When do you decide to DNF?

[Anonymous]

Especially when it’s a book you’ve been really looking forward to read?

I had a book on hold through Libby for MONTHS and it finally arrived. It’s book two of a series and I was so excited, I even suspended other books so I could read this, and now it sucks. I have this strange almost loyalty to the book, like because it’s book two, and because I waited so long and had such anticipation, I have to read it. But I can hardly get through a chapter and I just want it to be over, but at the same time, I want to know what happens so feel guilty for abandoning it.

Anyway, all that to say, how do you decide?

[Anonymous]

25-30 pages. Yep, that's it. I used to give 50 pages, but I can generally tell by the first 10% of the book.

[Anonymous]

I try to make it to 25% of the book. If I still don’t look forward to reading it, I give up.

[Anonymous]

can you listen to it and move on to something else?

[Anonymous]

I’m ruthless. I will quit when I can’t bear to read any further.

Could be page 20, page 40, page 100.
I quit A Gentleman in Moscow despite loving Amor Towles, Tenth of Dec (George Saunders), Lessons in Chemistry…

[Anonymous]

If it's feeling like a chore, I stop.

[Anonymous]

Usually 50-100 pages, but I have definitely given up around 20.

I got a popular book off hold a few weeks ago and it didn't work for me. Returned it and FOMO had me putting it on hold again. I got it, got a little further into it this time, but returned it again.

If you're not feeling it, move on. There are so many people in this sub who post about "struggling" through books. Life's too short!

[Anonymous]

Page 30 that's it. Used to give it longer but there is an insane amount of terrible books out there now. 95% are a disappointment.

[Anonymous]

I'm pretty ruthless with a new book. I've been known to give up after the first chapter. I usually give up around the 2nd or 3rd chapter, and I would say I give up on about half of the books I pick up, maybe more.

BUT - second book in the series? And you liked the first a lot? That's tougher. Are there more books in the series? How are they reviewed?

If I felt like I just needed to power through a weak book to get to the third which was good, I'd do that. But if it feels like all the subsequent books are similarly blah, I'd drop it now.

[Anonymous]

Generally, I do the same as PPs who said they stop when it starts feeling like a chore. I will say though that I try just a tad harder if it’s a book that is well reviewed/highly recommended, just to make sure I’m not missing something.