I have a problem when it comes to DNFing books, (for those of you who don’t know DNF stands for Did/Do Not Finish) I hate to do it, it makes me feel like I didn’t accomplish what I set myself to do…(It’s a thing)… Sometimes it has to do with how I’m feeling, (I’m the moodiest reader ever) and it feels unfair to me to DNF a book simply because I wasn’t in the mood to continue at that particular moment…
It takes a lot of effort to put your work out there and I feel bad for the author’s sake…Let me give you some cases to help you understand a bit better my struggle when it comes to decide to wheter or not DNF a book….
- Case 1 – Let’s say that you pick up a book for your TBR, when you chose that book you were feeling like reading something intense and heart wrenching…When you actually have the time to get comfty and start reading… your mood has shifted for whatever reason, and then you start to struggle with the book, with that intensity that drew you in the first place… Should you DNF it, is it really the book’s fault that you can get into it?
- Case 2 – You pick up your next read, everything is going great until you find out that.. It’s finally been released!!.. Yes, I’m talking about that book you have been wanting to read forever…you can’t focus on what you are reading right now because you need to get your hands on the that new release and read that ASAP… After that you end up reading somthing else entirely, and that poor old book ends up DNF. Maybe you will remember to pick it up eventually but most likely it gets lost in the backlist pile…(this has happened to me a few times, I’m shallow and a bit flighty when it comes to books, I confess)
These are just 2 examples of my struggle.. I’m not opposed to DNF a book, not at all, in fact I have DNF 3 so far this year… For me to actually put that label in a book it has to have a few unforgivable flaws.. (to me at least)…
- TSTL characters – I’m not talking silly, mildly annoying because of mistaken recklessness..No, I’m talking about those characters that are so incredibly stupid..that they keep making the same mistakes over and over and their inner monologues are so over the top annoying that you just want to hit them…Anastasia Steele it’s the best example that came to me right this second…I kept thinking while I was reading is this girl for real??? What’s wrong with you??
- No Plot Whatsoever – If you don’t have a story ,you don’t have a book it’s simple really…Maybe you’ll pull off good characters but that won’t save the overall book.
- Confusing Mythology and backstory – This I have found in fantasy books, the author gets so carried away trying to explain how the magic system or the politics works, that it ends up being too intricate and confusing. Other times it’s the complete opposite, no explanation whatsoever and you’re just stumbling blind around that world with no clue what’s going on.
I might overlook one of this and manage to finish and not DNF a book but if the 3 are combined.. That book needs to burn….
Like I said, I’m not against DNFing (we shouldn’t force ourselves when it comes to the things that are relaxing to us, life’s too full of stress as it is) but I want to feel that at least I have given the book my best shot before condemning the poor thing…
What I usually do it’s put the book aside and wait a while before trying again, if by then the result it’s the same …well, DNF it is…
What about you? Do you struggle with DNFing books like I do? How many have you DNF this year? Let me know all about it in the comments…
As always
Happy Reading
This post is part of the Discussion Challenge over at Feed your fiction addiction..Go over there and check it out it’s a great blog…I have a few link ups there for the challenge but I always forget to put the info on the actual post…I suck..
The GIFs are funny! We haven’t met but I can imagine you doing those while I read through your post. Anyway, I hated DNF-ing too. When I was younger, I never DNF’ed any book even though I found it boring but as I grew older, my patience got shorter and now, I DNF books left and right (this may be an exaggeration but you get the point…) I don’t even have remorse now when I leave a book unfinished. It used to make me antsy but nowadays I’m just like *shrugs*
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I try to put in the effort but if the book really doesn’t cooperate with me I’ll DNF it..There’s so much to read to get stuck in something that it’s not working for you…
And thanks I try using gif that fit with my personality and with the things I do while reading ..I’m glad you like the final result..
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I DNF all the time! I’m an impatient person, so if a book really isn’t hooking me in the first few chapters, I’m done! There are some times where I realize that I’m just not in the mood to read a book, though, and put it on hold and safe it for later!
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I’m getting there… because there’s so much to read and so little time…we need to manage our time wisely
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I totally have this problem, especially now that I started my blog. I feel like I have this obligation to finish the book because the publisher/author were kind enough to provide me with a review copy. So my blog has just exacerbated an existing problem I already had lol.
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I see your point.. This is what makes me anxious about ARCs… the pressure…
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I am a moody reader too which definitely affects my DNF patterns! Like if I want to read something purely romantic I do not want to read hardcore fantasy adventure and vice versa lol. I try not to DNF a book unless I can’t even bring myself to focus (if it’s too dull, slow), basically everything you said applies to me! I’ll give a book a shot as long as it engages me (:
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That’s how I am too, which tends to mess up my TBR from time to time because I planned it while feeling one way and then I look at the books and say NAH!! I’m not in the mood for this…😝
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Ugh, YES. I have a serious problem with not DNFing. Meaning, even if I’m hating a book, I will push through and get it read. For a couple reasons: 1) if I spent money on that book, I will read it, gosh darn it. 2) if I want to write a review on the book, I feel like I HAVE to read it to have a full, qualified opinion. And 3) I have a problem with not finishing something I start. Plain and simple.
So this is a constant struggle for me, too! I actually JUST finished a book that I really disliked. I ended up skimming starting around page 100. I hate to skim, but I really didn’t care for the book.
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You are right money is quite the motivator, among other things😝
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Ooooh, GIF game is on POINT. But yes, yes I agree SO MUCH with this! I am so awful at DNFing. I have only ever DNFed 5 books total. I think 2 this year? And my reasons are very similar to yours, too. I’ll keep telling myself “okay, just a few more pages to make sure I hate it” hahah. And then I’m halfway in and figure I might as well finish since I already invested so much time! My main reasons for DNFing are also the same as yours! Boredom and crappy characters especially, though if a world is too convoluted, that usually leads to me being bored, so I guess that one too! Great post!!
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This happens to me a lot if I get to a point (halfway more or less) in a book I feel like I have to finish or my effort will be lost..but I’m trying to work on that because it’s not worth it if the book really doesn’t grab me…😁
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I’m horrible at DNFing. I just can’t bring myself to do it. I finally came to a happy medium by basically skim-reading once I get to a point in the book where I’ve decided I really don’t like it. It works for me.
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