Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2017 Read Harder Challenge
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Do you ever count DNF'd books
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I don't even count DNF's as being read, let alone read for a challenge. I have a folder for them so I don't forget I hated something and then reread it.
I don't count them in my reading lists. However, I do review books I haven't finished if only to make sure other people are forewarned.
Kirsten *I support diversity in my reading and my world!" wrote: "I don't count them in my reading lists. However, I do review books I haven't finished if only to make sure other people are forewarned."I do the same. I do not use star ratings because I don't think its fair to weigh in on the book's overall rating if I did not read the whole thing, but I do make comments in the review portion.
I do pretty much the same as you -- I count it toward my challenge stats if I've read a "good-sized" portion of it (obviously, this is different for each book), but over the year I'll find another book that fits the same challenge criterion to read so that I don't feel like I've cheated.
That way, I get to satisfy the part of me that recognizes the spirit of this challenge, which is to broaden my horizons, and also the part of me that likes to complete checklists (hey, it's true!). :)
Bonnie wrote: "I don't even count DNF's as being read, let alone read for a challenge. I have a folder for them so I don't forget I hated something and then reread it."This for me too. I would not count them as being read if I didn't finish them especially for a challenge. If it was so bad I had to abandon it, I'd just go find another book to meet that challenge task.
Bonnie wrote: "I don't even count DNF's as being read, let alone read for a challenge. I have a folder for them so I don't forget I hated something and then reread it."I do the same thing Bonnie! Nothing worse than going back and being like "wait a minute... I already hated this!"
Bonnie wrote: "I don't even count DNF's as being read, let alone read for a challenge. I have a folder for them so I don't forget I hated something and then reread it."I can't help it, I'm a numbers person. I also have a DNF folder, but that is for books I gave up on much earlier. I never count anything I didn't get to 50% on, but for example, I wanted SOME credit for reading half of Outlander. I hated it and found boring, but I stuck it out for 50% to see what the fuss was about.
My depends on how much I read too. But I keep track of any DNF'd books so I can make sure I hit my goal without them.Another idea is to mark them as read years ago so it doesn't affect any of your Goodreads challenge counts.
So if you started annual challenges in 2014, mark the books read as 2013
Like several of the other readers, I personally do not count DNF books towards my reading challenges. I also put them in a marked folder, as other have mentioned. You mention being a numbers person, Brandyn; I get kinda caught up on "rules" and "parameters" or whatever you wanna call them, so I can't handle counting something (much less having a book in general) that I didn't actually finish. Just one of my quirks, I guess!
I don't count the whole book as "read," but I do include the completed pages in my page count. (A separate spreadsheet, obviously.)
Anna wrote: "I don't count the whole book as "read," but I do include the completed pages in my page count. (A separate spreadsheet, obviously.)"I've always wished Goodreads would let me set a page goal rather than a book goal:)
Sarah wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "I don't even count DNF's as being read, let alone read for a challenge. I have a folder for them so I don't forget I hated something and then reread it."I do the same thing Bonnie!..."
LOL, I have actually done that! It really is the worst, especially when you re-buy the book!
Nicole wrote: "My depends on how much I read too. But I keep track of any DNF'd books so I can make sure I hit my goal without them.Another idea is to mark them as read years ago so it doesn't affect any of you..."
I mark them read without dates so they don't count to my total but I can still enter a short review. I misspoke when I said I don't count them as read, I just don't let them go to my annual totals, and I don't count them for challenges
I love you book nerds! I don't count DNF books for the challenge, although I REALLY want to. I struggled through about half of The Sympathizer for my book group. Wanted to like it, tried to like it but couldn't like any of the characters. So hard when I don't like an award winning, critically acclaimed book...
I don't count DNFs as completed, or as part of challenges. But I also don't want them marked as "read" on any of my bookshelves since I didn't finish! I finally figured out that I could make an exclusive shelf for DNF books, where it wouldn't include it as read/currently reading/want to read, because at that point, none of those things are true anymore! Game changer!
Allie wrote: "I finally figured out that I could make an exclusive shelf for DNF books, where it wouldn't include it as read/currently reading/want to read, because at that point, none of those things are true anymore! Game changer!"How?! I thought they had to be on one of those 3 main shelves first and then one you create yourself?
Elyse wrote: "How?! I thought they had to be on one of those 3 main shelves first and then one you create yourself?"Add a DNF shelf (or any shelf). The select "Edit" right next to Bookshelves. Then check the "Exclusive" box for the DNF shelf.
