It’s Okay to DNF Books That You Aren’t Enjoying
Should you force yourself to read books that you aren’t enjoying? It is okay to stop reading a book that you don’t like? Does that mean the book is bad? Are you a bad reader for quitting a book?
Do you have to finish every book that you start? Should you force yourself to read books that you aren’t enjoying? Does not finish a book make you a bad reader? Does not finishing a book mean that it’s a bad book?
DNFing books is a hot topic in the book world. What does DNF mean? It simply means that you did not finish the book. There was something in the book that was not working for you and you decided not to carry on with it. When you that someone has DNFed a book, you might think that it is a terrible book and not worth the read. This is not the case. The book did not work for that person. They have decided to put it down to look for one that will bring them joy. This does not mean that the book was a bad book by any means, it means that the book did not work for them.
If a book is not bringing your joy or contains content that may be harmful to you, it is okay to put that book down. (Since I am a teacher, I am going to say that if is assigned for school, you probably should try to push through it. If is causing you mental harm or past trauma, talk to your teacher, explain your situation, and see if you can do an alternative assignment.) You should not force yourself to read something that you don’t like. If the book is popular and you are reading it to see what the hype is about and you don’t enjoy it, it’s okay to put it to the side. Chances are you are not the only one who feels this way.
Reading is supposed to be fun. Again, if it is something that you are reading for school or work, I do encourage you to push through it. If you are not having fun with what you are reading, then it may cause you to dislike the experience. Reading is an experience. It transports you to worlds, exposes you to different ideas, and so much more. It’s meant to let you escape from the world for a little bit. If you are not escaping or learning something new, then you are going to resent it.
Every book is not going to work for every person. Just like how we all don’t enjoy the same movies, music, and clothes, books are the same way. This does not make the book a bad book, it just means that it wasn’t the right one for you. Think about a piece of clothing that you see on the rack. It looks beautiful on the rack and you want to try it on. Once you have it on, it doesn’t look right on you. Does that make it any less beautiful? No, it means that it wasn’t the right choice for you. This is why there are so many different books and genres out there. Not everything is going to work for everyone. You must find what works for you.
I read a lot. I average about two hundred books a year and I don’t enjoy everything that I read. If I find myself not enjoying what I am reading, I will put it down. I have DNFed several popular books and authors. For example, Holly Black, author of The Cruel Prince series, and Alexandra Bracken, author of The Darkest Mind series, are authors whom I have tried and haven’t meshed well with. The Cruel Prince and The Darkest Mind series are very popular in the book world. I wanted to enjoy these books. Both have several things that I love in books. However, there was something about these two series I could not get into. While I am sad about it, I have come to terms that these books are not for me. Does this make them bad books? No! Both women are very talented and gifted storytellers. The stories were not for me. I am glad that their books have brought a lot of people joy.
Think about your favourite restaurant. You order something that looks good in the picture. Once you get the food and start eating it, you realize that is it made up of things that you don’t know what it is. Does that mean all the food there is bad? No, you haven’t found the match for you. You were exposed to something that wasn’t for you and that’s okay. Books are the same way. There may be an author that you have tried many times and have enjoyed. However, their next book is not for you. I adore Leigh Burdugo’s books. Six of Crows is one of my favourite books of all time. I was excited about Ninth House. I gave Ninth House a go and it was not for me. Does this mean that I am giving up on Leigh Burdugo? No, I just think that the Alex Stern books are not for me. Let’s look at the flip side of this. I could not get into the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi. I thought that she was not going to be the author for me. Then, I found her other series This Woven Kingdom and I was in love. Some so many other authors are like this for me: Stephen King, Kiera Cass, Jane Austen, Stephanie Meyer, and RA Salvatore are just a few examples.
If a book is not working for you, it’s okay to stop reading it. When it comes to reading for pleasure, you shouldn’t feel forced to do so. If it’s not for you, then it’s for you and that’s okay. You should not be ashamed to say that this is not the book for you. Every book out there is not going to be for everyone. This is why there are so many different titles out. You just must find the one that works for you.
