Which book do you consistenly postpone to read?

[caleb72]

I've got heaps that I've been postponing for years - sometimes with very odd reasons.

The entire Dark Tower series by Stephen King - I have commitment issues
The Baroque trilogy by Neil Stephenson - see above
The Stand by Stephen King - The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
Blackout, All Clear & Passage by Connie Willis - I want to, I need to, but they always get displaced
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss - because yes, I was put off by the thought of reading over 100 pages of fairy sex (also see The Stand)
The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky - remedying this in 2013, I promise
Anything by Dan Simmons - Hyperion/Edymion (commitment issues), anything else (see The Stand)
The Slap and Dead Europe by Christos Tsiolkas - damn worthy, just don't get around to it

There's countless more. Most of it is because I have a strong commitment to indie authors at the moment and the reality is that they dominate my reading time.

However, next year I've scoped out a reading challenge called "Book Bonfire" where I'll be tackling those novels in my bookshelf that have remained untouched for too long.

[Rizla]

Spycatcher by Peter Wright. It's a great book and not at all boring. I keep stopping, losing my place and rereading again. It's so dense and detailed that multiple readings have value.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by Indio777

There are currently 13 volumes in the series. Volume 14 is supposed to wrap things up. I gave up around volume 6.

What happened to standalone fantasies? They do still exist, but now it seems as if it is almost obligatory to do multi-volumes. A lot of people blame Tolkien for this, but LOTR was written years ago. And I think he wrote the entire saga in one go. I suspect it may have been broken up into multiple volumes because of the size. Per Wikipedia it was first published in three volumes between 1954 and 1955.

I've gotten to the point where I won't read a fantasy/sci-fi novel if I see it is part one of a series, no matter how good it is supposed to be. I will wait until it is completed.Otherwise, I find myself re-reading earlier volumes when a new one comes out.

I agree on both points! I have noticed that a lot of people blame multi-part fantasies and super long fantasies on Tolkien...but I believe you are right and he did write it as one saga.

And the entire series is smaller than one book in A Song of Ice and Fire.

Originally Posted by Joshua.P

Like another poster said, a book I keep postponing is The Silmarillion. I read a up to the first chapter, then put it down and repeat the cycle a month later.

Originally Posted by caleb72

Wash your mouth out with soap woman!

flees

Originally Posted by caleb72

I've got heaps that I've been postponing for years - sometimes with very odd reasons.

The entire Dark Tower series by Stephen King - I have commitment issues
The Baroque trilogy by Neil Stephenson - see above
The Stand by Stephen King - The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
Blackout, All Clear & Passage by Connie Willis - I want to, I need to, but they always get displaced
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss - because yes, I was put off by the thought of reading over 100 pages of fairy sex (also see The Stand)
The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky - remedying this in 2013, I promise
Anything by Dan Simmons - Hyperion/Edymion (commitment issues), anything else (see The Stand)
The Slap and Dead Europe by Christos Tsiolkas - damn worthy, just don't get around to it

There's countless more. Most of it is because I have a strong commitment to indie authors at the moment and the reality is that they dominate my reading time.

However, next year I've scoped out a reading challenge called "Book Bonfire" where I'll be tackling those novels in my bookshelf that have remained untouched for too long.

The entire Dark Tower series by Stephen King - Its pretty good (so far) but I've only read the 1st four. Then King made me PO'd by going back to write more in a finished series...

The Stand by Stephen King - Great book! I've read it at least5 times.

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss - because yes, I was put off by the thought of reading over 100 pages of fairy sex (also see The Stand) - and there is quite a lot of fairy sex from what I'm told. Quite a lot indeed...

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by caleb72

I loved The Handmaid's Tale.

So did I...when I finally read it. I admit that I started it in high school but never finished it. Ten years later I finally did.

[tecweston]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I'm sure she meant mad, not made. A lot of folks were upset when that ebook was windowed.

I was confused by the word "made" as well as by the word "windowed." What does "windowed" mean, in the context of an ebook?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tecweston

I was confused by the word "made" as well as by the word "windowed." What does "windowed" mean, in the context of an ebook?

I believe it refers to the practice of delaying the release of an eBook until after the paper release.

