I felt guilty the first time I gave up on a book. It was 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog' and I was doing my teaching course. In the end I read the 1st 3 chapters and the last 3 chapters, then wrote an essay on the evolution of the character! (I got an A).
I also enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club and its successors as light, escapist reading - which you need. Just to back up - I forget who else admitted to liking them. Not great lit., but fill a gap.
These days, with 'Time's winged chariot hurrying near' etc. I abandon books more easily, but I always try to give them a fair chance and have even found myself reading 'chick-lit'! I am appalled in many cases, but it makes sense to see what appeals to the younger generation. My opinion, for what it is worth, is that a subculture of literary expectation is alive and flourishing and that serious reading, or the capacity to cope with it, cannot be expected of the majority.
'We need to talk about Kevin', someone mentioned that, I persevered with it and was very glad I did so. Don't give up on it - oh! and 'The Lovely Bones' was another which was
well worth finishing.
I'm doing a creative writing course and the lecturer has done scripts for Dr. Who etc. - he's not over-enthusiastic about standards, but needs to pay the bills.