Do you have a ritual for ending a book?

arturg · 01-27-2014, 05:18 AM

I don't know if it's a ritual but I always try to leave the very last few pages until I am in my bedroom. I don't know why, but it seems that it's the most comfortable place to end a story at. I have 47 pages left of "Before I go to sleep" and really want to end it later tonight at home instead of completing it while commuting.

So what do you tend to do just before you end your book? Or do you just finish it and pick another one?

meeera · 01-27-2014, 05:20 AM

No ritual. Today I finished a book in the park. The beauty of ereading - I went straight on to another one.

drofgnal · 01-27-2014, 05:23 AM

Same here,no ritual. I just finish wherever I happen to be. That's usually at home, but it doesn't have to be. This weekend it was sitting in a starbucks having a cup of coffee.

Yapyap · 01-27-2014, 07:15 AM

I put my Kindle down, go and mark the book read on Goodreads and leave a review.

That's about the only "ritual", or rather "the thing I always do upon finishing a book".

I only read at home and only when I'm awake - in the evenings, but never when I'm already in bed and preparing to go to sleep.

Ripplinger · 01-27-2014, 07:19 AM

I sometimes used to do what arturg does when I was reading paperbacks so I wouldn't be stuck on the subway with nothing to read. But now with ereaders that's never a worry, just jump to the next book.

I do always delete finished books from my ereader, and mark them in Calibre with the date finished next time I'm at my PC. After decades of reading, it can start to get fuzzy if I did read a book or not (although to date, I've always remembered correctly, but I want to be prepared for senility

).

shalym · 01-27-2014, 07:28 AM

I hit the home button on my Kindle, then open up the "A'readin' now" collection and remove the book from that collection and add it to the collection for the current year (2014 right now). I then go to the next book I'm interested in reading, and add it to the "A'readin' now" collection and start to read.

Shari

Alexandra@Berlin · 01-27-2014, 08:41 AM

Interesting topic I've never really given much thought until now.

Whenever I get close to finishing a good book while commuting, I usually squeeze a different read in between (or stop reading altogether) in order to save the final ~20 pages until I'm back at home. Especially when the topic at hand most likely calls for a box of tissues at the end - I just can't have public transport get in my way of a hearty sob...

Other than that I rate and mark the finished book as read on Goodreads as well, decide which book to put on the reading shelf next and go on reading.

I'm currently thinking about making myself pause for a few hours upon finishing a book, though, as there's one thing that really bugs me:
Ever since reading so excessively thanks to my eReader(s), I seem to forget books (certain scenes, details, or even endings) more easily / quickly. When on book number 3 or 4, I need to sometimes concentrate really hard to remember how book no. 1 ended, etc.

A friend of mine attributes it to growing old, but I think it's more of a nonstop-reading issue.
I read more now than I used to as an adult and probably as much as I used to when I was a kid and could remember what I'd read for ages. Back then, however, I would not go right on to the next book but would have to find the time to go to the book store or the library first and consequently be without reading material for at least a few hours.

So I'm guessing (might be wrong) that back then the finished books simply had more time to "sink in" as compared to now that I'm turning the last page and opening the next book right away...

No matter how much I love to read, maybe I'm just one of those people who need to pause every now and then in order to be able to fully appreciate a book.

Which brings us back to the rituals:

The final ritual for a book I really (REALLY) liked and will definitely read again more than once or twice during my lifetime would be to buy the paperback version to keep in my bookcase and maybe lend to friends and family who aren't ereading yet.

soulfuldog · 01-27-2014, 09:00 AM

I've never thought about it before now, but if I am reading in the evening and am getting near the end of the book, I do the same as arturg. However, I don't read on my commute, and by far my favourite place to read is in my bed before going to sleep.

elemenoP · 01-27-2014, 09:09 AM

Ha ha, my "ritual" is kind of the opposite of the OP's. I don't like to end a book when I'm in bed. Because what if I'm too tired to start a new book, but not tired enough to go to sleep yet? I can't take the chance. So if I only have a few pages left in a book, I will look for another book while I'm still fully awake, and leave the ending of the first book for the next day.

eP

Chi Cygni · 01-27-2014, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shalym

I hit the home button on my Kindle, then open up the "A'readin' now" collection and remove the book from that collection and add it to the collection for the current year (2014 right now). I then go to the next book I'm interested in reading, and add it to the "A'readin' now" collection and start to read.

