I’m not sure a question could get nerdier than this one, but we embrace our nerdiness ‘round these parts, so I’m going for it.
When it comes to reading challenges, should books that you didn’t finish (DNF in book lingo) count?
In previous years, I would’ve said no. For my Read Wide challenge, I only counted books that I finished because the point of the challenge was to read widely and expand my bookish horizons. So a DNF did not serve that goal because I didn’t read a book in that genre if I didn’t finish it. Now, that’s not to say I don’t wholeheartedly believe in DNFing a book that isn’t working for me. Life it too short and my TBR too long to stick with books I’m not enjoying. However, if I didn’t finish a book, it didn’t get included in my challenge numbers.
I also stick to that rule with the annual Goodreads reading challenge. If I didn’t finish it, I don’t mark it as read and don’t count it toward my yearly number goal.
However, this year, I launched the TBR Backlog Challenge. (If you want all the details and a handy dandy printable template, you can go here and check that out.) The basic premise of the challenge is to read books on your shelf that have been sitting there for years. So in my chart, I’ve listed the years starting back in 2011 (my earliest TBR book) and going all the way through last year. When I read a book that I added to my TBR list in that particular year (meaning year it was added to my list, not publication date), I can fill in that box. If I fill in all the boxes, I’ve completed the challenge.
This seemed straightforward until this week when I picked up the oldest book on my TBR, one that has been on there for TEN years, y’all. It was so old, it had a Borders price tag on it. Yeah. But after 75 pages of the book, I realized it just wasn’t for me. Maybe that’s why it’s been sitting so long. I probably tried it back then and put it aside, thinking maybe my mood would change, and then never went back.
So normally, I wouldn’t count this in a reading challenge. BUT the TBR Backlog challenge has a different goal than my previous challenges. The goal here is to whittle down my TBR pile by giving attention to older books I’ve forgotten about. Reading 75 pages of this book and then dropping it in the donate box IS accomplishing that goal. The oldest book on my TBR is no longer there. The towering 800+ book pile is now a little shorter.
So shouldn’t it count?
I’ve decided that yes, it should. It’s moving me toward the goal I’m trying to achieve. Now, if I just remove a book without reading it, that doesn’t count. That’s just decluttering, not a reading challenge. So, for now, the rule I’m giving myself is that if I read 50 pages of a book for the TBR challenge and DNF it and get rid of it, it still counts. However, I won’t include it in my overall Goodreads challenge count of Read books.
I think this is an important caveat for this type of challenge, because going way back in our TBR is probably going to bring about a few realizations—that our tastes have changed or evolved, that we have different reading standards now, that a book hasn’t aged well. I think this is super valuable knowledge to gain, an added benefit of the TBR challenge, but it also shouldn’t mean that we have to force our way through books we’re not liking just to have them count. Fifty pages will give you that valuable information.
If you’re doing this challenge along with me, feel free to make your own rule, obviously. There are no book challenge police here. ;) I just thought I’d share my thoughts and the rule I’m using in case the issue came up for you.
Also, I’d love to hear, regardless of what reading challenge you may be doing, do you count books you didn’t finish? How do you handle your DNFs?
And if you’re someone who is freaking out at the thought of DNFing a book at all, I encourage you to read these posts about how I overcame my chronic finisher tendencies. ;)
Okay, let’s talk DNFs!