Ashley Holstrom

My tips and tricks for deciding when to DNF

Hi, friend.

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It’s a quandary every reader has run into: you’re enjoying—or at least tolerating—a book for a while, then start to lose interest in the middle of it. It’s easy to call it quits when it doesn’t entice you from the start, but what about once you’ve invested some serious time into it? What happens when you’re more than halfway through a book and still haven’t caught feelings for it?

Most people say to give it 50 pages before you DNF (did not finish) a book, but to me, that’s a lot of pages to trudge through when you’re not feeling it. You should enjoy what you’re reading!

I’m a chronic book quitter and have two methods of DNFing. The first is the physical motion of putting the book down, be it literally on a table, back on the shelves, or in the to-donate pile. The second, more serious method is how I mark the book on Storygraph. For some reason, the digital marker is more meaningful than the physical one; if I mark it as want-to-read again, I’ll probably come back to it. If not, I delete it from my shelves entirely.

Now, join me in becoming a book quitter with these tips for what to do when a book just isn’t doing it for ya.

What To Do When You Lose Interest in the Middle of a Book

Okay, real talk, my first answer is the obvious one: Just quit. Don’t waste your time reading books you don’t like. Life’s too short, etc., etc.

Get Existential

Following the gut instinct you get within the first few pages or chapters, chew on this: You’re likely to only read 2,500, maybe 5,000 books in your lifetime. Is this book you’re slogging through really worth the time that could be spent reading another, better book? Maybe multiple books, if they’re enticing enough? Hmm?

Consider Why You Don’t Like It

If the book is a classic or meant to be one you spend a lot of time ruminating on, it might be worth your time in the long run. Same goes for the books that make you uncomfortable; figure out why they make you uncomfortable and if they’re meant to broaden your worldview or just be offensive. You don’t need to read a book that’s triggering or makes you feel like shit.

Come Back to it Later

Sometimes you just find a book at the wrong time. If you’re not jiving with it right now, set it aside and come back to it when you’re in a different headspace. You’ll be a different person a few months from now, and the book might be meant for that version of you.

Drop the Shame Game

Literally no one will ever ask you to dissect the nuances of [insert classic literary writer and/or work here] at a fancy-pants dinner party. I promise. You do not have to suffer through a book you hate to prepare for such an event.

I hope these tips are helpful to you on your journey of reading only the books that are worthwhile to the person you are at the moment you’re reading them.

xoxo

A version of this piece appeared in Book Riot in 2021.

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