Bit off an odd sort of week where I was glad to escape into books and find my happy place. I’m glad to say that even though I’ve had one eye on Wimbledon, I managed to read a grand total of 8 books. Thank goodness there was no repeat of last week. That was just shameful 😄
Books I read this week :
Books I bought this week :
Might have gone a wee overboard this week but I’m stocking up for my holiday and my Beat the Backlist Challenge. Any excuse 😉
ARC’s received via Netgalley :
This week’s book post :
My bookdepository order for A Dangerous Crossing, which I absolutely loved!
On the blog this past week :
Monday : I posted my review for Western Fringes
Tuesday : Joined the Hunting Angels blog tour and shared my review for The Ludlow Ladies’ Society
Wednesday : Hosted a stop on Lesley Pearse’s “25 in 25” tour and shared my review for The Woman in the Wood
Thursday : Donned my #BandofThieves costume to host a stop on the 66 Metres blog tour and shared my thoughts on Camino Island
Friday : Reviewed What She Lost
Saturday : Joined the blog tour for The Stolen Girls
Sunday : Weekly wrap up time
Next week on noveldeelights :
Two more blog tours coming up next week, both for Orenda, with Dying to Live and The Other Twin. Other than that, I have no idea. I’ve been so busy reading blog tour books lately that I almost ran out of other reviews. Eek.
In other news, got my first Netgalley auto-approval which would have rocked my socks off had I been wearing any. I’m slowly going places, it seems.
Question of the week : How long does it take you to admit defeat and DNF a book? 100 pages? 20%? 50%? Or are you stubborn and will you just persevere until the end, longingly looking at all the other books on your TBR that you could be reading instead?
That’s it for another week. Hope you’re all enjoying the Summer (or Winter for those in other parts of the world) and I wish you all lots of happy reading! xx
Novel Deelights 
I want the women in the castle! Sounds epic! ❤
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Doesn’t it? I can’t wait to get started on that one!
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My personal rule is that I will read at least 20% of a book before giving up on it. I think that even if a novel hasn’t grabbed me straight away, by that point something could / should have happened to change my mind. I will sometimes persevere beyond that point, particularly if it’s a review copy (I really do hate giving up on these) or a favourite author, but my view is that there are too many good books out there to stick with one that you’re not enjoying, and no book will be right for everyone.
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I’m with you! 20% sounds about right to me as well. I always think if it hasn’t grabbed my then, it’s never going to. And like you say, it’s not like there’s a shortage of books out there.
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Great post! The women of the the Castle is riveting and The Girlfriend is a real page turner!
A book really has to grab me fast so I tend to dnf quite early on, unless it’s a by a favourite author and then I’ll persevere for longer.
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Oh, glad to hear that about The Women in the Castle. Now I’m looking forward to it even more!
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It takes me a while to give up on a book – I hate doing it but after a certain point, usually getting on for the 40% mark, if it hasn’t grabbed me by then it’s probably not going to.
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I hate doing it too, especially if it’s a review copy but I don’t think I could go to 40%. That’s impressive!
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I don’t always manage it 😉
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Most time I will preserve till the end because I really hate DNFing books but I recently DNFed a book at 38% – I started skim reading it at 31% so I just had to quit on it
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I think we all hate DNF’ing a book but that’s seriously impressive that you would still stick it out until the end!
Which book was it? 😄
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Where She Went by B.E Jones. And if I wasn’t buddy reading Do Not Become Alarmed, I might have DNFed that one too!
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A great selection of books, Dee. I am very interested in Dear Mother.
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Me too! Obviously or I wouldn’t have bought it. I thought I might take it with me on holiday but it seems it might be a bit of a tearjerker and I’d rather not spend my time away in tears 😄
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I usually persevere until about 50-60 pages in before giving up on a book I’m not enjoying. I know there is always the possibility that it will pick up and I could regret it but life’s too short and there are too many other books to read.
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I tend to break off at 100 pages. I don’t know why that specific number but usually that tends to be around the 20% – 25% mark which seems quite fair. But yes, life’s too short and there are too many books still to read. I do sometimes feel bad, especially if it’s a book that’s getting really good reviews and ratings. I always think I missed something somewhere 😄
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I’m reeeeally stubborn when it comes to finishing books! I will usually plough through even if I’d much rather be doing anything else 😂 however as I get older I am getting better at just leaving things I’m not enjoying. Life is too short and my TBR is too big!
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Oh wow, Emma! When it comes to a point where you’d rather be doing some tedious household chore, it’s really time to let go! 😂
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I know! hahaha… I’m getting better I promise!
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I don’t really have a set rule on when I finally give up on a book. But if all o can think about while reading a book is how I want to read another book or do something else than I give it up
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That’s a good way of doing it too! I do have a set point where I break off but I’m not a very patient person.
