10 Petty Reasons I’ve DNF’d a Book

Over the years I have definitely gotten more aggressive about DNFing books that just aren’t working for me. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the book is bad – just that it’s not holding my attention when there are literally hundreds of other books that will. That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top 10 Tuesday prompt this week is to identify some petty reasons for DNF’ing a book, so here are ten of my worst offenders.

1. I’ve read a thousand like it before

I used to be an avid historical fiction reader, and there was a new one that came out a few years ago from a unique perspective. I was excited to start it, but about a third of the way in, I was reminded of why I don’t read much historical fiction anymore: so often, a lot of effort is put into worldbuilding, and if it’s a setting I’m familiar with, I get bored.

2. The fiction part of the science fiction was a little extra

I suppose I like my science fiction to be only a couple steps away from our current reality. I tried to read one recently that got super weird too quickly. I couldn’t relate to the characters or the world anymore, so I stopped reading it.

3. It was too dark when I wanted something lighthearted

If I’m dealing with a lot of hard emotions, I’m sensitive to a book that might pull me down further. I’d misunderstood what the book was, and I couldn’t handle the hard feelings at the time.

4. I’ve read it before, and I thought I wanted to re-read it, but I was wrong

I do this all the time! I love to re-read books… except when I don’t. I started one recently with every intention of reading it start-to-finish, but then didn’t like knowing the ending already.

5. It turns out it was exactly what I’d first thought it would be

I’d started one recently that had a summary that wasn’t at all my type of book: too action-heavy, big men with big guns. I didn’t intend to read it until I found a review online suggested that there was more to it. I got about a quarter of the way through before deciding that it was indeed just about big men with big guns.

6. I wasn’t the right target audience

I started an audiobook with my daughter, but we didn’t end up finishing it because she’s started reading on her own instead. I never wrapped back around to this one because it was just a little too young for me to read it on my own.

7. I forgot to pay attention and now I don’t know where I am

This happens most often when I’m rushing to get through a long list of books – usually for the blog. I’ll put one on 2x speed, forget to pay attention, and then suddenly I’m halfway through the book and don’t even know the main character’s name or personal goals. Oops!

8. A sequel didn’t speak to me the way that the first book did

I’d read the first book in the series when it first came out and absolutely loved it. The second one just didn’t have the same feel though. There were a ton of new characters and it wasn’t the same hero’s journey that the first was.

9. I was reading too many other books

Sometimes I have to put a book aside because I’m reading too many – and then I just never come back to it. There comes a time when I don’t remember what I’d read, and I’m not sure I want to start over again.

10. It felt too melodramatic

I tried to read a YA book a few months ago that just didn’t hit me right. The characters felt so melodramatic about issues that seem relatively small to me, and I just couldn’t sympathize with their struggles.