I have zero problem DNF'ing a book. I used to be a hardcover book finisher . . . that is, until my TBR yelled at me for wasting time on books I hated while there are so many other amazing books to be read.
Why yes, my TBR does yell at me periodically. Doesn't yours?
But my question for you DNF-ers (that's a word because I said so): at what point do you give up on a book?
For me, it's usually around the 10% or 15% mark . . . or fifty pages, whatever comes first. But I was recently reading this book and it was so boring. I just wanted to go to sleep every time I picked it up. I thing the only thing that kept me reading was the fact that I thought it would get better. Before I knew it, I was at 70% and my Kindle told me I had a little over an hour of reading time left on it.
Longest. Hour. Ever.
I wanted to DNF it so badly. I went back and forth with myself.
So why did I keep reading? Because I felt like it was way too late to turn back. I was already invested. This was a three hour book (that took me two weeks to read, by the way) and I was at the hour mark. That would be like me running a marathon and then just quitting at the 24 mile marker.
(FYI, if you ever see me running then you should run too because someone is probably chasing me.)
I don't usually feel like a quitter just because I DNF a book, but I would have felt like a quitter with this one because of how much time I had already spent reading it.
So my question is this: at what point do you decide to DNF a book? Is there a "point of no return" when you feel like you have to finish it, no matter what?
I recently asked this on Twitter! I was reading a book and kept hoping it would get better and I was going to give until 25% but I gave up at 16%. Usually when I get to the 50% mark or higher I try to finish it but I will skim it. And yeah my TBR pile yells at me too :)
ReplyDeleteGrace, okay so it's not just me that gets tons of yelling from their TBR? Awesome. Typically, if I am going to DNF a book, I do it by 25% (at the latest). Once I pass the 50% mark though, I just feel the need to finish. Ugh. I hate it.
DeleteThe sooner the better because otherwise I also feel too invested to give up.
ReplyDeleteKate, you are so right. I was way too invested. Annoying.
DeleteThis is definitely one of the reasons why I love reading books on my Kindle. Being able to have a fairly accurate estimate of how much more of my time would be sunk into a book that I am not enjoying really helps. If I am not loving the book and still have 5 or more hours of reading left - I'm out!
ReplyDeleteKatie, I love my Kindle for that reason too. If I find myself CONSTANTLY checking the time left, that may be a sign I am too bored to finish it.
DeleteI... don't ;) I SHOULD, but I don't. Because it's either "well, I should give it more of a chance" and then that leads to "well, I've already read half of it, might as well finish". What I am saying is, I shouldn't be trusted with decisions. Ever.
ReplyDeleteThe three books I HAVE DNFed I stopped at 13%, 34%, and 54%. The first one just... ugh, it was so bad I had to stop, the writing was a mess and I hated the characters and just... no. And the third, I was seriously afraid I would do actual harm to the book if I had to trudge through one more word.
Ideally, I'd probably call it quits by about 20%. Because any longer and I feel like I am REALLY wasting my time if I don't finish. But I'll let you know when my 4th DNF comes along ;)
And then there are those books where we read until the end and we ask ourselves: WHY?? (The Seeker comes to mind). Haha
DeleteI am the same after I started reading so much/blogging -- I am a-ok DNF'ing. Life is TOO short to be miserable while reading something you don't want to read. I have DNF'd after the first chapter but it's usually more like in the 30-50% mark. I think what is the ultimate trigger is if I am struggling to keep reading, meaning I don't want to read (because the book is not good) and/or I don't care what happens. I have read less than stellar books to finish because I was intrigued enough to know how it ended but I do not hesitate to DNF if I am experiencing serious dislike!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Eva. It's kind of funny how much my reading habits have changed because of blogging.
DeleteTHIS IS ME. When I am really invested in a book and I WANT to finish it because of the GR challenge (thanks GR, I plan to not use you next year), I end up skimming. That's kind of what I did yesterday, and I do not regret it one bit hahaha.
ReplyDeleteValerie, isn't GR awful? I mean, it's great, but sometimes there can be so much pressure, right?
DeleteI almost never DNF - probably because I don't DNF early enough and then I feel like I've invested too much time, like you said. But I don't feel like I can usually tell enough about a book at 10 or 15% so I can't win!!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Nicole, I know, it seems like no matter what percentage you are with a book, you feel guilt at wanting to DNF!
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