The Bookish Hour

Shelf Rejects: Why We Set Books Down

• Jor & Fab • Season 2 • Episode 12

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Ever picked up a highly anticipated book only to find yourself desperately fighting the urge to check your phone after two pages? You're not alone. 

We dive deep into the surprisingly complex world of DNFing (Did Not Finish) books this week. From legitimate dealbreakers to admittedly petty reasons, we share our complete list of reading turn-offs that make us close a book for good. Why struggle through a supposed slow-burn romance where characters are intimate by chapter three? What about those books where you find yourself skimming entire pages without really reading?

Whether you religiously finish every book you start or have a stack of half-read novels gathering dust, this conversation celebrates the reader's ultimate power: the freedom to close a book that isn't serving you. Life's too short for boring books! Join us for this candid, laughter-filled exploration of when and why to walk away from a reading experience.

Have your own DNF criteria? We'd love to hear your reading deal-breakers! Rate, review and let us know what makes you put a book down for good.

Cover Art by: Fabienne and Jordan
Contact email: thebookishhourpod@gmail.com
Intro/Outro music: Season Two: Ramaramaray by Aiyo via Epidemic Sound Season One: Sweet Psycho via TikTok’s Offical Sound Studio on Capcut
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Podcast: @thebookishhourpod
Fabienne: @oxonheart
Jordan: @sipsoffiction

Jordan:

welcome to the bookish hour with joran fob hello, oh, hello oh my sound, what? Oh nothing. Nothing to ignore me.

Fabienne:

Oh no, wait, wait. Can you stand up for me? Can you show me what you're wearing? It looks cute.

Jordan:

Oh, my god, wait, it's so funny. You say that I made a TikTok of my outfit because I like the headphones, so I couldn't tell if you were saying that because of the TikTok, I made, it, made, it, I made, but like Actually no.

Fabienne:

Shant. Shant ignored a shot of the socks. No, I love this Like. Would you call this like a dungarees, dungarees or like an overall?

Jordan:

Like a jumpsuit. I don't know. I don't know what I would call this. Actually I love it. I love't know I don't know what I would call this. Actually I love it. I love the color. Oh my gosh, I love the color. Usually like I haven't been wearing it because I thought I had to wear it with like a tank top underneath, like a white tank top, but then I was like wait, I have like a white, like cropped mock turtleneck and I'm like I could totally wear it with this. And so here I am it looks really good.

Fabienne:

I genuinely love like this type of green color. Also. It looks really good for your skin tone right, I think.

Jordan:

I think this is why I love fall, because I love these darker colors, because I they look better on me than the like summery spring colors.

Fabienne:

So yeah, have you ever done one of those color?

Jordan:

no tests want to though I've heard like I want to but honestly, like I feel like they got so big so now they're like super expensive or the one, or like fully booked up, and I'm like, well, I know what I like so and what I think looks good on me, so we'll just and we'll just.

Fabienne:

If you think it works, it works right. You just gotta wait, it's just gotta yeah exactly.

Jordan:

Um, okay, I just want to point out and then I want to know all about london.

Fabienne:

But if this was this time last year, I'd be getting ready to come see you and I'm so sad I'm not this year it feels so bittersweet, like people are like getting ready for that horrible king's day which you and I love tremendously cough, cough, sneeze, no't I mean we were there for a hot second and then it was just so busy.

Jordan:

We were like you were like want to go back home, and I was like yes, please, yes, yes.

Fabienne:

No, I know, I actually thought about it this morning when I drove my bicycle to work. I was like, oh wait, last year actually actually, Jorah came to see me I also. It just puts things really into perspective because the year flew by so quickly like I can't believe.

Jordan:

It's been like a full year yeah, like honestly, I feel like it. It literally went by in a blink of an eye kind of did so maybe.

Fabienne:

I mean, obviously I'm also just like saying this for the heck of it, but I'm also sort of semi-serious what if you just like start looking into, you know, another trip?

Jordan:

well, I, I mean, I feel like I need to. I mean I need to see like you're a new place, like it has to uh, yes but like maybe now I need to come at like a different time, like we can't come at the same time again.

Fabienne:

Like now I feel like now I feel like, maybe indian summer, is that like a thing? Can we still say that? By the way, indian summer, yeah, is that like a thing?

Jordan:

I've never heard that before. Like summer.

Fabienne:

No, like Indian summer is like when summer is basically just on the cusp of like turning to fall, where, like the most of the trees are still like very lush and green and just like half their leaves, but some are like starting to change color and like there is just chill in the air. Um, maybe it's like it's a weird thing, because you know, I'm dutch and we don't really use english words here as a standard, but my grandpa always says that like oh, do you see this beautiful lane down here? Uh, bien, like this is just starting to look like indian summer. And he always says that like around your birthday, actually like august, september, um, when the height of summer has just been, and you know it's like now it's the fall of the climax, yes, but like everything is just so beautiful outside and just like it's, I don't know.

Fabienne:

He just calls it indian summer, so I wasn't sure if that translated or like if that's a thing that I could say I don't, I don't know if that, I don think I've ever.

Jordan:

I've never heard that, but I don't know if people here use it, because I do remember when I came in like the end of April, it was like there were like some chilly moments oh, definitely Like more so than I thought there would be. I definitely did not pack for the chilly moments with my dress and I had to borrow one of your jackets and I was like you basically practically swim in that, like the size of the jacket was too big for you it worked.

Jordan:

I didn't think it was that big was. I didn't think it?

Fabienne:

no, it was not that big okay, maybe just like a little oversized then just like you know, for style, essence, I guess.

Jordan:

But, I remember that first strobe waffle, yeah, wonderful, oh so good. April's tricky here too, because like there's been some days that are like 60, and then there's other days that are like 40, and it's cold, fahrenheit, I don't know what they are. No, no, no, no, no, no, I kind of warm and cold.

