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Our question of the week, courtesy of Rachel, Snapdragoness!

CHEATING without some SERIOUS groveling and retribution. MC books are notorious for this, but I love bikers so this is a huge problem. :(

A heroine who is described as TOO beautiful/sexy/perfect/EVERY male wants her....that's just sickening.

For me... I won't buy Cheating, unnecessary love/sex triangles, weak (no self esteem), whining, heroine, it holds no interest to me.
I will DNF Inconsistent plot, lack of character depth, development, distractingly poor editing.... My list is long, I feel like if I can take my time and money to read/ buy your book, the least you can do is take the time needed to deliver a quality product. I love 1-clicking, but if it doesn't cut the mustard, I equally love Amazon's return policy.

I am a compulsive book finisher. It really bothers me not to finish one. With that being said, I have recently convinced myself that life is too short to spend what little spare reading time I have reading a book that does not hold my interest. That is the determining factor for me. If I am not interested in getting back to a book, and actually don't look forward to it, I have decided it will be a dnf for me. I do always give them until I am 33% in before I decide not to finish. I think that's fair. I also do not like cheating, but it depends on the circumstances of the individual book as to whether I will finish it. I recently ditched my Lending Library book because I found out that the ending was going to make me throw my Kindle at the wall. Thank goodness for discussion threads!

I used to be a consummate book finisher. It didn't matter how bad it was, I had to soldier on; in the last couple years, however, something changed and I said screw it. If I'm at page 50+ and I'm not at least somewhat into it, I'm not going to waste my time torturing myself. There are too many great books out there to fritter away my time on a book I'm not at least marginally enjoying.

Typical reasons for my DNFs are immature writing, immature characters, and (sometimes but not always) first person POV issues (Kristen Ashley is exempt for me on this point though lol).

Wolfie wrote: "CHEATING without some SERIOUS groveling and retribution. MC books are notorious for this, but I love bikers so this is a huge problem. :(

A heroine who is described as TOO beautiful/sexy/perfect/..."

Totally. I heart Amazon's return policy!

Wolfie wrote: A heroine who is described as TOO beautiful/sexy/perfect/EVERY male wants her....that's just sickening. "

That's a huge problem for me too; I like putting myself in the heroine's place and I simply can't empathize with a goddess. Besides, reading a love story between two totally perfect people is just BORING.

On the other hand, I can't stand silliness and stupidity. I can forgive mistakes and roll-eye moments only once or twice, after that it's the DNF pile for me.

I can't stand heroes calling the heroine names and degrading her in public. That's weird if you consider that I don't have a problem with abusive/rough heroes. Probably a shrink would have a lot to say about that one:)

Finally, lack of tension/agony is a major problem for me. With one or two exceptions at best, I'm bored to tears with books where the H & h are in love from the middle of the story and there's no major reason keeping them apart. When I read the respective "I love you's", it's the end of the book for me.

Most common reason for me is - BOREDOM. If a story isn't grabbing me and I have read enough to understand it's probably not going to get any better then I'll go the DNF'd route. Content wise is hard to say. There are several elements I don't care for in reading but some authors can make these elements work for me.

My DNFs are boredom, infodumps, and one other one was a freebie that was a historical set in highland Scotland and everyone sounded half american and from the 21st century.

My compulsion to complete even bad books prevents me from having a ton of DNF reads. Unfortunately, even I have my limits. My DNFs tend have one or more of these issues:

1. Characters that have exceeded my TSTL quota.
2. Realizing that the main characters are too annoying AND uninteresting. Which translates into me not caring what happens to them.
3. Finding a plus sized heroine in a book with a thin cover model and vague blurb. I hate that theme and feel tricked when it's sneaked in without warning.

I used to read them regardless, I would never DNF. I don't know what the compulsion is, whether it's I bought I'm going to read it. I suspect for me it's more like a sacrilege thing: it's a book you MUST finish it. I read a persons comment once that they DNF'd, because life was too short and I was horrified. NOW I'm older and wiser, life is too damn short to read shite. For me now if I can't connect with the character, or there isn't any depth to them at all, and they've bored me to the point where I want to poke my own eyes out, that's it, I'm done!

