Let's Talk: Setting Aside & DNFing Books
This is a subject for bookworms that receives different responses. As a reader that went into hibernation for the majority of 2016, I have mixed feelings on my response to setting side and/or DNFing books. So let's discuss!
When it comes to putting a book down, whether I intend on coming back to it in a few weeks, a few months or not again, I have mixed feelings. My first thoughts are when it comes to considering this decision is that I've paid for this book and to put it down (essentially DNFing it indefinitely) would be a waste of money, especially as most of my books are hardbacks and therefore expensive. I don't like wasting money and I choose that book because I took it on good faith that I'd enjoy it. So I can reason with myself that I will come back to it at some point.
For example, the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo I didn't particularly like despite all of the hype, so I came to the conclusion instead of hate-reading the second book and potentially ruining a heart-breaking ending, I'm setting it aside until my saltiness for the first book has worn off. This goes along the same lines as my experience with Laini Taylor's writing. I've currently put off reading the third book in her Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy as I find her writing complex, much like I am currently finding with her latest book Strange the Dreamer. It is a beautiful hardback book (which we never get in the UK) and I don't want to admit defeat with it. I paid money for it, I want to enjoy it. With Strange the Dreamer, I'm almost halfway through. I pushed that far but felt myself feeling slumpy, so in this instance, I'm putting it on the back burner, I'm setting it aside. It's not going to be left indefinitely, but I do plan on coming back to it when I feel like conquering her writing style which I'm really okay and comfortable about.
If we think about books in that way, I think us bookworms would feel a hell of a lot less guilty about setting books aside or DNFing them for the mean while.
When it comes to putting a book down, whether I intend on coming back to it in a few weeks, a few months or not again, I have mixed feelings. My first thoughts are when it comes to considering this decision is that I've paid for this book and to put it down (essentially DNFing it indefinitely) would be a waste of money, especially as most of my books are hardbacks and therefore expensive. I don't like wasting money and I choose that book because I took it on good faith that I'd enjoy it. So I can reason with myself that I will come back to it at some point.
For example, the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo I didn't particularly like despite all of the hype, so I came to the conclusion instead of hate-reading the second book and potentially ruining a heart-breaking ending, I'm setting it aside until my saltiness for the first book has worn off. This goes along the same lines as my experience with Laini Taylor's writing. I've currently put off reading the third book in her Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy as I find her writing complex, much like I am currently finding with her latest book Strange the Dreamer. It is a beautiful hardback book (which we never get in the UK) and I don't want to admit defeat with it. I paid money for it, I want to enjoy it. With Strange the Dreamer, I'm almost halfway through. I pushed that far but felt myself feeling slumpy, so in this instance, I'm putting it on the back burner, I'm setting it aside. It's not going to be left indefinitely, but I do plan on coming back to it when I feel like conquering her writing style which I'm really okay and comfortable about.
If we think about books in that way, I think us bookworms would feel a hell of a lot less guilty about setting books aside or DNFing them for the mean while.
However, when it comes to DNFing books entirely, when you just know that a book isn't for you and you you cast it aside like a mass-market paperback. I've come to accept that The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare, Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon, and Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald are all permanent, indefinite did not finish books. I tried with these books but I came to terms a long time ago that despite spending my money on these, they'll only ever be decorations on my shelves and I'm okay about that. I have the added bonus of The Iron Trial being signed by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, but I never intended on reading it in the first place ⎯⎯ it was only ever intended for a book signing and not to be read.
The thing about us bookworms is that despite how much pressure we put on ourselves and force ourselves to read a book, not set it aside, but finish it (hell, I used to do this so much that it made me fall out of love with reading), it's okay to put a book down and move onto something else. If it keeps you reading, put something aside, come back later, or just accept when something isn't for you. I accepted it was okay to do this when I fell back into reading. The second book I picked up I didn't enjoy despite loving all the author's other works, so it's down and it might come back, it might not, but I'm okay about leaving that at the wayside and being excited to pick something else up that I'll love. Once we all have that attitude toward books (it's still a learning curve for me), then more books will be enjoyed and there will be happier bookworms reading what they love!
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