How to enjoy reading when you don’t love the book
Not every book can be 5-stars
Hello, I’m Molly, a full time creative based in the Scottish Highlands. Subscribers can enjoy weekly posts around the themes of slow living, with members getting access to ALL my work, including video tea times, slow letters and seasonal book reviews to name a few!
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You won’t love every book you read.
In 2025 so far, I have read 41 books. Within this, I’ve rated nine 5 stars, but 3 stars is my most common rating, and I’ve even left five books unfinished.
But the value I get from reading can’t be distilled from these simple ratings.
Even within my 5-star books, which represent the very best of my reading, not all are equal. The way I feel reading a page-turning thriller will be very different to when I read a classic, yet I may place them both in the 5-star category.
I’m no longer someone that feels the pressure to finish every book I start reading. Yet, I’ve also learnt to stop chasing those life-changing stories in every book I pick up. Both these approaches can only lead to frustration and dissatisfaction, and risk tarnishing my joy of reading.
Today, I thought I’d share a few thoughts on how I still appreciate those middling books that likely make up much of our reading.
Different ways to enjoy a book
Appreciate the writing
It’s never a given that we will enjoy what others define as a ‘well-written’ book. Reading is an ever evolving and exceptionally personal experience, meaning that there are some stories we just don’t gel with.
In these instances, I try and look past the story to a degree and admire the craft of the writer instead. This helps me inform my own writing style and I enjoy tabbing particularly effective quotes to copy into my Notion, that I can study at a later date.
Redefine your taste
It can take some time to figure out what books you enjoy, especially if you are a new to reading for pleasure.
Rather than letting one ‘bad’ book put you off reading, take some time to reflect on what you didn’t like about it. Was it the characters, the setting, or writing style? Or was it simply a structural issue, like the chapters being too long or the writing too small?
All these opinions are valid and can help inform your next read, that will likely be more to your taste.
Learn something new
You don’t need to finish a book to get value from it.
This is especially the case for non-fiction. There is no ‘right way’ to read, so its perfectly acceptable to just take what you need from a book and leave it there.
This is why libraries are a wonderful resource, as it allows you to pursue your curiosity without the pressure of having to buy books. (You can read my love letter to libraries HERE).
Explore a different world
Reading provides the opportunity to explore something completely new.
Whether you are reading fiction or non-fiction, both allow the reader to get insights into different cultures or settings, that may be wildly different from our own lives.
Not only does this provide a perfect form of escapism, research has indicated that reading (especially fiction) can result in increased empathy, as we can learn to understand a character’s perspective.
Read with the seasons
There is something deeply satisfying about finding the perfect book to compliment the season.
Whether that be a beachy summer romance or autumnal Gothic mystery, I find that matching books to the natural world around me can really enhance the reading experience.
This means I am far more likely to enjoy a book, even if it will never be a 5-star read.
You can now support my work, which allows me to keep these Monday posts free to read, by buying me a coffee. Or perhaps an excuse to visit my local second-hand bookshop!
Until next time,
Molly xx
Trying to read Middlemarch. About half through. Second time in 68 years I'm reading this . This time with a Substack group. Although I understand it better I am going to be so glad to finish this
Of late I’ve felt a greater freedom to leave things unfinished when they just don’t resonate… I’m in a book group which I joined partly because it would encourage me to read things I wouldn’t otherwise have chosen, and although generally that’s worked, there have been times where it really hasn’t. As an “I’ve started so I’ll finish” kind of person it’s been a challenge in itself to allow myself to stop something that is fundamentally unrewarding!