TheBookSwarm
Ask Question

Do you DNF books? If yes, how far do your read until you DNF a book? Also do you count it towards your goodreads challenge as a read book?

Do you DNF books? If yes, how far do your read until you DNF a book? Also do you count it towards your goodreads challenge as a read book?

Maria #questionnaire

21
Reply

66 Answers

Brooke

I choose to stop reading if I have to force myself to keep going… lifes too short to read books you dont like… if I dont finish the book I dont count it as a read book personally but you do you

7
Reply
MariaQuestion author

@Brooke you are right ? Thanks! I’ve been struggling dnf’ing books but you have helped a lot!

0
Jennifer

I try to make it to the halfway point. By then if I’m not interested then I probably never will be. Life’s too short to spend on stories I am not vested in. Too many others to read. And I don’t count them on my completed reads list.

1
Reply
MariaQuestion author

Jennifer McDaniel Thanks! This helped a lot! There are a hundred other books I could read and might love ???

1
Jennifer

@Maria absolutely. At first it was hard for me to do. But I have truly come to terms with the methodology of “so many books so little time”. Lol.

0
Monique

I’ve tried to read the Divergent trilogy several times. I can make it through the first and second books, but I’ve never finished the third. I keep getting bored. And I only count books I’ve finished towards my Goodreads challenge

1
Reply
MariaQuestion author

@Monique sometimes a book or a series is not for you. I understand ??

0
Monique

@Maria I want to like it, I’ve seen the movies so many times, but that third book…?

0
Rachel

I go by the 100 rule. After 100 pages, if the characters aren’t interesting, if the plot isn’t there or moving, if the authors words aren’t flowing and well done… Then I put it down and MIGHT come back to it. If after 100 pages, if I’m not liking it, then it’s time to put it down. I go through moods of books. Like some times I want romance and other times I’m looking for heaps of fantasy. I have in the past picked back up books I dnf

0
Reply
Mia

If I’m 150-200 pages in and I’m struggling to find the interest to keep going I DNF. A book needs to be captivating from the start ??‍♀️

0
Reply
Belle

I always do three chapters. If by three chapters I’m still uninvested or don’t even KNOW your character’s basic thought, I’m out

And no. I don’t. If I don’t finish, I don’t count the read

1
Reply
Tiffany

I complete all books…wether I felt invested or not…I have a completion issue. will say I have had a few surprises..ones I didnt like at first but ended up so good on the backside. I know …I’m strange lol

2
Reply
Laura

Yep all the time! I give it about half way. Then I skip to the end, read the last chapter and shelf it. I just DNF a book tonight. My TBR is way to long to waist time on books that don’t capture my interest.

0
Reply
Tina

Whats dnf?

0
Reply
Megan

@Tina did not finish

0
Tina

Thanks

1
Rachel

The only book I ever DNF was 1984, which I was supposed to read when I was at school and I think that was because I had to analyse every chapter and really hated it. Now, I always finish a book when I start it even if I don’t like it. It might take me a few attempts or a few months, but I don’t like leaving them unfinished.

1
Reply
Madelynn

It’s rare for me to dnf a book. I’m also super picky about what books I read. But when I do dnf it’s usually is because I just got distracted by another book and just stopped reading it and it faded to nothing. I have gone back and tried again and ended up likening them before. Sometimes you just gotta wait till the time is right lol but I don’t count them as read unless I made it over halfway through

1
Reply
Sierra

The only book I have ever not finished was Bright We Burn and it just killed me because I LOVED the first 2 books. I just could not get into it and it put me into a reading slump for 3 months trying to finish it. I finely returned it to the library and decided I would try again another time.

0
Reply
Sonia

I finish all my books even if I Dnf!

0
Reply
Lisa

If you finish a book then you havent dnf hahahah dnf means did not finish, you cant finish and did not finish at the same time ?

0
Sonia

@Lisa the message was sent uncompleted…I fake reading ? I skim so much that I get to the last page and feel I have finished the book!! Crazy, isn’t it?!

0
Lisa

@Sonia ah that makes more sense haha

1
Sonia

@Lisa thanks Lisa!!!

0
JoLeen

100 pages is my limit. If I can’t get into it by then, I don’t waste my time.

1
Reply
Marissa

Yes and my limit will change just depends on the book.

0
Reply
Kristian

It is very rare for me. Less than 10 books ever. I read it until I can’t. Usually at least 30% I don’t count them on goodreads unless I finish.

1
Reply
Megan

30 pages max … life’s too short. And to be honest, that’s being fair. Grab me in the first chapter or not at all.. It depends on recommendations and review… if someone tells me to get past x – I will.

2
Reply
Justin

No I don’t and about 75-150 pages

0
Reply
Amande

I put them on pause, but I always finish it, sometimes the end is worth it.

0
Reply
Hannah

I don’t DNF books. I’m pretty good about picking ones I know I’ll like so I’ve never felt the need. Apart from school texts, which I unfortunately couldn’t DNF!

1
Reply
Lara

I like to get at least 1/3 to 1/2 to give the book a chance. But I have lots of DNF’s.

0
Reply
Lisa

I do but not to often. It differs per book where I dnf them.
If i dnf then i wont count it towards my goal

0
Reply
Sonia

I’ve just noticed that my message was sent uncompleted…(thanks Lisa!) I finish every book even if IDF it because I fake reading ? I skim so much that I get to the last page and feel I have finished the book!! Crazy, isn’t it?!

0
Reply
Oppa

I’ve been wondering… what’s DNF?

