why i DNF books 🥲 all the books i put down in 2024 (booktok fails, disappointments, future reads)
Vložit
- čas přidán 27. 05. 2024
- Get a bonus week of a free trial of Listening.com with this special link: www.listening.com/caricanread
mentioned:
the jasmine throne
ring shout
biography of x
starflight
only a monster
pheonix unbound
butter
powerless
faebound
to gaze upon wicked gods
lore of the wilds
assistant to the villain
✨NEW VIDEOS Every Friday 8am KST✨
🍮 Join our Discord: / discord
🦢 My main channel: @caricakes
☕ Donate a coffee?
ko-fi.com/caricakes
💖 FAQ
What’s my job? - • a work week in seoul, ...
Where do I live? (Korean apartment tour) - • Apartment Hunting in S...
Where am I from? - • Cross Country Road Tri...
You can also find me here:
Contact: caricakes@sixteenth.co
Tiktok: / caricakez
Instagram: / caricakez
Bookstagram: / caricanread
StoryGraph: bit.ly/3feHU8Z
Tumblr: / caricanread
Links may be affiliate links, thank you for helping my channel!
why i DNF books 🥲 all the books i put down in 2024 (booktok fails, disappointments, future reads)
My mom uses boring books to help her fall asleep, so anything I DNF a book for being too slow, I give it to my mom, and she's always like, "That book you sent me is such a snooze-fest! Put me right to bed!"
My first DMF book “Devil and the white city” non fiction so slow detailed and boring. My recommendation for your mom.
This made me laugh, your mom is so funny 😂 “such a snooze-fest” really got me!
LOVE this
LMAO. At least trashy books still have some use.
I love that 😂
"I feel like I could write the rest of this book" has to be the most unintentionally savage thing I've heard said about a book in a while
A very interesting topic Cari. For me, as a senior person, its gotten very easy to dnf books because frankly I am running out of time to read crap. I have less patience .😅 I just find another book. 📚👍🤗💕
LOL!!!!
i feel this
I’m only 29 and already I feel like I’m running out of time to read crap 😂
I'm 24 and I feel this way too! I have lists upon lists of books I wanna read. If a book isn't working for me, it's not worth my time! I could be reading something else!
"It is an extremely cold and rainy and dark day." Thanks. I just found the opening line for my book.
🌧🌧🌧
Giving myself permission to DNF books was a skill that I had to learn. It’s difficult!
I like your distinction between hard DNFs and soft ones! I started DNFing shortly after finishing 1984, which I absolutely loathed. I remember thinking "I could have read 5 other books I might've actually liked in the time it took for me to force myself to slog through this one" and I've been DNFing ever since!
My reasons are pretty similar to yours, too: wrong timing, wrong mood, Not My Thing™, and just plain bad books. I have 1 additional category too: books I tried multiple times but never made it through. If I try a book twice and DNF both times, then it becomes a permanent DNF!
THANK YOU for sharing your honest thoughts on “Powerless!” As someone else who didn’t love it, it’s been so nice to see some of my fave booktubers (you, the book leo and newlynova among them!) talk about this book in recent weeks and point out things I had issues with that I feel like no one else has articulated. I think Lauren Roberts truly has great potential, seeing as how “Powerless” is her debut, but I’d love to see her write something that feels uniquely hers!
I also hated it! I’d even say it was the worst book I ever read. More people who didn’t enjoy it need to talk about it!
Having a supremely awful day so seeing your friendly face is an immediate brightener. I have so much trouble DNFing because I get to the point of like, "I'm going to finish it for spite," lol. Have a great weekend, Cari! 🙂
i completely understand the spite :''') and maybe end the day by reading Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day to finish off strong :(
I feel that. Docile by K. M. Szpara is one I finished out of spite because I wanted to have all my facts right in order to write a scathing review of it. It was bad writing and triggering and terrible worldbuilding all in one go lol
I DNFed a book yesterday, and today started a new book, which referred to the one I DNFed! I mean, both are partly set in Mexico City, but I still thought it was a wild coincidence.
the universe is watching!!