Fabienne:

I've started to, you know, like get the grasp of it. So I'm sort of doing like the math in my head. But you're, you're, you're fine. I always have like this trick. I saw this one time on Ellen of all places, where she was like if the temperatures start to drop beneath my age, it's cold. And then I looked that up one time and like around the time when that episode aired she was around like 55. So it's like, oh, okay, that makes sense. So I think 50 55 fahrenheit is around like 18 to 20 degrees celsius, which is very at least like springtime still, but you know it's like maybe like a chilly, chilly type of 50 degrees.

Jordan:

Yeah, I feel like 50 can be warm if you're used to the cold, but, like, if you're used to like the warmer weather, 50 can be cold. Yeah, warm, yeah yeah. How is London?

Fabienne:

Fucking fantastic.

Jordan:

Oh it looked like a blast.

Fabienne:

Girl, it really was. I saw so many new things, like the last time that I was there I was also with my mom, I mean, you know, but I'm not really sure if anyone else like, actually like picked up on that. But yeah, but I'm really close with my mom, so we do like like city trips pretty often, um, and we went already to london like two to three years back.

Jordan:

We went to oxford last year, and was it really? Oh, that was last year. I was like I.

Fabienne:

I was like I thought you went like last year, yeah, but like right before when you came here, actually like in like in early april we went to oxford. In late april you came to me. April was a busy month for me last year april was a busy year except I'm not coming.

Fabienne:

Oh, I'm actually kind of stressed too. Um, but yes, london was fantastic. Honestly, I woke up so cracking my heart today, sorry, yes, no, yes, no, london was really really fun. No, no, no, no, don't be sorry, we saw and did a new, like a lot of different things. Like I actually did my research.

Fabienne:

Normally I'm like with city trips I'm almost, like you know, just like a go with the flow kind of gal, like I don't have a full time slot itinerary planned, as in like at 10 am we're gonna do this. At 10 30 we have to be here, and you know, like x, y, c and continue and continued. Um, but I did have like a semi sort of structure that you know I wanted to see this at least on the first day, because then we have like a goal of sorts we walk to there, um, this I wanted to see on the second day, etc. Etc. So we did have like a few things that we actually wanted to, like you know, tick off of our lists and, girl, we walked a lot during the day, like 30,000 steps approximately every single day on the average.

Jordan:

Oh, my goodness.

Fabienne:

I know you got your workout in for the weekend.

Fabienne:

I actually did Like those beers and those wines. They were hard earned. I tell you, yeah, yeah, yes, I actually did like those beers and those wines. They were hard-earned. I tell you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yes. No, it was really fun and I actually took my camera with me. So I made um, I made it a thing that I did not have, like my phone. Um, well, obviously I had my phone, I'm not gonna lie, but I, like I have my camera, just like out in the open too, like on like one of those lanyard things you know, like the, the crossbody slings that are pretty hot right now.

Jordan:

Um, so I only took photos with my camera and they are so dope, they're so dope okay, okay I said very humbly look at the little photographer, little photography, killing it over here yeah, yeah, no, that works, that works.

Fabienne:

Um. So, yeah, it was really fun, um, but I'm also always like happy to be back. You know, like, like I said, like I love my mom, we're really close, but after four days it's also like oh, happy to be back here home, gotcha, yeah yeah, yeah, also I miss Jay, you know like still four days. So true, true, but yes, so London was good. How have you been Tell me what's good, what's fun, what's up with?

Jordan:

you? Yes, so I love Instagram and I love the. I've talked to a few people about it but I've been I like haven't said anything to you because I was like this is perfect podcast material and I don't think I really fit into the aesthetic field of it all. Like I try, but like I don't want to necessarily be in every picture but I fucking am because I can't do a flat lay and there's like reels, but like you still need to like look put together, even though I never am. But I think I like TikTok for for like the chaos of it all, like you can literally be in like sweats, which I usually am, and do like a rant for like five minutes and like it works. But I also think because TikTok I have less followers, there's like less pressure, so I like hence why I'm wearing this outfit.

Jordan:

I may or may not have recorded like five TikToks before this. Like recording that I kind of just, and I like the fact that I can just like talk, like I am still kind of posting them on reels on Instagram, ish, like maybe not all of them. Like I don't want to just like mass post all these this content on Instagram, so I'm like picking and choosing like randomly, especially if I don't have anything and maybe I have like a TikTok that can be a reel, I'll like post it and then I can at least just save it to my like real page on Instagram, so it kind of works but I think I like TikTok for like the chaos of it all.

Jordan:

So I'm having fun like creating content again and having fun like just posting content, like I posted two videos today on TikTok and it was just like fun yeah and so like, I think, like so happy you say that like you're doing it for the fun of it all. Yeah, I understand.

Fabienne:

You know best of all people here.

Jordan:

Right, and I think Instagram just has become so much like I felt like I needed to post and then like some of it, like just life was happening and I couldn't post. And then it was like I joined some engagement groups because content I was making for authors wasn't getting this reach and I was afraid that they weren't going to like send me things anymore. Because and and I I actually do I do kind of like these engagement groups because like I feel like I've met people through them, so like that was cool, but I hated that I was. I joined them for that reason because like my content wasn't being seen and I think Instagram was just frustrating me, so like I only have like a thousand followers on TikTok. So I feel like it just was so.

Fabienne:

Still a thousand.

Jordan:

True, very true, but I think like compared to like, like instagram, it's so much less that I think it's taken like the pressure off of it and I like that, I just like. I only thing is is I'm. I literally made five tiktoks in this outfit. Maybe I should have changed it out like the post.

Jordan:

Yeah, that's right, but I'm like it's fine, but I feel like I think I just like like the chaos of it all and so I'm so excited. And I know people said like I should probably just post, like if I want to like grow TikTok, I should post the same thing, which I think essentially I will. But I think I just also like that I can just post whatever wait, what do you mean?

Fabienne:

like post the same thing, like same thing as what, like I should do on Instagram, or wait, what do you mean? Like post the same thing, like same thing as what I should do on Instagram, or?

Jordan:

no. So I guess to like really push your content like you should do, like the same kind of post, so like if you're a recommend, if it's like recommending a book, it should be like the same background, holding a book and like doing that, which I get, that. But I'm also like I'm gonna put, like I'm gonna I want to post like the random things and and then I do but I do want for that right and I do want.

