“Life’s too short to read bad books.”

It’s a sentiment lots of readers subscribe to, and honestly, I agree. There are hundreds and hundreds of amazing books out in the world, but there are also plenty of…not so good books as well.

Sometimes we come across more bad books than good ones in our reading adventures. To many readers, it’s a sign to just let go and move on to the next book. I don’t blame those readers, either. Why put up with a bad book? Why bother finishing it if you don’t like it?

A few friends of mine express this sentiment because they don’t want to leave a bad review on Goodreads or Amazon. They figure that if they don’t finish the book, they don’t have a reason to review it, and they don’t need to leave a bad review. In all honesty, not a bad strategy. Authors have plenty to contend with, and negative reviews doesn’t have to make the list. It’s also a fair strategy because they didn’t finish the book. There’s not too much to comment on in terms of story and plot if it went unfinished. 

However, there are those that rely on the reviews that say they couldn’t finish the book for this reason or that one. And believe me, I’ve left a fair handful of negative book reviews here and there.

image of Delilah S Dawson and Kevin Hearne's book "Kill the Farm Boy" which is probably the worst book I've ever read in the history of ever. It's worse than Twilight. I'm serious.

But beyond reviews, it’s about time wasted. Who wants to force themselves to read a book they truly don’t like? Believe me, I’ve been there. But I’m a stubborn reader.

For whatever reason, I can’t let myself DNF a book. In my head, it’s some silly notion about “not being defeated by a bad book.” Yes, I have a lot of mental images about getting into fist-fights with books I particularly don’t like. (Top contenders are: Kill the Farm Boy and Only Americans Burn in Hell.)

Even as I start to read more books at the same time, I can’t bring myself to abandon any book full-stop, regardless of the quality. As of yet, the worst book I’ve read in recent years is Kill the Farm Boy, and I swore I wouldn’t DNF it because it was truly awful. I told myself I couldn’t let this book win, no matter what. I finished it, and I’ll never be the same again. *shudders*

It’s tough, and I’m sure I’ll eventually come across a book I absolutely cannot conquer. But until then, armed with javelin and spear, I’ll take every book head-on in trial by combat.

And, if you’re curious as to how I really feel about Kill the Farm Boy, you can find my Goodreads review here. 

That’s all from me! Which books have you DNF’d? Or do you DNF at all? Leave a comment!

Happy reading!