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I usually read until 85%. I know it’s silly but I always hope something is still waiting for me, and at that point I usually know it is really a lost cause. I have the same with movies, I can watch and then right before the end I can go to sleep :-). Getting auto-approved is a major deal! I only have one auto-approval from a publisher I’ll probably never read books from so even though I am grateful I feel that doesn’t really count.
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You clearly have way more patience than I have! I’ll probably give books more time than movies. If that doesn’t grab me within the first fifteen minutes, I’m off. 😄
Totally going to message you to ask about which publisher. I love that you don’t even count them!
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I think it’s better the way you do it. Although I have to say that sometimes I read the first few pages, not more than chapter 1, and when I don’t feel it, I sometimes take another book. But that’s not giving up for me ;-). The auto-approval I received is from Red Adept. I’ve never used it.. What’s yours?
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I’ve never even heard of them so I’m totally with you in not counting them. Mine is Black & White Publishing.
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At least I’ve heard of yours! I haven’t read any of their books though.. I guess I’ll have to wait some longer for an approval from Bookouture 😉
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Hahaha! That’s the one I’m gunning for too! 😂
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I can’t remember the last book I DNF’d. Maybe I’ve been lucky or more likely I’m just stubborn, I tend to persevere with things. Eight books in a week – wow, impressive. I have The Women in the Castle in my TBR pile.
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I’ve been very lucky lately in that I seem to be better in actually picking up books I’ll enjoy. But the latest book I DNF’d was for a blog tour and I felt horrible.
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Oh dear, that’s the worst time to find a book you don’t care for. Hope the next one is better!
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Sigh, the Bird Tribunal is still on my nightstand. I am excited for it, but cannot seem to get in the right mood.
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It’s a … hm, it’s a tough one to describe. I wouldn’t even know the sort of mood you’d need to be in to appreciate it.
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That seems to be my problem haha. I start it and then am like no.. not the right mood and put it down again.
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Ugh… I really don’t like giving up on a book, but if I do there are no rules!! Luckily it doesn’t happen often 😊
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I don’t think any of us like giving up on a book but sometimes there’s just no other way. I will sometimes skim just to see how it all ends but I’m not sure that’s a fair way of doing it either 😄
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I’ll admit Wimbledon has had me reading hardly anything this week, that and the extra hot weather lol. I think it depends on the book as to how long I’ll put it down as DNF. Sometimes the book’s so bad I just can’t face reading too much of it, but I usually give a book a fair go and get up to 100 pages before giving up. I’m a bit stubborn in wanting to finish every book I start and often a book can start bad but be really good later on. Unfortunately I once an indie book (not all indie books are bad) but this one was like a first draft and it was a nightmare to read. I kept on persevering until the very end (I really didn’t want to put a DNF next to the book) but I really wish I hadn’t as the book made me want to throw my e-reader against the wall when I’d gotten to the ending 😮 !!Lol from them on I’ve vowed to put a book down if I don’t like it lol 🙂
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Oh dear, it’s bad when you want to throw your e-reader! 😂 I can’t believe you stuck that one out!
I’m enjoying Wimbledon too. I’m surprised I’ve been able to read so many books this week with one eye on the tv.
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You’ve read more than I did, and I was on blogging vacation!!!! Not fair, hahaha! Congrats on the auto-approve! I loved it when it happened, I had been waiting for it forever and it was for a publisher I love!
I just DNF The Raven King after the 60% mark, but usually I give a book a hundred pages to grab me!
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I was excited about my auto-approval too, even though it’s not the publisher I’m gunning for 😄. But it does sort of feel like you’re going places so hey, I’ll take it!
Are you slacking off, Meggy?! How did you not read that much on your blogging vacation?! 😂
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They’ll come to you, I’m sure!!! 😀 Hahaha, yep, only read three books during my break! Damn life! xD
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I have no hard and fast rules for DNF I go with my gut. The last book I DNF’d I was at the end of the second chapter and just knew I couldn’t stomach anymore. Another one I only had about two chapters to go but I was so bored that felt like a mammoth mountain! I don’t push myself with books there are far too many waiting to be read to waste time on one that isn’t a good fit for me.
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Yes, exactly! We can’t all like the same things. Thankfully! And when the chapters start to feel like a mountain, as you put it, why keep struggling when there’s so many other potentially awesome books out there?
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I really wanted to read Beneath The Surface. I got approved on NetGalley but they only provided a kindle copy which I can’t read on my tablet so I am currently stuck. How was the book? Did you enjoy it?
As for DNFs, I struggle with quitting on ARCs so I usually try and get to the end all means necessary including skipping pages. For non-ARCs, I usually give it three chapters before giving up on a book.
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Wow another excellent reading week! I wish I could read that fast… xD And as for your question: I rarely DNF but in general I ‘force’ myself to read at least 50 pages before I make a decision. Unless it’s an ARC, because then I always try to finish the story even though I really struggle with it (that’s actually what happened to me the other day; such a coincidence!). I think I only did DNF an ARC once…
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