Outgrowing Books

There was a time when I wouldn't quit on a book series, no matter how difficult I struggled through it. If I'd Started the first book, maybe even the second, I felt obligated to see the entire thing through. I'd struggle through tedious plots, formulaic character growth, and prose that no longer excited me—all because I'd already invested time and effort. Quitting would be a failure. It was akin to admitting that I spent hours, even days, on something that didn't pay off in the end. But as I've aged, I've learned something: not every series is worth it.

I still love books that hook me so much that I lose track of time. Some shows have altered my perspective, introduced me to characters that feel like friends, and presented me with words that linger inside my heart even after I've turned the last page. There is something magical about reading a tape over a few books, watching the world expand and characters grow and develop, being totally engrossed in their lives. Those are the series I adore—the ones I didn't waste my time on, the ones that make me remember why I love reading in the first place.

And then there are the others—the books I bulldozed through out of habit, duty, or fear of "missing out."The ones where I continued reading, hoping they would get better, but secretly aware that they wouldn't. Sometimes, I convinced myself that a series would improve in the next book, that the slow pace or bad character development was just a bad section. More often than not, though, I'd reach the end and find that I had struggled for naught.

I used to believe that abandoning a series was something that proved I had failed in some way. That in quitting, I was being disloyal or lacking discipline. But now I understand differently. Reading is supposed to be enjoyable, not a chore. If I am reading skimpy pages, keeping tabs on the number of chapters remaining, or anticipating dread at the next book, then why must I continue? There are too many great books out there for me to squander time on ones that don't get my creative juices flowing anymore.

The truth is, not all stories are intended to remain with me for life. Some books touch me so deeply at a particular stage of life but fail to hold my interest as I grow. Others might have been interesting to the younger me but no longer resonate with my current interests. And that's okay. Just as we evolve as people, so do our reading tastes. The books which used to excite me might not be as fascinating anymore, and that's perfectly fine.

Letting go of a series doesn’t mean I regret the time I spent with it. There are times when I still remember the first couple of books fondly, even though I never made it through the rest. What it does say is that I care about my time enough to invest it in books that actually mean something to me. Books that push me or make me feel something real.

Maybe it's age, or maybe better priorities, but the feeling of guilt associated with putting books down has disappeared. I no longer feel the need to convince myself or anyone else that I can complete a series that no longer serves me. And in doing so, I've found that I enjoy reading all the more. Because when I do read a book these days, I know it's one that I truly want to read—not one that I feel compelled to finish.

So here's to outgrowing books, to letting go of stories that no longer fit, and making space for the ones that do. For the greatest books are the ones that arrive with us at the right moment, and sometimes that means letting go of the ones that won't.