Getting comfortable with DNFing is such a valuable skill for a reader! I struggle with it still, but i did dnf Faebound this year. i feel so validated that you dnfed it too cari, because every other channel i've seen either really enjoyed it or atleast thought it was okay!
there has only been ONE book that I didn’t regret not DNFing, which was Six of Crows. Honestly I’m so glad I pushed myself to finish it because I’m officially obsessed with it
I feel like that’s why putting a book down for a bit can be great! Like if it has a slow moment or you’re just not in the mood taking a bit of a break is awesome :)
I don't really dnf books anymore because i have a couple of booktubers like you that i take most of my recommandations from so it's rarely a miss for me!! So glad for this though, it was harder to find books i like when i was younger!
Thanks to booktubers, I now have a "nah" shelf on Goodreads 😂😂😂
@@KYX1994 same 😂 I'm so thankful for them 🙏🏻
I also dnf'd Only a Monster but will definitely return to it at a different time. I met Vanessa Len and bought the books directly from her and she is one of the SWEETEST nicest people I have ever met and i really want to keep supporting her career
thats so good to hear!! will definitely continue
I read that one but I haven't picked up book 2 yet. Kinda in the whole haven't been in the mood to read which is weird cause i liked book 1
I also just DNFed Assistant To The Villain 😅 I usually force myself to finish any book I start reading…but I just couldn’t do it with this one.
yeah literally nothing about it made me want to keep reading hahah
I loved the tiktoks that it started as. The author is REALLY good at the one-woman show, short-form video skits and communicating other characters' actions and words through just the main character's responses and actions!
I did complete the novel, but I had to lean into the way she wrote, which I would describe, at least at the beginning of the novel, as "took 1 writing 101 course and included all the writing cliches". For example, in the first chapter, she describes the MC's dress as plain and brown at least twice with basically those exact words. Within 2 or 3 sentences of each other.
That and other examples makes me believe the author just isn't as skilled at writing a novel as she is at writing the skits. Which, honestly is fine. Once I was able to get over the writing style, I ended up loving it and I'm super excited for the sequel. But I think it's incredibly important to go into it understanding how the novel came to be and that the author could use some additional experience writing (or at least a better editor than she got, I mean come on!).
Also, and this is what *would* have made me DNF if I was going to, the audiobook narrator's speaking style is SO STILTED! I cringed more at the way she read some of the sentences than the sentences deserved :/ I also eventually got over that, but it was a lot harder than leaning into the writing style was.
But after hearing all the reasons Cari didn't finish it, makes sense and it sounds like it just wasn't a good style of book for her. Again, it could be stuff that the author just isn't skilled enough to do better, but that does unfortunately mean this book will never be right for Cari, perhaps unless the author re-releases an edited version in a few years.
All of those reasons why Assistant to the Villain isn't good I was a little worried that Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup wouldn't be very good, but she did and absolutely AMAZING job with it!
I had started reading 'Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss and was LOVING it. Then my husband told me that it's supposed to be a trilogy and only the first two books were done and everyone had been waiting for years (and still are!) for the third book to be written. So I was like, "ok, I'll just put this aside and wait for the third book to come out because I just know this is going to be an amazing story and I need to read it all at once." Then a couple years later I decided it was ok to read the first two and then reread them once the last book was released as I've done with other series before. I read through the part I had read before, but it was sort of bland. I couldn't figure out why I had been so enamoured with it. And as I continued on passed where I had read to before, I became more and more disenchanted, and finally dnfed it. Sadness.
The last book will never be released, is my opinion. Rothfuss has dug himself into a hole. His first book took off to a height he had never imagined and he has become burried beneath an expectation from the community that he doesn't believe he can ever meet or excede. And I don't think he can either because the expectation is so unrealisticly high as to be unattainable. His fear of releasing a book that disappoints his rabid fanbase will shackle him. He's waited so long that time has only made it more difficult to do the thing. That's all my opinion on the matter.
I think the series is very good, but there are some points that turn me off, such as in the 2nd book where the teenager is supposedly a natural Cassaniva in the sheets. Eye roll.
