Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Welcome back to Tuesday! It's the last day of the month, and as I'm typing this, I am thinking it's possible I've been on the computer too much today because the text is a bit blurry. So, pardon any typos.
This week's Top Ten Tuesday was supposed to be about petty reasons you didn't finish a book or reduced its rating. It's so rare I don't finish a book--though I am getting better about it--that I didn't think I could come up with a complete list. I'm not even sure I can come up with a complete list of...
Top Ten Darn Good Reasons I DNF a Book
1. The book's description doesn't match its contents. This frosts my cookies. Don't give me a deceiving back cover blurb.
2. Unlikeable characters. While I might not like every character in a book, I've read the occasional novel where every single character made me want to toss the book across the room.
3. Weak first three chapters. I am willing to walk along with an author for three chapters. If I'm not hooked by then, I'll put it down.
4. Characters acting suddenly and inexplicably out of character. This is a dangerous reason not to finish a book. By the end, your character who is acting oddly might redeem themselves or at least you discovered a valid reason why they acted that way. I will give it a while, but don't want to continue if it doesn't start making sense.
5. The narrator doesn't capture my attention. Having listened to more Audible books over the last year, I've learned the narrator makes a difference. Just because you can narrate your own book, doesn't mean you should. Also, there are times when you shouldn't hand that task to someone else because they won't capture your passion for the material.
6. I'm bored or not listening. I love reading, so if I am avoiding the book or reading anything other than getting back to it, that is a DNF for me.
7. Graphic violence or violent sex. I've reduced or eliminated reading books in some genres because they appeal less to me now. So, if I stumble upon these elements unexpectedly, I'll put the book down.
8. An abundance of typographical or grammar errors. I can get by these for the most part, but if there are so many it distracts from the story, I won't continue.
9. The villain's story makes no sense. Generally speaking, people aren't born evil. Usually, something has happened to the villain to make them the way they are. If I can't see that, and the bad person is bad for no good reason, I might not finish the book.
10. A book that could be told in significantly fewer words. Have you ever read a book and felt at the end that with strong editing it could have been half as long? The middle might have dragged on longer than necessary. Getting to the conflict takes too much time. There are information dumps that don't add to the story. If I am going to invest enough time to read all 400+ pages of a novel, it better be riveting from beginning to the end.
Do we share any of the same reasons for not finishing a book?
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8 comments:
I hate graphic sex or violence in books, too. Just give me the general idea no graphic details, please.
I also dislike graphic sex or violence scenes.
Here is my Top Ten Tuesday.
How I hate synopses that lie or exaggerate what the plot is about
I have DNF a a book after 10 pages and with only 10 pages left in a book. If I don't care about the characters, or lose interest in them, why finish? Though I will admit, it sucks to DNF a book so close to the end because that's time you can't get back.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/reasons-why-ive-stopped-reading-a-book/
Anne, that's how I feel. I don't need all the details.
Takes away from enjoyment of a book, doesn't it, Lydia?
TheMoonPhoenix, it's so annoying.
Agreed, Pam. I might find it hard to quit so close to the end, but sometimes it's worth it.
Thanks for visiting today, everyone! I appreciate your comments.
Yes, this is a great list! I usually go a bit beyond 3 chapters, but it really depends on the book.
So many of these are true for me as well! Your last point is a really good one -- I feel like too many books lately drag on and on, when they would have been much better if they'd been edited to be shorter and tighter.
Cheryl - I like how you think, because so many of these reasons are the same reasons why I'll DNF a book too. However, that last one often doesn't hit me until after I've finished the book, and then I want to throw it across the room and scream "You could have been half as long and still told the story!" However, since I'm a grown up and don't want to ruin my walls, I restrain myself. But sometimes it's really hard, you know? 🤣
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