For me, I want to be OK with putting down a book I’m not loving. I do put books down all the time, but I want to be OK with it. I lose interest and put books down, but they stay on my mental list of books I need to finish for YEARS, often long after I have forgotten the current context and would be unable to continue reading where I left off.
Not only are there more books in the world than you can read in a lifetime, every year a bunch of new terrific books get published. The hours you spend reading a mediocre book or a book that drains your love for reading are not hours well spent.
If you lose interest and put a book down just forget about it and move on. You will probably never ever finish it, and that's how it should be. You can always read a different book on the same subject or with a similar theme if when the time is right.
It's corny, but: read what you love until you love to read.
Tip: close the book, close your eyes and imagine any possible ending that makes you feel that the story ended in full. Non-fictional? Read something in Wikipedia.
This is a great mindset to have. I think it's common to get "stuck" reading a particular title, and as a result stop reading altogether.
I try to normalize putting books down by talking about books I've never finished. People who have read these are more than happy to fill in the details, and I get the Cliff Notes. If the conversation resonates, then I have a reason to pick the book back up with fresh perspective.
