Top Ten Tuesday used to be a weekly post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, but was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. “It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.” This is definitely something I can understand and want to participate in.
Happy Tuesday! This week started off with a bang for me. Mom was in the hospital over the weekend, but she’s home now and doing a lot better. So while I was able to just relax and put my foot up to ice and rest it, I was also worried about my mother, so it wasn’t as restful as I would have liked. Also, because of the tendon strain and having to stay in the boot, I can’t drive until I build up more strength in my foot and leg. I have never been more glad to live in the age of digital convenience, where I can have things delivered to my house without ever having to speak to another person.
This week’s topic is books I did not finish. I’m a huge fan of DNFing books that I don’t click with, and really only try to push through if I’m trying to read an ARC. It took a lot of work to get to this point, because I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and hate leaving a book unfinished. When I unhaul the books or return them to the library and write a review as to why I DNF’d the book, it’s like removing their presence from my serene environment. Here are ten of my most recent DNFs and why:
- Justinian’s Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of Europe by William Rosen. So far, this has been my only 2025 DNF. The idea of the book sounded really interesting, but the writing was a bit too dry for my taste, and it seemed to focus on everything other than the plague of Justinian. (Read 25%).
- The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow. I got an ARC of this, and it was one of the fewer ARCs that I’ve DNFd. The MC reads as very selfish, rude, and constantly negative, making it really hard for me to connect with her and actually care about what happens in the book. (Read 21%).
- Modern Magic: Stories, Witches, and Spells for Contemporary Witches by Michelle Tea. This one was a DNF for me when she appropriated Jewish prayers and twisted it to make it into something that it wasn’t. I fully expect nonfiction to come with a list of sources if scientific claims are made, and this one didn’t do that at all. (Read 28%).
- The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes. I DNFd this one because I just didn’t connect with the characters, and didn’t like the fatphobia involved in the story. But, I have seen plenty of rave reviews for this one, so take it with a grain of salt. (DNF @ 53%).
- Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa. This is the second book in a series, and while I loved the world building in the first book, this one just didn’t grab my attention the same way. (Read 21%).
- The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales. I DNFd this one because this was the story where I realized that YA stories are less appealing to me than they used to be. A clear case of it’s not you, it’s me. (Read 51%).
- A Box of Magic: A Guided Journey to Creating a Magickal Life Through Witchcraft, Ritual Herbalism, and Spellcasting by Jamie Della. This was a hardcore DNF for me. It was an ARC, but I was grossed out by all the talk of menstrual blood, and the author mentioning that she uses urine and sugar to clean floors. But even worse (for me) was the way she appropriated from Jewish mysticism and culture, and as if that wasn’t enough, she also tried to pass off a Jewish prayer and completely botched it.
- The Clinic by Cate Quinn. It is always hard to read a book that is centered around glaringly flawed depictions of mental health and substance use treatment, but what made this a DNF is the way the author consistently showed no research or knowledge of what she was writing about, and misrepresents what comes along with rehab or mental health care. (Read 35%).
- The Anniversary by Stephanie Bishop. This book was more literary fiction instead of a thriller, as it is marketed. I just had a hard time getting invested in the book. (Read 35%).
- Shadows of the Lost by Maxym M. Martineau. I wound up DNFing this because I had thought it was the first book in a new series, but it was a spin-off from another series, and I couldn’t ever really get my footing in the story because I had missed all the books in the other series that set the stage for this one. (Read 15%).
Have you read any of these? What makes you DNF a book?
Categories: Top Ten Tuesday
Leah's Books 
I’ve read about a couple of these, but haven’t read any. I’m sorry none worked for you. That’s always a bummer. Teaching myself to DNF is an ongoing thing, but overall I think I’m better now. 🙂
Hope the rest of your week is better!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re so right – teaching myself to DNF is an ongoing process, but I’m a lot better than where I was a year or two ago.
