Do you always finish a book you start reading?

[Robin]

Adrian wrote: "What's the point? I was an agent of karma, restoring the balance of cosmic justice.

I did call him out, and naturally he denied it. But he couldn't deny karma."

But if he doesn't know it was you or why you did it, he has no idea that it IS "karma". You haven't shown or taught him any karmic justice if he remains clueless about it. It's still just getting revenge on the sly, which is passive aggressive.

[Adrian]

When does anyone appreciate the slings and arrows of karma?

A murderer doesn't think "Karma's a bitch!" when someone is about to murder them.

Karma is karma - aggregated over a lifetime and is best perceived by third parties.

[Robin]

Adrian wrote: "When does anyone appreciate the slings and arrows of karma?

A murderer doesn't think "Karma's a bitch!" when someone is about to murder them.

Karma is karma - aggregated over a lifetime and is be..."

Karma is nonsense. To believe every bad thing that happens to someone is karmic justice for something bad they've done in the past means that when bad things happen to ourselves or the ones we love we have to admit it's also karmic justice and we/they deserve it. But no one ever thinks that way.

I digress. What you did was passive aggressive revenge no matter how much you try to spin it as something else.

[Adrian]

No. Definitely karma.

[Gretchen, Keep your head up or the crown slips]

Are we ready to continue on with discussing books?

[Adrian]

Thank God!

[Dem]

Finished and enjoyed The Book of Lost Friends
My review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/3451503228

[Renee]

I finished A Stranger on the Beach I found the writing week. The story was very predictable, I read it for my rl book group. If was not for a group read I would have returned it unread

[Linda]

K.J. wrote: "Isn't it interesting about reading the last chapter first? Not a month ago, somebody else said they do that for the same reason.

I've never been tempted to do it, either. Wouldn't expect to necess..."

My mother ALWAYS read the last chapter first. I never understood it and have never done it. I remember once my father tore the last chapter out of her paperback and hid it so she couldn't read it first!

[Linda]

Has everybody added a DNF (did not finish) shelf to their Goodreads shelves? I very rarely give up on a book, but lately there have been several. I even went back to that shelf to see if I wanted to continue reading them. Nope.

[Gretchen, Keep your head up or the crown slips]

Linda wrote: "Has everybody added a DNF (did not finish) shelf to their Goodreads shelves? I very rarely give up on a book, but lately there have been several. I even went back to that shelf to see if I wanted t..."

I have a DNF shelf. I just added to it this morning. I just wish I didn't have to keep a book on either my read or want to read shelf to have it marked as DNF.

[Linda]

Gretchen wrote: "Linda wrote: "Has everybody added a DNF (did not finish) shelf to their Goodreads shelves? I very rarely give up on a book, but lately there have been several. I even went back to that shelf to see..."

OOOOOH! I can help with that. From My Books, click on 'edit' next to 'bookshelves' on the left. This brings up a list of all your shelves. Make DNF an exclusive shelf. That means the book can only be on one shelf: want to read, read, currently reading, or DNF.

[Gretchen, Keep your head up or the crown slips]

Linda wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "Linda wrote: "Has everybody added a DNF (did not finish) shelf to their Goodreads shelves? I very rarely give up on a book, but lately there have been several. I even went back to ..."

I had it set like that at one point. At some point the shelf was removed from my exclusive shelves and I'm not really sure why. I probably offended someone in the GRs universe. I had to rename the shelf and keep it as a non-exclusive shelf.

[Linda]

Gretchen wrote: "Linda wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "Linda wrote: "Has everybody added a DNF (did not finish) shelf to their Goodreads shelves? I very rarely give up on a book, but lately there have been several. I even..."

huh. Hasn't happened to me yet. I'll keep watching. Interesting.

[Denise]

I usually don't pick up a book unless I know what to expect, and I can tell within a few pages if I've made a mistake. I wouldn't advertise the fact that I couldn't finish a book, because my individual taste is very particular.

[Laurel]

I have a DNF shelf, for books I don't intend to finish. I also have a "started-intend-to-finish" shelf for books that got interrupted that I haven't gotten back to for whatever reasons, but that I DO still want to finish (or more likely, start over...)

