How far into a book do people read--by genre.

Originally Posted by davidfor

This is one thing I have noticed since I started using an ereader. With paper books, I rarely abandoned a book. As I only carried one with me during my commute, I would always read it, sometimes forcing myself a bit.

Now, the ereader is stuffed full of alternatives, if I open my current book and just don't feel like it, it is easy to find something else. I have a few books where that has happened and I just haven't gone back to them. They have effectively been abandoned, but not deliberately so.

I'm pretty much the same. I do attempt to limit the potential to jump between books based upon my mood by limiting the number of books on my ereader, but the reality is that almost any number greater than two will effectively allow me to effectively abandon at least one book.

The other thing about ebooks is that the investment is low (or rather, can be low). Public domain, creative commons, and library books are free. They don't involve much of an investment in time to acquire either: no trips to the library or thrift stores or book stores involved. The public library and Project Gutenberg alone have tremendous swaths of potential reads in two databases. Many more are available in other archives, author websites, and as freebies from online bookstores.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Now, I do have a number of books on my kindle that have been around for quite a long while that I still dip into from time to time. Depending on my mood and how the book grabs me, it sometimes takes me many months to finish (and this include fiction and non-fiction).

Mostly this. And I've always done this. I would put a book away and pick it up a few weeks later. In between I'd have finished one or more books, or maybe only started them. To be finished later. Electronic books only made this process easier.

Anyway, about the main topic, Kobo doesn't know a thing about me. I did buy some books from them, but as far as they know, I've only downloaded them.

[soulfuldog]

I definitely abandon more books since I switched to ereading. Not just freebies too, also books that aren't in my preferred genres that I've just not been able to get into, Kurt Vonnegut, Stuart MacBride & Dean Koontz (the latter two whose books I normally read and enjoy) have been abandoned and marked with a big red angry cross in Calibre to signify that they NOT FINISHED! I don't really like not finishing books

Kobo certainly knows nothing about the few books I've bought from them as they are converted to be read on my Paperwhite. Most of my Amazon purchases are 'cleaned' and sideloaded and then deleted without syncing to Amazon's servers so not sure how much info even Amazon would have?

[BearMountainBooks]

As long as you aren't syncing at any time you have the book, Amazon only knows you bought it. They wouldn't have any other info if it's read and deleted off the device before connecting to Amazon. Theoretically. It is possible they are storing some things, but they probably aren't bothering if something came and left the device while it was 'offline.'

[Angst]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

As long as you aren't syncing at any time you have the book, Amazon only knows you bought it. They wouldn't have any other info if it's read and deleted off the device before connecting to Amazon. Theoretically. It is possible they are storing some things, but they probably aren't bothering if something came and left the device while it was 'offline.'

If you are in online mode, Amazon stores the current location in the book so you can pickup and continue on another device. I suspect they also record wither your furthest location equals the last page.

As for “Fifty Shades of Grey” (48 percent), I'm surprised that many people actually managed to finish the book.

[ebusinesstutor]

I teach time management so I value my time.

If a book grabs me after a couple of chapters, I finish it. If not, I go on to another book. I read huge numbers of books and finish most, but I don't invest my time when a books doesn't fit my tastes.

[Geralt]

Last time I didn't finish a book was in 2013. But than again I choose what I know I will like/love, not hate. I don't make a lot of mistakes. To illustrate, in 2014 out of 30 books I've read 10 were 5 star reads and 8 were 4 star reads. That's 60% of books I've read last year I absolutely loved.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Geralt

Last time I didn't finish a book was in 2013. But than again I choose what I know I will like/love, not hate. I don't make a lot of mistakes. To illustrate, in 2014 out of 30 books I've read 10 were 5 star reads and 8 were 4 star reads. That's 60% of books I've read last year I absolutely loved.

Sigh. I can only dream of having such good reads. Even if I stuck to known authors I like, my success rate wouldn't be that high as I tend to tire of series after two or three books!

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Sigh. I can only dream of having such good reads. Even if I stuck to known authors I like, my success rate wouldn't be that high as I tend to tire of series after two or three books!

I hope you have a better go this year then

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Geralt

I hope you have a better go this year then

Me too! I'm doing a lot of sampling.

[Atunah]

I am a bit like Geralt. I very rarely do not finish a book and I am overall much more likely to love what I picked to read or at least like. My average rating on goodreads is 4.1.