Fabienne:

I do want to post like those, like recommendation, like videos too, but I think it's like what I really want is to like post whatever for now and, like I said, like it takes off the pressure, because, also, I don't say like that, you're not I want to say, um, I still believe that the thousand followers is like a huge amount, because it's like a thousand people sitting in a room and they're like following you, so to say. If you like, put things into perspective. Like a thousand is like a lot, a lot, um but also it takes the pressure.

Fabienne:

Like what do you have like now? Like, like 11, like 11k or something on instagram like that's huge and if you feel like the pressure, like I said, I understand this best of all because I had the same issue and you know that because I man, I just kept dragging on and drawing and like an on about problem that I do. So I'm just really happy for you that you're already, like, found your alternative.

Jordan:

I know, and that's what I think is like kind of nice, granted, we could all lose TikTok. Well, me lose TikTok in like 90 days or whatever the x amount of time is for our government to like shut it down. But I feel like, at least for now, I'm having fun with it. So I'm like why wouldn't I?

Fabienne:

like make the most of it and do just whatever I want and post whatever I want.

Jordan:

I agree yeah, so I'm like and, plus, I think it's kind of fun to like, maybe now focus on like growing tiktok. So like, just making them, the like reels, the tiktoks I want to make, and like maybe that grows it and then I can. What I did with instagram is I'll take those, those videos, and I can post them on instagram and I really like that. You can remove it from your grid if you want to, so like, that's what's kind of nice to have as like, yeah, a backup, because I feel like that you, it doesn't need to be aesthetics it's like not the main page, which is nice.

Jordan:

No, but I also think that's it you.

Fabienne:

It doesn't need to be aesthetic, because it's like not the main page, which is nice no, but I also think that's like the power of TikTok right, because, for the exact same reason that you actually like thrown off like I, it's funny because the scale is up, all like, all up. Okay, it's like up in here in my head, but I can't with all the impressions that TikTok like gives me. Like you know the all the buttons on the sides, the continuous loop of videos that are constantly playing. I kind of like the static, as you well phrased it, for Instagram. I kind of like that sort of taken.

Fabienne:

You know like taking a step back in a sense of like how fast everything is on Instagram. You have to like scroll down actively to. You have to click on a post to watch it. So for that reason I do not necessarily like TikTok. I am on it like I am a fly on the wall there. I follow a lot of like cleaning accounts. You know like how to clean your, clean up your kitchen or like how to I don't know plant a flower in your garden.

Jordan:

But I think you are a great fit for like the things that you want to post on TikTok and I can't see, I can't wait for like all the content you're going to make right, and I like I had a couple conversations with other people like randomly like months ago and stuff being like I just want to do more talking like videos, and somebody was like you should do TikToks, like that's like what it's there for, and I and I agree with you too like I'm TikTok is a lot like and I don't like go on the for you page or anything like I have like my five like influencer people that I follow and I just go directly to their pages and I watch their TikToks.

Jordan:

Like I'm not, like I don't do scrolling so to say yeah just because it's like it's too much, and I agree, like it's like people get lost in it and like you're. It's like an hour goes by and you just watched all these like stupid TikToks. But I'm like, if I like go to watch like a specific person, at one point either I reach the end of like what I've already seen or I'm like, ok, I'm bored with this, like same person, and then I know to like close it out. But I agree with you, granted, if I wanted to grow my TikTok account, I need people to go to like their like for you page and find my account. But yeah, but that's like I don't do that.

Fabienne:

But you don't have to think about that. You just have to like create, like the things that you want to create and see wherever it goes, you know, like wherever it takes you and honestly, I know that how much you love like talking and like your stories on Instagram too, but those don't last, unfortunately, and some are actually really good and really engaging and just really captivating, like how you I don't know speak to your audience, so to say. They're really just like fun, just like quick and just not practiced, if that makes sense, or just like very much in the moment, what I much, what I'm looking for, and I feel like TikTok then would really help you in that sense of, I guess, perpetuating that sort of chaos feel that you want to have. Yes, so yeah.

Jordan:

Well, and it's like funny because sometimes I'll take my Instagram stories and I'll post them as TikToks, like whether it's a talking one or if it's like me doing an unboxing yeah, and those TikToks actually do fairly well, so I know it's so random. I did like an unboxing for an LJ Shen book and I did it as a story and then I literally took that story, put it on TikTok and it got like a thousand views, which is not like I know it's not like a ton, but like me having a thousand followers. Usually my views are around like four to 500. So seeing that like double for like a random like story yeah exactly so it's like.

Jordan:

It's like the fact that I'm getting engagement, I'm getting views, I'm getting followers from the things I'm posting. It's like almost exciting again where, like, Instagram has like stalled out. So it's kind of like it's fun again and I'm like growing, which is really cool. But I think overall it's just the fact that it's fun.

Fabienne:

So what type of like videos did she record today? Then, like I did, like talking videos and I'm guessing no, so I didn't, I actually just recorded like a bunch did like talking videos and I'm guessing no, so I didn't.

Jordan:

I actually just recorded like a bunch of like um, like sound ones that we used to do for instagram, but like instagram kind of like killed those out. So I like, and I'm hoping to post them like randomly with talking ones, but I like, I feel like I, yeah, and I almost like didn't know what else to because, like I already did two talking ones in a row, so I was like, oh, let me like switch it up, and I did like some random things.

Fabienne:

So we'll just have to wait and see, then won't we?

Jordan:

Yes, yes, we shall, Now that we've talked about that for so long. What is this episode about today? Fab?

Fabienne:

DNFing books Like what are valid reasons, what are funny reasons, what are absurd reasons, but reasons nonetheless.

Jordan:

And what does DNF stand for?

Fabienne:

Sorry, I did not finish. I did not finish a book, or you do not finish a book, right?

Jordan:

There's no third option here also like a soft dnf which I have used multiple times, being like I'm not really in the mood for this right now, so I'm just gonna dnf it for now.

Fabienne:

So it's like a soft dnf, a soft dnf. I like that better because I used to call that like a, just not like a, not right now. I I would make the heart distinction between dnf and not right now, but I like soft d DNF better.

