Friday Reads: Embracing the DNF 

Teddy leaning into your scratches is the cutest thing I've seen this week. Edited to add: For context, my family includes a gray, lionhead bunny named Gandalf. Gandalf's default mode is aggressively cute. This week, however, Teddy wins the cuteness prize.

Baby foxes are called kits. Wonderful spotting Teddy.❤

When I flinch at the N-word, I know my feeling is only the smallest awareness of the pain Black people in America have felt every day of their lives. According to Google's Ngram viewer the N-word was found in fewer books published around 1880 when usage was decreasing from a peak in 1864. Sadly usage fluctuates, with other peaks in 1900, 1929-1946, 1970, 2006-2019 (last update). Usage* from 2014-2019 suprasses any previous period including 1864. *(percent of books searched) During my childhood (born in 1944) the N-word was used in a common counting rhyme, as the name for Brazil nuts, and in more books than Huckleberry Finn.

I haven't read Huckleberry Finn in 40 years and I still enjoyed James. As for the DNF, I have fully embraced it! It leaves me much more time to read the books I enjoy. Teddy is killing me with the cuteness today! 🤗❤️🐶

This is a timely video. I am this close to DNF-ing Soldier Sailor.

The baby foxes 🥹🥹🥹

I really like Carys Davies' work, West is a favourite and I also enjoyed Clear on audiobook. Part of my family were cleared off a Scottish Island in the 1850s and the whole family were transported to Australia, on the shipping documents it says they didn't speak English and they were signing with an X. My husband's family were cleared from The Shetland Islands. It's one of the reasons why the Scottish Highlands and Islands seem to have few people around. Teddy really is a cutie. I was down the coast away from bookstores so didn't go to one this year.

Yes, embrace the DNF book! Enjoy life Teddy style❤

Omg the baby foxes 🦊! I’m very glad I stumbled onto your channel today…my husband also went to Columbia, so we have been following closely. I’m very interested to see what happens this week.

I enjoyed seeing how you used to choose books! And Teddy was quite lovable today! I pick my books by mood I think. I’ve been buying used books online from the list I keep when I’m watching you on here. But now that I have quite a few ready I still have to decide about which one I’m gravitating toward at that time. I just finished The Covenant of Water and I loved it. I’m almost halfway through The Wren The Wren. I’m trying to read more because watching our world burning is jarring me to the point of physical repercussions. So I’m really trying to concentrate on reading and art. If I finish this book this weekend I’m going to start Blackouts too.

Thank you!….I have been seeing Clear around and it piqued my interest. I’ll be watching to pick this one up. Still anxious to hear from you on Fire Exit. I preordered it.

Todd here. Nice video Greg! I went to my favorite Local Brick Bookstore! I'm friends with the owner he's my age. I bought a used copy of Ready Player One.

Went to an independent bookstore today..... was great 😃

I've been tryna embrace the dnf as well. I stopped one at 80%. Life is too short to read something just because!

I love that you don't like books about trouble makers. I think you've just given me permission!

Teddy is adorable!

I need to be more like you. I've only DNF one book in my life LOL I struggle with the DNF concept.

thanks to you and a segment i saw on pbs last week or so i celebrated ibsday by buying a book i've wanted for some time..Mudlark: In Search of London's Past Along the River Thames by lara maiklem from read spotted newt in hazard,ky. thanks for the push. it's amazing how still teddy was watching the so so cute baby foxes..no barks??

Sorry, Greg, but Teddy is so cute that I zone out watching him only to discover I've missed half of what you said. You better ditch your furry sidekick.😁😁

The baby 🦊🦊🦊!!! ❤

It’s not essential to read Huckleberry Finn before James. I started reading Finn after finishing James and I just could not tolerate it.

June 4th FIRE EXIT hits shelves! I hope you enjoy, Greg, and if you don't, leave me a bad review. Please. Also, and this happened purely out of coincidence--I didn't tell anyone at Tin House this detail--but the publication date is actually on the anniversary of my father's death. I don't know what that means so we'll find out 🤷‍♂ Thanks for all the work you do for the book community!

I enjoyed “Restless Dolly Maunder” more than many people but I’m puzzled as to why the judges found it funny. I don’t recall any funny passages at all! “Clear” by Carys Davies is definitely worth reading, and it’s perfect for anyone who wants a slim book after reading a chunkster.

Yeahh, you can read a summary if need be for James.

I really like your posts but not one is ever usually under 30 minutes, and with all to watch I end up skimming or only watching part of them. Do you ever do shorter posts more like 15-20 like many booktubers?

Restless dolly was okay book but what happen to Bret ? left on the farm never heard of again ! Enter Ghost DF . Brotherless Night would have been better as non fiction . Soldier sailor loved ! Started The Wren so far enjoying , next on my list River East River West any thoughts ?

