Everyone's heard of writer's block...

...But do you think there's such a thing as reader's block? Lately, I've been experiencing something I can only term as reader's block. The book is interesting, theoretically and plot-wise. The main character is based on a real person, someone historically significant; the setting is 10th century Japan, an area and time I know nothing about. Really, I should be very excited about reading this book--and I was at the beginning. But 200 pages into it...I was beginning to avoid it. When I would read, I would find my mind drifting and then not care that I'd run my eyes across 2 pages and didn't know anything that had just happened. I could pick that up in context as I went on. And with another 200 pages to go, I just didn't see how I would ever be able to read another book in my life.

And that seemed a little out of hand, especially considering all the books I've bought lately that I can't wait to read. So I've put it aside for a few days/weeks until I finish my next book, and then I'll get back to it and see if it engages me again.

I find this behavior/approach to reading interesting. In my book club there are people that will not put a book down no matter how bored they are or how awful they think the book is. I'm willing to give it 100 pages and then if I don't want to read it anymore I put it away never to worry whether I finished it or not. And if I truly didn't like it, that action will never bother me because I'll never miss those characters or that story. There are others of us in book club that won't read a book if it's about a certain topic, or will put the book down as soon as something specific happens--like child abuse.

So, in lieu of a review of a book I'm not sure I like enough to finish (Tales of Murasaki by Liza Dalby), I'm asking you what kind of reader you are when you approach a book that just isn't grabbing you like you think it should.