Jordan:

Right. I saw someone else use that and I was like ooh, I'm using it too.

Fabienne:

It's going to slowly push it to the side where no one sees that. I even picked it up in the first place.

Jordan:

I love the Goodreads. It's like reading, but I just switch that to want to read.

Fabienne:

Back to want to read and want to read and I'm like nobody saw. Have you ever? Sorry, quick, well, not random questions, really very related to um, goodreads. Do you ever like go on your for you page there, like on your friends list, like what everyone is like reading and like what are you know changing in the bookshelves?

Jordan:

like the home page, I guess. Okay, like, oh, I'll like scroll through. Like my for, like my, like I don't know what it's called, but like the things that my followers have are the people I follow are doing, and then I'll like randomly like a feed.

Jordan:

Yeah, maybe a feed like. I'll randomly like a few of those, but I don't really. I'm not really on Goodreads, except I'll go in to keep track of my books Because I actually what I really like is posting reviews to my stories and then I save all of them in a highlight, so it's like reviews for the year I did it for 2024, and then I still have that highlight and it's like reviews for 2024 reads and then now I'm working on 2025. Wish I would have done that from the beginning of like starting Instagram, but you know we'll start it now.

Fabienne:

You know, they say wisdom comes with the ears. Now, that's true, it's proven to be true. Honestly, maybe I should start doing that actually too, because I started doing that last year actually. But then I was also tired with all the highlights, cause I thought they looked like really, you know, like messy. And then some. There was, like this, one very short period of time when Instagram decided not to introduce highlights anymore.

Jordan:

So it was like like they, but only random accounts. Accounts like I still always had my highlights it was so weird.

Fabienne:

Oh, when I went to edit, like when I want to like to actually add them as a highlight, they were still like there, but then, like I don't know like archived or sort of something. It was really really strange, um, but I think it's a good call because, you know, it's more palpable that, yo, these are the books that she has read. Oh, these are actually things that she has reviewed. It's more direct and people don't have to ironically doom scroll on your page, which is actually what you want people to do, because you know you want them to be engaged with your content.

Jordan:

And I like to because, like authors aren't really looking at stories. So I feel like I can, and I'm more honest in a Goodreads review than if I were to post the review on my page. Like on my page, I may like talk about something I didn't like, but I'm definitely more critical than just like this fucking sucked and and if I did? If there wasn't something I liked? But I want to tag the author. I'm not going to mention that in my like post. I'm just going to say the things I did like.

Jordan:

But if you want to find like my honest opinion, it's definitely go to Goodreads.

Fabienne:

But just dive into, like my review, to actually get the review. Yes, good call, good call.

Jordan:

Going back to the DNF thing. What are some of the reasons you have DNF'd a book.

Fabienne:

When it's introduced as a slow burn, but they practically have sex in the third chapter.

Jordan:

Oh wait. So not even if it's introduced as a slow burn. Sometimes, if there's sex in the first chapter, I'm like I'm out.

Fabienne:

I'm out.

Jordan:

I'm like the whole point is the, but that's maybe because we like the tension and the build-up and the slow burn that when it happens I'm like now what is there to? Wait for what is there to live for, Bob Literally.

Fabienne:

It's already been there. The climax, quite literally, has already just happened and I'm like, oh, okay, well, I guess, unless I wonder what's going to happen in the last 300 pages right, unless it's like a, something where there's like they're together and it's like a one night stand and then like that's like part of the story.

Jordan:

But then I want that first chapter to be a fade to black and we get a spicy scene later on. But you but like a, maybe there's like a little bit like you get the kissing, you get like a little bit of well, there's no tension, because if it happens in the first chapter I don't think there is any tension, but I think it can be done well. But I want like a fade to black moment or like it to be blurry, like I don't really want it to be like a truly spicy scene.

Fabienne:

No, I guess, building off of that, I also don't. I don't appreciate when it's like a main character is like dreaming about, like the potential smutty scene, and then wakes up all of a sudden because it's already happened for me. I still want to live with the actual moment when it, when it's actually happening, like in the book I don't care for, like dreams, muddy scene oh yeah, when it only just like functions as, like you know, realization on the main character's part like oh wait, maybe I am them, I don't I can't see that because, I also like I feel like you could definitely use that as like a build up, like I love a good dream scene where it's like you feel all the tension and then it's like it's about to happen and then they wake up Like I don't want it.

Fabienne:

That I like, but I don't love that. It's a deed in the dream.

Fabienne:

And that's happening a lot in a few books, so that's a no for me. So I guess, to sum that up, like when the pacing is just like glacial, you know, when there's like no slow burn and you know the rewards already been, it's been given, but there's no actual reward. Um, I guess, when the book is also too, too poetic, like when the writing is making, making I don't know, like a forced poetic, when the writer, sorry, is trying to like, be forcefully like poetic, and it takes away like the concentration of, like the plot or just like the overall storyline, um, I don't like that, it's a dnf for me. Overly poetic, unnecessarily overly poetic, it's a no for me fair, fair.

Jordan:

I have definitely dnf'd a book that had the first main character's name was the name of my stepdad oh yeah, oh.

Fabienne:

I also know exactly what book that is. I think that is fucking awful. So we're going to put this away. We're not going to continue reading this. Let's not, let's read this one.

Jordan:

Yeah, no, thank you.

Fabienne:

I guess a lot of info dumping too, unless it's done really well and like it's integrated into like the world building, if that makes sense. So fantasy books are like notorious for this shit.

Jordan:

um, I think that's like and yes okay, sorry, continue, continue no no, no interject honey well, I was gonna say, like this is what's so tough, like I hate either the info dumping, like, especially at the beginning, like I need you to, like I need to be engaged, I need to be into it, or like to just be thrown into a story where you don't know anything but all the characters know everything. So you're just confused the whole time because and then you just well, I end up dnfing it because I'm like I I can't follow, like what the fuck is going on I am lost, guys.

Fabienne:

I don't know where this story is going and it probably won't ever find out, because yeah, yeah, yeah um, so I guess like a confusing storyline.

