I said what I said!
I believe that DNFing a book is self-care. Do not torture yourself by continuing to read a book that does not bring you joy. Life is too short to do things that don't bring you joy.
So, try the book. And if it isn't what you thought it would be, or it just simply doesn't live up to the hype, then DO NOT FINISH IT.
Plain and simple!
Why?
Because, like I said, life is short. Don't waste your precious time reading something that isn't giving you what you picked it up for.
The rom-com isn't making you laugh? DNF. The thriller isn't thrilling? DNF. The mystery is completely predictable? Move on, my friend.
Whatever the reason, don't waste your time. Just because you choose not to finish a book does not mean it was a bad book (or maybe it was…in your opinion). Not every book is going to be for every person, and that's okay.
Find the books that give you the chills, the goosebumps, the giggles and the A-ha! moments.
So, I am officially giving you this blessing:
It is okay to not finish the book that isn't bringing you joy!
How?
At some point while you're reading, you'll think to yourself "yeah…this book isn't doing it for me" and that is when you'll make the choice to set it down. Stop the audiobook. Press the home button on your Kindle and never return to it again.
And voilà! It really is that simple.
Move on, find a book you enjoy, and you and your TBR (To Be Read) pile can live happily ever after.
I know this is a struggle for some readers, to just quit on a book that you may not be enjoying. You feel like, since you've committed to the book, you need to follow through. You don't want to give up because…
What if it gets better?
But here's the thing: You're not enjoying it now.
And that's ok. I'm sure your TBR pile is already a mile high and a mile wide anyway.
So go ahead. Set down the book that isn't altering your brain chemistry…
yep…
almost…
perfect!
Good job!
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, take a long, hard look at that never-ending list of books you've been wanting to read and pick a new one.
All is right in the world again.
What?
Now we have a whole other problem:
What do I read next?
Because sometimes, losing interest in your current read can trigger the dreaded…
book slump.
Shudder.
It can be incredibly difficult to decide what to read after DNFing a book. So one way I like to pole-vault myself out of a slump is by rereading something I know I love.
I really enjoy rereading my favorites.
One, because I already know I love them.
And two, because it almost always hauls me out of a reading slump and makes it easier to decide what I'm going to pick next out of my TBR list.
So in conclusion…
It is okay to not finish a book that you aren't enjoying. It doesn't say anything about you as a reader. It just means that this particular book didn't do anything for you.
And it doesn't necessarily say anything about the book itself, either. It's still probably a very enjoyable book…for someone else.
And that is ok! Say it with me:
"it's ok to not finish a book. I am a good reader."
Life is too short, and our TBRs are far too long, to spend our reading time on books that don't bring us joy.
Now go find one that does.
Happy Reading,
-Fern and Owl
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