, because if I do, it is read one chapter, check the feeds, etc.
2.) *Personal Reading Saturation* — like wine or movies or music, the more you consume over time, the harder it becomes to be truly impressed or “wowed”. It may not be that a book is not “good”, it’s simply that your own standards have gone up.
3.) *Spoiled for Choice* — with 20,000+ new titles published every year across all genres, where does one start? As you mentioned in your OP, it’s good to stick with authors you know and have enjoyed in the past, while realizing they may have slumps in terms of quality. I have also found that certain publications and awards have been mostly reliable in helping me choose my next read. The NY Times “Notable Books” list every year is a great place to start, and not just their Top 10. The Pulitzer, National Book Award, and Booker Prize might be other places to start.
Lastly, there is nothing wrong with not finishing a book once you have started it. My own weird habit is that I can’t do that. I always finish what I start. Since I do a decent amount of research ahead of time, I rarely feel like my time has been wasted.