I was always someone who had o finish every book I started, but with age I began to understand that life really is too short. It a books stops interesting me, I now put it down and just move on.
There is not any story line or anything that I don't like or just will not read, but I have to stay interested and involved.

I find myself simply not caring what happens. If I lose that and any interest in the characters then the book goes to DNF. Sometimes I might try to revisit but usually find it to be a lost cause.

V-Cam wrote: "Wolfie wrote: "CHEATING without some SERIOUS groveling and retribution. MC books are notorious for this, but I love bikers so this is a huge problem. :(

A heroine who is described as TOO beautifu..."

I'm so GLAD it's not just me!!

Fani wrote: "Wolfie wrote: A heroine who is described as TOO beautiful/sexy/perfect/EVERY male wants her....that's just sickening. "

That's a huge problem for me too; I like putting myself in the heroine's pla..."


I pretty much agree with everything you said! :)

These days, it's because the book is exactly like almost every other book that's around at the moment.
I really hate 'theme fads' and if I reach about 30% and already know exactly where the story is going, I don't see the point in wasting my time.

At the moment, my pet hate is the 'Navy SEAL who returns to his small town in Texas'. I can't believe how many of those are around these days! I love SEALs when it's romantic suspense, but what is the point of them in stories about a small town bakery??!!

Hang on - I forgot my #1 thing that makes me DNF a book! Comments about 'dumb blondes' or 'blonde jokes' (I'm looking at you, Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey!). I'm a blonde woman who has been treated appallingly quite a few times because I'm 'stupid' and 'slutty' due to my hair colour. I actually quit a book at the 3% mark yesterday, because the author started making nasty comments about blonde women. It's so bloody sexist!

Danielle Cause I'm the Book Boss wrote: "and one other one was a freebie that was a historical set in highland Scotland and everyone sounded half american and from the 21st century."

Actually, that's something that really annoys me, too. I was raised with British English, and most historical romances are set in Britain and written in modern American English. Drives me insane!

Pamela(AllHoney) wrote: "Most common reason for me is - BOREDOM. If a story isn't grabbing me and I have read enough to understand it's probably not going to get any better then I'll go the DNF'd route. Content wise is har..."

This is my main reason not finishing too. If I am so bored and there is nothing or not much keeping my attention and every time I think about picking that book back up I'm dreading it, it's time to stop reading that particular book. Life is too short to continuing reading books that don't interest me.

With content that's harder to pinpoint. There are some themes/characters/situations that I'm not a fan of but if the author is writing an engaging story I can usually look past that and enjoy the tale being told.

The one major thing involving content that would make me stop reading the book would be Mary Sue'ing or Gary Sue'ing (is that the right term for the guy) if the hero/heroine is the smartest/prettiest/most handsome/funniest/everyone wants them except for one lone nay-sayer (or one group of nay-sayers) etc. then I'm done with that book. It's no fun when everyone bows at a character's alter.

Number one reason to DNF a book is boredom!

I rarely DNF books, but I am getting more and more burned out on reading mediocre books lately, so I am doing it more.

I am also getting where I want to DNF books that are same old same. I am tired of the same overused storyline.

I am super duper burned out on YA books, so I think I had better avoid some of these for a while because I don't think my reading will be very charitable right now.

Another reason I would DNF book is if the subject matter is too offensive for me. Doesn't happen that much, but if a book has too much unnecessary violence and a lot of gratuitous sexual violence, it's getting tossed.

Leeanne wrote: "I find myself simply not caring what happens. If I lose that and any interest in the characters then the book goes to DNF. Sometimes I might try to revisit but usually find it to be a lost cause."

I feel you. I need to care about the characters. If I don't, I feel I am wasting my time.

I think the Mary Sue/Gary Sue trope is getting really tiresome for me. I especially dislike the trope of the heroine being the woman that every man wants. Really??? Especially in young adult books. How many normal, average teen girls have 2 or more guys panting after them?

Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For ŷ������) wrote: "I think the Mary Sue/Gary Sue trope is getting really tiresome for me. I especially dislike the trope of the heroine being the woman that every man wants. Really??? Especially in young adult books..."

That's another reason I'm not a fan of first person. These books tend to have the heroine downgrading her appeal yet every male in the vicinity pants after her. It makes more sense when written in third person and her unawareness of how beautiful she actually is explained by an observer.