It is because of the vetting process I have. It works mostly. I might still get a 2 star read here and there and some 3 stars, which to me of course are still liked it. But overall I am pretty happy with most what I read.

There is no way I am going to waste my precious time reading sample after sample. That would take all the joy out of reading for me.

I guess I am at the stage where I know what I like and I want to read what I like. I know what I don't like. I also have other like minded reader friends that I can trust, mostly. There'll be the ones they loved and I didn't, but that goes both ways.

I get bored easy and have always had issues sticking with things to the end. So I need my reading to be solid or I'll get stuck in a never finish rut and I can't get out. I don't want to stop reading. Its the hobby that's like my lifeblood.

That is why I never read samples. I think I can count on my 2 hands the amount of samples I read since reading kindle books starting in 2008.

I am a bit OCD about not reading parts of books, but full books. So I need them to be good.

[BearMountainBooks]

I would like them to be good as well and yes, reading samples has probably sucked some of the joy out of reading. But I read a LOT of genres so some of it is a mood thing where I have to find the right book. Some of it is just that I want something unique and having read a lot in my life, I'm not finding a lot of unique right now. It really helps for me to like the character I'm reading about too and in UF many of the characters are not likeable. MANY of them. Shoot, some of them are DEAD. :>)

In Cozy, I often like the characters but find the plots lacking or slow. Chick-lit I get tired of overly dumb characters. I don't read much romance unless there is a mystery and I don't like the romance to take over the actual mystery. So you see, I have gotten myself in this corner by being overly picky.

I like fantasy, but I don't want looooong ass fantasy. I want to read a story and have it generally encapsulated in one novel, not 3, not 20 and not morose. It's probably more realistic to say I like cozy fantasy and some fantasy romance. I don't read many long quest sagas anymore. I don't have the attention span for it. Fantasy is usually nicely character driven and action driven so that is helpful. The last fantasy I put down at 30 percent lost me on the lack of action. I kept reading about how the main was always in trouble but after the first chapter, she wasn't. Ever. In. Trouble. She got out of tight spots with a quick talk at best. Didn't even have to run from anything. Meh.

I put down the last UF? It was a witch story for lack of action. I know how to create spells, QUIT TELLING ME. It's the same as baking a cake with different ingredients and more muttering. I don't want to hear how much you enjoy concocting. Either concoct or quit stirring the pot and go get yourself attacked or whatnot...

[rollei]

Interestingly, no one genre in the table has 100%.

[Ripplinger]

I have to wonder about how valid the numbers are. When I buy a book, I read it, completely through. Why would I spend good money on it if I weren't going to read it?

Now I'll admit the occasional freebie deals I get from Amazon where you "buy" a title for $0.00 I don't immediately read and have a backlog of those. But since I don't sync any reader and I sideload all my books and read most everything now on a Kobo Glo, I don't believe any book seller has any way of determining if I even read one page or not, let alone make it through an entire book.

I doubt I'm alone in those practices.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

I have to wonder about how valid the numbers are. When I buy a book, I read it, completely through. Why would I spend good money on it if I weren't going to read it?

Now I'll admit the occasional freebie deals I get from Amazon where you "buy" a title for $0.00 I don't immediately read and have a backlog of those. But since I don't sync any reader and I sideload all my books and read most everything now on a Kobo Glo, I don't believe any book seller has any way of determining if I even read one page or not, let alone make it through an entire book.

I doubt I'm alone in those practices.

There are a number of people on this forum like you, but the general population, buys and reads. There was a brief discussion on my blog about using the kobo coupons to get some titles cheaper but when it was revealed that sideloading or emailing the file to a kindle was required...very few people were interested in 1. learning how to do it 2. bothering Most of those who still play the trivia for coupons are ones who read on a PC (still no side loading required).

I sideload, but it is more convenient to one-click and have it show up on the device. I don't like the spying the companies can do and sometimes read and delete a book without turning wifi on. But I don't always do that.

IT's not a perfect number/study, but it gives some averages.

As for the "who buys and doesn't read" well, I have learned over the years of being in publishing that there is actually a segment of the book buying population that buys and hardly ever reads--the hobby is more buying to collect than actual reading. It's sort of like quilting or losing weight. It's way easier to buy the fabric than actually sew. It's MUCH easier to buy weights or a machine than to USE the thing. But chronic shoppers like to shop. And it's actually an important segment of book sales just like other hobby sales.