DNF-ing a Book: Why It's a Good Thing

 If you haven't seen my bookish terms post, you can check it out here for the lingo that many readers, including myself, use: Bookish Terms 101.

What does it mean to "DNF" a book? DNF is an acronym for "did not finish." When applied to reading, it essentially means what it sounds like: you didn't finish a particular book, no matter the reason.

There has been a long-standing stigma that you shouldn't DNF a book once you've picked it up. Some argue that it doesn't matter if you're not enjoying the book . They say that you should still finish it "because you may end up liking it in the end."

Here's the issue with the stigma: if you're not liking a book, forcing yourself to finish it could result in one or more of the following:

1. You take forever to finish the book because you're not liking it, and it's not getting better in your opinion
2. You hate the book and refuse to read it again or give the author another chance
3. You end up in a reading slump

The stigma does have a point: you may end up liking the book in the end. But that doesn't mean you should force yourself to finish it in a particular moment when you're not enjoying it. If you set the book down, you can prevent the things listed above from happening. In addition, it's not set in stone that you will like a book you're not liking it if you finish it. That's why there's the "may" in the statement: it's only a possibility.

You don't have to force yourself to finish a book you're not enjoying. You are allowed to set it down. It doesn't matter what the reason is, and it doesn't matter if you plan to pick it up again in the future. You don't have to finish a book if you're not liking the book at any point in time.