What do you do with the books you DNF?

Hello, lovelies! I haven't done a discussion post in ages, even though I've saved several topics that I want to talk about. DNFing books happens to be one of them!

1) Do you DNF books?
2) How long do you typically give a book before deciding to DNF it?
3) What do you do with the books you DNF?

When I first started blogging (as Books, Sweets & Other Treats), I would finish every book I started. I felt obligated to read the review copies I received, even if the story wasn't something I was enjoying. It made reading feel like a chore, and it's one of the reasons I stopped blogging after college. Falling in love with books is what makes you want to read more books! If you don't like what you're reading, then what's the point?

I told myself things would be different when I started blogging again, and they have been. I don't put as much pressure on myself, or feel the need to post something every day. I post when I have time, or when I've made a commitment (like for a blog tour or an ARC). I try to read review copies before their release date, but it doesn't always work out. It has made this entire experience much more enjoyable! I look forward to logging on and talking to you guys about books! Blog hopping is something I really try to make time for, because it makes me happy to see what you've been reading, and to let you know that your content is appreciated.

Now that I've started DNFing the books that don't work for me, I needed a way to review those in a simple and effective way. That's why I started DNF&Y, and just do a single collective post at the end of every month. As I DNF a book, I write down what it was that I disliked, and then I move on. If it's an e-ARC, I delete it and don't think about it again. If it's a physical copy, I feel stuck. Do I want to host a giveaway for a book I didn't like? I don't like the idea of promoting something that didn't work for me, but my experience might not be your experience. I'm not going to sell an ARC for obvious reasons, and it feels wrong to donate them (because Goodwill and other thrift stores will sell them). If I donate them to my local library, they might toss it, or they might also try to sell it during a Library Sale.

I feel like this really limits what can and cannot be done with an ARC. I've never heard of a publisher or author requesting people send their ARCs back, but donating them doesn't work either. I've found two ways that have worked for me in the past, but I would love to know how you handle similar situations.

1. I'll host a giveaway and hope the winner likes it more than I did. 
2. I'll put the book in a Little Free Library and hope someone else likes it more than I did. 

It's possible for a book I've DNFd to find a happy and loving home, but there's no way to really know for sure.

I know a lot of people that simply don't review the books they've DNFd, and just choose to remove them from their Goodreads and such altogether. I'm not a fan of pretending a book didn't happen, because I believe knowing why you didn't like something is just as beneficial as knowing why you loved something else. What you hated about a book, might be something I look for and enjoy.

There are others that continue reading a book despite their disinterest, and I don't know how you keep loving what you do, when you suffer through part of it. Do you keep reading because you feel obligated, or do you think the story might improve?  Either way, what do you do with those books that you disliked or wish you would have DNFd?

When you're done with a book, do you immediately write a review, or do you sit on it for a few days?

I know there are people that like to process books after they read them, but I like to get my thoughts down as soon as possible. If a book really speaks to me, or if it's problematic, I take notes. If I'm reading on my iPad, I'll copy the sentence or paragraph that stood out, and then I'll email it to myself with a few quick thoughts typed underneath. When I've finished the book, I'll go back and reference those points and incorporate them into my review.

As some of you may know, and for those of you that guessed based on my blog's title, I do dog-ear my books. What you might not know, is that I occasionally mark my books in the margins in addition to using an obscene amount of sticky notes. If I fold the top corner, it means that's the page I'm on. If I fold the bottom corner, it's a page I want to reference later. The sticky notes are for when I have more thoughts than the margins can hold, and need additional space for words. Are you hovering over the unfollow button right now? 😉 Fear not! Your books are safe. I only do it to my own.

I'm getting sidetracked, but it's also kind of relevant? When I'm reading, I am completely absorbed in the story, and I like to keep track of my thoughts as I move through the book. Once I'm finished reading, I feel compelled to spew those thoughts from my fingertips as quickly as possible. As time passes, my immediate thoughts and feelings fade, even with my excessive note-taking. I want to write my reviews when I'm caught up in the emotions a story elicited, whether they're good or bad. I feel like it adds another layer of authenticity to my reviews, because you not only get my thoughts, but the feelings it evoked from me as well. I'm not saying you can't have those same feelings later on, but they never feel as powerful when I wait to write a review. They're still there -- just dulled -- and it's difficult to re-enter the same emotional state from before.

There are times when I cannot immediately write a review and schedule it, which is why I usually keep a notebook lying around. I'll basically write an outline of my review and the key thoughts and feelings I had while reading the book, and then I can refer to that outline later when I have a chance to sit down and type it all up. Sometimes I'll even write the entire review by hand, if I'm really caught up in what I'm thinking.

