The Dresden Files isn't complete yet but he is like 18 books in...

I don't care if authors don't finish a series, or if I start a series that's unfinished and it certainly wouldn't affect me buying a book I wanted. Life's way too short to worry about wether a book series will be finished or not. There are more important things in life.

To be honest I wouldn't read Rothfuss' now anyway after book two was so laughably disappointing. If Martin eventually publishes another Ice & Fire book, I'll happily read it.

Dark Matter was complete meh. Recursion was better though, not life changing, but better.

I have a rule that I will not start a series until it is finished because if I really like the first book I am just going to power through in the matter of months. However, my partner who is a writer said that's a bad rule to have because writers need you to buy their books because it funds and motivates them to keep the series going.

Yeah, for the most part. It's why I can't do audiobooks personally.

As a librarian, I officially give anyone permission to give up on books they’re not clicking with.

Do you know how many books are published each year? Over 300,000! That’s like 800-ish a day. Even if only 1% of those are great, that’s eight great books per day. Not even counting the ones that are already out there! There are too many amazing books out there that will light you up and connect you with why reading is amazing. Give books a chance, whether that’s 50 pages or two chapters, or whatever your metric is. But after that? Ditch it.

I've mostly given up on audiobooks for fiction and some nonfiction. Only thing I've found to enjoy with them so far are memoirs read by the author.

Those 2 also ruined unfinished series for me.

The Wheel Of Time ruined series longer than trilogies for me.

So I generally only read stand-alone novels now, which makes it hard to find very good books to read.

I feel your pain.

I've also been burned by those series, but if an author has a good consistent release schedule I do still start unfinished series, example would be the expanse that I started before book 8 had been released, but the authors had a consistent 1-2 year release schedule

If you dont like it and dont have fun with the book, just give up. You dont have to force yourself reading a book you dont like and you wont be reading more if you dont like it. Put it aside choose another book and if you really wanna read that book try again at the end of the year.

My advice for reading more: Just have fun reading if you dont have fun it is not the right book.

Classic visual learner! You need to see the words. Some people need to see the words and listen at the same time. Brains are amazing.

Not only do I not read unfinished book series, I don't watch TV shows that are still in production or movies that are designed to be (or are based on) a series. Waiting for a horrible ending (How I Met Your Mother) or no ending at all (effing GoT) or even just having to wait FOR E VER for the next installment (screw you, Fast franchise!) Is absolute torture.

I refuse.

There's too many great books out there to spend a lot of time struggling through one that doesn't grab you, imo.

Same, I started Berserk in the middle of the boat arc.

I’ve found audiobook to be very hit or miss. Recently I’ve started listening to them (sped up) while following along in the print book. I know that may seem to defeat the purpose but it makes it a more immersive experience for me and allows me to focus a lot more on both mediums.

There is a comedy series on YouTube called If the emperor had a text to speech device that spends a fair bit of time poking fun at the worse parts of the Horus heresy. Basic premise is a way to talk with the emperor is found and he is just really pissed at what everyone has done since.

Maybe 5% of Warhammer fiction is any good. Most of it is truly terrible.

I stopped reading unfinished series in the 80s, not only for fear that they'd never be finished but also so I can finish them while I still remember the early story.

I try to avoid unfinished series, but it's not just for the risk of them not being finished, but also because I tend to forget a lot of the details if I have to wait, let's say, a year between books. Authors/publishers could help by including a summary of the story so far at the beginning, but they seldom do.

The Garnett version is a lot easier if you wanted to try that, the P&V translation might be closer to his prose style, but it is also clunkier.

[removed]

Set aside the advice that isn't working for you and let you do you.

Put it on the bottom of your TBR pile. Carry on with your next of a dozen books for this year. (Personally, I would sneak it off to a resale shop and replace it with some other book. 😁) Good luck

I feel like the more books King writes, the less they are trimmed down.

I want to like King more but it's very hard.

Learning when to give up on a book is a lesson I learned the hard way. I've forced myself to finish too many books I didn't enjoy. It's a waste of time. Just give up on it and move on.