How interesting! I tried reading it recently and I only got 27 pages in, I just didn’t think it was very interesting and I had only heard really good things about it. And I’ve heard the writing is descriptive and beautiful but I didn’t feel that way yet. I might try to finish it someday
Ooo my experience is so similar! I read like 50 pages when it came out and found it intriguing, but when I tried to get back into it I just wasn't feeling it anymore. It's still lounging in my "currently reading" on storygraph but I think I need to realise it's a dnf at this point (it's been 2 years since I last opened it) 😅 Maybe I'll revisit it again in 10 years? (or when/if the third comes out lol)
i wanted to like the first book but it was boring to me. have read too many fantasy books and I could guess the story
i read the first two books at the intense urging of my partner when i was DESPERATE to read something after being in a very long reading slump, and i agree with the comment on its blandness. the whole time before i begrudgingly picked up the books, my partner was hyping them up to the heavens, saying it was one of the best fantasy series ever, i would love it, etc etc. i finally slogged through them that summer and they were BORING 😭 it was an incredibly done-before sort of fantasy setting with an insufferable narrator and NO compelling female characters. then, when i finished after many long painful hours, my partner didn't even want to discuss the series with me 😭
I am so glad someone else feels like that about Powerless. I made myself finish it because I had DNF'd Shatter Me that month and was feeling like I was just giving up. This was a good video to help make it feel less bad to just put the book you aren't enjoying down.
yes I have soft DNF’s, Vengeful and Viscous were two of those. I was on a really hard depression and that duology is intense and VERY gray/dark and I mentally just could not handle it. Afterwards, I picked those books back up when I was in a good headspace and ate them up!!!! However, I feel like I hard DNF romance novels all the freaking time HAHAHA, no regrets. It’s so hard to find a really good romance that I’m willing to sit through and actually read. Anyways, thank you always for a fresh perception Cari!!
Same with the romances, I know tropes can be good if you want to turn off your brain but in my head I'm just 'you had such a good world, you had something to dig into... why are we obsessing over chiselled abs rn? Girl FOCUS!' Maybe I'm just too ace for romance. Sometimes you'll see some actual good pairings but majority feel... like the same man with different eyes, usually covertly abusive to make him 'interesting' and always his main character trait is sassy and in love. Like. Nothing will make me DNF harder than copypaste bad boys who take up the whole plot and aren't actually interesting. (I couldn't even touch ACOTAR. So many guys just became Rice or whatever.)
okay two things:
1) i also DNF’d Jasmine Throne about 2 years ago. it sat on my shelf until i got the flu earlier this year and was desperate for something to read, and i’m glad i finally finished it! i don’t think i’m going to read the rest of the trilogy right now, but i definitely get where you are coming from with it being a right place right time kinda book (and i think i finally was pulled in by the characters about 50ish% of the way through the book, which is right after where i’d stopped the first time lol)
2) i feel so SEEN by your Faebound takes. i read it the day it came out and was so ready to love jt, and i just couldn’t get into it. the main character does seem to flip from one character extreme to the next and none of the romance feels earned for anyone. i ended up finishing it, but it was more a begrudging and resigned endeavor, unfortunately :(
I dnfed the cruel prince probably in 2018 when it came out because I didn't really get it and didn't like the characters and then tried it again last year because of all the hype and i wanted to know why does everyone love this series when i didn't.
And then i loved it. And i love the characters. One of my favorite series now lol.
I dnf books all the time but sometimes I do it (especially the last book of a series i really enjoyed) because I don't want it to end lol. I try so hard to do that less 😭
Me too! I do this with long tv shows as well such as game of thrones 😢
i had to CLAW my way through the assistant to the villain and i was still dissatisfied by the ending. the premise had so much promise and yet it failed to deliver in so many ways. i'll probably read the second one because it's one of those books i didn't super enjoy reading but i could not get out of my head so i had to finish it
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who didn't like Powerless. I saw it EVERYWHERE and was so hyped to read it but it just didn't land for me. 😭It wasn't bad per se but I just couldn't connect with the characters and the plot felt like an after thought to the flirting. To be clear I enjoy reading good banter but when every other line was a 'witty' quip I got tired of it. When the author said it was a mashup of Red Queen and the Hunger Games I didn't expect the plot/world-building to be literally the same thing (minus the interesting social commentary in the Hunger Games).
