Top Ten Tuesday – Petty (And Non-Petty) Reasons I Have DNF’d a Book

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This weeks topic: Petty Reasons You’ve DNF’d a Book (Or reduced its rating. You don’t even have to say what the book was if you don’t want to!)

We have all done it, dumped a book for one reason or another. We’ve told that book, it’s not you, it’s me, when, yeah, it’s the book. Here are some of my reasons I have dnf’d a book, petty and non-petty alike.

  • I don’t like one of the names, or any of the names, or the spelling of a name. 
  • Too much of the story told through letters or newspaper articles. I am good with diary entries though.
  • An animal or pet dies.
  •  The weather in the book doesn’t match my weather. 
  • Just no longer in the mood for it. 
  • The main character is just too much of an airhead.
  • Terrible dialogue that just sounds super fake. I like characters that speak like real people.
  • Too gory. I can read horror and thrillers but I still don’t want straight up gore all the time.
  • The plot takes a sudden, unbelievable turn for reasons unknown.
  • Finally, just because the book is boring.

And there you have it! All the reasons I will stop reading a book!

34 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday – Petty (And Non-Petty) Reasons I Have DNF’d a Book”

  7. RAIN CITY READS

    Your list is so. good. Names! Yes! For me it’s both of those, but even more if I just don’t know how to say the name in my head. If it’s a name from a different part of the world I’ll research it and learn how to say it. If it’s a made up one, my brain will get stuck on it every time I read it and pop me right out of my reading experience which will quickly leave me not wanting to read it. It’s weird, because some of the books I love most are either epistolary or diaries (I Capture the Castle; 84, Charing Cross Road; The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole etc.) but I’m with you on too many letters. If it’s going to be in that format it has to be WELL done. It’s harder to carry a story in that format because you can’t as easily provide description, you’re always reading from one person’s internal perspective, and you can’t write a good diary-based book in the same way people write a diary. It’ll be super dull. Great list, I love it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Yes! If it is a name I am unfamiliar with that is one thing, but if it is just a totally made up name I can’t do it.

      And I am so glad that someone agrees about too many letters. That makes me crazy. It can be cute and add to the story at times but … not be the whole story!

      Like

      Reply

  13. OK, I have to admit I thought this was going to be a post about Tom Petty! But, your post made me giggle even though I know you mean it (and so does David)! I think the only thing that makes me dnf a book is if it’s boring. I can put up with so much…I don’t read gory books at all so I don’t have to worry about that one.

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. Pingback: My Sunday-Monday Post – Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs..

  17. This one:  The weather in the book doesn’t match my weather. 

    Stop! lol! That is too funny!

    Usually it is because it is boring for me or there is too much graphic information or scenes but I guess those aren’t petty reasons. lol.

    Like

    Reply

  18. So many of these are great reasons to DNF a book, and reasons that will get me to stop reading too (yeah, authors who kill pets, I’m giving you side eye). Although I did bust out laughing when I saw “because the weather didn’t match my weather” on the list! I love reading about freezing winters when I’m melting in the summer heat.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.