Permission for a DNF
life is too busy for books that don’t speak to the soul
There are millions, possibly billions of books in existence today. Yet, when I find myself less than enthralled by one I have a hard time letting it go.
Maybe that’s from my college days. When you can’t choose all of your readings for a class, there’s bound to be a few you don’t connect with. Of course, you’ll be graded on those books even if you refuse to read them. This can carry on to our personal reading habits later in life.
Perhaps it’s a book that has high ratings. There are book clubs on Goodreads that are dedicated to the concept of not reading books that everyone else has read.
It’s common for us bibliophiles to get recommendations from people we trust and admire. When we realize that their favorite is just not for us, it’s hard to not finish it. After all, we know that they will ask our opinion.
There are also books that we’ve wanted to read for years. When we finally get to it, it feels like failure to give it up.
The book that I’m struggling to finish right now comes from that last camp. I was beyond excited when I found it at a Half Price Bookstore clearance sale. I was drawn to the title and the genre- short stories about the end of the world. I was also excited to see a few authors I had heard rave reviews about on the cover.
It didn’t take long for me to become disengaged. After the first two, the book went downhill for me. However, since it was a book that I’d been wanting to read since 2017, I kept on. Besides, it was already on my Goodreads list. How would it look to my 15 friends if I put a book in the DNF (Do Not Finish) pile?
So, I’m currently less than a hundred pages from the finish line. I think that I’ll finish this one. However, I also think that it’s the last boring book that I’ll finish.
I don’t take giving up on a book lightly. However, as there are so many books out there, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to add it to the DNF. At least until another season, if it’s something that you are really drawn to.
There’s nothing wrong with refusing to finish a book. In fact, it allows more time for things that speak more directly to our hearts.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a favorite author either. There are books from their collection that will challenge us and entertain us. There are also books that just take up time. There’s no real reason to keep reading just because it’s from a particular person.
I’m sure that you’d rather spend time reading something that expands your mind and brings true joy than dragging on that one book.
So, in case you and I need it, here’s your permission slip to not finish a book.