Fabienne:

I mean when you're say I guess five chapters, in say like they're fairly short chapters yeah, I love short chapters, by the way, also I guess long chapters like long as our dnf eventually, unless the plot is really gripping, like it's really captivating. Um, donna tard is actually known for that. Um, the secret history has long ass chapters. Long ass was actually pain in the ass to get through them, but the story is just really fucking gripping. So you know, you, just you plow through and you enjoy it.

Jordan:

Um, I think yeah, that makes it, that's yeah.

Fabienne:

Very much more bearable, but say that I don't know like you're five chapters in and a relatively short chapter. So you know five chapters in and the story does not make any sense. You confuse people. There is no clear plot. Still that you know, it still has to be established. You're like okay, I know the blurb, I know what people have been saying um about this book, but I do not know where this is going.

Jordan:

Also dnf for me, dnf I very minimal dialogue, like they're basically everything, like a whole chapter of no dialogue and just I don't even know what it would be, but like either it's like internal monologue of the character, not okay. So no dialogue, but first person. I've read a book where I'm like it took like a few chapters to get to like the first dialogue scene and I was like interesting this is a struggle.

Jordan:

It was. I don't want to like call the book on the podcast, so I won't. I'll tell you after. But I was like no, I like, did not like it. I did not like it. I was like what is going on?

Fabienne:

like and I don't know.

Jordan:

I don't know if they like yeah, I won't say anything else that I there needs to be some dialogue. I also can't handle like if a book is like not engaging, like I feel like you need to be engaging and maybe it's even just your writing style, maybe it's like not for me, but if, like, the first couple pages aren't engaging or I'm like not into the writing style, I can't continue. Like I it's like oh and it's, and not necessarily that it has to be like an easy read, but it does help if it. If I'm not totally engaged and it is a easy read that I can just keep going, but like if I'm, if it takes too long to get into the story, it's done it's no go yeah, yeah, yeah, like it's not gonna happen.

Fabienne:

I guess that's one of mine too. Like when I catch myself um, glancing at my phone in like within the first two pages, when I'm actually starting to, you know like I'm in the mood for to read I have my PM on mine or whatever I'm like just down to read and I'm feeling it but then I noticed myself like grab, like you know, picking up my phone, like oh wait, this is maybe not captivating enough. So that's either like a soft dnf for me or a hardcore dnf, depends on like the story or it depends on whatever I mean.

Fabienne:

Obviously there's like many more factors that need to be factored in, but if that's like if I notice that I'm drifting more toward my phone than the book when I'm actually really down to read or and I don't know if this happens to you.

Jordan:

Like sometimes, like at the end of a chapter, it's like different. But if in the middle of the book I randomly stop and pick up my phone, it's like the middle of the book, like I'm mid paragraph, mid sentence, and I'm like, oh, what's on my phone? Like then I know like something is not right here I'm like yeah, exactly like you would think it would keep my attention yeah to keep reading, and if it's not, then something's up I guess skimming falls into this category as well.

Fabienne:

if, if we're putting labels to this, but if I have to physically stop myself from skimming a book, if I notice that I'm skimming a lot, I'm like wait, I have to stop skimming, because I'm not reading a single letter here. It's also on the DNF, because I'm not going to finish the book.

Jordan:

Question For some of the easier reads and then you start skimming, will you still finish it? Because I noticed for myself that some of the easier reads I've like I might be into it but I've just like. It's like either I'm like, I like, you can almost like if, especially if there's a lot of dialogue, you can skip those in between spaces, not really miss anything, but it's more of a skim Like I've definitely noticed myself. So sorry Doing that.

Fabienne:

Yeah.

Jordan:

Between like dialogues, like I'll skip the little bits that I don't need, or are you still like that's a DNF.

Fabienne:

Hard. I guess it's like an easy book, how you put it. Maybe I'll, I guess I do finish it, but I keep, I keep on skimming that way a lot of no. But wait, that way, like that way, you're phrasing it like an easy yeah.

Jordan:

I don't know if, yeah, I feel like maybe that might have not been the best way to word it.

Fabienne:

Well, I guess I no, no, no, no, I guess. Well, I wouldn't say like easy. I said like you know, like like a dumbass could read this book or like a dumbass could write it, but it's more type of like, no nonsense, it's potato chips books, you know, like the bitch reads, they're just like. You just have to keep them. Yeah, so I actually do have a title for you because I wanted to come sort of prepared.

Fabienne:

This is a book that I bought in London. It's by Paige Toon. What If I Never Get Over you? Um, and I read her before and that book too, seven summers or something. That book was over 400 pages long. Did not need to be 400 pages, jordan, like that could have been wrapped up in like 250, like or maybe a neat 300 max. But I kept reading, even though it was like, oh, yeah, okay, you know, you just like you look at the words. They're sort of like registering, but you're also not actively reading them. But I am still going to finish this because I do sort of. I do kind of like the stories. So I guess, yes, yes, if it's an easy read, if it's a low threshold read, like no high stakes types of book, I'll keep on reading it, but it's also if it's not an easy book, if it's like a high fantasy it's like a no go, yeah, see, it's like a.

Jordan:

yeah, I like that's. The thing is like I've been trying to be better about dnfing books, even at like just soft dnfs, like I couldn't tell you the last book I like dnf, dnf, um, but I'm like trying to tell you, but I won't because you know, I mean you didn't name a book before and also I don't want to be very, very rude. Fair. Is it like, not a like. Is it like a indie author Because maybe we don't say those but a traditionally published author? I say, say it Fucking, call that shit out.

Fabienne:

No, it's an indie author.

Jordan:

Oh, let's not call that shit out.

Jordan:

Not today, but I I do. I like had such a hard time DNFing books, like I always felt like I needed to finish it, but like typically it was. I think it was because I bought the book and I felt like I needed to like, if I picked it up and was reading it, I needed to finish reading it. But then there would be times where I was like reading the same book for three months and I was like this is like that book. I only have one book that came months and I was like this is like that book. I only have one book that came to mind but I was like this is a book I should should have DNF and I finished it and it fucking sucked the whole time. So it's like I could have DNF it and I'm like why the fuck didn't I? But I this was also years ago at this point, but I'm like I think I'm trying.

