You probably know that I think life’s too short to read bad books. While I always say it that way, it may not be the fairest phrase. The books I drop aren’t necessarily “bad.” In fact, there are likely books on my DNF list that you read and loved. People have different tastes, right? So, I guess I should say that life’s too short to read books you don’t enjoy. Hopefully, we can all agree on that.
How I Decide to Drop a Book
People often ask how I decide to drop a book. It’s a difficult question to answer because I don’t have a method or formula. I use my gut. Sometimes I drop a book after less than a chapter. Other times, I may be halfway or more through reading a book and decide I’m just not enjoying it.
Usually, when I drop a book, it’s because the plot isn’t interesting or advancing. I also DNF books if I don’t like or can’t relate to a character. Why read a book if I don’t care what happens to or with the character? Seems pointless, right?
Regardless of when or how I decide, I don’t regret dropping books. I often get sad when I think about all the amazing books I’ll never have time to read, so I don’t feel guilty when I refuse to waste my precious reading time on something I don’t enjoy.
I don’t regret my DNF list any more than I do the list of books I’ll never pick up because I don’t like the genre or premise. It is what it is.
The 43 Books I Dropped in 2022
I realize that 43 books is a lot. I dropped more books last year than most people read in a year. I get it. But I read 132 books last year and gave 44 books perfect grades. These numbers balance the scales a bit and make the drop number much more reasonable.
The books I dropped were:
- Twenty Years Later
- Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess
- When You Are Mine
- Such a Pretty Smile
- The Murders of Christopher Watts
- Wish You Were Here
- Her Last Affair
- The Sorority Murder
- Greenwich Park
- What My Bones Know
- The Perfect Escape
- No More Words
- The Children on the Hill
- Flying on the Inside
- Like a House on Fire
- Easy Beauty
- The Golden Couple
- My Wife is Missing
- Her Final Words
- Do I Know You?
- This Time Tomorrow
- Don’t Cry for Me
- The Last House on Needless Street
- Radical Compassion
- Under the Harrow
- Far From You
- The Hush
- The Friend
- Tampa
- Lotus
- How Emotions Are Made
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
- The Island
- American Girl
- I See You
- Somebody Out There
- The Shadow Box
- Lies We Bury
- The Light Through the Leaves
- Don’t Lie to Me
- The Quarry Girls
- Dirt Creek
- I Am Not Who You Think I Am
I copied the list from my GoodReads account, so I’m pretty sure they’re in the order I tried them. No real significance there.
Happy Reading!
So, there are the 43 books I dropped in 2022. I always end these book posts with “happy reading” because I truly want you to enjoy reading as much as I do. Hopefully, that also means you’ll take my advice and not waste time on books you don’t enjoy. Consider this post your permission slip any time you’re thinking about whether you should DNF a book.
Also, if there’s something on this list that you really think I should reconsider, let me know. I’m not opposed to giving a book another try with a strong recommendation from someone I know. Just leave the title in the commends and tell me why you think I’ll love it.
As always, happy reading!
