Before I started blogging, I had no idea what TBR meant and I have been living happily without one all my life.
Then something happened. In November last year I wrote a post about books getting lost on my Kindle. Unlike physical books, I don’t regularly see my eBooks. Hence eBooks may easily suffer the sad destiny of being bought, forgotten and deemed to a meaningless life in the outskirts of the Kindle library.
In my post I explained, how I tried to note down all new acquirements in a Word document to avoid forgetting them. I also asked how other readers keep track. The replies I got varied from “live and let live, who cares if a few books get lost in the boundless universe, which is the Kindle storage” to advanced filing systems on Goodreads. Inge suggested a relatively simple system: Add new acquirements to the Goodreads Want to Read shelf and keep a separate Wish List with coveted books, which haven’t been acquired yet.
Nice and simple. I’ve now adapted a similar system. After a shaky beginning, where I constantly forgot to add new books to Goodreads, it now works reasonably well. And I’ve actually looked at it regularly, since I am currently under a self-imposed book buying ban and have to read books I already own.
The other day, when checking out my Want to Read shelf, it suddenly clicked. I have a TBR!
With my old-fashioned attitude to consumerism (once you have bought something, you will use it / eat it / read it) I intend to read every book I own. So my Want to Read shelf is basically my TBR. What about my Wish List, is that a TBR as well? Hmmm. I would tend to say no. Books go in and out of my Wish List as my mood changes and there is no guarantee a book will ever make it from Wish List to Want to Read status.
I have heard of bloggers with TBRs of hundreds, even thousands of books. The idea of hundreds of unread books freaks me out. Typically, when I reach a number higher than 15-20 books, I introduce a book buying ban. At the moment I have 10 books on my Want to Read shelf and 9 on my Wish List. These numbers make sense to me and I would actually like to impose a limit of max 10 for each shelf (famous last words?)
Anyway, that was a lot of waffle to inform you, I have joined the club of TBR owners. Let’s see if this will be a lifelong membership or a short-lived fling. So far I quite like the idea. Also, my use of Goodreads may enable me to do some nice wrap up posts by the end of the year. This has so far been impossible, because I wouldn’t remember half of the books, I’ve read during the year.
Do you have a TBR? Why / Why not? Do you only include books you already own? How many books are on your TBR? And do you generally find it useful? Frustrating? Fun? Please let me know in the comments.
I love your new system and it’s so great I inspired you π I clean up my Wishlist at least once a year and I mostly look at the ratings then because all newly released books get high ratings and loving reviews but it’s only after a few months when the dust settles that the ‘real rating’ that will stick becomes clear and I’m aiming for at least 3.8. With so many books it’s a way of making some necessary choices. I have loads more books on both my lists but it’s good for you if you can keep it this way!
Thanks Inge, it is a great way to organise things, so thanks for the advice. I change my wish list all the time: fickle reader – that is me. π Also, it’s probably the only way to keep the numbers low. With all the input from the blogging community, it’s easy for the wish list to explode. Let’s see if I can stick to single digit numbers. I have a feeling it’s a slippery slope! π¬π
Hello, Stargazer. I do have a TBR but now and again I ignore it, and I don’t add in any more books. The thought of a very long list worries me. But, it’s very hard if you’ve just read a very good review and feel obliged to take a note of title and author. On my kindle I try to have only about 6 books at a time. Good intentions . . .
The thought of a very long list worries me as well. So I am determined to keep it short. I do come across many intriguing books; that is unavoidable, when being part of the book blogging community. But if I’ve forgotten about a certain book after a while, it probably wasn’t that important to me. On the rare occasions, when a book really speaks to me, I download it immediately, whilst I am still reading the review (and once, I’ve bought it, I have to read it!). 6 books at a time on the Kindle sounds reasonable. π
Good idea, Stargazer, to have a strategy. You know where you are, and you don’t get overwhelmed.
Well, let’s see if I manage to stick to the strategy!π
I also recently started using Goodreads to organise a TBR. I have shelves for books I own and want to buy. It’s great but my ‘Want To Read’ list has grown worryingly long very quickly. I know I’ll never get through all of them, and it also means I take ages to get around to new releases. I like having a way to keep track of books I come across and want to read though.
That sounds similar to the system Inge suggested to me. I find the only way to keep my Want to Read list down to a limited number is to introduce a book buying ban from time to time. And I also regularly remove books from my Wish List, which have been overshadowed by some new and more exciting books (I know, I am fickle…). But I guess, it’s just a bit of fun and nobody forces us to read all the books on our lists.