Jordan:

So apply, I so apply, I'm like yeah, like I'm trying to be better about DNFing and I think like now it's a lot easier to DNF a book. Like I'll pick, like I definitely picked up a couple fantasies and like recently, like maybe that last month, and I think it was just a mixture of like maybe I think if I would have given them more of a shot, like if I continued to read, like it would have been okay, um, but I just like couldn't get into them and I'm like maybe I'm just not in a fantasy mood so I put those down. But soft dnfs, but I did. Yeah, I've god of malice, I'll call one out. God of malice.

Jordan:

I read like five chapters and I was like nothing has happened in these five chapters. That I was like I'm putting this down and I think that's also going to be a soft dnf, because I think so many people have mentioned how much they love it, so like I really do want to give it back, give it another shot. But I was just like I think I probably picked it up like this time last year or maybe like even in the beginning of last year, like in 2024, and I was just like, yeah, no oh, I also hate like when it's like so hyped, you know like yeah either talk or instagram or whatever, and you're like okay, well, maybe, maybe should then.

Fabienne:

And then you start reading it and you're like oh, but they should never have left like fanfictionnet or like archives of her own. It should have just like stayed on the fanfiction side of it all. That's like an easy, easy read. No, that's DNA for me too. Or like when a book promises like high stakes and there's like nothing going on until the chapter, or something like there's no urgency at all. Like yeah it's like a hardy and if I like, shove it across my desk. I'm like you're done and me too.

Jordan:

Yeah, what would be like the pettiest reason you've DNF to book. I've been seeing those like reels and like Tik TOKoks come up and I love watching them well, I guess the one that I I mean actually.

Fabienne:

You know this reason and it's from ali hazelwood oh my gosh. Yes, but like you mentioned that you might give it another shot yeah, true, I still have to find that chance, though, like I might still maybe when I'm in a mood for it, um, but that was a semi soft dnf slash heart. No so when, when, like the punctuation style is not up to par to whatever, or like I'm just not feeling it, I feel like people are shouting the entire time, it's like why?

Jordan:

why it's so funny, because I read it and I did not feel that at all. But I've seen other people since you've mentioned it, I've seen other people mention the punctuation in that book and I'm like, how did I miss it? I also like I think I know how I missed it. Like I read it at a time that I was escaping life and I needed something else, and so that was like a paranormal story that I could like escape life with. So I think I do wonder if I picked that book up at a different time, if it would have been different. And that's the same thing with Reckless by Lauren Roberts. Like I love that book and there's so many people out there that say that book could have been an email. I loved every minute of that book. But I think the same thing, like I think I read it at a time that I needed to like escape life. Literally the same time I read Bride and I like lived for it. So it's like I think it like really depends on when you read a book.

Fabienne:

That's also true, like the atmosphere, like just the setting and like the vibe that you're going for, like they're important factors whether you're not going to DNF a book, that's for sure. Um, I guess another DNF reason for me is when a chapter, like perspective, changes like mid-chapter and it's not made clear, and then people note on it and then the author will be like no, it's, it's horrible, it's chaotic, unnecessarily confusing.

Jordan:

um, and to be fair chapter.

Fabienne:

Honestly, yes, I do sort of get. If, like, your chapter is like short and you're, say, like a mid chapter length type of writer and you want input from like, both main characters, like both characters, whatever, then I kind of understand why you would change it, but also just make it known to the reader that you are, because I don't, I don't, honestly, I couldn't tell you which author did this. It wasn't any author, that's for sure. That that much I do remember. Um, but they changed, like the pov like mid chapter, as I've said multiple times now and, um, it was actually an arc read when I started, uh, doing arc weeks in the very beginning of my instagram career and I commented on it that it was a really bit, that it was a little confusing because I couldn't tell, like, who was saying what, and she was like, yeah, but you should have picked it up on it, based on the writing style of how the characters speak. I'm like what, what? That? That's that's true, that's whole work. I'm not.

Jordan:

No, no also like I think, especially if you're arc reading, like you're as an author, even if my thought process is, this author shouldn't have said anything to you and should have just taken your like, your thoughts and opinions and criticisms, because, I guarantee you, other people are having those same thoughts and other people are DNFing the book because they can't follow along. And so the fact that the author's like well, you should have picked up on it based off the dialogue of the character and who's talking, I was like not like your, it's coming from your head, so of course you know who's talking, but, like, as someone on the outside doesn't necessarily know who's fucking talking, but and I can understand, like maybe she doesn't, she, he, I don't know who it was, but they don't want to change it and that's fine, they don't have to. But I feel like them saying like, oh well, you should just know. Well, clearly you didn't know, or else you wouldn't have said anything thank you, thank, thank you.

Fabienne:

Thank you for resting my case. You're welcome. I do have quite a few more, but I want to hear one of yours too. Like another one, of yours.

Jordan:

I feel like I had one on like the tip of my tongue, but I don't remember it now.

Fabienne:

So go ahead and I think for me, when the pacing is just all over the place. Oh, I feel like when the pacing is just like so bad that I have to like flick back like throughout the book, whether it's like on my Kindle, my phone or like an actual page that I keep flipping back and I'm like I must have missed something here. I must have, but I, I must have, but I can't figure out what I have missed and then find out that there is nothing to be missed. This is actually how badly it was written and the pace is indeed all over the place.

Fabienne:

so inconsistency in pace it's a dnf for me yeah, that's a good one yeah that's a good one yeah, and especially when it's actually like a really good book, like plot wise and story wise too and, like you know, well-rounded characters, characterization is like on point um. But when all of a sudden, like you know, like the rising action, the, the climax, the fall, etc, etc. Then when that's like all of a jumble, all of all of a sudden and you still have, like I don't know, like one 150 pages left and it's just all okay, like chaos in that book, then I generally feel so sad because it's hard to enough for me so you do what you gotta do.

