Books for Friday (BFF)- Do you always finish a book?

I read an advance copy of The Love Monster by Missy Marston for Wordfest. From the back cover " the tall tale of one woman's struggle with mid-life issues. The main character Margaret H. Atwood, has psoriasis, a boring job and a bad attitude. Her cheating husband has left her. And none of her pants fit any more." I did  find it amusing that this main character thinks her best years are behind her at the ripe old age of 35.

Parts of this book I enjoyed- the writing is often witty and social commentary at times biting. I laughed out loud at lines like "Aging is what takes a perfectly nice looking young woman and turns her into Ed F*ing Asner." (If she thinks she's ED Asner at 35 have I got news for her!) But the negativity of the main character wore me down and I considered putting the book aside. She did redeem herself somewhat in the end, yet I'm not sure I cared enough about her for that to matter.

I think this book might appeal to people with a quirky, dark sense of humour. It reminded me vaguely of a Christopher Moore novel although I have enjoyed several of his immensely.

Do you allow yourself to abandon a book that is not working for you or do you force yourself to finish every book?

Once upon a time I felt compelled to finish a book. Now I am more likely to bail on a book that is not working for me.  Recently my reluctant was leery about telling me he did not want to finish a new book I had purchased for him.  He was 100+ pages invested in it. I asked why and he replied that it was boring. Good choice then I said. The relief was immediate on his face.

The right to not finish a book is one of the rights detailed in a great little book about reading. Something all avid readers or people who work with children trying to encourage reading would enjoy.

Pennac's ten rights of the reader:

1. The right to read.
2. The right to skip.
3. The right not to finish a book.
4. The right to read it again
5. The right to read anything.
6. The right to mistake a book for real life.
7. The right to read anywhere- one reason I LOVE my e reader- always a book in my purse.
8. The right to dip in.
9. The right to read out loud.
10. The right to be quiet and not discuss the book with anyone.