With the rise of BookTok, reading is becoming increasingly popular among Gen-Z, and there seems to be a growing pressure to read more, finish every book, and hit yearly reading goals.
But what happens when you’re 100 pages into a book that’s been on your TBR (to-be-read) list for months and you just don’t like it?
Between Goodreads reading challenges, monthly TikTok wrap-ups, and videos of people reading 20 books or more in a month, reading can start to feel less like a hobby and more like another item on our to-do lists. This has turned it into a challenge on how many books we can finish and whether we’re reading enough compared to everyone else.
Recently, I came across a statistic suggesting that the average person reads around 700 books in their lifetime. While the exact number varies, the idea stuck with me. We have a finite amount of time to spend with books, so why waste it forcing ourselves through stories we don’t enjoy?
Of course, not every book will hook you from the first page as some stories take time to build. But if you’re halfway through and still struggling to connect with the characters, writing, or plot, your gut might be telling you something.
You don’t need to read another 200 pages to confirm what you already know.
I think we’ve become so focused on appearing well-read that we’ve forgotten what reading is supposed to be about. We want to read popular titles, join conversations, and have impressive reading lists more than we want to read.
Reading is a hobby, not a competition. It’s supposed to bring us enjoyment, whether that means escaping into another world, or discovering a story that makes us feel something brandnew.
That’s why we need to get more comfortable with DNFing books. Short for “did not finish,” DNFing isn’t something to be embarrassed about. Maybe the writing isn’t for you, the plot isn’t holding your attention, or you’re simply not in the right headspace.
Whatever the reason, you’re allowed to move on.
Nobody is keeping score of how many books you read this month. Trust me, everyone is worried about their own reading habits anyway. Reading 20 books doesn’t make someone a better reader than someone who reads five a year. You can take months to finish one book, or abandon another halfway through and still call yourself a reader.
Your TBR will always be endless, but your time is limited. Don’t spend it treating a hobby as though it’s homework.
You don’t have to finish every book you start. You just have to find the ones worth reading.