[William]

I used to finish every book I started. And I wonder if that habit didn't come from school, where you were required to read something, even if you hated it. But now, I'm finding so many books that I want to read that I no longer have the time for those that are badly written or annoying or just plain boring.

[Kathryn]

I only mark something DNF if I made it past 50 pages and THEN gave up. Or if I've picked it up for the third time not remembering I'd already tried it a couple times - then I mark it so I won't forget.

I also have a "DNF-but might later" shelf for books that I'm still interested in but the timing wasn't right. Often these are books that were too heavy for me at the time - although long (800+ pages) family sagas can end up there because, for me, those require a break from work to be able to devote the time attention. Maybe I'll create a shelf "Try again when I retire".

[John]

I try to read the entire book but occassionally it becmes obvious how the book will end so there's no reason to continue. Doesnt happen often.

[Leona]

I usually give it 50 pages unless it is one I have won and I finish and review UNLESS there are so many f words, I cannot finish. Like someone once remarked, I will read the last 10 pages or so.

[K.M.]

This year, I've been more picky in my reading. So I read the first chapter and if it doesn't interest me I don't keep reading.

[[deleted user]]

So far, I've finished every physical copy I ever bought apart from a single one (which is still going on my nerves. Have to re-read it soon!). If they're terrible, I start skimming at some point, but I always finish it so that I can give them the rant they deserve. With e-books, I read the first twenty pages - if I don't connect with it, I read some reviews to find out if it gets better. If it doesn't, that's it for me.

[Laura]

Rarely do I put down a book that I've started, unless the writing is really terrible.

[Kathryn]

How do we get GoodReads to add DNF as an option along with Read, Want to Read, or Currently Reading?

And I'm giving up on a book today, which I very seldom do!

[Janelle]

Kathryn, you can create your own dnf shelf, then go to edit bookshelves (under my books on the left hand side tap edit that’s in () next to bookshelves) and then tick the box that makes it exclusive from your read, want to read and currently reading shelves.
I hope that makes sense :)

[Kathryn]

Janelle wrote: "Kathryn, you can create your own dnf shelf, then go to edit bookshelves (under my books on the left hand side tap edit that’s in () next to bookshelves) and then tick the box that makes it exclusiv..."

THANK YOU! That was so easy (and even noticed the instructions that I've ignored for years...).

PS: Having done this I see that I have read far enough to record that I DNF 31 times in the last couple of years (8 of those I gave bad reviews and said NO, and the other 23 I noted this might not be the right time but might try again someday).

[Anne]

I pretty much always finish my books--the ones I read and the ones I write. There is always something to admire and learn from each author I encounter. I'm also rather unconcerned about the odd error that slips through. I do skim the dull parts. Actually, I have more problem picking up a book from my growing pile than putting it down again. So many pages, so little time!

[Carrie]

I usually finish the book I start sometimes I put the book down and read something else then come back to the book I started had not finished.

[Adrian]

John wrote: "I try to read the entire book but occassionally it becmes obvious how the book will end so there's no reason to continue. Doesnt happen often."

Have you ever been wrong? As far as you know?

There's quite an art to making the reader think they know where the book is going and then totally disrupt their expectation in the final scene.

[Rinko]

Yes basically, it’s a form of self-harm. I have to know how it ends. I wish I could DNF certain things but I always feel bad saying I read a book when I didn’t read all of it.

[Rinko]

Adrian wrote: "John wrote: "I try to read the entire book but occassionally it becmes obvious how the book will end so there's no reason to continue. Doesnt happen often."

Have you ever been wrong? As far as you..."

This is so true!

[Mariagiulia]

Usually yes! This is one of my "golden reading rules" :) If I abandon a book before finishing it, it means that it definitely is not my cup of tea..

[Anna]

Not always. I really should take a 'look inside' as invited by Amazon to do. It helps to get the style and a feeling for the book before parting with a whole big 0.99. And that's the problem really, if it were 10.99, I'd be sure to check it out more.

[Nataša]

books have mesmerizing powers, I have to finish them even if I don't like them, so I chose mine carefully.

[CindySR]

Not always. I have a DNF shelf on Goodreads. I don't give them a rating but try to write my thoughts in the review box, sometimes it's to say I will re-visit it in the future.
Too many books to waste time on one that doesn't "sit right".

