Reading is one of the true joys in my life. I can spend hours lost in a book without any thought of the world around me. But let's be honest about the books out there; they're not all created equal. I enjoy most books that I read because again, being honest, I'm pretty easily entertained! But there are a pretty good amount of bad books out there and I have no problem with not finishing them. In other words, I DNF books and I am so much happier that I do.
When I DNF a book, I usually have very specific rules. Not a lot but for me to officially DNF a book and never pick it up again or possibly get rid of it, it has to meet these specifications:
- Read a least 100 pages of the book
- Don't connect with or am very irritated by the characters
- Don't feel like I'm invested in the story
- Don't really care what happens at the end
I don't think book blogger and readers in general should feel bad about DNFing books. There's nothing wrong with it. My philosophy is that not all books are going to connect with all readers. You have to find what works for you and quickly move away from what doesn't.
Since it's July and half of 2017 is now gone, I though I would share the books that I've already DNFed this year.
Moral Disorder and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood: Sometimes Atwood's writing style just doesn't mesh well with my reading style. I found most of these short stories to be bland and the whole book itself just could not hold my interest.
Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell: Another collection of short stories. I actually really loved how weirdly fantastic the first two stories in this collection were but third one was literally a 180 difference and I didn't understand how they could be part of the same collection.
There you have it, the three books that I've DNF this year so far. I'm actually shocked it's only three because I feel like it should have been more. What are you thoughts on DNFing books? Let me know in the comments!
I used to be completely against DNFing because no matter how bad I thought a book was I always felt bad about giving up on it (I was just waiting for that magical moment where it finally got better I guess lol). However, as I've gotten older and have less time to read, I much more inclined to DNF if I'm not digging a book. There's too many other books out there to waste time with one that's just not for you. I follow a lot of the same specifications as you. I try to at least read a 100 pages, but if don't care about how it ends, I'm out.
ReplyDeleteI agree! There are just too many books out there to waste my time on a book I'm not enjoying. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI very rarely DNF a book but when I do it's because I'm really not connecting with the characters or story. This year I've DNF one book so far. A lot of people seemed to love it but I really could not get into it. I felt like it was a bit of a waste of time, sadly enough.
ReplyDeleteI would love to know which book you DNFed this year. I think sometimes there is just too much hype surrounding a book that raises my expectations way too high. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI try not to DNF books, but some times I have to give up. I'll give the book until at least 35% but if I'm still not into it by that point, I'm usually not going to be. I used to feel really guilty if I didn't read a book the whole way through, but I figure it's better to just stop reading instead of being mad later when I've wasted my time on a book I didn't enjoy instead of one I may love
ReplyDeleteI used to feel guilty but I just don't anymore. I strongly believe that not all books are going to appeal to everyone. If I didn't love it someone else probably will. Thanks for stopping by!
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