The 52 Book Club: 2026 Challenge discussion

WEEKLY CHECK-IN
July 16, 2023 -- Week 29

How far into a book will you read before you decide not to finish it?

I give it a couple of chapters. But usually not more than 50 pages.

For me - at least 100 pages. I have had too many books that I almost gave up on only to have something click at about that point and then the rest of the book was awesome. Just naming a few here: Less by Andrew Sean Greer, There There by Tommy Orange, A Room with a View by E.M. Forster, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson

If I think the writing is poor I'll give up quickly and without remorse. Otherwise, I try to go at least 100 to 150 pages. There have even been times when I've gotten 2/3 of the way through a book before deciding it just isn't worth the effort.

I have never not finished a book. You never know if it get better, have an amazing twist, to end with a profound insight

I have the misfortune that once I start something I have to finish it - so long as the topics don't get too far into filthy or disturbing, I'll finished regardless if I think the story itself is a lost cause.

It’s really hard for me to DNF a book. I tell myself to read no more than half, but then I feel like I’ve invested that much time & energy, I may as well finish it. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Even if I end up hating the book and I'd rather play in traffic than read it, I still force myself to finish it. More just for the sense of completion and the hopes that I still learn something even from a book I dislike.

It really depends on the book. Sometimes I can't get past page one, sometimes I'm 3/4 through before I realize that I don't really care.

It really depends. I absolutely will dnf a book by the first two pages if it's utter bs, or I know I will not like even a bit of it. But if I'm past 2/3 of it, I try to finish it.

I pretty much finish everything I start. The one exception that I can think of is Follow the River. I made it to the second chapter and the graphic descriptions were just too much for me, so I stopped. But I did pick it back up later on and finished it, so I guess I really can't even count that one as a DNF.

I rarely DNF a physical book. I always hope that it will get better. Sometimes it dies and sometimes it doesn’t. I also don’t want to invest the time and not be able to use it for the Reading Challenge. So far this year I have DNFed one book.

I frequently DNF audiobooks. Sometimes I find it difficult to follow as an audiobook or the narrator doesn’t appeal to me so would prefer it as a physical book.

I seldom DNF either dead tree or audio. But I have done it twice during this challenge. One sounded extremely interesting but turned out to be dryer than a textbook for a course you're forced to take but really hate. The other was really slow. If I had found it on audio I'd have given it more time. I'm getting to the point of avoiding dead tree if at all possible.

It varies quite a bit.

For me, it really depends on the book... I generally try to finish what I start. That said, I don't have a stopping point carved in stone. I have stopped after a chapter, and also further in. Not usually beyond 45%, though.

I have ended more than halfway through the book before, if it's really not working for me. But usually the first 50 pages is enough to know.

I did just pick up a book I hadn't finished in the past and loved it -- sometimes it's just timing!

Depending on the book I can read from 20% to 75% before DNFing it.

I think I have not finished a couple of books, but I cannot even remember their titles. I've done what some others mentioned here, set a book aside but later tried again and finished it. I really dislike not finishing a book, so it might take me a very long time to get to the last page, but I usually keep at it.

I don't stop reading a book. No DNF.

I DNF ASAP. As soon a End of Chapter 1 and Sometimes as late as the last chapter. There is so many good books, I don't want to waste my time on anything not worth it.

On the same wave of thinking. I also go through my DNF shelf sometimes because I am a mood read and just because I lost interest or didn't like it doesn't mean I won't try again.

I have never not finished a book. I will stick it out and hope that it get better. It has most times but there have been books that it never got better. I just don't like to quit.

I have read 33 historiska bluffar by Daniel Rydén for the prompt #19 Typographic cover