My husband and I have a difference of opinion on this subject, and I’ve seen around Facebook, other people do too. When you get to a point in a book that you know you have no interest in finishing it, do you finish it anyway? When is a book so not for you that you put it down and walk away? Or do you ever?
I am of the former school. In fact, I am a firm believer in the Kindle sample feature. Not only am I fan as a reader, I’m also a fan as a writer. The Kindle sample feature has forced authors to tighten up their first ten pages, strengthen their hooks, and push exposition to the background. It’s a good thing – like checking out the first few pages in the bookstore before you drop that book on the counter and lay down you hard earned cash.My husband (and my mother, incidentally) are of the latter school. It doesn’t matter how much they hate a book, once they start it, they feel compelled to finish it. I don’t know if it’s that they feel it’s money wasted, or if it’s a psychological need, but they are in it until the end.
Currently, I am working full-time as a software developer, finishing up my BA in Creative Writing, and working on my next novel. I don’t have time for books I don’t like, books which have lost my interest. I’ll drop a book at any point in the reading. If the book makes it past the Kindle sample, but loses me in the next chapter, I’ll put it on the DNF shelf in my Kindle and move on to the next. (I don’t return it, however – to me, it’s a box that’s been opened. I would only return a book I haven’t started, maybe because it was the wrong book or I changed my mind about it—just as I would with a physical book.)
I’ll be honest and say I’ve read books to a point that I just don’t care, but will call a friend and find out the ending. “Okay, I hate this book, but how does it end?” Kind of like the show Masked Singer. I have no interest in watching it, but I’ll hop on to You Tube and watch the reveals. I don’t know why.
My husband, on the other hand, will read the book in its entirety, commenting on what about the book he doesn’t like. It’s too slow or he doesn’t like the characters or it’s cliché—but yet, he feels compelled to finish. He does that other eccentricities like that, so it’s probably a psychological thing not a financial thing. I just find it odd—why waste your time with books you don’t like? That’s hours of your life that you’ll never get back.
My only exception to this rule, and I’ll call it the “New Moon” exception – is slogging through a book in a series I’m actively reading so I can get to the next book and not miss key points in the narrative.
What about you? If you aren’t into a book, do you feel compelled to finish it?
JP Barnaby is an award-winning contemporary romance and romantic suspense novelist with over a dozen novels. Her heart and soul, the Survivor Series, has been heralded by USA Today as one of their favorites. She recently moved from Chicago to Atlanta to appease her Camaro (Jake) who didn’t like the blustery winters. JP specializes in recovery romance but slips in a few erotic or comedic stories to spice things up. When she’s not working on her latest novel, she binge watches superheroes and crime dramas on Netflix with her husband and Jack Russell Terror, Chase.
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I used to feel I always had to finish a book once I’d started it. Even if I was reading something I didn’t like. Now, I don’t. I don’t have time to continue with books that aren’t holding my interest. I used to give them a few chapters – just to be sure – but sometimes within a page, I know it’s not for me.
It shows me that all those years ago when I subbed (unsuccessfully) to agents – they also could tell within a page or so whether I had a product they liked.
So yes, authors do need to make sure their book hooks, that the first few pages at least are perfect.
But it’s hard to admit that I get very upset if anyone posts a review with DNF for one of my books. LOL
I want to rail – did you give me a chance? Did you see what I was trying to do? Why didn’t you want to read on? And yet, if I find a book I can’t finish – I just keep quiet and say nothing. It might not be honest but it’s kinder.
I think my book Aaron taught me not to take DNFs personally. I’d rather someone walk away than finish and be angry that they wasted their time.
There’s a great book called The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman that helps you capture that reader’s/agent’s attention. Then, you just have to hold it! 🙂
Thank you for checking out the post!
– JP
I used to not DNF ‘cos I wanted to know the end, but after being enraged by a few books and my time became even more limited but my TBR pile kept getting larger I bit the bullet and started DNF’ing. Although I don’t see why you should continue a book when you just don’t care for the MCs. I mean what else is there?
I don’t usually read the first 10 pages of a book before I buy it because I get at least to the 3rd chapter (or 1 hour listening if it’s audiobook) before I throw the towel. Although that doesn’t mean that I haven’t reached the 50% or 70% before I decided that nope, can’t do!
I don’t rate DNFs or post DNF reviews but I do have a no rate/skimmed shelf in which I put books in that I finished with a lot of skimming (or not) but I don’t want to rate. Mostly those books for me are “just ok” not good, not bad, not alot of interesting… we just plod along.
I do sort of a semi-DNF. If a book has lost my interest, I’ll skim through whatever is left so I know what happens in the end. That way, I finish the story but haven’t wasted hours slogging through.
I will absolutely DNF a book. Life’s too short to read books that don’t hold my interest. I will say that it’s rare, I don’t do it often. I am more likely to finish if I bought the book versus checking it out from the library.