DNFing Books: When I Quit, Why I Quit, and What It Taught Me

What Does DNF Mean in Books?

In the reading community, it means to drop a book before completing it.

Do you also find DNFing books a guilty pleasure?

Some books are usually so comforting to read that you keep coming back to them when life seems tough, but there are some books that are just so hard on the reader that moving a finger feels heavy.

But, you keep playing voices in your mind—"it will get better" or "it's just a few more pages..." and so on. 

I felt the same!

But over time, I have learned something important; not finishing a book (DNFing) is not a failure, but a skill.

It's an important life lesson as well. One should know when to be with people and when to let them go; failing to do so will leave you with scars.

When Do I DNF a Book?

I don't quit a book suddenly but have my own method of doing so, critically.

STEP 1

Good book covers are attractive.

DO JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER

If a book doesn't give you energy at a glance, it's not the right time to hold it. It's not the right time for that.

No matter what one says, as a reader, we need to connect with the book to feel excited. It could be the book cover, the title, the author, or just the texture of the book. 

If a book keeps coming to your mind, pick it. Reading should be an engaging activity, not just a task to tick off.

STEP 2

IDENTIFY THE WRITING STYLE

I generally identify the style of writing in the first 10 pages; persuasive, descriptive, or verbose usually suits me the best.

Find what suits you better. Sometimes it's difficult to read because the style of the author is entirely different from what you want to read.

STEP 3

PICK YOUR CHARACTERS 

While reading, it's very important to feel a connection with any character, not necessarily the protagonist. 

Find your character that makes you read the story.

If you don't find any, you won't remember them. So, dropping it is better.

STEP 4

NO TO LOUSY, REPETITIVE STORIES

Sometimes I find some books very similar, particularly romances. Similar characters with different settings following the same storyline is annoying and boring.

Read them only if you actually don't want to read anything new but don't want to read the same book again.

To me, it's a no! I prefer reading a new book with a new storyline.

Yeah! This book is so-so.

A mystery book with a different and unique plot is always better.

STEP 5

IF YOU DON'T ENJOY THE FIRST 50-100 PAGES, YOU WON'T ENJOY THE REST!

That's the borderline; even if I skip the first 4 steps, this one is the deal breaker.

A good book will not make you read crap for 100 pages just to get better in the next half.

Sometimes the book is short [150- 200 pages], so we think, it's just a few more pages and it's better to finish it than keeping it on the shelf untouched.

Honestly, all these things are a trap by our reader's mind. Do not fall for it.

WHY DOES IT FEEL GUILTY?

1) Constant pressure to complete the TBR: I feel I am falling behind when my TBR is pending.

2) Writing reviews in my journal: I don't like blank pages in my journal.

3) Sense of achievement in finishing: I think I like to chase this feeling to keep my pride up as a reader, especially when I am talking about books with my friends.

Final Thought:

DNFing Is a Reading Skill

As we grow as readers over time, we understand ourselves better. We learn that DNFing is better than not DNFing.

Most importantly, reading a book half-heartedly will only exhaust you and steal the time you could spend on a book that will actually make you feel all the emotions it should.

#BlogchatterA2Z2026

This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026. It contains my honest opinions.