How many of you refuse to give up on books? I used to be this way. Then one day I realizzed that there are so many books that I'll never be able to read that I don't need to waste my time on books I don't enjoy. If I'm not enjoying it, I only continue to read IF there is information I want in that book, or someone I care about recommended it or gave it to me. Luckily I was taught to speed-read when I was a child. So I use those skills to get the information out of a book I might not normally read. My husband is not a big reader, and I often speed-read a book to find out if he will like it! It is so funny; I picked up Victoria's Daughters for myself, and when I read an excerpt to hubby, he immediately wanted to read it! Someone gave me House of Rain and Fire and I, too, found it depressing. Also the first book by an Afghan author ... Oh, yes, the Kite book. I did love his (her?) second book, though. This is what I mean by reading books because they contain information I want to acquire. I feel a need to know more about these cultures, and I read those books to get a "flavor" of the people. There is also an author of "graphic novels" (i.e., what we call comic books for adults) who gave me a great insight into a woman's life in the middle east.
One thing I must say is that I often can recognise a very good book even though I hate it. That is one reason why I always have several books going at one time. I may wish to get through a bio or history or even on occaision a science book. So I will read a few chapters of it, then pick up a funny murder mystery to give my weary brain a rest. Oh, yes, let's not forget cook books!