Danielle The Book Huntress (Angels Weep For ŷ������) wrote: "I think the Mary Sue/Gary Sue trope is getting really tiresome for me. I especially dislike the trope of the heroine being the woman that every man wants. Really??? Especially in young adult books..."

THANK YOU!!! I agree!!

It is very rare that I DNF a book. But, it does happen from time to time. The reasons that I don't finish a book vary but most of the time it is due to boredom or really stupid and frustrating characters.

I have no problem DNFing a book and will usually give it 50 pages - if the plot, characters or writing aren't grabbing me then I toss it. The main reasons I discard a book:

1. Ridiculous plot
2. Annoying characters
3. Immature dialogue
4. Incoherent writing
5. Abuse of any kind

I'm picky when it comes to choosing what I read, and I'm more likely to DNF a freebie or something from the library. I try to check out an excerpt before I buy/rent anything to screen it for bad writing and so-bad-you-can't-ignore editing issues.

However, common DNF culprits for me are:

•boooorrrriinnng stories that draaaaaag on and on
•ridiculous and juvenile dialog (c'mon, do people really talk like that?!)
•immature characters (if you're a grown-@$$ man or woman, act like it!)
•main characters that are terrible people and/or TSTL (if I can't empathize with them at least a little, then I don't care about what happens to them)

Those are very good lists, Lauren and Rachel.

& thanks for using my question! : D

Rachel ~ SnapDragoness wrote: "& thanks for using my question! : D"

Thanks for offering it!

1) Boredom. I don't like to force myself to read anything. I have enough of that in day to day life. I don't want to impose that on what is supposed to be my free time and something that I'm supposed to be doing for enjoyment.

2) Something that is especially heinous or depraved when the book is written in such a manner that the depravity is condoned or romanticized. (if that makes any sense.) I do like horrors and thrillers and murder mysteries. I liked American Psycho....but in these instances, the reader isn't supposed to see the main character as a hero or a "good guy".

Mochaspresso wrote: "1) Boredom. I don't like to force myself to read anything. I have enough of that in day to day life. I don't want to impose that on what is supposed to be my free time and something that I'm su..."

Re American Psycho, I know what you're saying. I can enjoy that kind of story and appreciate the character for being deliciously insane, but I'm not going to empathize with him.

If I start a book, I try to finish it. Usually I do manage to trudge through, but occasionally it's just way too bad for even that.

1. If the book is too confusing, doesn't make sense.
2. the editing, writing is confusing to read and too boring to try to continue
3. plot and characters keep switching around and changing (sometimes she's Mary, other times she's Betty is an example)

Some series I give up on after a while. A few I'll come back to when the mood strikes me, but some I just give up on and don't come back to. I usually read the first book and read about 1/2 the 2nd book before deciding.

I always try to finish a book I've started but sometimes I really just can't. My main reason is if I get bored with it or if the way it is written is something I can't connect with.

Cheating while the main characters are together, an annoying main character, and a sad ending (I usually know this because I took a peek at the back)

I rarely DNF books but if I do its because I just can't get into the book or it doesn't hold my interest. If I can't get into it early on I'll put it away for a day, a week or sometimes two and if I still can't get into it, it ends up in my DNF pile which is actually quite small thankfully.

Arielle Rae wrote: "Cheating while the main characters are together, an annoying main character, and a sad ending (I usually know this because I took a peek at the back)"

Arielle, that is funny because I tease my mom all the time about her habit of reading the last page first. I'm going to tell there is someone else in her club. :)

For me, it's mostly annoying characters or boring/unimaginative plot. I can't waste my time if I'm not interested. Reading is something I do for fun so if I'm no longer having fun, I drop it. It's usually harder to DNF when the book is for review.

Lauren wrote: "I have no problem DNFing a book and will usually give it 50 pages - if the plot, characters or writing aren't grabbing me then I toss it. The main reasons I discard a book:

1. Ridiculous plot
2. ..."

Ditto.

Mine too is boredom. If I'd rather clean than read, that's a really bad sign.

Carolyn F. wrote: "Mine too is boredom. If I'd rather clean than read, that's a really bad sign."

Definitely!