Brandyn wrote: "Add a DNF shelf (or any shelf). The select "Edit" right next to Bookshelves. Then check the "Exclusive" box for the DNF shelf..."Oh wow, thank you!
Brandyn wrote: "Elyse wrote: "How?! I thought they had to be on one of those 3 main shelves first and then one you create yourself?"Add a DNF shelf (or any shelf). The select "Edit" right next to Bookshelves. Th..."
^ This! :)
This is my first year for book challenges, but if I don't finish a book I am not going to count it toward my annual book total or for challenges. I will do as other people have said and rate/review it for future reference and to alert other potential readers of the book.That being said, it is rare that I don't finish a book. There have only been 2 that I couldn't force myself to finish since I began keeping track in 2012.
Brooke wrote: "This is my first year for book challenges, but if I don't finish a book I am not going to count it toward my annual book total or for challenges. I will do as other people have said and rate/review..."I've had 9 in my life that I haven't finished. It is hard for me to stop reading, I always hold out hope that it could get better, redeem itself. Buuut it's wasting precious reading time on books not worthy (to me)! It's tough. lol
Brooke wrote: "This is my first year for book challenges, but if I don't finish a book I am not going to count it toward my annual book total or for challenges. I will do as other people have said and rate/review..."Over the last 3 years I've transitioned from a rare DNFer to somewhat frequent. There are just too many great books out there to waste time on losers.
Elyse wrote: "Brooke wrote: "This is my first year for book challenges, but if I don't finish a book I am not going to count it toward my annual book total or for challenges. I will do as other people have said ..."I completely agree! I could probably count on one hand how many are DNF in my lifetime. And I think the only reason I have had 2 in the last 5 years is because I have so many in my TBR pile I can't waste time on the ones I don't like/enjoy.
Brooke wrote: "This is my first year for book challenges, but if I don't finish a book I am not going to count it toward my annual book total or for challenges. I will do as other people have said and rate/review..."I have 7 since 2013. I am slow to abandon ship, but sometimes I jsut have to do it.
Bonnie wrote: "Brooke wrote: "This is my first year for book challenges, but if I don't finish a book I am not going to count it toward my annual book total or for challenges. I will do as other people have said ..."7 isn't bad, Bonnie! Especially with how many titles you read in a year.
There are some books that I have DNFed, not because I don't want to read them but because the medium wasn't right at the time (ie. didn't like the audiobook narrator, or I can deal with certain types of stories better in one medium than others).Though if I'm bored and there's not a redeeming reason to continue, I have no problem DNFing. I created my exclusive shelf maybe a month ago, but I could only think of 7 I didn't finish over the last few years. Probably missing some.
Allie wrote: "There are some books that I have DNFed, not because I don't want to read them but because the medium wasn't right at the time (ie. didn't like the audiobook narrator, or I can deal with certain typ..."Oh I've done that with audiobooks and I don't count those as DNF, just as TBR. Some narrators aren't pleasant to listen to!
Allie wrote: "There are some books that I have DNFed, not because I don't want to read them but because the medium wasn't right at the time (ie. didn't like the audiobook narrator, or I can deal with certain typ..."I have had a couple of audiobooks where the narrators were just awful, but in each case the book was good so I just abandoned the audio and got the text.
I can't remember a time where I didn't finish a book because I hated it that much, but I definitely wouldn't count it for a challenge prompt. I view it as the same as crossing an item off a to-do list -- which I generally wouldn't do unless that task was finished.
Bonnie wrote: I have had a couple of audiobooks where the narrators were just awful, but in each case the book was good so I just abandoned the audio and got the text. "I really started getting into audiobooks last year. Some of the narrators, as you said, were just awful. I kept getting distracted by the narrator's quirks or nasally voice and lost track of what was going on in the story! In those cases, like you, I read the text/ebook version instead. I've started a list of narrator's names and simply mark whether I like them or not. Now when I opt for an audio version of a book, I try to find who is narrating it to see if it's one of the narrators I know I do not enjoy and go straight to the text version. Haven't run into any yet though.
As for DNFing a book - I'm trying harder to discipline myself to use my reading time wisely. This year I've set a guideline for myself that if a book hasn't hooked me by page 100 (or audio equivalent), I will DNF it. Easier said than done though.