LikeLike
I don’t dnf all that often but I don’t have a problem with it either.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even though it seems like I DNF a lot, I actually finish the majority of the books that I start. But when I do DNF, I’ve stopped feeling bad about it. DNFing can be so freeing.
LikeLike
I haven’t read any of these, but I have had The Expectant Detectives recommended to my by Goodreads based on other books I’ve read. But something kept telling me don’t do it! After seeing it on your list, I’m glad I haven’t done it.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/books-i-dnfed-in-2024/
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lot of people seem to enjoy The Expectant Detectives, but there was just something about it that I couldn’t get into. So I’m glad I was able to take one for the team, and save you the time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like you have had a bit of a time of it. I hope that you both get well soon.
How annoying when Religion is used like that.
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks – Mom got home yesterday, went back today, and now she’s back home and doing okay. And I really hate when authors appropriate and don’t even understand what they’re talking about.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bless her. Glad she is now doing ok.
I just don’t understand why you would go there if you haven’t properly researched it 🤷🏼
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you – Mom seems close to her usual self, so fingers crossed that the medication helps.
And that point seems like common sense, although there are far too many people who are lacking common sense.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bless her. Such a worrying time.
Ergh tell me about it 🙄
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank goodness for books, or I’d have completely lost my sanity. And luckily, she’s a tough old broad!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂 bless her
LikeLiked by 1 person
I rarely DNF books. I wish I could sometimes but once I’ve started a book, I have to finish it. Here’s my TTT list for this week: https://damppebbles.com/2025/03/25/toptentuesday-25th-march-2025/
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s how I was for so long, but something finally clicked and made it possible for me to abandon a book I’m not enjoying. Although I do still have to fight the urge to keep reading a book I’m not loving.
LikeLiked by 1 person
DNFing makes the reading experience so much better!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I fully agree – there are too many other books out there to be spending my time reading a book that I am not enjoying.
LikeLike
I haven’t read the Sophie Gonzales on yet, but I want to. Here is my post https://paigesofnovels.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/top-ten-tuesday-books-ive-dnfed/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you enjoy it when you get to it!
LikeLike
I don’t really DNF books, but mostly because I pick up books I think I’ll like so I am at least able to finish them, though sometimes I don’t like the books all that much. I haven’t read any of the books on your list, but I’ll keep your opinions in mind if I ever pick any of them up!
If you’d like to visit, here’s my TTT: https://thebooklorefairyreads.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/top-ten-tuesday-most-anticipated-middle-grade-books-on-my-tbr/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always start a book with the intention of enjoying it, although some just aren’t as enjoyable as I thought they’d be. I got better at DNFing after having pushed through just one too many books that didn’t get better for me.
LikeLike
I don’t think I’ve read or heard anything about these books, but if you didn’t like them, I can almost guarantee I wont either. I am a big fan of DNF’ing, it’s made me reading experience so much better, but I definitely give ARC’s a little more of a chance than backlist books.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who actively enjoys DNFing a book that I am not enjoying, even if ARCs get a little more leeway. But there’s this freeing feeling about DNFing, allowing me to drop a book I’m not loving, and giving me the chance to find a book that I might love!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely! And it’s really helped me stay out of reading slumps.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad your mom is home from the hospital. I like your thoughts/approach to not finishing a book. Nonfiction should absolutely have references if they are making some sort of claim. If it doesn’t I assume the person made it up and I’m not interested. A Box of Magick sounds revolting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, I’m happy about it too. And I’m glad that my list resonated with you. I also agree that if a nonfiction author is making a claim, it’s useless unless they can back it up. Otherwise, I’m right there with you, figuring that the person must have made it up.
LikeLike
I haven’t heard of any of these books, but the titles already don’t intrigue me 🙂
My TTT: https://laurieisreading.com/2025/03/25/top-ten-tuesday-dnf-books/
LikeLike
Haha, then you’re safe from these at least!
LikeLike