Happy Tuesday, readers! Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic at That Artsy Reader Girl is Books I Decided to DNF (did not finish) Too Quickly. I have this little OCD tendency that means I very rarely DNF anything—when it comes to books, at least! 😉 If I’ve started it, I finish it—even if it means skimming to the end of the story—just so that I get resolution. And if I DNFed it, then it certainly wasn’t a decision I made too quickly!
But it occurred to me, when I was trying to work out what kind of a spin to give this topic so it would suit me, that while I don’t have a problem with DNFing books too quickly, I DO have a problem with FINISHING books too quickly; a little problem I like to call literary indigestion:
Literary indigestion (n) – the pain caused by the need to find out what happens RIGHT NOW while simultaneously making the book last as long as possible.
Sound familiar? When I’m really getting hooked into a story, not only do I find it difficult to put down, but I find myself reading faster and faster in my eagerness to find out what happens. The only problem is, comprehension suffers, and the end of the book is coming up too quickly, and then BAM! It’s all over red rover and there’s a gaping hole in your life—
*ahem* Sorry about that. I was getting caught up in the moment!
But seriously, it’s not something I can control. Even when I consciously realise what I’m doing, it’s like the adrenaline of needing to know what happens or needing the tension to resolve pushes me along with its super-human force! Can anyone say #bookloverproblems?
So, to my list.
The first book on my list, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, has a bit of a story attached to it. I picked this book to read for a book report in high school, maybe Year 10 or something. (I have no idea what that equates to in the American school system. I was about 15 or 16.) The night before the report was due, I was nowhere near finished reading the book. I’m talking less than halfway through the trilogy! Thus began the most insane speed-reading session of my life! I’m not sure whether I should be proud or ashamed that I got 19/20 for that book report. And no, I have never done that again since. I try to learn my lesson the first time!
No Less Days by Amanda G. Stevens threw me for a total loop halfway through the story and I absolutely devoured the rest in my eagerness to find out what would happen. I read it again not too long after that and enjoyed it just as much, but took in all the extra details and emotions I missed the first time!
Next on the list is Christina Coryell’s Written in the Stars and Written in the Dust. The second in this series gave me literary indigestion more than the first, but I’ve included them both because you need to read both
to get the full story. The emotional tension in these books really hit the spot for me, but it meant I was all in a tangle until I finished the books and got the resolution I was looking for.
You could insert any Ronie Kendig book in this list, because they are always emotionally and physically intense. It’s REALLY hard to pull myself out of the story once I’m in there, and her Tox Files series is no exception. Crown of Souls is the most recent release in the series, but I’m already in a tangle anticipating Thirst of Steel, the conclusion to the series, releasing on 31 July 2018. I can feel a MAJOR case of literary indigestion coming on!
Susan May Warren’s Montana Fire series was another super-intense read, particularly Conner and Liza’s story, Playing With Fire, and its sequel, I’ll Be There. And I’m not sure whether it was better or worse for the stories being novella length! It intensified both the drive to get to the resolution and the panic at having the story end too soon.
First off, isn’t this a cool cover idea? Second, if you enjoy a good romantic suspense read (emphasis on the suspense) and haven’t picked this one up, clear your weekend and make this your to-do list. Terri Blackstock’s If I Run, If I’m Found, and If I Live will have you living off adrenaline until you’re done. And I suggest scheduling a recovery day afterwards, because that’s a serious case of literary indigestion!
Tammy L. Gray’s Until I Knew Myself is another one of those emotionally intense novels that sucks you right in and grabs your emotions in a stranglehold. You might have the best of intentions when you pick this up, thinking you’ll only read a chapter or two, but it’s impossible. Once you start, you’ll be hooked and driven to reach that resolution.
So there you have it. A slightly shorter list this week (unless you count each individual book).
Have you ever suffered from a case of literary indigestion?
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My problem with LotR was that I skim read all the battle scenes and without them it’s actually a pretty short trilogy haha.
Cora | http://teapartyprincess.co.uk
Lol! 😂
My digestive track was recently upended by the following:
* Becky Wade’s “Falling For You”
* Tamara Leigh’s “The Awakening”
I kept telling myself to slow down and enjoy the masterful storytelling in these books, but my fingers paid no mind and kept flipping pages into the wee, wee hours of the morn. Curse you, alarm clock! (shaking raised fist).
ASIDE: Due to your and Carrie Schmidt’s HIGH praise I bought “Written in the Stars” & “Written in the Dust” and blazed through them as well. So very, very good. Thanks for recommending them.
So glad you enjoyed Written in the Stars and Written in the Dust! And I love your turn of phrase: digestive track was recently upended! Lol!
What a great spin on this week’s topic. I too suffer literary indigestion, but didn’t realize it until you named it. Recent books that I sped through way too fast are If Spring Comes and A Madness Most Discreet. I’m already having trouble remembering the details of the story.
Not remembering the details is a sure sign of literary indigestion! Sadly, there’s no known cure, but if you reduce rate of consumption, your symptoms may be alleviated. 😉
Oh, my goodness. I just suffered literary indigestion with Justice Betrayed by Patrica Bradley and am hiccuping right now. I love this phrase, next to “book hangover.”
I did suffer literary indigestion with Until I Knew Myself (yes, I’m sure I’ll get it with Truth Between Us soon), No Less Days, Crown of Souls, and If I Run series (though haven’t started the last book yet). Is there such a thing as literary whiplash?
Haha! Yes. Sadly I suffer from literary whiplash when I get too greedy and end up with several books needing to be consumed at once. Even worse, literary indigestion and literary whiplash tend to be co-symptomatic of a much more serious condition known as chronic reading disorder! 😜
I love this!!! And, yes for sure literary indigestion with Written In the Stars. I had to go back and reread it because I read it too fast because I JUST HAD TO! <3 Same with Sondra Kraak's One Plus One Equals Trouble. And also Tammy L Gray's Mercy's Fight. And also Sarah Monzon, Denise Hunter, Tamara Leigh… oh goodness. What have you started???
Haha! Sounds like your condition is becoming chronic 😉
i love the way you took this topic! So creative and YES i agree on these!
Last minute flash of inspiration! 😁
I understand this malady well! The last book I had literary indigestion with was Where Hope Begins by Catherine West. I also had leaky tear ducts! I’m almost done with Just Let Go by Courtney Walsh, and I don’t want to let it go!!
Just Let Go is on my TBR for later this month. I’ll have the antacids ready 😉😂
I’m so in between curious and not about the “If I…” books. I hear good things about them but I also have heard some really bad things. I’m intrigued but not. You know that line? I’m on it haha. I like your spin on this week’s theme and the title had me cracking up. We’ve all been there! Great list.