Don’t Be Afraid to DNF!

Written By: Gabriela B. at Millbrae Library

Have you ever picked up a book only to realize… it might not be the book for you? A reader has two choices: keep on reading in the hope that it will get better or DNF. DNF, or “Did Not Finish,” is an abbreviation used by readers to mark a book that you did not finish instead of a giving it a rating.

Why do readers DNF?

Many readers enjoy tracking the books they have read online or in a reading journal. For example, you would include information about the book, title and author, and then share how you feel about it. Some may use a star rating system, a number system or just write down their thoughts. For example, our website allows library users to write reviews and give star ratings that are shared publicly, so including “DNF” lets other readers know that you did not read the whole book. When looking at reviews, a DNF can be a rating in and of itself, meaning that the book was not worth finishing. For some people, it's difficult to mark a book DNF, but there's no shame in leaving a book unfinished!

When to DNF?

Some readers decide after a certain number of pages that if the book fails to grab their attention, they'll stop reading. If you're worried you aren’t giving the book a fair chance, decide on a page number or amount of chapters, and if the book hasn’t grabbed you by then, put it down and pick another title.

Sometimes you're just not in the mood. A dark and intense thriller might not be what you're looking for when you are feeling down, and a light beach read might not have enough substance when you're bored. If you simply don’t feel like reading or aren’t in the mood to read that particular book, you can always come back to it later. Keep track of books you’d like to revisit by logging into your library account and going to My Shelves. There, you can put a book on your "For Later," "In Progress" or "Completed" shelves. You can also create your own booklists to share recommendations with other readers or check out lists created by libraries and other library users. Book review websites like Goodreads, opens a new window and Storygraph, opens a new window also allow you to manage your reading and look at book ratings.

You might also run into a plot point or character that you find too off putting to get past. Maybe the book just isn’t that good. No matter how far you've read into a book, there is no obligation to finish. It's always fine to try something new, realize you don’t like what you’re reading and find a book that suits you better. One of the benefits of borrowing from your local library is you can return those “DNF” books and easily browse the shelves for something else. Reading should be fun! With the abundance of books available to us, why not invest our time in reading books that we love?

What Next?

Get some ideas for your next read by browsing our catalog. You can look for a title that piques your interest or you can see what other readers recommend. You can also log into Novelist Plus, opens a new window to see curated lists of Recommended Reads or look up Read-Alikes for your favorite books. Looking for something more interactive? Join San Mateo County Libraries' book club on Fable, opens a new window. When signing up for Fable, you can download an eBook version of the book club pick and join the conversation online for free.

How do you feel about not finishing a book? Do you move on when you aren’t loving a book, or do you want to finish every book no matter what?