Hello there, my fellow bibliophiles. How are you?
The reading has been pretty consistent around here this week, but the blogging isn't doing so well! I'm trying to get on top of things and pre-schedule some posts. You might actually see some reviews around here this week!
Today, I'm wondering about your policies for DNF. (I realize this sounds like a kid's show - "Today I'm wondering about the weather." But maybe I've just been watching too much Sesame Street with a cranky toddler...) What are your thoughts on letting a book go? Do you read to a certain page number? What do you do when you have accepted a book for review from Netgalley or the publisher and not finishing/reviewing may affect your ability to get books in the future? Tell me your wisdom, oh bookish friends!
Read This Week:
By Emma Hooper
By Craig Thompson
Posts from this Past Week:
Reading Now:
By Brigitte Goldstein
Up Next:
By Linda Medley
What are you reading this week?
I'm really bad at DNFing books (I'm a check things off the list kind of girl), but one of my 2015 resolutions is to DNF more often.
ReplyDeleteFor the 2 ARCs I DNF'd this year (one from NetGalley and one from Edelweiss), I did write my quick thoughts about them in my Monday post and included that in the NG/E feedback. It's not a formal "review", but I did talk about the books on my blog. Remains to be seen how this affects my ability to get books in the future. I've still been able to get lots of books, but have been turned down once or twice as well.
That's a great idea. I keep going back and forth because I like Netgalley but I don't want to feel like I have to finish and review a dud book just to ensure I can access other books down the road.
DeleteI rarely DNF books, but I'm trying to be better about it. I don't do the whole review thing yet, so it's really just my own obsession with finishing what I start that is holding me back. :)
ReplyDeleteCastle Waiting looks really interesting. I didn't realize there were so many good graphic novels out there!
Yup, I'm terrible at DNFing. I keep holding out hope that things will get better instead of just putting it aside!
DeleteCastle Waiting is a lot of fun so far. It starts off as a fairly traditional telling of Sleeping Beauty and then things really get crazy!
I'm trying REALLY hard this year to ditch a book if I don't want to pick it up. Simple as that. If I don't want to pick up a book I've been reading, then it's keeping me from reading other things I will want to pick up.
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent point. More time for great books!
DeleteI've had a few DNFs last year. I do try to give a book a chance, but if I'm struggling I'll look at other reviews. For eg, I just read a book called The Chimes and I was ready to put it down very early on, but others had said something similar but recommended sticking with it and so I did. Otherwise... life's too short.
ReplyDeleteDeb
That's a really good point, Deborah. I should probably poke around and see if this one gets better at some point!
DeleteI don't do Netgalley so it doesn't present a problem if I DNF, and I will occasionally if a book isn't working. Once I start Netgalley reviews tho I'm sure that will make me more apt to complete those... I'm usually lucky with my reads but if something isn't working, I'll move on. too many books. :)
ReplyDeleteThere are just too many books! I think I just need to get over my desire to finish all of the books I start - some of them just don't work for me.
DeleteI've stopped using Netgalley because it all got too hard and felt like too much pressure. I had to remind myself that I read for enjoyment (even though I work in the book industry and blog).
ReplyDeleteI have a 50 page is-this-book-working-for-me rule, but I have abandoned earlier.
Sometimes it's simply because I'm not in the mood for that type of book right now. Occasionally it's because of poor writing or character development or plotting & I cannot make myself read a bad book.
But mostly it's because the book genre is not my thing, so I will flick through the story (for work purposes we get ARC's to share amongst the staff). I get the gist of it & get a feel for who might like this type of story, then put it aside forever! Unreviewed & unremarked. Guilt-free.
And find something I do want to read :-)
Guilt-free is definitely the way to go! It's interesting to think about the reasons certain books don't resonate with us, isn't it??
DeleteI used to push on through with books I didn't enjoy but then last year I decided to crack down on that - there are far too many good books out there to carry on with a book that doesn't suit your personal reading preferences.
ReplyDeleteRegarding review books and Netgalley (which I no longer apply for), I would give them more time, perhaps to a 30-40% mark, but if I wasn't getting along with a book I would just stop. It is hard with review books but I think it is important for the author and publisher to receive honest feedback and so I would do just that, share my reasons for not finishing.
I hope you enjoy your upcoming reads.
:-)
Bits & Bobs
That's what I ended up doing. I think I read about 30% and after sighing and rolling my eyes a few too many times, I just gave up. I'm going to write a bit about what didn't work for me and then submit that to NG.
Delete