There's only one other reason I'll let a book sit unreviewed for a few days: I don't know what to say. When I love or hate a book, it's easy to explain why. It's when I feel neutral about a book that I have trouble. That usually means it was good enough to finish, but not one I would recommend or read again. Those reviews are so difficult to write, because what else can you say? "I liked it, but it was just okay." Why was it just okay? "It didn't really speak to me?" I feel like those reviews start to sound repetitive, and that's why I've started doing mini reviews for those titles. I can say very little and still feel like I've reviewed the book properly.

What about you? Do you like to write reviews when you're in the moment and swimming in feelings, or do you like to sit on them for a few days until your thoughts and emotions settle? Which path leads to a more productive and coherent review?

My 2020 Challenges!

Of course I'm participating in my own challenge! 😉

This year I am partnering with the lovely ladies from Novels and Notions, and we're doing a little something called: Read the Alphabet Challenge. What? Another challenge? Yes! Why not? We all love challenging ourselves, and this one has very unique limitations. Starting in January, you will be challenged to read books that start with specific letters, and obviously some months will be harder than others (what books start with Q, X & Z??).

The months will be organized like so:

JANUARY: AB 
FEBRUARY: CD
MARCH: EF
APRIL: GH
MAY: IJ
JUNE: KL
JULY: MN
AUGUST: OP
SEPTEMBER: QR
OCTOBER: ST
NOVEMBER: UVW
DECEMBER: XYZ

Guidelines: 

1. This challenge will run from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 (your local time). You can sign up now or in June -- it doesn't matter! The form will remain open all year (on this post and the corresponding post at Novels and Notions).
2. The goal is to read books that start with a certain letter, and each month will present a new challenge. 
3. The books can be in any format (audio, ebook, physical -- whatever floats your boat). 
4. Any and all genres count -- whoop. 
5. Re-reads are also allowed! If you read the book this year -- and it starts with the right letter -- it counts. 
6. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate! You just need a way to track your progress (Goodreads, Instagram, LibraryThing, YouTube, etc.). 
7. Create a post somewhere that states your intention to participate. If you're a book blogger, you can just grab the button from the top of the page (please give credit and list the blogs hosting this challenge), and do a quick post letting everyone know that you've accepted the RTA challenge. Sharing is caring! Competition is fun! 
8. We will do an update and a giveaway every quarter (that's once every three months: March, June, September, December), and there will be a Google form that you can fill out all year! Read a book. Add a book. There is no limit to the number of books you can read for this challenge! 
9. You have to review the book in some capacity (on any platform). It can be a tweet, an IG post, a vlog -- whatever makes you happy. You'll need to leave a link for each review that you want an entry for. 
10. Have fun! Re-read some old favorites, challenge yourself to read a title you've never heard of, or dig deep and only read books with specific letters every month. It's entirely up to you! 

Books that start with the can be used during October, or you can choose to go with the next word in the book's title. We're not going to be picky about this, just play honestly!

Don't forget to SHARE your updates on social media! Official Challenge Tags: #ReadTheAlphabet2020 #ReadTheAlphabetChallenge2020 #RTA2020 #RTAC2020

Last year I challenged myself to listen to 30+ audiobooks, and I ended the year with 43! I think this year I'll shoot for Marathoner, which is 50+ (that's only 7 more than last year, and seems totally doable). If you would like to sign up for your very own 2020 Audiobook Challenge, please visit the Caffeinated Reviewer or Hot Listens. All of the following information comes from Kimberly at the Caffeinated Reviewer.

Challenge Details: 

• Runs January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020. You can join at any time. 
• The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2019 than you did in 2019. 
• Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.) 
• ANY genres count. 
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed. 
• You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc. 
• If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge. 
• Updates plus a giveaway will be posted twice during the year. The first update will be June 30, 2020, and the last update will take place on December 15, 2020. 

Achievement Levels: 

• Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5 
• Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10 
• Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15 
• Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20 
• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30 
• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+ 
• Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+
• The 100 Club (Audiobook Elite) 100+

I will also be participating in the 2020 Discussion Challenge hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight (two blogs that I absolutely adore)! In 2019 I challenged myself to create anywhere between 11-20 discussion posts, but sadly ended the year with 5. I'm learning my limits, and while I enjoy partaking in discussion posts, I'm terrible at remembering to actually do them. I'm dialing it down this year to Discussion Dabbler, which is 1-10 and feels more manageable.

If this sounds like your cup of tea and you want to sign up, please visit Nicole or Shannon (links above).  All of the following information comes from their two blogs, so some of the terminology is a little off (because it applies to their blogs specifically, like asking questions in the comments). However, I wanted to copy everything word-for-word, so I didn't leave anything out.