[Sandra]

I hardly ever stop in the middle of a book, but if I see something makes no sense or is extremely cruel, then I'm going to assume the writer and I are not going to become friends.

[Joanne]

If I am still not hooked by chapters 3-4, out it goes

[Star]

No. Once I give up, I try to figure out what went wrong. There are professional people employed to sell books to the masses. I used to believe that meant readers. A few scrolls in FB groups seeing the 100s of books, the jokes and hoarding I suppose it's is a marketing/publishers dream.

[[deleted user]]

My problem is mainly choosing which book to read rather than having a large DNF pile as my stubbornness and perfectionist side will tell myself to finish the book. I think a part of me wonders, 'what if the book gets better and I just take myself out of it too soon before that happens?

I have ADD issues therefore I recognize its very likely for me to get distracted in the middle of reading any book therefore I do attempt to bring my focus back as much as I can.

If a book does not work for me in one format I shall change formats generally from kindle books to audio or vise verse as I notice a different experience with changing formats and how I shall comprehend the information I am given. If that does not work; I will take a break and return to the book; reread it to see if I need to be in a different mood to do so.

DNFing is really a last resort for me but generally the break helps with me if needed. Generally when I do set a book aside its a permanent DNF and means its a book I will never read again. The Break may take months or even years but at some point I know I would return to it as I believe each book deserves that much.

[Howard]

I almost always finish but there are still a few I just couldn't bother putting in the time. Interestingly, a few were by some of my favorite authors.

[Christopher]

Almost always, yes. There are about a half dozen books that sit under my bedside table that I put aside at some point over the past several years, usually owing to the pacing flagging for me, but I fully intend on returning to finish them eventually. There have only been two books in the past 15-20 years that I just gave up on entirely and don't plan to ever finish. Oddly, they were both books that had received mountains of critical acclaim and which I had assumed I would love because they were both the exact sort of book I do typically love. But something about them just never clicked for me and I couldn't force myself to keep going.

[Melissa]

Life's too short for books you hate, I think.

[Nicky]

I always finish books that I don't like. Unfortunately. I give the book a chance to get better until the 50% mark, and then, if it doesn't, I still keep reading, because it'll feel like a waste of my time to not continue; after all, I've already spent time on that first half. Also, I don't feel it is right to write rant-reviews about books that I didn't finish.

I wish I could dnf books easily, though. Because I've read so much garbage lately, I feel I could've read some amazing stuff instead. I don't like myself very much for this trait.

[Howard]

If you don't finish it, that might count as the review in itself.

[Nicky]

Howard wrote: "If you don't finish it, that might count as the review in itself."

Hmm, yeah, that may be true. Perhaps I should start forcing myself to dnf books that I'm really not enjoying. I mean, if I get to the 30-40% mark, I can still say something about it, right?

[Howard]

Absolutely. You know enough about style, plotting, characterization, etc. by then. It is possible the author will wrap things up spectacularly in the end that you would miss, but if it takes half the book to get interesting it is probably still not a great book.

[Lewis]

Nikki wrote: "I always finish books that I don't like. Unfortunately. I give the book a chance to get better until the 50% mark, and then, if it doesn't, I still keep reading, because it'll feel like a waste of ..."

I do not finish books I don't like ... there are too many that I do like to spend time on the ones I don't ... and I have noticed that I sometimes get more "likes" when I review a book I didn't like, such as Wolf Hall or Less.

[Anna]

I try and give a book the benefit of the doubt, and usually give a few chapters to grab me. But if the story is meandering without direction or, as Claudia noted, violent without due cause, I have to put it down.

[Anna]

Anna wrote: "I try and give a book the benefit of the doubt, and usually give a few chapters to grab me. But if the story is meandering without direction or, as Claudia noted, violent without due cause, I have ..."

Calvin wrote: "I have a nasty habit of starting several books at once, and the one I find most interesting I finish first. Usually the one that I am least interesting in gets traded for something else."

[Matt]

I try to finish every book I read, but like Anna, I will put a book down if it starts meandering. I will leave it on the night stand and start another book. It is normal for me to have two or three books on the night stand. I will finish the one that keeps me interested first, and then go back and continue reading the others.