Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.
Today’s question is:
How do you handle DNF books?
I really, really, REALLY, wish I could DNF books. I’ve gotten a little better and DNF’d two this year but if I have an interest in even one character, I have to know what happens. I will skim read just to find out but it’s rare that I’ll actually set the book aside. Even in those few isolated incidents – I look it up on Goodreads.
I don’t give ratings to DNF books or even ones that I skim read just to get it over with. I don’t feel like I read enough to be fair to the book/author with a rating.
I’ll mark it as DNF on Goodreads and if it makes it to the blog I do a short review explaining what didn’t work for me. If I have a trusted reviewer that loved it, I’ll include a link to their review. Just because I don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s not the perfect book for someone else.
What about you guys? Can you DNF books? Do you rate/review them?
Since starting the blog I do DNF reads. If I make it past the 40-50% mark I give them a 1star rating, too. Otherwise I just DNF. They do get a review usually, too.
ReplyDeleteSome, though, I'll temp DNF because I wasn't in the right mood at the time but will enjoy it later. Those I just put in an 'on hold' folder.
I need to do this more. Life is too short.
DeleteDNFing the best :D LOL. But srsly, when you borrow 20 books from the library and come home nad is all dang! Then dnfing a few of them feels good ;) At least for me
ReplyDeleteYou are the queen of DNF! lol
DeleteI think if I did library books as much as you I might. Maybe it's because I buy or request them so I feel the need to follow through.
Really though it's because I MUST KNOW what happens - even if I hate it. But I skim! Like a whole book in 15 minutes lol
I just do not review them at all but after reading this post I may start.
ReplyDeleteI like to say something about most of the books I read - even if I DNF or didn't like it. I always think there's the right reader for the book out there and even something negative can help someone else.
DeleteIf it's a review book, I try and post SOMETHING on the blog to help explain my reasoning for not finishing and because, like you said, it might not work for me but could be perfect for someone else. I don't rate all my reviews to begin with, but definitely not a DNF book because I didn't finish it - so, to me, that's not fair. I just recently DNFed a book and it was a review one so I feel bad, but it just wasn't grabbing me enough. In general, I don't do it often though. I usually find enough to keep my interest.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
I only give ratings on Goodreads but not usually for DNF's
DeleteI DNF sometimes, but not too often! I sometimes revisit them later to see if I was just in a reading slump/grumpy lolol
ReplyDeleteMe toooo and then I end up skimming to the end anyway lol
DeleteJoin the DNF-ers! I mark mine "setting aside for now" on Goodreads and sometimes I add a line about why I stopped - usually it's that the book and I are not feeling like a match. If it's a Netgalley, I just write a short note that says the book isn't a good fit for me but thanks for letting me try it. I don't formally review/rate DNFs but I like reading other people's DNF reviews or explanations.
ReplyDeleteIt gets easier, really!
Jen @ YA Romantics
I know!!!! I can't lol
DeleteI've DNF'd 3 books this year so far so maybe I'm coming around to DNF dark side!
I have two kinds of DNFs. The first I call "hibernating" rather than "DNF"—these are the books I've set aside because I wasn't in the right mood, but intend to return to eventually. (Sadly, eventually has been known to stretch into months or years; when it's years, I usually give up. But not always.)
ReplyDeleteThe second kind are true DNFs. Those are books I abandon with no intention of ever finishing them. I usually only DNF a book if it's badly written, badly edited, or contains material I find too uncomfortable to read. I've occasionally DNF'd even books by authors I really like because something in it made me really uncomfortable or was a trigger for me. (For instance, I have a hard time with books about serial killers. I'm OK if it's mostly about catching the killer, but if the book goes too deeply into the killer's mind or psyche, that's too much for me.)
As for how I handle them: I have a Goodreads shelf for "hibernating" and another one for "DNF." I never review hibernating books while they're hibernating; if I go back and finish one, I may review it, but if I decide not to finish it, I move it onto my DNF shelf, but I don't rate it, and I just insert a private note to myself about why I abandoned it. If a book is a true DNF—in other words, I knew when I stopped reading that I never planned to finish it— it goes on my DNF shelf immediately. I may rate and review it, depending on why I stopped reading. If the book was badly written or badly edited, I'll say so in my review, and rate accordingly (1 or 2 stars.) I may also post that review on my blog, if I think it's important to share my reaction. On the other hand, if the book was well-written, but the content made me too uncomfortable, I figure that's a personal reaction, and I neither rate nor review the book, just put it on my DNF shelf.
Oh, and I usually read the ending of any book I'm not going to finish, just so I get some closure.
I need closure! lol
DeleteThere are so few - because I can't quit - that I only have the DNF shelf and I think there are about 5? books on there.
I do occasionally DNF but I don't usually review them. I figure if I didn't like it that much I just move on, although I can definitely see still reviewing them because you're right- even though it didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't for someone else. Maybe what I didn't like or what I talk about will convince someone else to read it. So I could do a short DNF review, but I haven't yet.
ReplyDeleteI've been pretty lucky to not have too many DNF's (probably because I don't request ARC's normally) but sometimes... I do have to skim. :)
My DNF reviews are only a few sentences long because there's not much to say lol If a friend of mine loved it I include a link to their review.
DeleteI used to DNF books many times but lately I'm trying to be more picky and just choose the ones I'm really SURE I'll love or at least interesting enough that I want to finish. I choose to not mention the ones that I've DNFed and just move on quietly. Hehe :)
ReplyDeleteGreat discussion, Karen.
I'm getting MUCH better at choosing books I think I'll like instead of making myself read what's popular and that helps!
DeleteI struggle with DNFing too, although I've done it a few times this year. Mostly my problem with it is that I typically only DNF review books that I requested on a whim or without enough research, so I feel like it's sort of my fault that I didn't enjoy them, you know? I will read to 50% and then if I'm not feeling it, I DNF without a rating and write a review explaining what I didn't like and why I didn't finish it. I just wish that I didn't feel so guilty about it! There are too many good books waiting to be read to waste time on ones that don't work for you.
ReplyDeleteI am a terrible DNFer and need to get better at it because I finish far too many boring books. When I do manage the rare DNF, I just mark it as a DNF without a rating.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time DNF'ing books (why does that sound like cursing?) but sometimes you have to do it. Often if it isn't a review book, I'll come back to it and that helps. If it is something that happened that makes me not want to read further then I'll state it and let it go. It is rare, but it happens. And yea, a book I hate or DNF (usually the case over hate) is something someone else will love. We are all different. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm the same in that I find it SO HARD to DNF books. I've made a new rule though that if by 10% I don't like it at all or something about the writing itself is really bothering me (e.g. I hate head hopping), I'll stop since the writing isn't likely to improve whereas a slow pace or something might get better. So I managed to do that with two books last year and one this year. But after 10%, I commit 'cause then I'll feel like I wasted time if I stop lol. But I also don't feel it's fair to rate DNFs.
ReplyDeleteTo DNF more is one of my goals for the year. I'm not doing too well with it. It's like I'm being mean to the book! Ridiculous. #GetSocial17
ReplyDeleteI'm usually pretty good at picking books, so I don't have a lot of DNF's. There was this cozy mystery author that I've been wanting to read forever. I got approved for her latest book. I think I managed to get 5 pages in and it just wasn't working for me. Usually I try to give a book 10-15%. But this one was like the 5th book in the series and I had way too many characters coming at me. Sadly, I had to give it up.
ReplyDeleteI love the look of your blog.
Kim ~ Read Your Writes Book Reviews #GetSocial17