DNF Radical! 😂🤣

I am a new subscriber and am enjoying your channel. I am a high school teacher who commutes 2 hours every day, so i am always on the hunt for fun people to listen to. I am a huge reader, but not really into audio books (i am 56) because i can't imagine not holding a book. How did you and Joel start with audio books? Any words of wisdom?

I read about 80 books a year, and I can easily say that James was the best book I’ve read in a REALLY long time, as in several years…curious to see if you like it too!

I found reading Huck Finn before James to be rewarding but not required. It’s mostly just a bonus to see where Everett diverges from Twain and where he sticks close. And as a fellow non-troublemaker, I think you’ll like the opening sentence of James if you haven’t seen it yet.

Baby foxes!!!! ❤🦊 I’ve been learning more about creating pockets of wild spaces to help support our rapidly disappearing bird and insect life, and that field you showed is a perfect illustration of why we need these. I watch Joel Ashton - Wild Your Garden on YT and he brilliantly shows how what we traditionally perceive as “weeds” actually support so much wildlife, and can be beautiful in their own right. How fun that Teddy helped you spot that fox family-so adorable! I recently learned about a queer-owned used bookstore in the next town over from me, so the hubs and I are planning to drop in today. More books! 📚🥰 I didn’t know about the Pulitzer’s connection with Columbia. It’s my first year following the Pulitzer and I’m getting really excited for it, have thoroughly enjoyed reading a bunch of titles from your Pulitzer Predictions video, but if the protests end up disrupting the prize announcement in some fashion, that’s a very small price to pay to continue to put pressure on stopping the horrific violence against Palestinians. I just finished The Lost Journals of Sacajawea-so unique and immersive, like reading a translation of a nature-based language. Not the easiest read, but I give it 5 stars, and plan to revisit it occasionally, as I just love the writing and giving Sacajawea a voice and story. I’m starting Absolution (hardcover) and Let Us Descend (audio) now. I honestly don’t know who I want to win, as I’ve loved so many (North Woods, Tom Lake, H&E, Chain Gang are my very top picks, I think so far). Thanks for another book chat to enjoy with my tea! Teddy was absolutely aggressively adorable today. Scritches to him, Hi and safe travels to Joel. Edited to add: As a fellow rule-follower, I totally get you!

Just got home with my haul from my local Indie-Bookstore. I finally picked up A Night of the Living Rez (I don't know what took me so long 😅) as well as Forbidden Notebook and Knife by Salman Rushdie. Teddy is a gem!

Thank you for sharing Teddy. I've fallen in love with him!

Teddy is such an adorable furbaby 💙

The baby Fox are so beautiful!

Pretty sure I dnfed Cat in the Hat for similar reasons. Have never understood that one. Maybe I'll give it another try one day. I was a bit more forgiving of George. My memories of Huck Finn are vague, but I remember liking it over all. Loved the fox footage. Such a fun find.

I Dnf'd Family Meal by Bryan Washington and Summer Water by Sarah Moss. I had great hope for both but did not connect with the writing within a few pages... I usually give it more time but after reading Saltwater by Jessica Andrews I wanted what ever I read to be as impactful as the last book. I purchased two books from Montana Book Co. today for Independent Book Store Day. I feel like I could control my purchasing if I purchased online instead of entering a physical book store!!! Nice to see lovey Teddy and company... Please extend my greetings to Joel. Teddy is a salve for the soul...

Finished Greta and Valdin this month, a solid 3-1/2. Just too weird for me but maybe this is a younger person book. Also finished Thunderclap, 5 stars, but if you don't care about art history, it's not for you. Picked up several books in Amsterdam and surroundings: Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan, Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin, and What I'd rather not think about by Jente Posthuma. Can't wait to get reading!

See, I came to Carys Davies before Claire Keegan, reading The Redemption of Galen Pike (short stories) and then West, and being completely enraptured by them. I would say both are better than Claire Keegan, but it’s a close call and not worth arguing about. I loved Clear perhaps just a tad less than the earlier two I read by her. But your video reminded me I also have Mission House waiting to be read. I forgot it was one of her books. I must get to Mission House soon. I’m maybe 40 pages into James (physical book) and the vernacular, as you put it, really really bugs me. Not so much the N word, which is always going to feel like being stuck with a hot poker, just the complete lack of any sort of educated speech by the WHITE kids. (You’ll understand my point when you get maybe 10 pages in.) I know that I will go back to it soon, but it may be stop and start a bit until Everett really hooks me. I would never make it through Huck Finn. You mentioned it feeling like the planet is on fire. I would like to see the Supreme Court on fire.🔥 Grrrrr…..

