Good Books/Bad Books - Percentage?

[Tarin]

If you were to guess what would you say is the percentage of *good* books you read compared to *bad* or just *blase* books?

Just curious!;)

[Ransom v. Unman]

I think I look at most books like a slushpile editor might. When I see a new release in a bookstore, I'll read in a couple of pages, maybe even tak in the first chapter, and then flip through skimming for characters, story elements, progress and other things that interest me.

If it looks good, I purchase the book and read it. Otherwise, I get it from the library.

This method seems to work pretty well, as I'd say 75% of the books I actually read through are quite good. The other 25% is usually something someone reccomended to me because I said I liked a certain aithor or style. :rolleyes:

[tlm]

What is good to one person may be horrible to another. I like mystery and a little suspense, though just before bedtime I like the easy read of a happily ever after love story. I have too much stress in my life for a heavy read.

Someone else would hate that kind of read. To each his own. My sister loves Steven King--as do many intelligent people. I just find his writing style, the flow of words, very tedious. That's just me. It is hard for me to judge what's good and what's bad.

[Ransom v. Unman]

I don't think Tarin's looking for an objective and final declaration of which books are good and which are bad...

If you were to guess what would you say is the percentage of *good* books you read compared to *bad* or just *blase* books?

It seems to me that she's asking, "Of all those books you've read, how many of them would you, yourself, in a complete subjective manner, consider good versus the percent you would consider bad?"

Am I right here Tarin? :o

[writerretreat]

I don't have the patience to read badly written books. There's too many well-written books out there to read! But I have been astonished that some really poorly written work gets published! It ought to give us all hope for publication, since we are all trying hard to be engaging writers.

[Tarin]

I don't think Tarin's looking for an objective and final declaration of which books are good and which are bad...



It seems to me that she's asking, "Of all those books you've read, how many of them would you, yourself, in a complete subjective manner, consider good versus the percent you would consider bad?"

Am I right here Tarin? :o

Right on!!thumbsup!

[ProfessorAlan]

Unfortunately, I haven't learned the skill to stop reading a bad book. Once I'm in, I'm in.

I like most of the books I read (80%?) -- of course, it is a self-selecting population, in that I only tend to start books that I think I'm going to like .....

[DrRita]

I normally don't read bad books . . . if the writer doesn't grab me in the first 10 pages I'm done.

[dulcigal]

In the scifi circles, there's such a thing called Sturgeon's Law (from author Theodore Sturgeon), which is that 90% of everything is crap. I'd say this is true for books, too!

On what I actually read - I start a lot of books that I lose interest in. Most, I finish - the worst of the worst I don't. Percentage - wise: I'd say 5% of all books I read I REALLY like, maybe 15% I think are really good, and then the rest tend to fall in the mediocre to bad category. I'm picky.

[Ransom v. Unman]

In the scifi circles, there's such a thing called Sturgeon's Law (from author Theodore Sturgeon), which is that 90% of everything is crap. I'd say this is true for books, too!

On what I actually read - I start a lot of books that I lose interest in. Most, I finish - the worst of the worst I don't. Percentage - wise: I'd say 5% of all books I read I REALLY like, maybe 15% I think are really good, and then the rest tend to fall in the mediocre to bad category. I'm picky.

This is probably the line of thinking that keeps Tolkien, Lewis, Herbert and Asimov being read over and over again. ;)

I mean, when you're holding (near) perfection in your hands, the incentive to read mediocrity swiftly falls away.

(Great avatar, btw Dulci!)

[waterfallbooks]

I finish nearly every book I start, but have gotten to know which authors are good, so my average has moved from about 50/50 6-7 years ago to about 85/15 today.

[FireFeet]

0.5% - books that have astonished me with their greatness

18% - books that I found either thought-provoking or highly entertaining and would probably recommend and possibly read again

80% - books that were enjoyable but forgettable

1.5% - books that were so horrendous I couldn't finish them


Interesting question Tarin! !thumbsup!

[David Meigs]

I enjoy 80%, and love or hate maybe .02%. The remaining percentages are sufficiently well written, but just not my cup of tea. :)

[pajarita_deDios]

Hmmm...

I think 10% of the books I've read have blown me away, left me mulling over them for days.

70% Are pretty good, and I might read it again one day.

20% Are either just okay, or I don't finish them.

[Tarin]

Unfortunately, I haven't learned the skill to stop reading a bad book. Once I'm in, I'm in.

Yeah, I have this problem too... The thing is some of my favorite books are ones that I didn't like until the ending. So I always keep reading, hoping to be surprised.

In the scifi circles, there's such a thing called Sturgeon's Law (from author Theodore Sturgeon), which is that 90% of everything is crap. I'd say this is true for books, too!

On what I actually read - I start a lot of books that I lose interest in. Most, I finish - the worst of the worst I don't. Percentage - wise: I'd say 5% of all books I read I REALLY like, maybe 15% I think are really good, and then the rest tend to fall in the mediocre to bad category. I'm picky.

My own percentage probably falls in about the same categories as dulci's. That's why I started this thread: I wanted to know if I'm just missing something, or if my good book/bad book percentages are skewed because I'm so picky.:o I think I need to work on the art of being picky before I start reading.;)

[Scotsman]

My biggest problem is whenever I read an author I like, I HAVE to have everything else that author has written. Once in awhile one of those other books end up disappointing. Oh, well ...

Another problem I have is claiming this book is their best one yet, only to later read a different one and declare the same response. Am I too fickle?

One close friends always, without fail, reads the final chapter first. She claims she doesn't have time to read any book whose ending she doesn't like. So, if she was "voting" on this topic, she would most likely state 100%.

Scotsman.

[dulcigal]

I think I need to work on the art of being picky before I start reading.
I'm not sure this is all that possible - some books you pick up look fantastic, read fantastic about 85% of the way through, and then the ending just ruins it! And like you said, Tarin, sometimes a book is so slow or mediocre in the beginning or middle, but then the end just blows you away.

As for me, I'll keep picking fish and hoping to have some big meat in there somewhere!

(My avatar - Feather's McGraw, the evil, devious penguin-alias-chicken from Wallace and Grommit :) )

[Tarin]

As for me, I'll keep picking fish and hoping to have some big meat in there somewhere!

Ah, I like that! Good philosophy.!thumbsup!

[Ransom v. Unman]

As for me, I'll keep picking fish and hoping to have some big meat in there somewhere!

Well let's just hope you don't get sick from eating fugu or anything. ;)