Here’s All You Have to Do: 

• Create a sign-up post announcing your intention to participate and link up below. There’s no need to say what your discussion posts will be about–just tell us you’re joining and let us know your goal. (Can be in an update post or a post with other challenges–you’re not required to make a completely separate sign-up post.) 
• Please link back to both challenge hosts and include the challenge button in your sign-up posts. Feel free to also link back in your actual discussions (we appreciate it, so more people can find us!), but that's not required.
• The challenge runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2020. Sign-ups will remain open through December 31st, 2020. So, you can basically sign up all year long (but InLinkz will not longer allow us to keep a linky up for more than a year, so we had to end it on the 12th). Come join us!
• Share it! The more people we get to participate in this, the more awesome discussions we can all be a part of and the more fun it will be! So, invite your friends to join us! 
• On the 1st of every month, a link-up will go up on both Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight where you’ll leave your links for that month’s discussions. Every month, we’ll update this 2019 Book Blog Challenge Page with the links to that month’s Challenge linky–so you’ll always know where to find the latest link-up! 
• There will also be monthly giveaways, so make sure you check in! 
• Use the hashtag #LetsDiscuss2020 to share your progress and connect with other participants on Twitter. 
• Have questions? Feel free to ask in the comments! 

What Kinds of Discussions Can You Link Up?

Discussions can be about whatever you want as long as it’s relevant to books or book blogging! We tend to be pretty lax about our “rules” for what makes a bookish discussion, but we do have some guidelines, so please check them out:

• Please don’t link up discussions about things that are completely off-topic, like travel or fashion, etc.
• Please don’t link up month-end wrap-ups (Nicole has the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up for that, and she’d love to have you join in!)—unless you have a very specific book-related discussion topic that you include in your wrap-up!
• Please don’t link up book reviews unless it’s more of a general discussion about a topic and you’re using a specific book as an example.
• Please don’t link up giveaways unless the post is mostly a discussion that just happens to have a giveaway attached (like if you were talking about the reasons you love audiobooks and you decide to do a giveaway of an audiobook at the end).
• Linking up Top Ten Tuesday posts or other meme posts are fine as long as there’s some actual discussion involved (not just a list of books). Same with tags—they’re fine, but we’d prefer if there’s some discussion involved of why you chose the books, not just a list of books that go with the tag topic.
• A post can be about you personally if it’s a get-to-know-you type post. (We love getting to know our fellow bloggers!)

Hopefully this doesn’t make us seem like the Discussion Police—we just want to try to keep the link-ups discussion-focused since there are already a lot of places to link up those other types of posts. (And remember that we always err on the side of being flexible.) 😊

The Levels:

• 1-10 – Discussion Dabbler
• 11-20 – Creative Conversationalist
• 21-30 – Chatty Kathy
• 31-40 – Terrifically Talkative
• 41+ – Gift of the Gab

I actually made my goal of 100 books last year (ended with 105!), so I think I'll challenge myself to read 110 in 2020. Beat the Backlist 2020 is hosted by Novel Knight, and she really goes above and beyond to make her challenge a one-of-a-kind experience. It's exceptional! I cannot even begin to imagine how much time and energy goes into this one every year. All of the following information is from her blog, and I'm simply posting the highlights to give you a general idea of the challenge (some of the terminology only makes sense if you're reading it on her blog). 

Guidelines: 

• The book must have been published in 2019 or earlier to count. It can be in any format (including an ARC/eARC) as long as the release date is 209 or earlier (i.e. 2020 releases are not allowed).
• You have to start and finish the book in 2020 to count it. Any books started in 2019 and finished in 2020 do not count. Any books started in 2020 and finished in 2021 also do not count.
• The challenge runs from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 (your local time)
• Everything beyond these 3 rules is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL and designed just for fun so you can put in as much or as little as you want into this challenge. 

How to Join: 

1. POST your backlist TBR for the year somewhere online! This can be in the form of a blog post, instagram photo caption, Twitter thread, Goodreads shelf, YouTube video, whatever works for you! You are NOT locked into these books or your initial goal, it’s just something to get you started! Make sure to share a link to this page somewhere in your post so others can find the challenge! 
2. SIGN UP using the form below! Sign-ups will stay open all year long so you can join at any time. 
3. READ backlist books and knock them off your TBR! 
4. SHARE your updates on social media!

Official Challenge Tags: #BeatTheBacklist #BeatTheBacklist2020 #BTB2020

Lastly, I will be participating in the 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge. Last year my goal was 500, and I almost made it! I believe I ended the year with 472. I'm lowering my expectations in 2020, and shooting for 365. It feels more doable, and less stressful. ;)