Thatβs a good point! I guess having a long list is just like having a lot of options, you donβt have to read them all.
Exactly! After all, it’s mean to be fun, not an obligation! π
Hey there. I have a miles-long list of books that caught my attention. I stopped adding to it many years ago, and I never look at it. One thing Iβve learned over the years is that there are tens of thousands of books worth reading, if not more, and that Iβll never read most of them. And Iβm fine with that. Neil S.
Haha, very true. That is the attitude I’ve had over the years as well. However, once I have actually spent money and effort acquiring a book, I am determined to read it. Hence the TBR. As for the wish list, I don’t take it seriously, and it doesn’t matter if I never get to these books.
Have always had a TBR; can’t keep up thanks to excess of impulse buying or purchases made in response to book reviews.
I prefer a TBR pile that I can physically see, even trip over. Hence it exists alongside my bed, readily accessible, a mere arm’s length away.
Kindle and Goodreads definitely not for me – out of sight, out of mind.
I used to have a physical TBR exactly like that next to the bed. At some point it got so extensive, that I worried it would come tumbling down during the night. But these days, I’ve moved to electronic books, mostly audiobooks. They don’t take up any space, but as you say ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Goodreads is a matter of habit, I think. Now, I’ve got used to checking there, when I want an overview of the books I own.
Hello Stargazer!
I don’t generally deal with TBRs. I read books on the spur, ones which I really like. What I want to read today, I don’t want to tomorrow! It can be really tough for me to maintain a long list π
Loved your post,
Arnav
See, I like that approach very much and mostly, that is how I do it as well. But it just bothers me, if books I already own are forgotten, that is why I started a list. Still, I definitely want to keep it short, because like you I’m a mood reader and change my mind all the time about what I want to read.
That sounds like a great system! Working in the industry I find that gives an added pressure to keep up with everything new. So I try to use TBRβs to structure my reading so I get through the books I own but I donβt always follow it. Do you then divide your reading in chapters or number of pages in a day or a week?
Yeah, I think it works well and it isn’t too complicated to maintain. I didn’t know, you worked in the industri, but I could imagine the pressure to keep up. Glad I don’t have to do that, I only read for fun. This also means, I don’t impose any reading targets on myself. I read if and when I feel like it. Otherwise, it may stop being fun!
Welcome to the TBR club! I love that system of keeping track of ebooks. I really need to do that myself. β€οΈ
Thanks, I owe that to Inge and I think it works well. In the beginning, I forgot about it all the time, but now it has become a habit to add books to Goodreads.
As a blogger/reviewer, my TBR is books I’ve promised to review plus books I’d like to personally read, and it’s always mountainous. π
Haha, that makes sense. I don’t do review requests, because I don’t like to commit. But I could imagine review copies could easily make up a TBR of their own. Hopefully, my TBR won’t grow to mountainous dimensions, but who knows what might happen, now I started. π
I just use my library on my Kindle. It’s full of books I’ve read, but want to keep for future reference and a whole lot of samples. When looking for something to read, I start going through the samples and either delete the sample or buy the book to read.
Yes, that is what I used to do. But I found that no matter how you sort them, it is difficult to get an overview of all the unread books on the Kindle. The samples are a good idea. I often download a sample, when I am not entirely sure about a certain book.
i recently did a massive cull on my tbr, it was over 600 books long (on goodreads anyway). now down to under 100, but i doubt i’ll ever get around to reading them all. i think i prefer not having a specific tbr and just reading what calls to me.
600 books! That is impressive! Under 100 doesn’t sound too bad in comparison and it doesn’t matter if you never get around to read all of them. Yeah, I definitely want to read what calls to me, but my list is a way of securing that I eventually read the books I own.
i used to be very button happy (is that even a term?) and always just adding so many books on goodreads, but it ended up putting me off, not being helpful at all.
I don’t know if it’s a term, but I know exactly what you mean! That is the danger of Goodreads – it’s so easy to add more books!
Until I started blogging I too didn’t have a TBR, like you I bought a book and read it then bought another one; at christmas and birthday I might have a couple waiting but that was it! If I bought every book I hear about and want to read it would be a disaster so I just keep a list, but I’ve even stopped doing that as it’s out of control!
