Weave Posted July 13, 2008 Posted July 13, 2008 Ever chewed through a book you really didn't enjoy, only to reach the end and think "Why did I bother with that book?" Or read a book because you felt you "should" but wished you hadn't? Well then, it's time for Nancy Pearl's Rule of Fifty. Nancy Pearl is the Rockstar Librarian Extraordinaire who wrote Book Lust, and it's sequel More Book Lust. And this is her theory for reading choices and whether or not to stick with a book... There are infinite books out there in the world. Hundreds of thousands of NEW books are published every year. Yet our lives are finite and the number of books we can conceivably read in our life is definitely finite. So we shouldn't be wasting our time on books we're not enjoying. So her rule is that for people who are 50 years and under, we should give every book 50 pages. If you're not hooked into it by the end of the 50th page, then stop reading it. Return it to the library, give it to a friend, book cross it, sell it on eBay, put it in a charity bin... or even just put it back on your shelves to give it a go another time. Sometimes it's not that it's a bad book - you just aren't ready to read it right now. But if you are over 50, your time for reading is even more precious. So you can actually be a little bit more demanding of a book. So for every year over 50 you are, that's one less page that you need to read to decide if you're going to continue with it. If you are 51, you only need to read 49 pages. If you are 60, you only need to read 40 pages. And if you make it to 100, well then you can judge the book by it's cover!! I now officially live by the rule of 50, it has saved me a lot of book time! Quote
happyanddandy Posted July 13, 2008 Posted July 13, 2008 I am 50 next year so that's looking promising!! Quote
Kell Posted July 13, 2008 Posted July 13, 2008 That's realy funny, because I've been edging closer and closer to the 50-page rule over the last couple of years. Up until about 3 or 4 years ago, I would finish every book I started, regardless of how much I was hating it. Then, a few years back, I realised time was too precious to waste on bad books, so I gave a book till page 100 to hook me. Since then, it's been creeping down closer to the 50-page mark! Quote
Janet Posted July 13, 2008 Posted July 13, 2008 I read up to nearly page 100 of the last book I gave up on. I think I might adopt this rule in future now, as I do believe the adage "too many books, too little time"! Quote
Kylie Posted July 13, 2008 Posted July 13, 2008 I'm one of those people that finishes every book I start, regardless of how much I struggle with it (such as recently taking 3 weeks to read The Jungle Book!) I really should adopt this rule. I know I should. I just don't think I could consciously put down a book that I'm in the middle of, with no intention of going back to it. For starters, it would throw all my start/finish dates out that I so carefully keep track of. An unfinished book would be a blight on my spreadsheet! Quote
Karen1 Posted July 13, 2008 Posted July 13, 2008 I always liked to finish any books that I started in the past, but then I read one a year or so ago that I really struggled with and even though I finished it eventually it really put me off reading for a while and I didn't pick up a book for a number of weeks afterwards. It took me a while to get my reading mojo back, so from then on I decided that if I really didn't like the book then I would just give up on it and move on to something else. Even now though I do tend to try and finish books if I possibly can, but the 50 page rule is a good one so I may adopt it in the future. Quote
The Library Nook Posted July 13, 2008 Posted July 13, 2008 I too also used to always try and finish every book I started but found it caused me to have a reading slump so now I either skim read it or put it down with a view to trying again later:) Not that that always happens! Quote
supergran71 Posted July 13, 2008 Posted July 13, 2008 If you are 60, you only need to read 40 pages. And if you make it to 100, well then you can judge the book by it's cover!! Not quite sure where this leaves me ?? I am 73 this year I only need to read 27 pages?? Quote
kitty_kitty Posted July 16, 2008 Posted July 16, 2008 I agree with this rule as i spend too much trying to get into books ao i either leave them or come back to them at a later date Quote
Inver Posted July 16, 2008 Posted July 16, 2008 Not quite sure where this leaves me ?? I am 73 this year I only need to read 27 pages?? :lol: Quote
supergran71 Posted July 16, 2008 Posted July 16, 2008 Wot you laughing at Inver, you will get there one day!!! Quote
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