0
Reply
Lauren

@Oppa did not finish

1
Oppa

@Lauren oh! Now I know. Thank you! ❤

2
Lauren

I do. It depends if I’m enjoying it or not. I did DNF a book 70 pages from the end once because I just couldn’t carry on with it any more. Sometimes I give it 100 pages. Sometimes I give it half way. It depends

0
Reply
LR

I dnf all the time. Sometimes page 1 will do it, sometimes more than 50 pages. There’s too many books that I actually want to read to spend anymore time than necessary on one I’m not enjoying. I won’t count them on gr unless I get more than half through though, and I don’t rate it.

0
Reply
Brigid

Very rarely.

I DNFed a book 400 pages in, at an unnecessary scene involving casual transphobia, gay punchlines, and sexwork as a signal of a “dangerous” area – and all of the verbal slurs.

It was the second book in a series, so it was more like 1,300 pages in; I read two pages further in hopes that there was a reframe coming. And when it was clear there wasn’t, I closed the book and dropped it in a recycling bin.

Most disrespectful thing I have ever done to a book but I didn’t want anyone else to be subjected to that scene.

(The book was Justin Cronin’s The Twelve for anyone wanting to avoid it.)

1
Reply
Shauna

Thank you. ❤️ I most certainly want to avoid it.

1
Karen

If I don’t finish it I don’t count it. I can usually tell within the first 3 or 4 chapters if I’m going to like it.

0
Reply
Caleb

I don’t count it toward my challenge. And it varies for me. If I’m interested in the premise I’ll give it a little longer but usually by about 1/3 I know.

0
Reply
Amanda

No. I honestly cannot not finish a book regardless of how horrible it is. It took me three months to finish pet semetary and I read four other books between starting and finishing the book.

1
Reply
Sarah

I stop reading if I get bored or don’t like the story.

0
Reply
Mariela

I give them 100 -150 pages.

0
Reply
Geetanjali

I can’t. It makes me anxious, so I keep reading till the acknowledgement comes ?.

0
Reply
Agne

Rarely dnf books. Maybe 3 so far. I like to finish books. If I don’t feel like it sometimes I stop and give it a rest and I get back to it other time.

1
Reply
Eileen

I have lots of DNFs. I stop whenever I’m not feeling it. ??‍♀️ Could be page 3 or 20 pages from the end.

I don’t count DNFs as read books.

0
Reply
Cheyenne

If I don’t finish a book then I don’t count it towards my reading challenge. I try to finish every book I start but if I’m just not feeling it then I stop reading, it varies for how long it takes me to decide to put down a book or not. Life’s too short to push through a bad book

1
Reply
Jeff

I push myself to 25-30%. If I’m not engaged by then, I bail. 90% of the time, it comes down to the characters.

0
Reply
Gabriela

I try to push myself up to 100 pages but usually if it doesn’t get my attention within the first 25 pages, I dnf. And I don’t count it towards my reading challenge.

0
Reply
Suzanne

I try to get through at least the first 3 chapters or 100 pages then I will give up

0
Reply
Melissa

I never used to but lately I’ve lost my patience. There have been a few that i picked up for book clubs and such that I probably wouldn’t have picked up on my own that I got around 60% of the way through and I was just bored so I stopped. I’d rather spend my limited reading time on ones I know I’ll enjoy. Since I was more than halfway (over 200 pages) in each I decided it would be fair to count on my challenge. If it bothers you though, you could always create a separate Dnf shelf on your goodreads to keep track of them separately.

0
Reply
Brittany

100 pages in

0
Reply
Mariarita

I really rarely dnf books.
Usually I always get back to them and force myself to finish them.
But I won’t count a dnfed book as a read book for the Goodreads challenge

0
Reply
Anna

If I’m still trying to read it a month in I usually throw in the towel, but that hasn’t happened often luckily.

0
Reply
Cindy

I have never DNF a book

0
Reply
Mara

Mostly around page 50, if it didn’t stick then I’ll dnf it. I do not make it count on my goodreads challenge I just label it as dnf in my want to read pile on goodreads

0
Reply
Mara

Sometimes I try to pick it up again

0
Noel

No. I don’t count it. I do make a note that I’ll try to read it again in a certain number of years.
It depends on how long it takes me to get through a chapter. I read this one book that I fell asleep every other page. I stopped reading it by the time I got to the 2nd chapter.

0
Reply
Scott

I’ve never dnfed a book ever . And no way I would ever count it on my Goodreads challenge . I mean for if I didn’t read it all to me it wouldn’t count . That’s my two cents worth .?

0
Reply
Samiha

DNF doesn’t count as ‘read’ for me. I’ll probably try to read 80 pages or so and then I’ll DNF.

0
Reply
Agne

Rarely dnf books. Maybe 3 so far. I like to finish books. If I don’t feel like it sometimes I stop and give it a rest and I get back to it other time.

0
Reply
Robin

I don’t count it if I DNF and for me, every story is different. Sometimes I honestly DNF after a chapter if I’m not engaged and I have five books waiting in my ARC queue. If it’s something I’m reading for a purpose (because I promised a review or as a buddy read) I will not DNF before at least 25%.

0
Reply
Mtnz

It’s really rare that I do finish a book. But I’d stop Half way through…
I don’t count it towards my Goodreads challenge.
I actually made a shelf for my DNFs… I only have one book on it so far..

0
Reply
Leave a Answer Cancel

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Loading Please wait
Log in
Register
Categories
  • get the book
  • questionnaire
  • recommend
  • review
Genres
animal art biography business chick lit classics comics contemporary cookbooks crime detective fantasy fiction gay and lesbian graphic novel historical fiction history horror humor and comedy kids languages manga memoir music mystery nonfiction novel paranormal philosophy poetry psychology religies religion romance scary science science fiction self help spirituality sports suspense thriller travel young adult young adults
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

2019 © TheBookSwarm