I rarely DNF a book, but if I struggle reading the first book in a series, I don't continue. I have this irrational compulsion to finish a book that I start, always hoping that it will improve, especially if it's from a favourite author. It's painful to give a one star rating, but sometimes it needs to be done.
Things that repel me from finishing a book or continuing a series:
1) Boredom.
2) Subject matter that I find offensive, ie, domestic abuse, cheating, sexual abuse etc. (Although if it is handled with care, I will make exceptions.)
3) TSTL characters.

I DNF a book if it is horrible writing in terms of grammar, typos, cliche's, unoriginality, ridiculous dialogue etc. There are so many 1-click publishing options that ANYONE who wants to publish can...even without the talent. I use to be in awe when someone would share with me that they have been published. Now, not so big a deal. However, I have discovered some remarkable new authors thru self-publishing..To me they are hard to find...

I don't often DNF a book and I'll give it a good go before giving up. However a book has to capture me and my imagination within the first few chapters and actually be going somewhere! I also don't like historical novels written in Extremely modern language - that's just unrealistic to me and ruins a book!

Of the latest couple of DNF's I've had one of them was very slow paced and boring, nothing much seemed to be going on. The other was the second in a series I thought showed promise but I found the first 3 chapters to be a bit silly and unbelievable, especially in the romance, and that just ruined it for me.
I read for fun and pure enjoyment so though I try to give books a good shot if it's boring, I can't connect with it or simply find myself not wanting to rush back to it to immerse myself in the story or find out what's going to happen next, then I choose another book to read!!

An interesting one for me though is an ongoing book series. There are many book series I enjoy escaping into the world of but quite often a series will hit a book that's a bit of a let down. I find I'm more likely to stick with it if I already know and love the 'book world', to follow the book Arc through. Anyone find the same?

Natalie wrote: "I don't often DNF a book and I'll give it a good go before giving up. However a book has to capture me and my imagination within the first few chapters and actually be going somewhere! I also don't..."

I've had a few series where a book was boring or just didn't hold my interest. Case in point would be BDB. I read the first 5 or 6 then got bored and stopped the next book after a few chapters. I came back to that book and read the next 2 or 3 one after the other. I guess I just needed a break or just needed to be in a different frame of mind. Sometimes the series bogs down, or you just need a break from it.
I do try to trudge through a book to continue a series I really like.

It's hard for me to stop reading a series, because I feel committed to keep going. It has to be where I am really unhappy with the series to give it up.

I don't care much for "wallpaper" overmodern historical romances.

I give a series three books - if they are all round the 3 star mark then its obvious that the series isn't speaking to me and I stop reading.

Sometimes a series is hit and miss. Again, if three books in a row are misses, I stop because this indicates a trend.

There are so many good books out there, I don't want to waste my time and money on a series that is only so-so.

Lauren wrote: "I give a series three books - if they are all round the 3 star mark then its obvious that the series isn't speaking to me and I stop reading.

Sometimes a series is hit and miss. Again, if three b..."

That's a good rule of thumb when a series doesn't work for you.

Like others have stated I rarely DNF a book. I may put it on hold to come back to later just in case I wasn't in the right frame of mind for the storyline, that has happened to me. The times I have said "forget this" and gave up are usually for these reasons.

1. Heroine's who are overly innocent, overly badass, TSTL, or overly combative - When she seems like a cliche I've already decided I don't care about her.
2. The blurb and the plot don't match- Almost like the author forgot what her own story was about because she got caught up in nonsense.
3. Physical abuse that is condoned and labeled as love - Usually the hero is rich and worldly and the heroine is poor and innocent. This seem to be a popular theme in books now. I won't touch them. There's no excuse for abuse. (didn't mean to make a slogan) lolololol
4. Childish snarkiness - When the character is 30 but sounds and acts like she's 16 I'm done.
5. Ridiculously hot hero - When you spend every other sentence with the heroine letting us now how hot, sexy, dangerous, masculine the hero is I feel like you are trying too hard to convince me of this and call liar. if you're a good writer of characters all these traits will come across eventually throughout the book without you telling me how I should view him.

@La La, are you me?

Lol, but seriously, your list is awesome. : D

Thank you! These things were fresh in my mind because I had a few dud books that hit these points. One of my fav author's is in violation of #2. And every contemporary romance book is either a New Adult innocent college girl/tattooed bad boy or a 50 Shades of Grey knockoff and none these themes grab me.