I’m with you 100% on Clear. Such a beautiful book, I really loved it. Then the ending…I felt like I’d been hit broadside with another book! ‘Didn’t earn the ending’ is a perfect description.

Hi Greg. You don’t need to read Huck Finn to read “James”. I read Twain in high school and didn’t get Twains high view. But Percival Everette is such a better writer( to me) and his book is so good. Just go ahead, plunge in. I guarantee you will enjoy it.

I’m taking this as permission to lay aside the mammoth that I’ve been actively disliking all month (without making much progress). I don’t blame you on the Twain. I like what Twain I’ve read, but that was not one - and it might deter me as well. Great foxes interlude!

Thank-you for the explaining your DNF. Based on your explanation I will DNS.

I totally embrace DNF. I have no time to read what I don't connect with, or when there is disturbing language. I have a huge TBR so there is always another book out there.

Thanks to Joel for permission to skip Huck Finn. I'm looking forward to James but dreading rereading Huck. Teddy is so cute and was so well behaved around the fox. I went to grad school at Columbia (Journalism) in the late 60s and lived downtown in the Village now I live in the PNW and am tired of protests. I am looking forward to Clear - thank you for talking about it. I select my books much like you do. I usually try the read a chapter method. Currently doing a major purge of my books and try a chapter tests are sneaking in and the purge is going slow.

Best books read so far this month Brotherless Night For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain ( about the anchoress Julian of Norwich and the mystic Majorie Kemp) Service by Sarah Gilmartin 🇮🇪 Night Bloom Mary & The Captain ( a Mary Bennet story eg Pride & Prejudice) 🍀👋☘️☕️📖📚📕💐

I thought Tom Sawyer was a better book. I'm currently reading James. What a love boy Teddy is. So sweet.

I’m literally sitting here fighting with myself as to whether I DNF my current read. It’s holding me back from reading other books I’m dying to read! 😂

I read James on your recommendation. I knew enough about Huckleberry Finn that I could see the similarities, life is too short to suffer through a book . James , I read in three days. I think audio would be a great choice because language/dialect is central to the story. I too hate pranks. Rule Followers of the World Unite! 🇨🇦❤️

Fox poop is like crack for dogs. They like to roll in it.

What sort of terrier is Teddy? He looks chill and doesn’t seem yappy like some terriers. Such a cute dog!

Year of Wonders is excellent. I read it pre-Covid and would like to read it again, but it's too soon after the pandemic. I'll read it again in a few years. I finished Tom Lake last weekend and loved it! I read Arthur and Teddy are Coming Out this week. It was OK. I'm picking up Absolution from the library tomorrow. I'm looking forward to reading it.

I was in DC visiting my niece this week. She took off from work on Thursday and we went bookstore hoping. I hope that counts for Independent Bookstore Day. Unfortunately I was reading Brotherless Night on the train. I have leg problems so I can't sit for much more than an hour before I have to move. Someone stole my copy of Brotherless Night. I am going to get another copy today because I was really enjoying it. Erik Larson has a book being released Tuesday that I have been looking forward to. Enjoy your trip to the bookstore

Completely agree about the ending of Clear, saying it didn’t “earn” the ending is perfectly phrased. The ending was my only quibble with it, I thought it was an excellent story, particularly the setting.

I'm with you Greg! I am cautiously awaiting the Pulitzer Prize announcement in a few days... I hadn't thought about the possibility of award winners declining the prize in protest of Columbia's (mis)handling of the student protest, but you're absolutely right. Like you, I will be watching the announcement with bated breath!

I heard similar lukewarm reviews of Kate Grenville's book. However, her historical fiction The Secret River (which was also on the Women's Prize list) is absolutely amazing. It takes place in the beginning of the XIX century and follows quite a likable very poor young man who was sentenced to transportation to Australia and tries to earn freedom and new life for himself and family. All of it on the back of "discovery" of Australia by the Europeans and the demise of the aboriginal population and all the wrong things done in pursuit of the new life.

RE: Huckleberry Finn and James--right there with you! DNFed HF and felt bad about it--thanks for validation! ;-) I do want to check out James, tho.

DNF! DNF!

The Cubs were so cute

Currently reading Murakami’s Dance Dance Dance …Next, I’m eager to read James, soon …

I DNF’d The Plague of Doves & The Seven Moons of Mali Ringwald (no just kidding ha Almeida)

Been doing DNFs for years. I learned about me that if I read a book that I am not enjoying - unfortunately this comes up with book clubs a lot! - then I have a real hard time picking up the next book, and I actually stop reading for a while. Ugh. I just put them down now and move on to my next one that I want to read. Has helped my reading so much! :)

👍

Gilead has been on my TBR for years. Finally picked it up and DNF it this morning ,100 pages in. …did not grab me. Too many other books to read!

Oh the baby foxes are adorable!!