When I can't sleep I read...oh and a spoiler too!

I couldn't sleep last night.  

Not, "Oh I am not tired so I think I will read."  This was more like, "I am over tossing and turning for two hours, I am getting myself up and doing something constructive." 

So I read.

I had started reading an author that I had never read before because she had been recommended to me and the premise to the book sounded okay.  Yes a little contrived, but sometimes they can be fun and surprise me. 

I didn't like anything about this book.  The characters were juvenile and this wasn't young adult.  There was a lot of crude language from both the male POV and the female, which I just thought was unnecessary.  There are ways of making your point without being so graphic.

I never could get behind the female character because she was completely unlikeable.  The book was more erotic than anything else with the sex playing more of role than the relationship.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am a huge Jill Shalvis fan and she writes a lot of Desire books.  But I think there is a line between tasteful and distasteful and this book seemed to stay on the latter side of that line.

At 2:30 this morning when I was finally...finally finished with this book, I found myself a little bit angry.  I spent the better part of two weeks trying to get through this and it is time I can never get back.  I am a book buyer, but I think this one taught me a very real lesson.  From now on I am going to the book store to check out new authors before I buy them.

This book has two more in the series.  Normally this would be difficult for me.  When I am disappointed in the first one I feel anxious about not going after the next one or I will convince myself to give an author another chance.  Not this time.

I am not writing this post to dis a published author or any of her fans because she does have them and it was through twitter that this book was recommended to me.  I just felt the need to vent and since this is my blog, I am allowed.  But here is a question since I am in a book club.  What if I hate the book we are tasked with reading?

For the month of October we are reading Beauty by Robin McKinley.  Have you read it?  If so let me know what you think.  I have not started yet.  I like to wait until the actual month starts before I get my reading started.  So far our Book Hungry club has covered The Hunger Games and Gods In Alabama.  Both great reads, but both were not books I would have selected to read on my own.

Want to join the discussion and read with us for the month of October?  We will be posting our reviews on October 21, 2010. 

So here is my question today.  How do you handle it when you read a book that you find to be dissatisfying?   Do you read it through to the end or do you stop way before that?