I sometimes notice while 30-40 pages into a new book that I am not enjoying it for whatever reason (could be the writing style, content, or anything) but I am struggling to abandon it/stop reading it because I wonder “What if it gets better later?”. So I keep reading books that I do not fully enjoy, which feels tedious.
What helps you decide whether it is time to give up on the book? Do you have a minimum page count you want to reach before abandoning it?
Thank you in advance, I’d greatly appreciate some tips from you guys!
by NoniTheUnicorn
14 Comments
My giving up point is when I realise I don’t care what happens.
It’s usually within the first 50 pages – although there was one book that I was probably 80% through when I decided to quit. If the author hasn’t grabbed me by then, it’s not going to happen.
EDIT: the other situation is where the book just gets silly. I read one once where the author seemed to forget halfway through that he was writing a story, and started addressing the reader directly with a history lesson.
I give it about 30 pages. If I am not into it, I move on.
I usually try to get at least a chapter in before giving up, but I’ll drop it in the first couple pages if I’m really not feeling it lol. Sometimes you just don’t mesh with a book and there’s no point in dragging it out any longer than you have to.
I’m pretty merciless about dropping books. As in, my record was page 1. (The voice was gonna drive me batty, I could tell.)
It really just boils down to if I’m vibing, if it’s sparking joy (can substitute joy for interest/curiosity/etc), that kind of thing. Life’s too short to finish books that I’m not having a good time with.
Halfway. If it hasn’t picked up by then, I don’t think they will.
It’s not really a hard-and-fast rule for me, but I do tend to dip out around the 30-40 page mark if the book isn’t resonating with me.
Most books I DNF are because I’m not connecting to the character in any meaningful way or there’s something off-putting about them that I know I won’t be able to move past to enjoy the story.
I abandon a book when it starts to make me cranky to read it. I will physically feel annoyed or exasperated, and it could be for any reason. This is a hobby, not a chore. Life is too short to be cranky doing something I enjoy.
ETA: I have abandoned books halfway through lol. The abandonment point has no limit.
vibes only. if it doesn’t feel worth the work to stick it out, i don’t. i can always return to it. but that depends how bad it is and how much faith i have in it to get better. i’ve forced myself to finish books and regretted wasting my time. there are too many books in the world!
I’ve started abandoning books more often lately rather than forcing myself to finish. It’s not hard to give them up usually because I’m bored and don’t care what happens.
If you’re struggling, I’d ask myself,”would finishing this book make me happy? Would I consider it worth my time?” Anything less than an enthusiastic yes gets the axe.
I like to think I don’t abandon any book: the books are abandoning me lol.
I like at the cover and decide if it’s interesting or not.
I try to get to page 50, but I also can spend my time reading a better book. If I’m not feeling it, I DNF to try and find my next favorite.
I tend to research books before I read them because I’m picky. Once I’ve made my selection, i usually made up my mind to finish it. If I don’t like the book, I’ll still give wait until I’ve read about 50% of the book before I DNF it. And I’ll only DNF it if it makes me more miserable than happy to read it.
If I’m satisfied with reading spoilers about the ending then it’s probably a certified DNF for me