Jordan:

I mean, I've definitely dnf'd a book or soft dnf, like when the chapters are too long. So it's like kind of on the same theme of like it. No, it's not on the same theme at all, I don't know like where I, how I like related those two. But like if I, if I just, especially if it's not engaging, that I'm like I can't, like I already want to put it down, but I'm struggling. So sorry, that was completely random, it made no sense. No, no, no, we do love randomness.

Fabienne:

When I guess dialogue tags are just like all over the place, like when they're full on out of control. You know, like Dialogue tag, yeah, like I love you, are just like all over the place, like they're when they're full on out of control. You know, like, yeah, like um, I love you, I said, then the I said part is a dialogue tag, so you know who who is talking, and then if you add like adjectives it's like in what manner? So for I don't know um, I love you, I I said breathlessly. But then like said is just also this very fancy word, unnecessarily fancy, when they just like don't really add anything to the sentence or just like the plot or whatever. It's just like a no-go for me. But then it just comes back to bad writing, I guess. So the overall DNF reason here is just um, but dialogue honestly yes, but then also I'm aware that not everyone can afford a good, so you know.

Fabienne:

But then also, I don't have to take that into account, you know yeah, you could.

Jordan:

You could just dnf it exactly exactly.

Fabienne:

Um, oh, I remember, because I wrote this one down oh quite quite a while ago, like on in my for what a few of my reasons were to dnf a book.

Jordan:

Uh, when the author tries to make me feel bad for a billionaire oh my god, I loved that like that one, because I was like it's so true, I'm like not one to pick up a billionaire ever. Yeah, like you literally got a billion reasons to be happy.

Fabienne:

Exactly. You can just wipe your tears away with your dollars, honey, you know. No, you're good, trust me, you're good Also when the formatting is horrible. You know, like, when an act like a normal, it has like indentations, like you know, like oh yeah, jumps at the beginning of a sentence to indicate like a new paragraph when that is not done right, or like the indentation is just too, I guess, short. Or instead of indentations, people use like blank, like when you press enter on your keyboard, like the blank space between like lines. Disgusting. It just, honestly, truly it just. I reacted physically to that. I get goosebumps. I'm like no, no, absolutely, not Absolutely.

Fabienne:

Absolutely not, no Um fair.

Jordan:

I think that like doesn't bother me, but I think it's more so because I can read it so lucky to be you I know who doesn't want to be me.

Fabienne:

I'm obsessed with me I am too. I am too, you know, I am. I mean, I try not to show too much because I don't want to freak you out, but yes, I am. I mean, I have an attachment, that's, you know, dedicated to you. Poses on the wall little shrine.

Jordan:

Perfect, perfect, perfect. I'm like no wonder my back's hurting Mm-hmm yeah.

Fabienne:

Um, do you have another reason for me?

Jordan:

I don't think so. I'm like so bad I didn't write any down, so I'm probably going to think of so many after this is done. But good amount.

Fabienne:

I guess, when there's too many words that it's kind of obvious that an author used like a thesaurus oh, it's like me when I was trying to write like essays back in the day for college you know like probably should use this word and then it's like it doesn't fit the context when that's when it's starting to get like obvious in a book Nope, nope, nope, nope doesn't fit the context when that's when it's starting to get like obvious in a book nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.

Fabienne:

Also, I guess, in that some sorry, I'm taking over here I guess um, also in that same vein, and I guess this applies more to me than to you as, like you know, also being dutch, but then able to speak um english, um, I can't say this.

Fabienne:

Well, maybe I can't, I'll just, maybe people will pick up on it, maybe not, there wasn't. There is an author, indie author, who uh wrote a gothic type of spooky story, um, and she implemented dutch words, uh, and I'm fairly sure that she went like through a sensitive reader, like a better reader, who made comments on it that it was all right and like correct, um, but it didn't translate at all. They were just like wrongly used, um, so strange and also just like foreign, like the foreignization of words like mid-sentence um, I guess just a weird use of um being uh able to speak like two languages and people are like wanting to show that in a sentence. No, it feels very forced, you know, when people um are just like multilingual yeah, I feel like there's a time, or if, like I I get.

Jordan:

I struggle with that too, in the sense of like them using like Russian or, um, like Italian, if, if an author can do it well enough, where, like, maybe afterwards they're like, oh, if they they tell me what they wrote, like in a different language, like in any way and make it sound well.

Jordan:

I've just read things, especially like when an author tries to do russian, but they then they don't tell me what that person said and I'm like I'm not looking it up every time. You tell me if it's a word clearly like a pet name or something and like that that's fine, because, like, maybe I'll look it up, maybe I won't, but I hate full on sentences that I'm like, well, I have when I have the subtitles on and then like the characters are speaking another language and it will be like speaking in Albanian, speaking in Italian, like no bitch, I want to know what they're saying. I don't like subtitle. Yeah, they were like it was so funny because they were like title, that sub, and I was like, yes, but that's like how I felt, or feel like that's hilarious, but like I was like that's how I feel reading some of these like, like, especially especially when they switch it like mid-sentence. I'm like no, don't do that.

Jordan:

First of all, I also like, if you're doing full-on sentences, like I want to know what they said yeah and and also like I don't want to, if they're like thinking in mostly english and then randomly thinking in a different language. That makes no sense. So I think, because you're not randomly switching back and forth, except if you're be like, unless your language, that you're speaking it naturally is like, let's say, um, someone like first language is italian, then like of course I can see them thinking in italian, but then that whole thought process better be in fucking italian. But no, it's in english and then randomly italian there's like those things so like that kind of that will bother me.

Jordan:

Yeah, I agree with that, but it can be done well. It can be done well but, like, sometimes it's not who was that writer um?

Fabienne:

she wrote like mafia romances, danielle, I think.

Jordan:

Oh my god, yes, wow wow, I like know what you're thinking, bob.

Fabienne:

Thank you Must be the shrine. You know it has to be, oh God, when like the Christian dude. Oh my goodness, I mean, I will say honestly. I will honestly say this this is like a DNF reason for me that I've developed later in my Instagram because I devoured these books.

Jordan:

Same, same like.

Fabienne:

Are you thinking?