Ah yes, these were the good old days. Actually, I think I would still do that, if I hadn’t got addicted to audiobooks. Since audiobooks are so expensive, it’s silly not to pick them up on sale. 7 out of the 10 books on my TBR are audiobooks, I’ve bought on sale. However, I am determined that my TBR won’t get out of control (whilst writing this, I can actually hear all the book bloggers reading this, chuckling and saying to themselves: yeah, yeah, just you wait! π)
I hadn’t heard of TBR either before joining the book blogging world! I think there are 2 definitions of TBR – the books you actually own/have been sent/borrowed from library, and the list of books you would like to but is more like a wish list.
Yes, that makes sense. I think, I will stick to the first definition, which should help keeping numbers down.
I only learned about the famous TBR concept when I started blogging years ago and had one thanks to Goodreads ever since. It’s pretty much an ever-expanding pile of books that intrigued me at some point in time, sometimes including countless sequels too… Today, I just consider the physical books I own as my real TBR and my Goodreads TBR as my “maybe someday I’ll make time for these” books hahaha
Haha, it does sound like a familiar pattern. But as you know, I barely own any physical copies these days, it’s the ebooks, which could potentially become a problem, if I don’t keep track. Since I don’t see my wish list as a TBR (smart move, eh? π), the key for me, is not to buy books faster than I can read them. Should be easy. Ahem.
Hurrah! Life without a TBR is barely worth living! I don’t include my wishlist in the TBR figure that I report weekly, but I do include it when I do my quarterly round-up post since I cull my wishlist brutally and everything on it is something I fully intend to acquire and read. I never used to have a huge TBR – it’s blogging and review copies that have been my downfall, not to mention Kindle deals which are fatal and should be banned. Have fun – although I do think for the full joyful TBR experience you really need a colour-coded spreadsheet… π
Haha, I’ve been living vicariously through your TBR for a while now, I suspect that is much more fun than actually having one myself! π It makes sense to keep the wish list separate. Somehow, it feels less binding, when you don’t actually own the books. No? I don’t do any review requests and I am reasonably critical with adding books, I see in the blogging community. It’s audiobook deals, which I can’t resist (because full price audiobooks are just too expensive). It’s probably overkill with a colour-coded spreadsheet for a TBR of 10 books. Let’s see how it all goes – I have a nasty feeling, I’ve taken the first step out on a very slippery slope! π
I hope so… π
You just want to laugh at me, when I overtake your 200 books TBR with flying colours πππ
Yay for TBRs! I’ve used them long before I knew that’s what they’re called, not unlike certain Monsieur Jourdain π I must say my TBR changes with time, and sometimes some books are just forcibly evicted lest they cause an avalanche of unread books and bury me under. I have probably up to 30 titles altogether on my lists.
Ah really, that is interesting! It sounds like most bloggers had a more casual attitude to books (buy a book, read it, figure out what to read next, etc) before they started blogging. I don’t think 30 books sound bad, actually yours is one of the smallest TBRs I’ve heard of, besides from my own. I also feel, it has to be relatively limited in order to be operational. If I had a TBR with hundreds of books, I would probably just throw in the towel and give up completely.
To me having a TBR with hundreds of titles would be like having no TBR at all π€£ I just wouldn’t push myself to read them in any order or adhere to deadlines because then reading would turn into work and that’s not why I read! π I have a taste of this with NG and sometimes I’m already fed up with this, even though it pertains to only few titles…π
That is what I am afraid of: that reading will suddenly start to feel like a chore. But at least I’ve stayed away from NG. So far my life with a TBR is still very relaxed and I don’t put any deadlines on the TBR. But who knows, where it may lead over time… ππ
The number on my tbr is a closely-guarded secret – you really don’t want to know! π It’s entirely down to other bloggers; I was swept away by all the enticing reviews and recommendations and before I knew it, I had hundreds of books on the list! Thankfully it grew so huge that it dawned on me that as a tbr it’s fairly useless: I am never going to read them all. But it’s a useful resource to keep me occupied when I fancy a bit of list-making. I can make countless lists from the master list: books by season; genre; favourite author… If I spent less time on lists I’d have more time for reading! π
Your discipline is to be admired, Stargazer. There’s no hope for me!
Haha, it’s alright – you are allowed to keep your secret! π It’s way too easy to be swept away by other blogger’s reviews. I’ve found that if I don’t note down the books in question, but still remember them after a while, it might be worth pursuing further. If I forget the books, they probably weren’t that important to me. If a review really persuades me to read a book, I download it immediately, whilst I still have the review post open.
There is always hope Sandra π, but nobody says you are not allowed to have a huge TBR. After all, it’s just a bit of fun and each of us should do, whatever suit us best. And you are right: lists are always fun and a large TBR probably makes list-making a lot easier!
