This is a topic I think about often…How many people DNF vs stick with the book til the end? Do you count your DNFs towards your annual reading goals? What‘s a popular book you just could not make yourself finish? What makes you DNF a book? How much do you generally read before you DNF? #bookishtopics #ProDNF #ReadWhatYouLove #ProudDNFer #ReadingShouldBeEnjoyable&NotAChore!
BooksNBowls I try NOT to DNF but if a book is boring or I haven‘t picked it back up after a week or 2 I usually just skim the last few pages to see what I missed. I do count them because it‘s a mark off my TBR! I DNFed The Glass Hotel by Simone St. James. It wasn‘t for me. 🤷🏻♀️ 1y
Ruthiella I rarely DNF and I admire those who do. 1y
SassyBookworm I rarely DNF bc I‘m super selective about what I read. I definitely know my genre and rarely venture out of that. Last popular book I DNF was A Discovery of Witches. A friend had suggested it but it was super slow & I got so bored (even tried the tv show, didn‘t like it either). 1y
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Clwojick @BooksNBowls I count them too, so long as it‘s a true DNF, as opposed to just putting it down with the intent to pick up later. I DNF at least a few books a month. If I have no interest in the characters and the plot, or the writing or narrator gets on my nerves then I‘ll just bail. I try to give it 25% or 100 pages, but sometimes I can tell within the first 20 mins of reading that it‘ll be a DNF. 😅 1y
TheBookHippie I DNF after 50 -75 pages (if it‘s really bad 50) and then try one more time later after a few months or even a year. I count them as well. Read it didn‘t like it didn‘t finish if someone asks. I think I DNF every single camp Litsy so far this summer 🤭😵💫😅😮💨😝 1y
Clwojick @SassyBookworm my reading is all over the place, and I‘ve been trying to read outside of my comfort zone (fantasy, retellings, historical fiction, historical romance, paranormal romance, dark romance, etc), so that‘s definitely come with more DNFs then usual. I‘ve found some true gems in the process, but a lot of duds too! 1y
booklover3258 I DNF around page 50. I do not count these books as my part of my goal for the number of books read. I still review them. The most popular book I DNF'd was The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak. I DNF if I find the story boring or not to my taste. 1y
Clwojick @TheBookHippie wait, what‘s camp Litsy? 1y
Clwojick @ruthiella ****compliment taken! ☺️☺️☺️☺️ 1y
TheBookHippie @Clwojick #camplitsy read chosen books that were voted on and discuss I think it‘s 6 books total it‘s been different every summer they might be using #camplitsy2023 or #camplitsy23 1y
Clwojick Hmmmm, I‘ll have to keep my eyes peeled for that next year.🤍 @TheBookHippie 1y
TheBookHippie @Clwojick It is a lot of fun I‘ve had an unusual summer so I‘m not as involved .. I‘ll make a note and I‘ll tag ya 😊- they start voting way before summer hits on what we‘re reading it‘s a total voting thing. We all get input. 1y
Clwojick @TheBookHippie Is there usually a theme, or a mix of genres? 1y
TheBookHippie @Clwojick newly published is all this year required I think had to be published in 2023 or 2022-23. It gets tweaked and changed yearly generally. I believe this was year three. (edited) 1y
marleed If possible, I‘ll power through because sometimes reading what I don‘t like makes me appreciate what I do like. I dnf books that I find offensive - that‘s typically when I didn‘t anticipate the author pushing a political or religious issue agenda that makes me queasy. Often, before a dnf, I switch formats and that helps. I‘m not a fan of prissy narration I might hear in HF (often mid 1900 HF), but the same story in print reads fine to me. 1y
vivastory I used to very rarely dnf my books, I've found that over the past couple of years my reading patterns have changed as my work demands have changed. Most of my quality reading time now occurs during time off or over the weekend, so I might pick up a book and be legitimately enjoying it at first but for a variety of reasons will have to set it aside for awhile. This recently happened to me with a Donna Tartt. To me this is different than a dnf. 1y
BooksNBowls @Clwojick it do be like that sometimes 🤣🤣 1y
