Submitted by deepug9787 t3_10n9tfh in books
I just want to share my two cents on how to get better at DNFing books because I see a lot of people here who struggle with this. And I kind of understand that because I too struggled with it back when I was just getting started with reading books. I managed to finally overcome that phase when I realized that it was simply a matter of being more confident. Books are, after all, subjective things, just like paintings. And if I don't like a book, well...I don't like it, and that's all there's to it. All the glowing reviews in the world isn't going to change my opinion on it one bit. Sure, sometimes I do go back and re-read a book years later only to find out that I was wrong about it the first time around, but for the most part, I don't think twice before DNFing these days.
If I'm not mistaken, part of the reason is also the pressure that people seem to put on themselves to come across as a "well-read" person (whatever that means). Fortunately for me, I never had that problem. I've no problem admitting that I'm not a voracious reader. And in any case, I find book lovers who have unusual interests far more interesting than the ones who have simply read every book in every best-selling list out there.
I also tend to avoid talking about the number of books I've read, my reading goals etc. I understand that some people share these metrics to motivate themselves to read more, but personally, I think the best way to motivate yourself is to find a book that you love. And to find the ones you love, you ruthlessly ditch the ones you don't.
Josh6x6 t1_j67nids wrote
Totally agree. It took me a while to convince myself that it was OK to 'DNF' a book. There's just that expectation that you have to finish every book - and I say, that's not true at all. If it's not holding your interest, put it down and pick up something else.