There’s nothing wrong with marking a book did not finish

18 February 2023

Life’s too short to stick with, say, a movie or a book, that isn’t appealing, so ditch them, says Josh Gondelman, writing for Self magazine:

This is not, by the way, a criticism of the slow burn. It’s simply a permission slip to ditch the no burn. Gratification doesn’t have to be immediate, but it should be… eventual. With all the world’s art at our fingertips, there’s no reason to settle for something that leaves us cold. Unless, of course, you’re simply trying to bludgeon yourself into numbness with some kind of dull programming marathon. We all have to get to sleep somehow.

Yes, sleep. I often read books later in the evening, because, you know, I’m writing about books during the day, so I have to read later on. But if I find myself constantly nodding off while reading a novel, that’s pretty much an indication to stop and move onto something else.