I so agree, i have only finished it because i listened to it as an audiobook so i could be doing other stuff but it’s just not good. The idea is so cool but the dialogue is dragged out and bad, situations just repeat, there were so many setups for more interesting plot twists
omg I tried to return a book today and it didn't work, and I was like "why is this not working?" I was in a rush so I left it for another time, and only now watching your video I realize THIS is why I wasn't able to return the book, so THANK YOU for mentioning it!! Honestly, not really a fan of this new update, it was much easier to do it all within the app, but we'll see hahaha
I love the last minute Throne in the Dark appreciation! Love those books
love that you post on fridays. it's my day off and it's become a ritual that i start my fridays with your videos 😌
12 MINUTES AGO???? IVE NEVER BEEN SO ON TIME!!!
wahhh thank you for being here!
@@caricanread Thank you for giving me somewhere to be!!!
As a librarian, when I recommend a book to someone, mainly kids, I make sure to tell them that if they can’t get into the book that they can return it. That it won’t hurt my feelings and it just means we need to find another one. I try to put emphasis that they don’t have to finish every book the pick.
new cari video! so excited to watch!
This is why libraries are so radical too!
If you aren't sure you'll love a book, then please, please, PLEASE check with your local/school library!
I get all of my experimental and guilty-pleasure reads from the library, and if I dont like em I can send them back early! They appreciate the interest regardless
For me it was If we were villains M.L Rio. I didn’t vibe with the writing style. Then after a few months, I feel in love with it!
What a great breakdown of DNFs into categories. It has taken time to learn to do this and is one reason why I am hesitant to commit to book clubs. If I’m not liking the reading then I want to be able to put it down without guilt because I promised anyone that I would finish it. NetGalley gets me sometimes because I feel obligated to finish. I recently was reading a book that was highly touted but I hated picking up because it was slow and hard to keep the characters straight. I had to just give in and let it go.
Also, Ring Shout was a great audiobook if you can get it that way.
I saw your short about Five Broken Blades and immediately chose it for my book of the month so I cannot wait for that wrap up
Absolutely LOVE this Cari! Love the cozy vibes, and love the concept of different and relevant reasons for DNFs and soft DNFs! 😊👍
thank youuuu!
I soft DNF books allll the time! Very much "I'm coming back baby, I promise!"
I totally understand DNFing to avoid a reading slump! I've put myself in one now trying to read three books at the same time and not being super excited about any of them 🥲
omg i cant read multiple books at once, it always ends in disaster!
I only read multiple books if I am rereading them
Thank you for the warning on Butter!! I have a similar trigger and agree it doesn't get set off too much but it's definitely great to know I should avoid, especially since (typically) I was ALSO interested in reading that book! Really appreciate it, love your videos!!
Thank you for the sparkles 😢😢😢 it felt special ❤❤
Love all your opinions especially on TGUWG and the controversy surrounding it ❤
I was hoping cari would mention "house of flame and shadow" 😂 we need update on crescent city!
Your review of the Jasmine Throne is finally pushing me to read it. It's been on my TBR forever
gosh! I LOVE your videos so much!
i love your content
I had such a bad day, I'm grateful for this video 🥲 you're so funny and your voice is really nice to listen to!
I'm also trying to learn to give up on books that I have to interest in finishing, our time is valuable!
Completely agree, Assistant to the Villain was so awkward and clunky. I think about it all the time, so many things didn’t make sense! By the end I was laughing and rolling my eyes when I think the author wanted me to be emotional 😬
I will be checking out Throne in the Dark though! That sounds amazing!