Shari

I also move my just finished book to "Read in 2014" collection from "Reading now". Only difference is I will take a few days break to digest the just finished book and acquire taste for another. I don't immediately start.

I love reading in bed but if I have a few pages left I will finish it in my room and take tablet to bed to surf. And I read eveywhere too. Commute is much nicer while reading.

Apache · 01-27-2014, 09:32 AM

My ritual for ending a book is to open the next book I plan to read and start reading.
Apache

ucfgrad93 · 01-27-2014, 10:48 AM

No ritual for me. I just finish the book and move on to the next one.

sun surfer · 01-27-2014, 11:03 AM

If the book is only OK, there is no ritual for me. If the book is really good and I don't want it to end, I begin to read the last few pages more slowly, taking the time to savour the end, and when it's over I sigh and sit in meditation for a minute or two on the story or how good the book was, and then, as Loretta Castorini might suggest, I snap out of it and continue on with life.

speakingtohe · 01-27-2014, 11:08 AM

I used to do like the OP with paper books. Sometimes if reading in bed I would skip to the end if close. Usually I would finish the book from where I skipped the next day, but for some reason I found it easier to sleep knowing the ending.

Not so with ebooks. I will read until I want to stop reading and just stop. Mid page, mid chapter, doesn't matter.

Another strange thing I do with ebooks and never did IIRC with paper, when I finish a book I almost invariably start a new one. I think it is because I have so many choices where with paper I had only a small stack of maybe twenty to choose from generally. I like to get the decision making process out of the way.

Helen

HomeInMyShoes · 01-27-2014, 11:11 AM

Throw it on the fire to keep warm. It's been a cold winter.

01-27-2014, 05:18 AM	#1
arturg Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 483146 Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Helsinki, Finland Device: Kindle PaperWhite 5 (10th gen)	Do you have a ritual for ending a book? I don't know if it's a ritual but I always try to leave the very last few pages until I am in my bedroom. I don't know why, but it seems that it's the most comfortable place to end a story at. I have 47 pages left of "Before I go to sleep" and really want to end it later tonight at home instead of completing it while commuting. So what do you tend to do just before you end your book? Or do you just finish it and pick another one?

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01-27-2014, 05:20 AM	#2
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,658 Karma: 66420972 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	No ritual. Today I finished a book in the park. The beauty of ereading - I went straight on to another one.

01-27-2014, 05:23 AM	#3
drofgnal Wizard Posts: 1,228 Karma: 7838248 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Ipad Pro/Kindle Oasis 3/iPhone 13 Pro Max	Same here,no ritual. I just finish wherever I happen to be. That's usually at home, but it doesn't have to be. This weekend it was sitting in a starbucks having a cup of coffee.

01-27-2014, 07:15 AM	#4
Yapyap Guru Posts: 861 Karma: 3543721 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Estonia Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad 3, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	I put my Kindle down, go and mark the book read on Goodreads and leave a review. That's about the only "ritual", or rather "the thing I always do upon finishing a book". I only read at home and only when I'm awake - in the evenings, but never when I'm already in bed and preparing to go to sleep.

01-27-2014, 07:19 AM	#5
Ripplinger 350 Hoarder Posts: 3,574 Karma: 8281267 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Midwest USA Device: Sony PRS-350, Kobo Glo & Glo HD, PW2	I sometimes used to do what arturg does when I was reading paperbacks so I wouldn't be stuck on the subway with nothing to read. But now with ereaders that's never a worry, just jump to the next book. I do always delete finished books from my ereader, and mark them in Calibre with the date finished next time I'm at my PC. After decades of reading, it can start to get fuzzy if I did read a book or not (although to date, I've always remembered correctly, but I want to be prepared for senility ).