One of my pet peeves with narrators, Elle, are when you can hear them taking breaths!Some of my favorites:
- Katy Kellgren
- Rosalyn Landor
- Susan Ericksen
- John Lee
- Simon Prebble
- Scott Brick
Also, sometimes you can find audiobooks narrated by famous actors. I have a copy of Dracula narrated by Alan Cumming and Tim Curry!
Okay, I'll put those names on my list as recommended narrators! I've heard good things about both Alan Cumming and Tim Curry as narrators. I can imagine Tim Curry is excellent. Add to that list of actors who narrate well: Stephen Fry. I thought he did a wonderful job of narrating The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Also author Neil Gaiman does a great job narrating his own works.
Elyse wrote: "Brandyn wrote: "Add a DNF shelf (or any shelf). The select "Edit" right next to Bookshelves. Then check the "Exclusive" box for the DNF shelf..."Oh wow, thank you!"
I was so happy when I discovered this! I added an "Abandoned Forever" shelf, as I already had shelves indicating books I had abandoned but had some hope of trying again.
I also made a "Wish List" shelf so that I could reserve the "To Read" shelf for books I already possess. That is a huge help when I'm at the bookstore.
Stina wrote: "I was so happy when I discovered this! I added an "Abandoned Forever" shelf, as I already had shelves indicating books I had abandoned but had some hope of trying again.I also made a "Wish List" shelf so that I could reserve the "To Read" shelf for books I already possess. That is a huge help when I'm at the bookstore..."
Ooooh that is very organized, I love it!
Stina wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Brandyn wrote: "Add a DNF shelf (or any shelf). The select "Edit" right next to Bookshelves. Then check the "Exclusive" box for the DNF shelf..."Oh wow, thank you!"
I was so happy..."
I might be getting a little ridiculous with the exclusive shelves. I have 7 at this point.
Read
Currently Reading
To Read
Own to Read Audio
Own to Read Book
Try Again later
DNF - books I purposely abandoned and will never return to.
I might be getting a little ridiculous with the exclusive shelves. I have 7 at this point.Read
Currently Reading
To Read
Own to Read Audio
Own to Read Book
Try Again later
DNF - books I purposely abandoned and will never return to. ..."
No such thing! I love how specific we can get with our shelves. Categorizing is HUGE for bookworms. :)
I count books I tried to read and couldn't get through. Sometimes I read a book when I shouldn't, when I'm not in the mood for it. Last month I read 50+ pages of Lolita, plus the 25 page introduction by Martin Amis and the 7 page afterward by Vladimir Nabokov.
That was as much time as I could stand to be around that vile main character! Yuck!
I'm not assigned books anymore, if I don't like them, I don't finish them. Life is too short to read books I'm hating reading. Nancy Pearl in Book Lust has a metric for how much of a book to read of a book based on your age. If you are 20 years old, she recommends you read 80 pages before you give up on a book. If you're 80, you have 20 pages before you give up. I'm fifty-ish, so I read 50 or so pages.
Julia wrote: "I count books I tried to read and couldn't get through. Sometimes I read a book when I shouldn't, when I'm not in the mood for it. Last month I read 50+ pages of Lolita, plus the 25 p..."
I always give 50-100 pages and stop or skim the rest. But life is too short to read crappy books! I've come to terms with that.
I am a sort of a completionist. I try not to dnf at all (I have several books on hold for several years). I have only one example so far of a book I just do not want to go back to and have thrown in the towel. Having said that, no I don't count books as read that I don't read. I did write a review on the book that I dnf'd.
Very good points. I don't "count" DNFs on my challenges. But I do make reviews on books I DNF - mainly to warn the readers after me.
I don't write reviews for my DNFs, but if I'm giving up on it for good, I try to make sure my reasons are clear in my progress updates.
Kirsten *Make Margaret Atwood Fiction Again!" wrote: "I don't "count" DNFs on my challenges. But I do make reviews on books I DNF - mainly to warn the readers after me."
If I've read at least a third of a book before giving up I will include it on my GR list of books read, and if I don't have a better replacement, I'll include it in a reading challenge too. I figure I deserve some kind of recognition for having put in that much time in a book, even if it was in vain ;)
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Lolita (other topics)Lolita (other topics)
Book Lust 2005 Calendar (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Martin Amis (other topics)Vladimir Nabokov (other topics)
Nancy Pearl (other topics)
I'm leaning towards counting it for now - I gave it a fair shot. If I find something else in that category I'm interested in later, and I've finished all the other categories maybe I'll try another one.