Jordan:

of the darkest temptation yes, uh-huh, so much fucking russian, so much russian, and I was like literally full-on sentences and I'm like and you know how hard it is to fucking type a russian sentence into google translate it would take me like five minutes.

Fabienne:

Honestly, that was like the onset for me to learn Russian, because I thought it sounded pretty cute, like pretty, pretty interesting. You know, pretty decadent of you. So that was my one year Stopped, but yes, she was the reason that I started to love, hate the uh, the different languages and books.

Jordan:

yeah, yeah, yep, that is what I was thinking the whole time when I was talking about it myself, so I get it oh, funny, funny, funny, funny.

Fabienne:

Um, too many metaphors, I guess, especially when they're trying to describe like someone's appearance, um, as in like I don't know, her eyes were the same color as the puddle in my backyard, but only in a warm spring's day okay, I get it, and then they're serious. So that's a no for me. But then I guess that also like sort of falls into the same category of like things being too overly forcibly like poetic. So no, yeah, no I'm also just basically it's, I guess.

Fabienne:

I guess the one most obvious reason for me now to DNF a book is when the character is like when the character is what. Under 20 years old.

Jordan:

Oh yeah, being over 30,.

Fabienne:

25 is actually the lowest I can go.

Jordan:

Yeah, I've read some like lower, lower, but especially when you like harp on ages, I can't do it. I'm like no but I don't want anybody younger than 20 for sure. Like especially high school, like I don't. I don't want like a freshman in college either, like I'm not even into those college stories anymore. Like I want like I don't know what, but not that I want postgraduates, please who's getting their doctorate.

Jordan:

I'll take that. Oh my god wait. We read deep end. We read deep end and I'm pretty sure, like she's 19, he's 22 or she's 20 fuck me really but I or she's 20. Oh, fuck me Really. But I think it's different. Clearly they didn't act like college students because who? Uses those fucking big-ass words. That is true, that's one Big-ass words and I'm like what the fuck does this mean?

Fabienne:

And then we have to get a thesaurus or a dictionary, you know, oh, my goodness, oh, were they like so young. Did we just age them up, like subconsciously?

Jordan:

but I don't think it was like see like an age, like age can be fine if it like works. Like that was a college romance, like so it worked and it didn't harp on ages, like I don't need to be retold that she's young, she's like innocent, timid, like just reaffirming a younger age.

Fabienne:

I don't need that and I don't want that no, okay no virgins, no virgin, except I did read one, that was one, but like DNF yes but also, very specifically, if it doesn't do anything to drive the plot further, if it's just there for like I guess or if that's like the whole point of it, is like no a surprise now I have read, just for me it's just, especially if it's marketed as a surprise pregnancy, I just won't even pick it up but some

Jordan:

people have done it right, because I know we've read a book that was like a surprise pregnancy and but it wasn't the main plot of the book and it like worked and I love that author so I would read whatever they wrote. So that's different. But if like, sure, if you know it's a book that's gonna have it, I'm like no. And if something, if it's like they get together, you don't know it. They get together in the beginning and let's say I made it past that already and then she ends up pregnant, then I'm out fair, same.

Fabienne:

But I'm just no, not same. I'm just out, like when it's a pregnancy, regardless. Nope, nope, we out, we all. I guess my last dnf reason that I can think of from the top of my head is that when it's like a romance book but the main characters actually like show no chemistry whatsoever, like none, none. Like things happen, very, like, even platonically, and there's no like inside thoughts from set main characters, that shows to Rita that they are developing like some sort of like attraction for one another, but then all of a sudden it's boom, they're together then no, fair, okay, I actually have one too, like I have my last one.

Jordan:

Um, this is like kind of the reason why I like left dark romance. But if a story is dark solely because it's just the shock factor, like I'm gonna put in this dark scene or this dark moment just to get the reader going, damn, I'm like no, yeah, there's no like point to it. Does it make sense? We don't want it or I don't want it no, no, no.

Fabienne:

We, as in you and I, collectively, we don't want it. We but, also we don't want it. Oh god, yeah, that one book and you and I both, no, okay, okay, another last one, because this makes me spiral, in the sense of, like I knew which book you're talking about just now, but then also in that scene, um, when there's too many, I guess, genres or like things that are popular currently tropes. Thank you, that's the word like thrown into it yeah, yeah, it's like I.

Jordan:

I just like a puke of tropes just like because you like, oh, like everybody's loving hockey, let's throw some hockey in there. Like everybody's loving one horse. So yeah, let's, they're a hockey player, but he rides a horse occasionally, like I, you know, his uncle has a farm. Yeah, make it dark, you know like, and then it's a cowboy because he has his uncle, has a farm, and then he's also a billionaire because everybody loves billionaires he's also on the cover because he doesn't want anyone to know that he's because his dad.

Fabienne:

Oh yeah, secret identity, oh yeah exactly she's like a.

Jordan:

She's like a pop singer that wants like a simple life. So she's going to this farm to ride some horses and milk some cows. Small town type of girl, yeah so it fucking hits everybody, but then it actually hits nobody complete miss.

Fabienne:

Oh, disgusting. Disgusting, no, just no, but honestly like because the thing is, when you pick up a book and I guess, like the general you, but also me specifically here is that when I finally sit down to actually like actively read like a physical book, like fuck, yes, and then one of all these read, like all of those reasons, they just, you know, pop up like oh, my goodness, oh the writing, oh the fuck is happening actually wait, how many chapters do I have left? Oh, wait, what time I pick up my phone like oh, I generally feel like so sad because I really wanted to have like a good time to read, you know, or like have a good time reading, um, but then it just like all falls apart.

Fabienne:

So I mean, the dnf reasons are funny, but it's actually really, really sad, because I generally do not want to DNF a book. I want to enjoy books. But yeah, these are my reasons and they're valid.

Jordan:

They are, and these are my reasons, because I said something too, but mostly I agreed with you.

Fabienne:

Mostly, I also agreed with you, so that's a good thing. Thank you so much for listening.

Jordan:

And please don't forget to rate and review wherever you can find us. So catch you next time. Bye.