Is it easier to DNF a song (album) vs a book, film, or TV show because the song or album takes less time to experience? If you don't like the song, there is absolutely zero reason to keep listening to it even if you haven't gotten to the chorus yet? But books, films, and TV shows take are much longer and involve more factors in its artistic and technical composition, so you feel like you have to stay through the end because it could get better?
i also think it takes a lot more mental energy to read a book so you've invested so much to it, its harder to give up haha
@@caricanreadYes! the mental energy required to finish a book is even more than a movie or TV show. The latter two can be more passively consumed than a book. I imagine an ebook *could* be easier to DNF if you flat-out hate the narrator, but it might require more focus than reading with eyeballs?
New video from the new apartment woot!
I've recently read Throne in the dark because of your recommendation and I loved it! I also picked up the rest of the series which I'll hopefully get to soon.
ring shout on the cover scared me but i totally get the time constraint thing! i get the same way with netgalley expiration dates. clark’s new book is fantastic by the way!!
I absolutely ADORE the Raven Boys series! I damn near gasped to hear you didn't finish it at first. The characterization that Maggie brings to the pages is unreal. I'd never been able to imagine characters so well--I strive to write such believable people like that.
I finished ACOSF and wanted a little palette cleanser before I dive into Crescent City. I read That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon and fricken loved it!! I found it in your short books video and I'm so glad I did!
I find that I’ve also been learning it’s okay to dnf books this year. And a lot of the books ive dnfed it’s just bc I wasn’t in the mood. Like I totally still want to read those books. I was inspired bc I’ve seen you dnf so many this year and I realized it wasn’t giving up its just not the right time or right book
i really love the idea of soft dnfs. that’s such a good way to put it!
i tried to read empire of silence by christopher ruoccio last year, and dnf’ed it. it’s a fantastic book, but it covers some quite heavy scenes that i was not mentally in the space to handle. also, it’s a big series and my library only had the first book, and i just couldn’t make that commitment without having the next books readily available
loved the video cari!
Throne in the Dark is one of my fave reads this year. Sooo good! I actually wanted to recommend it to you - glad you already love it. (But I still also love Assistant to the Villain.)
I absolutely hate when I do my research on trigger warnings and a book still triggers me. It creates a reading block for more then half a year. Authors should worry less about hiding twists and care more about accurate trigger information. Thanks for including that in your video as a valid reason to avoid books. ❤
One of my reading goals this year is to DNF more liberally. It's still a struggle for me bc I always think "but what if it gets really good??"
i know the struggle :''''(
You never fail to make me happy 💞
Thank you so much for making DNF-ing the new norm!!! We all needed to watch this video!
I really liked this video. It was so thorough about why. I hope making videos like these helps you feel less guilty.
I have no problem DNFing books because if I'm not enjoying something, why waste my time further. The two main reasons I DNF are two of your reasonings, Cari. One, I'm a big mood reader and sometimes I'm just not in the mood for a particular book, and I'll put it down for however long and pick it up later (a soft DNF). The second reason is that I'm simply not clicking with a book, be it the writing style or the book is just not good or something else. In that case I'd call those hard DNF's and I don't return to them.
I love that you made a video about this!!! I've been getting better at DNFing a book for all of these reasons. I put down Queen of Nothing by Holly Black, because of the mood that I was in. For a year I didn't touch it because Cardan hurt my feelings. But then I finished it, and it's one of my favorite books. A more recent DNF is Blood Reverie on WEBTOON, and I absolutely believe it isn't a good story. Props to you for admitting you don't like popular books. It shouldn't be as unnerving as it is to not like a book that a lot of people love, but it almost feels like a crime...
cari can read never dissapoints
I used to dnf books sometimes when I was younger (there's still a book from ninth grade I need to finish), but I changed for the most part. I'm very goal driven now, so I intend to finish whatever I started now. If I start a book, I'll finish it. Even the one from ninth grade.
LOL!
why?
@@19Rena96 why what? Why did I dnf books? Elaborate a little.
@@TheEmeraldSword86 Sorry 😅Why do you feel the need to finish a book even though you don't like it
@@19Rena96 oh. I don't start the book over, I finish it anyway. If I don't like it very much, then I just don't. I've been reading the same author exclusively for the time being, so that's that.
I appreciate your comments on Faebound. I have a huge TBR and I've been on the fence whether I wanted to try it or not. Such a shame, because I have the Fairyloot edition which I think is aesthetically one of my favorite for its cover art.
