DNF's for January: Books That Just Didn't Click

I'm not the best at admitting I have DNF's (did not finish books) every month.  My method of picking up multiple books and starting them, then setting them down (sometimes for weeks at a time) has been a part of my reading life for years.  I didn't really ever think of it as DNF but rather "moving on" to read something else with the expectation that I would eventually come back to that book and finish it.  Sometimes I do, but most times I don't. 

I think the more you read, the more you realize not every book is a good fit; it can depend on the time of year, what's going on in your life...lots of things.  Usually for me it's all about the mood I'm in and what I want to read to fit that mood.  Forcing myself to read outside of that mood usually leads to an unhappy Sue and an unfinished book.  That's the case with Homegoing. A friend loaned me her copy months ago, and I was eager to read it after hearing some really great reviews from others I know who read it.  And now, months later, I still haven't gotten past 200 pages.  I just can't bring myself to pick it up again and keep going.  Not that the story is bad; it's pretty wonderful, actually.  The writing is superb as well; I just can't focus long enough to keep reading it.  Definitely not the right time for me, so I'll reluctantly admit defeat and try again sometime in the future. For now, it's part of my DNF list.

Another book that I quickly realized was a DNF is one of my current month's picks:  The Eterna Files.  Fifty pages in, I am annoyed, confused, and very impatient.  I've read plenty of books where I've been dropped into the middle of a story, and have to figure out what's going on; there isn't any method of plot hijinks that surprises me.  But this one, for some reason, just turned me completely off.  Trying to make sense of anything has proven to be just a bit much for me, and I lack the patience to wade through it.  I'm disappointed; I had hoped to read this and the sequel.  Too much Victorian nonsense to distill into an understandable story.  Sorry The Eterna Files, but I'm putting you down permanently.  

So there you have it:  my DNF's for the past few months.  Without a doubt I'll have more.  This is no way reflects on each writer's talents; after all, the wide variety of books published speaks to our freedom from censorship, humanity's amazing talents at storytelling,  and our freedom to read whatever floats our boats.  Others have found both of these books great reads.  Carry on!

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DNF's for January: Books That Just Didn't Click

DNF: I Do it, Do You?

None of us have unlimited time to read.  Life would be grand if we did, right?  If you're a fan of books as I am, there is always a pile (or two) of unread books, and that list that you keep adding titles to, and...well, it's a bit overwhelming.  I am confounded when I hear "I read two books last year" from people.  How do you only manage to read two, when there are hundreds to choose from?  

DNF:  did not finish.  If there is one thing I learned early in life, it's that life is too short to keep reading a book that just doesn't hit all the right notes for me.  I have had friends who will keep reading a book, even if they don't like it, and want to read something else.  They are committed, and they will stick with it until the bitter end.  Oh no, not me.  Reading is my number one pleasure, my safe spot, and my happy place.  I will not continue with a book that doesn't grab me by page 100.  Sometimes if I know I won't finish a book, I'll read the end anyway.  Yes, I am also an end reader.  I do it without shame.  That's why I struggle with mysteries, but I'm trying very hard to read them without peeking at the end.  It is a rare book that I haven't end-read before I finish it.  Usually I'll peek before I get too far.  It actually helps me slow down and pay more attention to the story.  Crazy, I know.

It used to bother me how easily I gave up on some books, but I've realized that not every book is meant for me, and that's okay.  What may be someone's wonderful all-time favorite may not be mine, and vice versa.  That's the wonderful thing about books:  there is one for every taste.  

Yes, I DNF on a regular basis.  Just yesterday I called it quits on two books and returned them to the library.  Maybe someday I will return to those books and give them a chance again.  I'll be a different person then, and they may appeal to me in a way they didn't right now.  This is why I don't list what books I'm reading on my blog and instead just blog about books after I've finished them.  It is true that the moment I say what I'm going to read, I change my tune and read something else. I am consistently inconsistent. 

I think it would be fun for me to post every month books that I started and didn't finish, and why.  Or even books I'm struggling to finish and are taking me way too long to read.  For instance, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a prime example.  I've had this book for over a year, and I've been slowly, painfully trying to get to the end for months.  I remember telling people last April that I was going to read it in the next week.  Here it is, 11 months later, and I'm still not to the end.  I can't figure out why.  It's a brilliant book, and the language is beautiful.  But nevertheless, I find it impossible to sit down and read it and be done with it.  It weighs on my mind that I can't finish this book.  I will, eventually, finish it.  But I'm not saying when.  

So, the DNF Files  will begin in March, with a look at what I didn't finish from February.  I'd love for you, dear followers, to comment on anything I've ditched that you've read, and what you think of the book.  You may turn me around!

 

 

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DNF: I Do it, Do You?