What should you write down when you stop reading a book?
Best Book Tracker Apps editors · Data refreshed 3 November 2026 · Editorial assessment
Bottom line.Record six things when you stop a book: the title, the date, the page or percentage, the reason, whether you might come back, and one spoiler-free line on where the story was. The template below does that as a CSV you can open in any spreadsheet or print. It turns a DNF shelf into something useful: a list you can learn from and a way back into the books you meant to finish.
Facts checked 3 November 2026
DNF log template
Download the DNF log template CSV
| title | author | format | date_stopped | stopped_at | unit | reason | might_return | return_by | where_the_story_was | tracker_status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
What does each column mean?
| Column | What to write | Why |
|---|---|---|
| title, author | As on the cover | Matching it to your tracker later |
| format | print, ebook or audiobook | Your place is measured differently in each |
| date_stopped | The day you stopped | Your tracker uses dates for stats |
| stopped_at, unit | Page number or percentage | Where to reopen |
| reason | Short, honest | Patterns show up after ten entries |
| might_return | yes or no | Separates paused books from real DNFs |
| return_by | A date, if yes | A review date stops books lingering |
| where_the_story_was | One line, no names, no spoilers | Gets you back in faster than the page number |
| tracker_status | paused or did not finish | Keeps the log and your app in step |
How do you use it with your tracker?
Set the status in your app at the same time as you fill in the log: Paused in StoryGraph for books you will return to, DNF otherwise; in Goodreads and Hardcover, DNF or a custom "paused" shelf or list. Our guide to paused or DNF has the app-by-app detail, and how to use a DNF shelf covers what each app counts.
What patterns should you look for?
After ten or more entries, sort by reason. Common patterns: books abandoned at the same point (often the middle third), one genre that you start often and rarely finish, or audiobooks dropped when a commute changed. Each tells you something useful for choosing your next book. Our guide on when to DNF a book lists the rules readers use.
How do you come back to a book from the log?
Read the "where the story was" line, reopen at your page and read the two pages before it. If the gap is long or the cast is large, a recap that stops at your page helps: Magic Bookmark does this for supported titles from a photo of the page or the last phrase you heard in an audiobook. The full method is in restarting a book without rereading it, and the pick-up note template is the longer version of the last column.
Questions
Q1Should I log books I did not finish?
Yes, if you want accurate stats and a way back into books you might return to. A DNF log takes a minute per book.
Q2How far into a book should I get before I DNF it?
There is no rule that suits everyone. Many readers use a page count or a percentage; see when to DNF a book.
Q3Does a DNF count toward my reading goal?
It depends on the app and its settings. Goodreads uses the date you mark a DNF book as read to decide whether it counts toward that year's Reading Challenge.