The Hidden Joys of a DNF Pile

I went from someone who couldn’t bear the thought of not finishing a book, to someone who frequently sets books aside after five, ten, fifty, even two hundred pages if I decide it’s not working for me.

I’m now the proud owner of a long DNF (Did Not Finish) list, and here’s why I think you should join me…

Yes, Even If It’s the Best Book You’ve Ever Read!

The End. You turn the final page and close the book you’ve just finished reading. You take a few moments to gather your thoughts before picking up your phone ready to recommend it to your mum, your sister, your best friend, the new bloke at work and your neighbour’s iguana. After all, the whole world needs to read it, right?

Wrong.

I know, I know, it’s a literary masterpiece and you can’t quite believe you existed in a world without it BUT before you rush off to recommend it to anyone and everyone you’ve ever met, here are five important things you should consider first…

Falling In (and Out) of Love All Over Again

I know people who have never read the same book twice. After all, why bother, when you already know what happens?

For some of us, though, reading isn’t about where you end up, but how you get there, and knowing all the twists and turns in advance can leave us free to enjoy the journey.

A few years back I decided to give myself permission to do something I’d never done before: I made a list of twelve of my favourite books and vowed to re-read them all during the course of one year.

I left in August 2018, as the long, hot, summer drew to a close.

After months of uncertainty, endless house viewings, and many sleepless nights wondering if I was doing the right thing, it was finally happening.

I was moving house...and leaving Manchester.