Writing 400 Reviews

I'm writing on the eve of creating my 400th review on Goodreads. Since it isn't my job to review books, I can't say that they're consistent. Some are just one word (and when that's the case, that word is usually "Nope"), some just a paragraph, and others require a more thoughtful and in-depth exploration. And, as I've rated over 1200 books, it seems that only every third book affects me enough to warrant sharing my thoughts. 

One reaction that took me too long to learn is stopping. Not so long ago, I would force myself to finish every book I started. I have to be honest: it didn't make me a better person. It would only make me miserable. Since then, I've applied this "stopping" to other storytelling media that fails me. Including (and here's where I lose people) The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, and Doctor Who; a dozen comic titles; and several podcasts. That's not to say I won't ever return to these stories. They simply failed to meet my standards over a period of time, and I moved on to other things that did meet my standards. 

So now when I'm in the middle of a book I hate, I stop. My "to-read" list includes almost 1,000 books, and I'm thirty: I just don't have time to waste on things I don't like. If I have the next Jacqueline Carey up on deck, why would I force myself through another 200 pages of something I've been rolling my eyes about since page one? Instead, I'll reward my good taste with abandonment of that which annoys me, and pick up something I know I'll like, if not love. 

I have no review goals in mind. Unlike my "1000 books in 10 years" reading goal, it doesn't matter to me how many I review. I saw my review counter at just under 400 and thought, "Damn. That's a lot of books to talk about." Maybe I'll make it a centennial thing and revisit this topic at 500. If I'm not too busy reading, of course.