[Rizla]

Publishers go for series because they make more money.

Tried reading the Silmarillion once. Put it down then read the lot. As I was reading the saga of Beren and Luthien, I got it, and was hooked.

[MrsJoseph]

I have put off The Silmarillion for years. Every time I start I put it down.

I'm listening to a Tolkien lecture series and the professor maintains that the best way to get through those first sections is to read aloud.

I'm a wussy though...and I already have a good idea what happens to Hurin's family so no matter what I'll skip that section.

[Pax]

Originally Posted by Zetmolm

The longer the book, the more likely I'm to postpone reading it. At the top of my 'postponed' list is Atlas Shrugged.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That's another one to put off until you get to deleting it.

Originally Posted by tecweston

Seriously. I started reading it last summer, made it about a quarter of the way through, and then gave up. Nothing happened, and there were zero likable characters.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by caleb72

However, next year I've scoped out a reading challenge called "Book Bonfire" where I'll be tackling those novels in my bookshelf that have remained untouched for too long.

That is one of my reading challenges this year, but I called it "Laundry Basket", since I filled a laundry basket with unread pbooks, the idea being to empty it by year-end. So far I've read

Spoiler:

absolutely none of them! Sigh.

[silasgreenback]

Originally Posted by Pax

The hover caption is great too:

I had a hard time with Ayn Rand because I found myself enthusiastically agreeing with the first 90% of every sentence, but getting lost at 'therefore, be a huge asshole to everyone.'


Luke Burrage of the Science Fiction Book Review Podcast does a pretty decent job of panning Atlas Shrugged, though he keeps saying "Ann" Rand.

[BeccaPrice]

I am now going to (*sigh*) postpone reading the new Liaden book, Dragon Ship - there are plot threads dangling, so I heard, and the sequel isn't even dreamed of, much less in process. I don't *do* open-ended series, even Liaden books.

[Indio777]

Originally Posted by caleb72

I've got heaps that I've been postponing for years - sometimes with very odd reasons.

The entire Dark Tower series by Stephen King - I have commitment issues
The Baroque trilogy by Neil Stephenson - see above
The Stand by Stephen King - The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
Blackout, All Clear & Passage by Connie Willis - I want to, I need to, but they always get displaced
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss - because yes, I was put off by the thought of reading over 100 pages of fairy sex (also see The Stand)
The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky - remedying this in 2013, I promise
Anything by Dan Simmons - Hyperion/Edymion (commitment issues), anything else (see The Stand)
The Slap and Dead Europe by Christos Tsiolkas - damn worthy, just don't get around to it

There's countless more. Most of it is because I have a strong commitment to indie authors at the moment and the reality is that they dominate my reading time.

However, next year I've scoped out a reading challenge called "Book Bonfire" where I'll be tackling those novels in my bookshelf that have remained untouched for too long.

The Dark Tower series is a "bit" long.

The Baroque trilogy is also long. I thought it went on more than necessary. I ended re-reading earlier volumes in order to finish it.

I think the Stand is worthwhile.

Patrick Rothfuss? Waiting till he finishes.

Dan Simmons? I would recommend The Terror. It's a standalone.

[Indio777]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Publishers go for series because they make more money.

Tried reading the Silmarillion once. Put it down then read the lot. As I was reading the saga of Beren and Luthien, I got it, and was hooked.

Yes, one can't blame Tolkien. It's about $.

Silmarillion was initially tough for me too. I started it several times before finishing it.

I think most people expect another LOTR-type saga, which it isn't exactly. But still a worthwhile book, in my opinion.

[Indio777]

Originally Posted by svenlind

A very long time ago, around 1995, I bought A Game of Thrones. I examined it very carefully to make sure it was not a part of a series.

It IS a very good book and I have reread it several times in order to be able to read the next books in the series. Now I too will wait until the last book is out. Probably several more years

I re-read them all when a Feast of Crows came out. But the increasingly long intervals between volumes irritated me. The first three were published two years apart. Then there was a five year wait for Feast of Crows. Then six years until Dance of Dragons. So I have not read it. There are two more to come and they are supposed to be huge. I don't mind that, but .... I don't want to wait years and years either ....