When is enough enough?

I was in a Target not too long ago and as I am prone to do I wondered through the books. A woman was talking to a friend and holding up the latest Patricia Cornwell novel and actually said: ” I didn’t like the last five so I’m hoping this one is good” 

Five books in a row she read by the same author, not liking any of them and yet she is still buying the new one in hardcover. Points added to her score for being a loyal fan, points deducted for being foolish with her money.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again (and again), LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO READ BAD BOOKS.

The sheer volume of books published a year means no one, not even Harriet Klausner, can read them all.  And I’m jut talking about the ones from traditional publishers.  There are a lot of great books I will never have time to read and on a good week I can get through 6 or seven books. SO if you are reading a bad book why keep reading? Why not stop and move on to something else?  And why keep buying books by an author who is clearly not doing it for you anymore??? It’s a fine line between being a loyal reader and just being crazy.

So when do you give up? For me if an author  writes three in a row I can’t get in to I’m done.  At least for a few years. Hey, everybody has an off day, and even some of my favorite writers occasionally write a book that doesn’t wow me. But three in a row and I’m out.

So?? What’s your breaking point? How many in a row before you say enough and move on to another author?

No need to name names or tell me why, let’s just talk numbers.