Did Not Finish: Life’s Too Short to Read Bad Books

I didn’t used to be a believer in the “did not finish” school of reading. Rather, I believed that I needed to “power through” books that I wasn’t excited to read. I’m not sure when that changed, but sometime around 2013, I realized that if I wasn’t enjoying a book, I should just move on. As an author, that’s a hard thing to write – or say.

There are just so many good books out there.

What’s the reason for not finishing a fiction book? For me, it’s often that I’m not connecting with the characters. If I don’t care whether or not the main character lives or dies, does something or doesn’t do something, then it’s time to close the book. It doesn’t matter if the book is written by a best-selling author or someone I’ve not heard of. I reach for the next book in my “TBR” pile.

I also read a lot of non-fiction books (especially history books). Sometimes the details are just too “detail-y.” Do I really care what kind of horse John of Gaunt rode? No, I do not. Other times, after I’ve gotten an answer to the question about the time, the events, or the historical figure, I am satisfied with that particular read, and I move on.

Other times, when someone recommends a book, I might decide it’s not my cup of tea after reading a few chapters. Having a “DNF” in my GoodReads history isn’t a red mark. I try not to rate those books in case it would influence someone else from choosing them.

But go ahead, shelve that unfinished book. As the saying goes, “so many books, so little time.”