I admire your discipline, stargazer. Send me some of your powers! My TBR is something that cannot be mentioned. I have no control. Every year, I’d be tempted by NG. My deadline for book reviews on NG usually ends some time in Oct. After that, I’ll try to read some books from my TBR. But along the way, while reading books from NG, I’d be tempted to borrow some ‘new’ books from Libby too! *facepalm* Book buying ban? WHAT IS THAT??? I tried, and failed way too many times. So really, kudos to you, stargazer! @nsfordwriter is one disciplined reader too!
Perhaps, my discipline sounds better on paper than it does in real life? I shall report back next year to tell you, if I still manage to keep the TBR under control! π I am sure, NG would offer a lot of temptation, hence I never signed up. At the moment, I don’t have to read or review any books, besides from the ones I choose to read and review. And I prefer to keep it that way, otherwise it may start to feel like a chore. Book buying ban is definitely an unusual feature in the book blogging community, but it does help me to read some of the books, I already own, instead of going for the new and shiny ones all the time. Anyway, I don’t think one way is better than the other – we should all organise ourselves in a way, which works for us. Or alternatively, not organise ourselves at all! π
Honestly, I aspire to read like you and NS. Read for the joy of it and (for me, according to mood LOL) and like you said, NG will make it feel like a chore π On book buying ban, HOW DO YOU DO IT???? I can’t help looking at new books *sob* The longest I’ve ever succeeded was 2 months π THAT WAS IT!
Reading should always be a joy! In some periods, I’d rather be doing stuff outside in the nice weather or meet up with friends (which hasn’t been possible for a long time). And I never want to feel, that I really ought to read. A book buying ban of 2 months is great – I never do longer than that. As long as you don’t go crazy, when lifting the ban, you should be able to reduce your TBR during the 2 months.
I must take your advice! Yup during those 2 months my tbr shd reduce. Iβm gonna keep trying πͺπΌ
Good luck!
Thank you! π
Iβd never heard of TBR either until I started blogging. Id always had a stack of books waiting to be read but once the blogging started that stack became a mountain of 300 books. I nibble away at it each year but find it so hard to resist the temptation to buyβ¦.
I use a spreadsheet to track what I have, making a note of when I bought or acquired the book, the country of the author and the genre, this has helped me avoid duplicate purchasesβ¦
If I had 300 unread books, I’d probably start a spreadsheet as well and I can see a spreadsheet is more flexible than Goodreads when it comes to the information, you want to look at. But for now, I hope I can keep the numbers down. As long as you still nibble away on the existing pile faster than you buy new books, then eventually it will come down. If it doesn’t, I guess that is fine as well. At least you have a lot of books to choose from!
I have a TBR on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5215426-emma?ref=nav_mybooks&shelf=to-read) currently at 905 titles. But it’s been worse! For a time, I did some posts where I was weeding this out: https://wordsandpeace.com/category/read-or-skip/
From time to time, I go there, look a the ones that have been on that shelf for the longest, and check if I’m still interested. Which reminds me, I was going to start reading the oldest ones, as they have been now there for 10 years! And I forgot. I added 2 in June 2011, so I’m going to try to catch up with these: The Thirteenth ale, and Love in the Time of Cholera
905 titles!! It looks like you have a lot of great books there, but it must be difficult to get an overview. Are you managing to reduce it over time or is it more or less stable? I am determined to keep mine constant. I can only add a new book, whenever I’ve read another. Or at least, that is the plan! π
Thoughtful post, Stargazer. I do but only for the books I received for review. For my other books I want to read from my own shelves, I sit them out and have them stare at me a bit until Iβm ready to pick them up!
Thanks Jennifer. It makes sense to prioritize books, you have to review. Haha, with physical books it’s easier, because you see them all the time. But my electronic books are easy to forget, hence the TBR. I am determined to have a relaxed attitude towards the TBR, though.
So i am not a mood reader…..but i get these urges like i would have planned to read some books and then dont for a decade and then i find some so interesting that i finish it in one sitting…..it doesn’t happen often but i try not to have a TBR… I am more like a go with the flow because i know that i will have these urges so better not download the pdfs ALREADY…. But this year i am planning on a 52 books in 52 weeks challenge…. So i guessπ€·π»ββοΈ
Yes, I definitely sympathise with not having a TBR. Recently, most of the books I’ve read have been impulse reads (i.e. not on my TBR). Going with the flow makes a lot of sense. In the future I will try not to buy books, which I don’t tend to read immediately. In that way, I can have a very limited TBR. Good luck with your 52 books in 52 weeks challenge!