Happy Canada Day! Plus Book Blogger Hop!

Woke up this morning and realized ... no work! Back to bed! And to my Canadian friends out there, Happy Canada Day! I hope you enjoy the festivities! For me, it's a time to reflect on why I decided to move over here. And I don't regret the decision one bit! Canada is a wonderful country!

And now it's time for more fun with this week's Book Blogger Hop. Never heard of it?

The Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! 

This week's question:


What keeps you reading beyond the first few pages of a book, and what makes you want to stop reading a book and put it back on the shelf?"


Just for fun, here are a few of the poor abandoned:

Made me sleepy. Flipped through and I need food porn for a recipe book to appeal.
Read my thoughts here.

Probably fabulous. I just got a little lost in the tech jargon. Reminded me too much of reading to write a school paper. So I stopped. Hope to get back to it because the idea of "... the Highly Improbable" really appeals to me.

The cover isn't the same. I had one of the cool old copies with ratty edges. I wanted to read this because Erica Jong is a well-known feminist writer, who became quite the voice for women's sexuality (ever heard of the "zipless f*ck"?) I got through a few chapters. But it didn't "speak to me" at the time. I regret having sent this off for Mooching. 

Honestly, I go beyond the "first few pages." Always. I wouldn't have picked up that book otherwise. I confess that I am horrible at "abandoning" books, and usually even if I start off hating a book, I force myself to read through. My experience is that most often this pays off. It challenges me. And the process makes me realize that many times it takes time and patience to read a book to reap its rewards.


That being said, it is always easier to get beyond the first few pages because of:

• Me being hyperexcited to finally get a copy of said book. Wait times for popular library books can sometimes be harsh. Or if I bought it, I'm still just reveling in the fact that it's mine!!!
• A great story. I want o find out what happens. Put the book down - hell no!
• An engaging storyteller. Fiction is so much easier. I've realized I've made it through many a serious non-fiction book because the author  just makes it so engaging.

I'll stop reading a book because I probably realized that I'm just not in the mood for it at the moment. It's rare that I'll write off a book and never think of picking it up again at some point. Someday I'll get back to those "abandoned" books.

Have a wonderful weekend! Keep cool!