Weekly Geeks 2009-31: Second Chances

This week's Weekly Geek challenge asks us to consider whether we would ever give a book a second chance.

You know, once upon a time I would never have considered reading a book for the second time. I will rarely pick up a novel I have rejected. That is because before the rejection occurred, I have often re-started the book at least once. If you look at the list of my 2009 Reviews and 2008 Reviews, you will see on each those a book that I rated at 0. What that basically means is that I was unable to finish the book. In the reviews I describe my experience and also reveal why I couldn't even try to read them again.

But the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge is the perfect illustration of the fact that some books are worth a second read.
What I am doing there is reading the Agatha Christie novels in order, as if they are a series. I feel as if I am seeing the books with new eyes, and have a greater appreciation of Christie's development as an author.

A friend has written in his footer "So many books, so little time". Some readers apply a test - if they don't like a book within a certain number of pages, then they abandon it. In some cases they allow 50 pages, but some even go as low as 20. Some apply that to a series. If they don't like one book, they won't touch another in that series.

Sometimes I think that I will listen to an audio book, where as if I had been reading it in hard copy I would have long ago abandoned it. Sometimes the reason I don't like a book is that it tries to trigger a sense of humour that I don't seem to have. Sometimes a series grows on me, despite an underlying feeling of dislike. But some will never tempt me again. And did I mention my revulsion at graphic novels?

Sorry, this seems to have become a diatribe on what puts me off reading a book. I stress though, I usually finish a book - I sort of feel an obligation to an author to give it my best shot. But read them again to see if I enjoy them more second time around? - no chance!