Every time I see “DNF” I have to remind myself it means “did not finish” and not the other thing I do not wish to speak of. I get war flashbacks, man.
A fellow ex-dsmp member I see 👀
I've had Throne of the Dark on my list for too long. You've given me the nudge.
I'm so relieved to find people who had the same opinion of Powerless that I did. I felt like something was wrong with me for not liking it because of all the good reviews on social media. I forced myself to finish it and wished I hadn't. I did recently DNF Bride of the Shadow King, I got about 15% into and it wasn't clicking for me. Read some reviews and it wasn't going to get better and it evolved into a trope I can't stand.
The way you describe the dissonance in lore of the wilds was how I felt while reading fourth wing and the sequel!!
Just this morning I DNF’d The Binding right as I hit halfway point. Completely enthralled but I could see that my heart would eventually be ripped from my chest. I made the choice to protect myself from drowning in a million billion tears.
it’s so interesting seeing different booktubers having different opinions, just a reminder it is all so subjective. another booktuber I watch DNF’d five broken blades, but powerless is their favourite series of last year, and you had the opposite experience! ❤️
Okay I’m just a passerby, but I just wanted to let you know that I find your videos so soothing and have them playing in the background while I’m doing my homework hahah
I usually have at least 3 books on my Libby shelf so I have some variety to choose from depending on my mood. Sometimes I will fly through a book in a day and other times I feel like I’m just kidding myself because I keep avoiding a book. If I notice that someone else is waiting for it, I immediately feel guilty and return it back 😅
I like the term soft dnf. I’ve been trying to read Dracula for nearly 7 years. Every fall I pick it up and just cannot manage to finish it, but every year I get closer. Last year I made it about 90% before I stopped. I bought a really nice hardcover illustrated version so maybe this year will be the year.
I also found Powerless cliche and stale, however, the ending was a big shock! Thats literally the only thing that is keeping me invested for when the sequels released.
I have two book recommendations. Author Garth Nix. Title : Book 1 The Left-Handed Booksellers of London. Book 2 The Sinister Booksellers of Bath. I had both books as audiobooks because the author narrated both. There is a bit of everything in these books, plus such good humour from this author. Highly recommend if you haven’t tried them already.
I’m sending you love❤❤❤
I also dnf'd Powerless 💀 it didn't help that I LITERALLY read Red Queen a week or two before I started Powerless. It was a weaker version of Red Queen, and Red Queen isn't even a masterpiece 😅
I also DNFed The Gilded Wolves because I didn't realize that it was YA when I picked it up, and I've honestly just outgrown the genre. If I had read that when I was younger, I would probably have loved it. Though when you said you loved the second book in the series even after DNFing the first time around, it did make me reconsider maybe picking it up again myself.
I “soft” DNF’d the book The Tainted Cup yesterday after 3 pages because Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries came in the mail and I wanted to read it instead. Wonderful decision! I’ll definitely go back to Tainted Cup, but wasn’t the right time.
I totally get you about powerless it felt like i was reading hunger games all over again couldn’t go through it
omg about powerless!! i looked into it because it was everywhere on bookstagram, but then i read the synopsis and thought "this setup sounds almost exactly like another book..." and that other book was what i labeled as "come back to" because i didn't find it at the right moment, but now i kinda really wanna go back to that other book and then check out powerless just to see if the similarities extend beyond the setup
AHH, Phoenix Unbound is a favourite of mine. I ❤Grace Draven and specifically this storyline. 😅
thank you for validating something that’s a bit taboo in the reading world!!! I’m finishing my second year of American law school and my patience for crappy books is nonexistent
No way, Thrown in the Dark love!? I never see people mention it. It’s one of my favorite trilogies. The main male character is such a phenomenally written sort of villain.
So early i love you so much ❤❤❤❤
thank you :'''')
@@caricanread ❤️❤️
wow, I haven’t heard someone mention Starflight in years! I read that back around 2016 and enjoyed it as a teenager but never read the sequel.
