Not finishing a book doesn’t always mean it was bad — these five prove it. From Ana Huang’s steamy Twisted Love to Sally Rooney’s quiet, aching Normal People, here are 5 books I gave up on and don’t regret it (did not finish) over the years — why I stopped, and why these are still the 5 books I gave up on without a single regret.
Every reader has their ups and downs. There are times I don’t feel like reading at all, and times I finish a book in a single day. Reading slumps are real. I’ve been a reader since I was a teenager, and I’ve had my seasons — different styles, different trends that caught me and then let me go.
Why I stopped feeling guilty about giving up on books?
For a long time I felt like DNF-ing was some kind of failure — like I owed every book I picked up a full read, no matter how I felt fifty pages in. It took me way too long to realize that finishing a book you’re not enjoying doesn’t make you a better reader, it just makes reading feel like homework. It tells me something about my mood, my season, or just… me. Not every book has to be my book.
So here are the 5 books I never finished, and I’m making peace with that.
Jump to a book
1. Twisted Love series — Ana Huang
I know, I know — it’s one of the most hyped romance series on BookTok, four books deep, following a friend group of four women, each getting her own alpha-hero, high-steam love story (enemies-to-lovers, bodyguard, fake relationship, age gap — the whole trope buffet). And I get why it’s hyped. I’m not saying it’s bad, or that the writing is poor.
I read the first book and thought, okay, don’t judge on book one, give book two a shot — and honestly, the second one was way better. The characters, the stories, I could genuinely attach to them. But on the other hand, it was just too much smut for me. Not into that. My bad, not the book’s.
Who’d probably love it anyway: if you’re already deep into the spicy BookTok romance wave and steam doesn’t scare you off, this series delivers exactly what it promises. Would I go back? Maybe, on a very specific mood.
2. Knockemout series — Lucy Score
This one hurts a little, because book one, Things We Never Got Over, might be one of the most fun romance books I’ve ever read. Small-town setting, bearded bad-boy love interest, over a million ratings on Goodreads and a 4+ star average for a reason. The story was catchy, I related to the characters, I was genuinely excited for book two.
And then book two became another one of the books I gave up on — I just wasn’t on the hook to go back I never finished it, and I just wasn’t on the hook to go back. Overall though, it was a genuinely great time.
Who’d probably love it anyway: small-town romance fans who want a slow burn with an actual sense of humor. Would I go back? Honestly, yes — this is the one on this list I feel most likely to pick back up.
3. Normal People — Sally Rooney
This one was one of my strangest reading experiences. I did read it — just not all of it, and it took me embarrassingly close to a year to get that far, so I definitely missed a few things along the way.
Connell and Marianne, two Irish teenagers from opposite ends of the class divide, orbiting each other on and off from secondary school through college — that’s the shape of it. And the writing is exactly as restrained and quiet as everyone says: a lot of unspoken feelings, a lot of “how hard it is to know what the other person wants.” For me, that restraint tipped over into cold. The relationship stayed on the same emotional note the whole way through, and the book gave me this hollow, empty feeling rather than a thoughtful one. Beautifully written, technically — just not a story that pulled me forward.
Who’d probably love it anyway: readers who like literary fiction that sits in discomfort on purpose — if you loved Conversations with Friends, you probably won’t have my problem with this one. Would I go back? Unlikely, but I don’t regret starting it.
4. City of Thorns — C.N. Crawford
I was so excited for this one. I’d been wanting to read a proper demon fantasy for a long time, and after some searching, this felt like the pick — a demon-city setting, the thrill of going undercover as a succubus to hunt her mother’s killer, enemies-to-lovers with the Lord of Chaos himself. On paper, exactly my thing.
But somewhere around the middle, this became another book I gave up on — the story never quite caught There were moments where I’d think, okay, now it’s getting good — and then it would let me down again a few chapters later. I’m not saying I’ll never finish it. Maybe it just wasn’t the right time for it. Maybe it still isn’t for me.
Who’d probably love it anyway: readers who want their fantasy heavy on romance and don’t need every plot beat to land perfectly. Would I go back? Possibly — this is the one I’m most open to giving a second shot, different mood, different me.
5. Sky Chasers series — Amy Kathleen Ryan
This is the sci-fi I picked up as a teenager — two generation ships, the Empyrean and the New Horizon, one ship thriving, the other facing a fertility crisis that pushes it toward something much darker. Solid premise, and the writing really is on point.
I think I wanted this to be my next “first sci-fi series obsession” — the kind of book that hooks you the way your first big fantasy series did. But it just didn’t give me that pull to keep going. The story is good. I just wasn’t the reader for it, not then.
Who’d probably love it anyway: YA sci-fi readers who want real stakes and don’t need a light read — this one goes to some genuinely dark places. Would I go back? No, and that’s okay — some books belong to the version of you who first picked them up.
My unofficial rules for give up on a book
Somewhere along the way, after giving up on enough books, I built a loose personal rule system for this, so in case it helps:
If I’m not curious what happens next by around the 20-25% of the book, that’s usually my sign. If I catch myself scrolling my phone mid-chapter more than reading, that’s another one. And if I finish a book and immediately forget the characters’ names — that tells me something too, even for books I technically did finish.
None of this means the book failed. It just means it wasn’t my season for it.
Overall, I usually have my ups and downs with reading, just like with everything else in my life. So that’s my list — 5 books I gave up on, for five completely different reasons, and zero guilt about any of them. This is just my personal experience and opinion on these books — yours might (and probably will) look completely different.
Did I leave a favorite of yours unfinished, or am I missing out by not going back? Tell me which one I should give a second chance.
And if you haven’t read the previous one yet, but you’re obsessed with the song “Unethical” — then this one’s for you.
For the curious minds
Is it okay to not finish a book?
Completely. Reading isn’t a contract — you don’t owe a book your time just because you started it. If it’s not giving you anything, giving up on it is a valid choice, not a failure.
How do you know when to give up on a book?
For me, it’s usually around the 20-25% of the book — if I’m still not curious what happens next by then, that’s my sign. Other tells: reaching for my phone mid-chapter more than the book, or forgetting character names the second I close it.
Does giving up on a book mean it was bad?
Not necessarily. Some of the books on this list are genuinely well written — they just weren’t right for me, in that season, in that mood. Giving up on a book says as much about the reader as it does about the book.
Should you go back to a book you gave up on?
Sometimes, yes. A few books on my own list I’d happily pick back up in a different mood. Others I’ve made peace with leaving behind for good — and both are fine outcomes.
No regrets, no rankings, just vibes.
– D