01-27-2014, 07:28 AM	#6
shalym Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 52740263 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: New England Device: PW 1, 2, 3, Voyage, Oasis 2 & 3, Fires, Aura HD, iPad	I hit the home button on my Kindle, then open up the "A'readin' now" collection and remove the book from that collection and add it to the collection for the current year (2014 right now). I then go to the next book I'm interested in reading, and add it to the "A'readin' now" collection and start to read. Shari

01-27-2014, 08:41 AM	#7
Alexandra@Berlin Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Berlin, Germany Device: Kobo Glo, Nook 1st Edition	Interesting topic I've never really given much thought until now. Whenever I get close to finishing a good book while commuting, I usually squeeze a different read in between (or stop reading altogether) in order to save the final ~20 pages until I'm back at home. Especially when the topic at hand most likely calls for a box of tissues at the end - I just can't have public transport get in my way of a hearty sob... Other than that I rate and mark the finished book as read on Goodreads as well, decide which book to put on the reading shelf next and go on reading. I'm currently thinking about making myself pause for a few hours upon finishing a book, though, as there's one thing that really bugs me: Ever since reading so excessively thanks to my eReader(s), I seem to forget books (certain scenes, details, or even endings) more easily / quickly. When on book number 3 or 4, I need to sometimes concentrate really hard to remember how book no. 1 ended, etc. A friend of mine attributes it to growing old, but I think it's more of a nonstop-reading issue. I read more now than I used to as an adult and probably as much as I used to when I was a kid and could remember what I'd read for ages. Back then, however, I would not go right on to the next book but would have to find the time to go to the book store or the library first and consequently be without reading material for at least a few hours. So I'm guessing (might be wrong) that back then the finished books simply had more time to "sink in" as compared to now that I'm turning the last page and opening the next book right away... No matter how much I love to read, maybe I'm just one of those people who need to pause every now and then in order to be able to fully appreciate a book. Which brings us back to the rituals: The final ritual for a book I really (REALLY) liked and will definitely read again more than once or twice during my lifetime would be to buy the paperback version to keep in my bookcase and maybe lend to friends and family who aren't ereading yet.

01-27-2014, 09:00 AM	#8
soulfuldog I ♥ Calibre Posts: 2,073 Karma: 5678911 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Voyage, Sony PRS-350, Hudl2	I've never thought about it before now, but if I am reading in the evening and am getting near the end of the book, I do the same as arturg. However, I don't read on my commute, and by far my favourite place to read is in my bed before going to sleep.

01-27-2014, 09:09 AM	#9
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	Ha ha, my "ritual" is kind of the opposite of the OP's. I don't like to end a book when I'm in bed. Because what if I'm too tired to start a new book, but not tired enough to go to sleep yet? I can't take the chance. So if I only have a few pages left in a book, I will look for another book while I'm still fully awake, and leave the ending of the first book for the next day. eP

01-27-2014, 09:32 AM	#11
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,137 Karma: 89858112 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	My ritual for ending a book is to open the next book I plan to read and start reading. Apache

01-27-2014, 10:48 AM	#12
ucfgrad93 Wizard Posts: 2,360 Karma: 9026681 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Colorado Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2nd Gen	No ritual for me. I just finish the book and move on to the next one.

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01-27-2014, 11:03 AM	#13
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	If the book is only OK, there is no ritual for me. If the book is really good and I don't want it to end, I begin to read the last few pages more slowly, taking the time to savour the end, and when it's over I sigh and sit in meditation for a minute or two on the story or how good the book was, and then, as Loretta Castorini might suggest, I snap out of it and continue on with life.

01-27-2014, 11:08 AM	#14
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	I used to do like the OP with paper books. Sometimes if reading in bed I would skip to the end if close. Usually I would finish the book from where I skipped the next day, but for some reason I found it easier to sleep knowing the ending. Not so with ebooks. I will read until I want to stop reading and just stop. Mid page, mid chapter, doesn't matter. Another strange thing I do with ebooks and never did IIRC with paper, when I finish a book I almost invariably start a new one. I think it is because I have so many choices where with paper I had only a small stack of maybe twenty to choose from generally. I like to get the decision making process out of the way. Helen

01-27-2014, 11:11 AM	#15
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	Throw it on the fire to keep warm. It's been a cold winter.