Daily writing prompt

Have you ever regretted reading a book — which one and why?

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Yes.

And I hate to be too harsh on Christian books, because I absolutely believe Christian fiction has a place on the bookshelf. But I’ve read a few books over the years that made me wonder whether somebody, somewhere, should have intervened.

I remember one Christian mystery in particular. I don’t remember the title, which is probably for the best. What I do remember is the coffee.

Characters drank coffee constantly, and every time someone took a drink, it seemed to be described as “sipping the steaming liquid.” There was a lot of steaming liquid in that book.

Once I noticed it, I couldn’t stop noticing it. Every cup of coffee became steaming liquid. Every ordinary action seemed to arrive wrapped in some equally predictable description. Instead of pulling me deeper into the mystery, the writing kept reminding me that I was reading writing.

That’s usually not a good sign.

Then there was the Left Behind series.

I actually thought it started well. The premise was interesting, the early books moved quickly, and for a while I was along for the ride. Then, somewhere along the way, it began to feel less like Left Behind and more like Left Behind: The Search for More Money.

The point size got huge. The line spacing seemed almost double. The margins widened. You could pick up what looked like a 450-page novel and blow through it as if you were reading a novella.

And worse, the plot began defying logic.

I think I finished the book that finally did me in, but I remember deciding that I was done. Whatever happened next to those characters, they were going to have to face it without me.

And then there was Pat Robertson’s The End of the Age. For years, I assumed Robertson must have had another writer helping him with it. Apparently not.

That explained a lot.

No offense to Pat, but it was one of the worst pieces of fiction I had ever read. I’m not even sure I made it to the end. The plot seemed determined to defy logic, while the theology occasionally appeared to be running in another direction entirely.

So yes, I’ve regretted reading books. Not because they offended me. Not because I disagreed with them. And not because every book has to be great literature.

Sometimes a book simply reaches the point where you realize the most valuable thing it has taught you is this: You do not have to finish every book you start.

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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.