Jedda knows that life is too short to read bad books, but still feels a bit angsty about adding to her growing Did Not Finish list.
I’m trying to feel less guilty about these unfinished books. There are so many great books out there to spend my time on, and I shouldn’t feel bad putting away a book because I’m not enjoying it.
I just need to convince myself a little harder.
My DNF list is muuuuch longer than my Have Finished list1.
I approach books like the pours on a beer flight: little tasters to see what I want to order a full pint of.
The whole point is not committing to to seeing a particular one through. Instead, it’s about sampling a bit to see what resonates most with me, on that particular day, at that particular place. If one does, then I’ll dive in and order a full pour, which I’m likely to then finish because I already know what it’s like.
But I don’t feel guilty about only drinking a few sips of one sampler before moving on to the next one.
- I’d say that I finish one out of every 5 or so books that I start. Some sound interesting in the abstract, but it takes too long for me to get into. More often, however, it’s simply that my initial interest in the book doesn’t match my mood when I do most of my reading: right before bed. That’s fine, because I get nearly every book from my local public library, so I simply return it and try another.
If one sticks, then I will make a point to get it read before the due date, or purchase my own copy to read and digest at my leisure. ↩︎