I put News of the World on my wish list, several available copies so didn't put it on full hold. I'll have to check into Rick Bragg, I think I have read maybe magazine articles by him? I put the book about his mother on my wish list as well.
I used to make myself finish all books I started, even if there was something I really didn't like I will admit that I have never succeeded getting more than halfway through the first of the Titus Groan/Gormenghast series -- one of the early fantasy series. Started that back in... oh... 1978? in college... book one remains unread much less two and three, but I do have it on my audio list for when I have nothing else (like this thread) to choose from!
With audio, it gives you a whole set of different reasons not to like a book. If I want to "listen" to tv or radio dramas, I can do that, but for a book I want it unabridged, narrated (not acted) as the author wrote it word by word. When audio first started becoming popular back in the days of cassettes, it was common to abridge the books.
Now, I try and keep an open mind and will give up to an hour to decide whether or not I continue it. I have quit books after 10 minutes as well. Or I get halfway through and decide I don't really care about any character or theme and feel no desire to go on. With quilting too, sometimes we get everything we are going to get prior to completion!
For the slumps you can always try a different format -- podcast if you've never done them, or ebook, or audio, or maybe a paperback you can take with you.
Different genres, maybe something completely different than your usual.
Lately I've been listening to some audio poetry for my something different. I did make it all the way through Dante's Divine Comedy but my eyes and ears are still glazed over! LOL but some of the other poetry readings have been great.
And I was thinking about this thread and you other readers today while I was in the car, Barbara Kingsolver was on NPR talking supporting an addiction recovery center and about her book, Demon Copperhead.