SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

All I added were five new shelves:

Abandoned (my two DNF, Cookbooks, Guides, etc are here)
Later (omnibus, large compilations)

and three for challenges

2021_alphabet ‎(49)
2021_tbr ‎(20)
2021_world ‎(10)

I used to be one of those people who never DNFed a book. I told myself I might miss out on a book that got better. But that rarely happened. Nearly every time I slogged to the end I regretted wasting the time.

Especially this last year, I just have not had the mental capacity to deal with books I'm not enjoying, so I've found myself DNFing a lot more. If I'm not very far, I'll probably just quietly delete it off my shelves. If I've struggle a third of the way or more I'm probably marking it DNF. If it's a good book, but I'm just not in the mood, I'll either put it back on my to read shelf or add it to my partially read shelf depending on how far I got.

I like that tag "partially read." It's got the right nuance for me, as a place to put the stuff that I really want to get to soon, but just haven't yet... stuff that I've previewed especially....

Thank you.

Me, too, Jordan, about just deleting it without rating, but with me it's 25% or less.

I start and abandon books almost every week, sometimes multiple books in one day. I have no one to please or impress other than myself. I also have no problem dumping a series or skipping books in a series if there is no continuing story line. There is always something better to read.

Thanks Jordan, I shall borrow the partially read name and decongest my currently reading shelf a bit and set a limit of 10 for my currently reading books.

For me, allowing myself to put down a book I'm just not enjoying was important to also be willing to pick up books I *thought* I might not enjoy. If I know I'll insist on finishing a book, I'll be unnecessarily fussy about which books I even try to begin.

After I kind of got used to the idea of it being fine to put down a book, I changed my trips to the library a little. Before I always pored over books finding ones I was fairly sure I'd enjoy. Afterwards, I would always walk out of the library with at least one book I figured I had a good chance of enjoying, and one I just pulled at near random off a shelf, confirming only that it wasn't obviously something I would dislike.

It's been a couple years, now, since I've been in the library physically I guess, other than to occasionally pick up holds. Browsing ebook selections doesn't quite have the same vibe lol. But regardless of the specifics, I think there's merit in letting yourself stop reading a book, if that means you might give books a chance you otherwise wouldn't have.

Good point, Chris. Picking up the 'possibles' does indeed lead to discoveries of gems! And boosting library circulation numbers is a Good Thing, too. ;)

I have a "failed" shelf for books that I have tried but am not going to pick up again. The failure could either be me or the book, I put them there so I don't forget and try to read them again.

If I make it 50%, I get to rate it and call it read.

I am still bad at not finishing books, I tend to start skimming until the end just to finish it.

John wrote: "For Kindle Unlimited, Amazon tracks the pages you read for another reason: that's how the author and publisher get paid. If you read twenty pages of the book via KU, then decide you don't like it, the author/ publisher will still get paid for those twenty pages.

Am I the only person completely repulsed by this idea? Way to transform art into a transaction that also places a burden of guilt or duty on the reader over and above whatever they're paying monthly for KU, whenever they click on the first page of a book. Capitalism sucks!

Responses to actual DNF talk:

I can't put more than a small handful of books on Currently Reading. For one thing, much beyond ten and it's a significant percentage of my potential reading for the entire year. As a whimsical reader, the idea of being locked down for three or four months gets me anxious and depressed.

Michelle wrote: "In those cases, Sarah, I try it a couple of different times, but no more than three. If it sucks by then to me, chances are that it always will. That's when I give up. I'm a mood reader, and I know that sometimes it's me and not the book."

(Mood reader fist bump!) I have a decent idea of whether a book generally suits me and it isn't the right time, or if it's not going to be a good fit regardless of my mood. I have no compunction DNFing books in the latter category.

Then there are the mushy middle books, which maybe are slow-paced to start with, or are extremely long and therefore hard to sustain the mood for, or are highly regarded by a friend and I want to enjoy it and am having trouble, etc. Those often stay on the shelf for quite some time after the initial DNF (literal decades, in some cases), and if let go, are let go with a pang of regret.

Allison wrote: "I don't like dnf, but i will do it. i count a book read if it's more than 50% done, so that helps."

You mentioned this in another thread some time ago, and I've been using it as a "rule" ever since. Although come to think of it, it hasn't ever come into play. :D For the most part, I'll drop a book quite early on if it and I aren't getting along.

AMG wrote: "I have a "started" shelf for books I've started at some point and intend to finish someday but not right now."

I have a GR shelf called "good intentions" that has books like this on it, but unfortunately (and perhaps ironically) I keep forgetting about it. I have an Excel spreadsheet with challenges, ebook library, etc. on various tabs, so maybe such a list would be more successful there.

I reckon I’d just keep swiping through the pages on KU so the author can get paid for the whole book if I DNFd it. That’s crazy only paying for the amount of pages someone reads.

Actually, I'm really annoyed with myself (if not angry at myself) if I DNF a book. I may put them aside - and it may be a long time coming back to them - but it bothers me if I really DNF. Part of it is that I have to realize I made a bad choice to begin with and wasted my time. Some of it is the "finish what you start" dictum I absorbed as a kid. That's the one that goes along with the definition: "on-time is ten minutes early."

I've been DNFing often lately. That is part of trying new authors. I could stay a long time only reading books I like if I would stick to my favorite authors but I think it's important to go out of my comfort zone.

Jacqueline wrote: "I reckon I’d just keep swiping through the pages on KU so the author can get paid for the whole book if I DNFd it. That’s crazy only paying for the amount of pages someone reads."

Keep in mind that some authors put a script such that when you open the book to the beginning you're encouraged to go to the last page so they get the full amount for the book

https://theconartist.substack.com/p/t...

also, a lot of people put the table of contents at the back of the book that reason, but so did a lot of legitimate authors. This led to, when Amazon started kicking off books with the TOC at the end of the book, a lot of "real" books being banned:

http://www.walterjonwilliams.net/2016...

I just ditched a book last night at the 80% mark. There was no reason to continue as it was just an irritant. I considered finishing it for about two seconds, and then I wondered why I was considering finishing it when it was slop!

I don’t have a Kindle or the Kindle app. I have this thing about not giving Jeff Bezos more money so I don’t use Amazon at all. Except Goodreads. Probably why the house we are planning to build up the paddock will have a room that is all shelves. My tree book collection is huge and most of them haven’t been bought online. Less than 10 have come from somewhere else and they’re from actual Australian bookshops usually.

Most of my DNFs are because I wasn’t in the mood anymore. They’re still on my currently reading list on Goodreads because I’ll get back to them.