Bookish Thoughts: DNF-ing Books

Have you marked a book as DNF (did not finish) before? Or are you someone that pushes through till the end, hoping the book will improve as it progresses? If you’re the second, I applaud your persistence. It’s something I no longer have….

Back before book blogging, I used to complete EVERY BOOK I read. (The only exception was required reading. I do not like being told what to read when my personal TBR is on the verge of toppling over.) As I entered college and my free time dwindled, I realized that I no longer had enough time to read EVERYTHING, and truly, life is too short to be reading a book that fails to capture my attention. Thus, I began DNF-ing books.

I am not sure how others base their DNF-in decision making, but for me, it is mainly time-based. Typically when a book captures my attention, I read it within 1-3 days, a week max. That is why when I am on a roll, I can knock out tons of books at a time. One summer break, I think I read nearly a book a day. Man, I miss those days… Anyway, when I am reading a book and it starts hitting 2-weeks and the urge to pick up the book is not there, I know it is probably not for me. Sometimes I will try to push through it, but most times I just move on.

Do I feel bad for DNF-in a book? Not at all. There are so many books in the world, I know I can not love them all. However, with that being said, I also respect the author for their time and effort for producing the book. Writing is far from easy. So I personally don’t like the idea of reviewing a book I DNF unless there was a strong reason behind my DNF, I think people can benefit from. I do not think it is fair to judge a book I did not complete. Who knows, maybe the ending was spectacular, and I just missed it! Also as a reader, I am always growing, and my tastes are always evolving. A book I hate today may become a favorite years from now.

So what is your take on DNF-ing books? Are you for or against the practice? Do you have specific criteria for DNF-ing a book? I would love to chat about it!