QotW #22 Did Not Finish

[Chris, Moderator]

What makes you mark a book as DNF (Did Not Finish)? Is there a certain number of pages or a percentage that must be met before considering marking a book as DNF ( For instance, at least 50 pages or 25% read)? Do you count DNF books as "read"?

[Shel, Moderator]

I don't have a hard and fast rule, but if I find that I'm not enjoying a book I'll just put it down and not pick it back up again. I don't count DNF books as read, I created a "could-not-finish" shelf so I could track them without marking them as read or to-read.

I've got 17 books on my could-not-finish shelf. Some were poorly written, some were too complex or obscure, some were just meh. Here's the list if anyone is curious.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Shel wrote: "I've got 17 books on my could-not-finish shelf. Some were poorly written, some were too complex or obscure, some were just meh. Here's the list if anyone is curious."

From your list of DNFs: I rated The Long Earth 9/10 when I read it last year. I read that series last year and earlier this year and my lowest rating was 7/10 and the final book in the series earned a 10/10.

I have a shelf here at Goodreads called “Quit” and it only has one book on it, Cities of the Flesh by Zoé Oldenbourg. Not sure how much of it I read but I put this in my notes: Couldn't follow the timeline and didn't care about the characters (when I could figure out who was who). Worst of all, it didn't appear that things would improve.

So obviously, I almost never have a DNF. No hard rule—it has to be pretty awful for me to quit. I am somewhat of a “completist” so it’s hard for me to leave a book unfinished.

[Shel, Moderator]

Kathi wrote: "I am somewhat of a “completist” so it’s hard for me to leave a book unfinished."

I used to be like that, but these days time to read is a precious commodity and I don't want to waste it on something I'm not enjoying.

[Nyssa]

There is nothing concrete; it depends on how I feel, and yes, I count them as read because I read all I was going to.

That being said, I rarely mark a book as DNF right away. Because I am a moody reader, I tend to give books a second chance, at the very least, unless what I read is so distressing that I know I will never pick it up again.

It took me almost 20 years to add The Witching Hour to that list. I tried reading it numerous times, I wanted to enjoy it, but I could never get through it --- I finally gave up.

[Chris, Moderator]

Shel wrote: "Kathi wrote: "I am somewhat of a “completist” so it’s hard for me to leave a book unfinished."

I used to be like that, but these days time to read is a precious commodity and I don't want to waste..."

I absolutely agree. I used to stick with books until the bitter end, hoping that the ending would make the rest come alive. But I've come to believe that "to every person their book, and to every book their person"; if it's just not grabbing me, it must be meant for someone else. The only exception is book club books; I want to finish these so that I can contribute to the discussion.

[Random]

I don't really count did not finish books. If I am not enjoying and me trying to push through it is not working, I will just stop reading.

For books I am not enjoying and don't intend to try to come back to, I just remove them from my shelves.

I do have an On Hold shelf for books I had to put down for some reason and intend to get back to. But if I'm not enjoying it, off my shelves it goes.

[Rachel]

I will DNF a bit more frequently than I used to but more often I will skim the middle parts to find out the end so I feel I can rate it.

One surprising DNF for me was Spin- Hugo winner that I just could not get into

[DivaDiane]

In the past, I never DNFed a book, mostly because I was a completionist and also because I was a monogamous reader, meaning I only read one book at a time.

I’m not sure that I can claim I now DNF books more readily, because I do have shelf titles “DNF or not for me” and there are 6 books there that I actually started and 4 more that I want to remind myself that I should NOT ever read them. A couple of the DNFs surprised me: The Windup Girl (I tried twice) and The Monstress Vol. 1 (I loved the artwork, but hated the story). Here’s the whole list: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I also have 22 books on my “currently reading” shelf that are in various stages of reading, that I fully intend on finishing one day. Many of them are poetry books or short story collections. Others just got interrupted for some reason. The problem now, is that I’m still pretty monogamous as a reader, although I always have an eye-read and an ear-read going at the same time. And there’s always something more pressing (read: shiny and scheduled) that will prevent me from finishing what’s already started. I did pick a book back up that had been languishing for over a year that became one of my faves from 2021, though, so there’s hope.

I’ve often wondered why I have t DNFed as much as others and it is very rare that I will hate a book and finish it, giving it 2 stars or less. Or 3 or less, even. I am super moody as a reader and also very careful about reading anything new that hasn’t been thoroughly vetted by people I know and trust. I seem to know my tastes well and also those of certain friends.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

DivaDiane wrote: "In the past, I never DNFed a book, mostly because I was a completionist and also because I was a monogamous reader, meaning I only read one book at a time."

Thar’s me, too—a monogamous reader (good term!). My “currently reading” shelf is really books I know I’m going to read in the near future plus the one book I am actually currently reading. My exception is that I have a fiction book and a non-fiction book going at the same time. I can usually read non-fiction while watching football or waiting for an appointment when fiction doesn’t work for me. So some nonfiction books might take me months to read.

I am trying to do some audiobooks but that is not a regular part of my book consumption at this point.

[DivaDiane]

Oh! My reading would have slowed to a near standstill if it weren’t for audio books! I listen to them while doing all manner of mundane things not requiring much mental effort (housework/chores, driving walking). I have almost zero time to sit and read a book and end up reading only before bed and falling asleep before I’ve read more than a few pages. But that’s a different conversation!

I have found that I’m much less likely to want to DNF an audiobook, especially if the narrator is really good.

[Leticia]

I agree about Monstress. The story wasn't so great, too much horror.
I DNF books if I simply am not having a good time reading them.

[Leticia]

I hear a lot of audiobooks but it can't save a really boring book.

[Gary]

I’ve never DNF a book. I’m going to finish every book I started. Some are harder to finish though. I had trouble with the style of writing used by William Faulkner in The Sound and the Fury. I read half of I Am a Barbarian by Edgar Rice Burroughs and finished it twenty years later when I found it in a storage box. I don’t remember why I stopped reading it back then, but I read it. I had a hard time with the writing style of Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard, so I barely ended up finishing it.

[Cheryl]

I dnf readily. I have a dnf shelf. I do not give them a date read, nor do I rate them. But I do review them, spelling out exactly why I stopped reading.

I do try to get to 50 pp but that can vary for so many reasons. Some books on my dnf shelf are ones that I nearly read, some I gave up on right away.

I get really exasperated at ppl who read less than 50 pp, dnf, and rate it 1 star. Seldom can one know by then it's going to be awful!

I am thankful for folks who explain books don't work for them. Then I can get help deciding whether or not to push through past the 50 page mark.

[Rafael]

I try as hard as I can to finish a book, but there has been a few instances were I just couldn't. Because I'm hating what I'm reading or because I just cant focus on it. I don't put the books I DNF on goodreads, though.


One book that took me a long time to finish but i powered it through was Wicked. I had nothing else to read at the time. Terrible book.

[Nyssa]

Rafael wrote: "One book that took me a long time to finish but I powered it through was Wicked. I had nothing else to read at the time. Terrible book.

I also struggled with Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I back-burnered it for a while and then placed it on my "reread" shelf. I wouldn't say I liked how the story was going. Interestingly, I never "DNF'd it, though. I'm assuming that I considered giving it another shot at the time. Maybe I will --- one day --- but not any time soon.