Hi there, fellow readers! I hope you all have awesome weekend ahead of you!
The other day (aka quite a while ago), I was reading Mandy’s post about DNF book reviews, and it got me thinking about my own DNF habits. If you read Mandy’s post, you’ll notice she says she’s the Queen of Not Finishing Books. I just happen to be the opposite. I have only DNF’d six books in my entire life.
It’s not that I’m a miracle among readers, someone who magically loves almost every book I touch, turning it into a five-star read every time a book touches my fingers. It’s just that I have a pretty specific list of rules for DNF-ing a book, and I’ll read a book to the end if it doesn’t line up with these reasons, even if I don’t necessarily like it.
#1- The 25% rule
No matter how I feel about a book, I always try to get to the 25% mark, unless there are serious editing issues. Sometimes, a book just doesn’t handle its intro very well, and I don’t want to miss out on a great story because I was a little annoyed by an info dump, or too much early world-building.
#2- Pick apart the pieces
If something is redeemable, I’ll do my best to finish the story. For example, if the plot is boring me to tears, but the characters are incredible, I’ll try to stick with it. Or if I can’t stand the characters, but that world-building makes me a happy camper, I’ll do my best to see it through to the end.
If I can find even one thing that I like about a book, I’ll try to read it to the end. Partly because sometimes that one piece is worth it, but partly because if I review the book and can say what exactly I didn’t like, someone else might still decide to give the book a chance.
#3- Even if I don’t like it, I keep reading until I know exactly why
Here’s the thing: I’ve wanted to be an author since I was twelve years old. So, when I read a book I really don’t like, one I dislike enough to actually DNF, I want to know why so that I don’t repeat those mistakes in my own books. I’ll read until I know what exactly about the book I didn’t like, and what made me feel that way.
When did I start not caring about the characters, and what lines contributed to that? When did I get super confused about the setting, and how could this writer have improved it? If I saw the plot twist coming a mile away, what gave it away? There’s a lot I can learn from amazing writers, but I find I can learn just as much from writers I really don’t enjoy. So if I’ve already started their book, I may as well learn something.
Thanks for reading!
Are you pro-DNF, anti-DNF, or somewhere in between? How many books have you DNF’d? What will get you to leave a book unfinished? Let me know in the comments below!
You made really good points! I try quite hard to keep reading books I don’t like but I don’t try and get to a certain point. If I’ve been reading it for a week and I just can’t read it, I stop! 😂😂 The last point is definitely very important because you need to know what makes books bad (for you) and not just what makes them good! Great post! xx
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Thanks! Giving it a time frame is a great idea, too, though! Like, if it’s taking me waaaay too long to read a book, that’s time I could spend reading a book I love!
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Definitely! You sometimes just need to move on! xx ❤️😀
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I definitely agree with you on these! I don’t DNF books easily. I either delay reading them to see if it was me and not the book, or simply give it more chance!
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Exactly! I’m also a huge mood reader, so there are plenty of times when I’m just not really enjoying a book, but I know that if I pick it up again a month or two from now, I’ll love it!
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*scribbles down these rule because this girl needsssss them* I loved reading all of the things that keeps you reading these books that might not be the best. I love your number 3, too, because I hadn’t thought about it that way. A book can be a teaching tool in a way. I loved seeing your points, and I really am going to have to try some of them out. Thanks for the shout out too, Ryann!! ❤ Wonderful post! ❤
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Thank you! #3 is usually the hardest to stick to, because inner-Ryann is rolling her eyes through a lot of the book. But it’ll (hopefully) make me a better writer, so I usually think it’s worth it!
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These are great DNF rules to go by and I feel like I use these too. I always try to give a book my best shot at reading it before I DNF, and when I do DNF I always want to make sure I am clear on why. 🙂
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Great minds think alike!!
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🙂
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I try my best not to DNF any books. So far in my one year of blogging, I’ve only DNF’d one book. But I definitely like the rules you have set in place. I really should consider creating my own set of DNF rules!
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I don’t usually DNF, because I think that almost every book has something to offer. But my rules have definitely helped me to figure out those few times when I’m not getting anything from a book, and I should move onto the next one.
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These are some pretty awesome rules and I generally try my best to not DNF but I have recently seen some good argument for doing so. Still these are some good rules if and when I feel like DNFing a book.
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Thanks! I’ve seen a lot of good arguments for DNF-ing books, and I totally understand people who are regular DNF-ers (is that a thing?). I just don’t like putting a book down if I think I can still get something from it, even if I’m not really enjoying the story.
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These are great rules!!! I really appreciate that you take these into consideration when you read! I may have to apply them myself (although DNFing for me is pretty rare as it is)
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Thank you! I don’t DNF much either, but, so far, these rules have been really helpful to me for knowing when those few times I need to move on to a new story.
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