BooksNBowls @marleed I switch between formats too! Sometimes audiobooks are a lifesaver! 1y
marleed @BooksNBowls oh I feel the same - when the opportunity presents itself, my favorite way to read is having the print version then setting the audio speed to match my reading speed. Or even alternating between the two on a book. Without audio (and Libby), I would likely never have expanded outside my go to genres. 1y
Clwojick @marleed I agree hole-heartedly! I would never venture outside of my regular genres without audio…. It‘s also my go to for non-fiction. Being able to speed up the narration is a life saver. I‘m still holding out hope that the audiobook platforms will bring it up to 3.5x or 4x. 1y
Vansa I have now decided to start not finishing books of within the first 50 pages they don't grab me.So many books written recently are so bad that it's easy to DNF! 1y
julesG @Vansa That's exactly how I approach books these days. I used to force myself through books, but changed the habit a few years ago. I Marie Kondo'd my reading: if it doesn't spark joy, it has to go. 1y
Larkken @BooksNBowls I‘m with you on skimming the end! I‘ve finished a couple books that should have been dnfs because I “needed” to know what happens! Being able to dnf when the story is boring or poorly written or the characters are super unlikable is a wonderful feeling so long as I know what is going to happen. Personally, otessa moshfeghs books have all been dnfs for me. Frankenstein I only finished bc I used the audio turned up to 2x! 1y
Larkken @BooksNBowls @marleed @Clwojick if I‘m struggling with an eyeball read I often try on audio, too. It‘s a sure sign that I‘m hating it (but want to know what happens) if i turn the speed all the way up. 😜 1y
Vansa @julesG exactly! Her approach makes sense, honestly.And the older I get,the more I feel that I have less time to read exactly what I want🙈🙈 1y
PuddleJumper I always used to finish books in case they suddenly got better. Spoiler; they rarely did. If a book doesn't grab me or I'm eye rolling myself stupid then I dnf. I will still count it, if I don't I'd probably pick it up again a few years later and be disappointed again 🤣 1y
Kitta I rarely dnf books, and if I do I don‘t count them towards my goal. Mainly because when I read the Life of Pi I was so bored until the ending and that changed my whole outlook on the book. What if the ending is great like that? It could be worth it. So I persevere. (edited) 1y
Kitta I agree with @marleed though, if it‘s offensive I give up, give it away to a charity shop or once trashed it completely so no one else would have to read the words. 1y
Kitta @Clwojick @TheBookHippie #camplistsy is great, I end up reading outside my usual choices, and sometimes it‘s a great read. I skipped half of the books entirely this year because I was in a reading slump though, so I‘m not voting. I enjoyed Yellowface and am reading The Memory of Animals now, though I think I‘m going to be the only one who likes this book 😂. There are some problems but I want to know what happens. (edited) 1y
BarbaraJean I very rarely DNF, but am trying to let myself do it more! If I do bail, I don‘t count it toward my goal. For NF I bail if I‘m not getting much out of it. I sometimes skim through the rest & if I do that, I‘ll count it as read. For fiction I have a harder time bailing because like @Kitta said, sometimes the ending changes everything! Tagged is one I haaaaated but kept hoping would get better. I bailed maybe 3/4 through & wish I‘d stopped sooner!![[tagged book]](https://image.librarything.com/pics/litsy_webpics/icon_taggedBook@3x.png)
Little Paris Bookshop 1y
Little Paris BookshopMatchlessMarie I have an exclusive “bailed” shelf on goodreads so it still counts towards my goal as long as I put my start and end dates but keeps them separate from my read shelf. I do occasionally give DNF‘d books another go and sometimes it‘s just a matter of finding the right format for the book or not being in the right headspace to read it at the time. But I am definitely team #AllHailTheBail 1y
Clwojick @MatchlessMarie #AllHailtheBail! I love that! 😍 1y
SilversReviews I used to stick with a book, but if it isn‘t catching my interest by Page 50 or at least 25%, it is DONE. 😊 13mo
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