Thanks to discovering your channel, I have grown comfortable with DNFing books this year! It’s helped me stay out of a rut and read more since I’m a moody lady.
I don't often DNF books because I'm a bit picky about what I start reading in the first place, but I do have a handful of books that I have put down for a while and plan on coming back to. One of them was Shadows of Self, the second book in Brandon Sanderson's second Mistborn series. I love Brandon Sanderson books but I could not get through Shadows of Self to save my life. Like I had that book on my "currently reading" shelf for over two years, I have started the audiobook twice and tried reading the physical book twice. Only on my second try at physically reading it did I actually finish it and I ended up liking it! To this day I cannot tell you what was not clicking exactly. BUT I'm glad I was able to push through it because I absolutely loved the next book in the series, Bands of Mourning, I ate that one up and read it in two sittings lol
Another one is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I started that one and then almost immediately somebody spoiled it for me. So I put it down, and now I'm not sure if it's worth going back to or not.
I'm a writer and working on the first draft of my novel. During that I don't really read much - I've temporarily soft DNF'd book 5 of 8 in a series I'm loving solely because I have a rule about not reading other novels when writing so I'm not overly influenced or spend all my free time reading instead of working on my own book. 😅 It took a lot of time though to get comfortable with that.
Yes girl! Pumpkin Spice all year! Just gives cozy vibes ❤
Dnfing is almost like therapy lol you have to sift through what emotions you are feeling, why you are feeling them and if that was the purpose of the media, and then decide if you personally wanna deal with that
I also dnf'd assistant to the villian. It gave me 2014 wattpad vibes and normally Im good about forcing myself, but I just couldn't. We should all be more comfortable dnf-ing books though, thanks for talking openly about it all
With Ring Shout you should absolutely listen to the audio if you can! It’s much easier to process and the accents really immerse you
I finished the thorn in the dark series. It’s really good!! I love it more than a lot of popular fantasy series.
The magic eye metaphor was chef’s kiss 👨🍳💋 I don’t know if I’ve heard of a better explanation for not being into a book 😂
I feel the same about Powerless, it might be my first DNF, and I tried to like it since so many did but just like you said, hearing that someone else didn’t like it makes me feel less like “I just didn’t get far enough” or “did I just not get it”
I used to feel like I had to finish the book to justify my time and purchase of it, but now, whenever a book doesn’t grip me, I simply put it down and go to the next one in the list
I really relate to your comment about feeling pressure when a library deadline is looming - reading when I feel like I have to read does not feel as enjoyable.
I agree with other that are sharing that DNF'ing is a skill that I'm working on developing. I never used to put down any book I had started, good or bad. Up until last year, the only book I had ever DNF'ed was Hannibal Rising. Having purchased my books probably played a role in feeling like I had to finish them since I paid good money, but now that I borrow books from the library, I don't feel the same pressure to keep reading a book that's not a good fit for me.
The Hating Game from Sally Thorne was the book that pushed me to get my library card. Had I not purchased this book, I would have DNF'ed it so hard.
Will you be breaking down House of Flame & Shadow? I have listened through like all of your SJM videos instead of reading the books and I need your breakdowns lol
As soon as I saw your short on Five Broken Blades I ordered it immediately!! As for dnf’s, mine normally fall into two camps; can’t read it right at that moment for what ever reason or, I didn’t like it at all for some reason. One of my dnf’s that I have tried over and over to read is Jade City since it was so highly rated. I finally gave up and said “not for me”. Life is too short for a read that you don’t enjoy! 🙂
FIVE BROKEN BLADES HAS ME LIVING ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT
lol, it appears we have very similar taste in DNFs 😅I also DNFd (or powered through but ultimately hated) Raven Boys, Biography of X, Butter, Faebound, TGUWG, Lore of the Wilds, and Assistant to the Villain.
Though I did love Jasmine Throne and liked Ring Shout (once I switched to physical only, the audiobook really ruined the first half for me)
I really feel like AttV is an unfunny middlegrade that's just 200 TikToks in a trenchcoat, but a better, funnier, YA implementation would be Nimona and I highly recommend that graphic novel instead. (Note: it's not a romance)