From I Never Finish Books to Bookworm: 3 Real Stories That’ll Change How You Think About Reading

Here’s a stat that might surprise you: According to reading research, roughly 57% of books started never get finished. That’s more than half of every book picked up with good intentions, abandoned somewhere between chapter three and “I’ll get back to it eventually.”

If you’ve ever felt that familiar guilt looking at the half-read books gathering dust on your nightstand, you’re not alone. Not even close.

Maybe you’ve sat quietly at a dinner party while friends discussed the latest bestseller, nodding along while internally panicking. Perhaps you’ve bought books with genuine excitement, only to watch them transform into expensive bookmarks. Or maybe you’ve just accepted the story you’ve been telling yourself for years: “Reading just isn’t for me.”

But what if that story is wrong? What if the problem was never you : it was the format?

Today, we’re sharing three real stories from real people who once said those exact words. And then everything changed.

Meet the Legends: Bek, Tina & Arjun

These aren’t book reviewers. They’re not literary critics or English teachers. They’re regular people with busy lives, limited time, and a history of abandoned books that could fill a small library.

They all shared one thing: the belief that they’d never be “readers.”

Then they discovered novellas : short books under 150 pages : and something clicked.

Bek’s Story: From Book Club Anxiety to First-Night Finisher

“I always felt left out at book clubs until I smashed my first novella in one night! Now I’m actually excited to read with friends.”

Bek knows the feeling of being the person who never finishes the book club pick. While everyone else discusses plot twists and character arcs, you’re quietly hoping nobody asks your opinion. The internal monologue is brutal: Am I just not smart enough? Do I not care enough? What’s wrong with me?

For years, Bek avoided book clubs entirely. The social anxiety wasn’t worth it. Big 400-page novels felt like homework assignments she was destined to fail.

The turning point? Someone recommended she try a novella : something under 150 pages, designed to be finished in one or two sittings.

She was skeptical. Could a short book really deliver the same satisfaction?

That night, Bek sat down with her first novella. She finished it before bed.

The rush was immediate. That feeling of turning the final page, of completing something : it was almost addictive. Suddenly, she wasn’t a “non-reader.” She was someone who finished books.

Now? Bek shows up to book club having actually read the selection. She has opinions. She’s engaged. She’s confident.

The psychology behind it: Completion creates momentum. Our brains are wired to crave finishing things : it’s called the completion bias. Once Bek experienced that first win, her entire relationship with reading transformed.

Tina’s Story: From Stressed Out to Unstoppable

“Big books used to stress me out, but Short Reads made finishing a book feel easy… and now I can’t stop!”

For Tina, thick novels weren’t exciting : they were intimidating. Every 500-page bestseller felt like a mountain she’d never climb. And here’s the thing about unfinished books: they don’t just sit there. They judge you.

That stack of abandoned reads becomes a monument to perceived failure. Reading stops being pleasure and starts being pressure.

Tina had essentially given up. She figured she just wasn’t built for building a reading habit.

Then she tried something different: a short, focused novella designed for people who don’t like reading (or think they don’t). No pressure. No marathon commitment. Just a tight, engaging story she could actually finish.

The transformation was immediate.

Without the intimidation factor, Tina could focus on what reading is actually about: the story. The characters. The escape. She finished her first novella and immediately wanted another.

Now she’s on a streak : multiple books finished, confidence building with each one. What changed? Not her intelligence. Not her attention span. Just the format.

The pattern: Small wins create big habits. Tina didn’t need to become a different person. She just needed beginner books that set her up for success rather than failure.

Arjun’s Story: One Win Changed Everything

“Novellas gave me my first win. Now I’m hooked!”

Sometimes, that’s all it takes. One finish line. One moment of “I actually did it.”

Arjun had spent years believing reading for beginners meant something was wrong with him. Real readers devoured massive epics. Real readers had overflowing bookshelves. Real readers didn’t struggle.

His first novella changed that narrative in a single evening.

One win. That’s what separated “reading isn’t for me” from “I’m hooked.”

The Common Thread: What All Three Discovered

Bek, Tina, and Arjun aren’t special cases. They’re proof of something powerful:

It’s not about intelligence or attention span. It’s about finding the right format for modern life.

Here’s what they all realised:

• Novellas under 150 pages are achievable : you can actually finish them
• Completion feels incredible : that “I did it” rush is real
• Short doesn’t mean shallow : it means focused, tight storytelling
• Success breeds success : one finished book leads to another
• The format was the barrier, not them

The real surprise? Once they started finishing books, they couldn’t stop. The confidence snowballed. Reading transformed from a source of shame into a source of joy.

Why This Actually Works: The Psychology

This isn’t just feel-good storytelling. There’s real science behind why easy to read books and novellas work for reluctant readers:

Psychological Principle	How It Applies
Completion Bias	Our brains CRAVE finishing things : it releases dopamine
Small Wins Theory	Success breeds more success; confidence builds momentum
Reduced Cognitive Load	Less intimidation = less resistance to starting
Self-Efficacy	Achieving goals makes us believe we can achieve more

When you remove the intimidation, you remove the resistance. When you experience completion, you crave more. It’s a positive cycle that transforms books for non readers into gateways to genuine reading habits.

Could This Be You? A Quick Check

You might be the next success story if:

• ✅ You’ve said “I never finish books” more times than you can count
• ✅ Book clubs make you anxious (or you avoid them entirely)
• ✅ Your TBR pile feels like judgment, not excitement
• ✅ You want to read but feel overwhelmed before you start
• ✅ You’ve wondered if reading “just isn’t your thing”
• ✅ Big novels feel like commitments you can’t keep

Sound familiar? You don’t need to change who you are. You just need the right starting point.

Your First Win Is Waiting

Bek, Tina, and Arjun aren’t extraordinary. They just found accessible books that worked with their lives instead of against them. Novellas removed the barriers while keeping all the magic : gripping stories, satisfying endings, and the confidence boost of actually finishing.

Ready to find your format? C T Mitchell’s novella series are perfect for getting started:

• Detective Jack Creed Series : Gritty crime mysteries that hook you from page one (perfect if you loved Arjun’s journey)
• Lady Margaret Turnbull Series : Charming cozy mysteries with wit and warmth (ideal for book club lovers like Bek)
• Selena Sharma Series : Psychological thrillers that keep you guessing (for anyone who relates to Tina’s need for engaging books)

Every book is under 150 pages. Every story is designed to be finished. Every ending delivers that completion high you’ve been missing.

Your “first win” is waiting. Give a novella a crack : you might just surprise yourself.

Got your own Short Reads story? We’d love to hear it. Drop a comment or reach out ( because every reader’s journey deserves to be celebrated.)

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