Tis the season for readathons… And yesterday, I had actually planned to do a post announcing a TBR and deciding to plunge straight into one for the first time… Buuuut I kinda missed the boat. Trouble is, as much as I want to join some of these, I am currently drowning under my TBR and often feel like the challenges are more likely to push me under than act like a life raft (yes, I know, overdramatic much?)
So that was a realllly long (and unnecessary) preamble to explain why I’m gonna talk about my crazy TBR- cos maybe, just maybe, shaming myself out of my bad habits *might* force me to change (we can all live in hope)
Anyhoo, thank you so much to the *awesome* Katie @Never Not Reading for tagging me recently and the lovely Reg @ She Latitude and the wonderful Larkin @Wonderfilled Reads for tagging me ions and ions ago too!!
Onto the public shaming!!
How do you keep track of your TBR pile?
Okay, first question and I’m already going to sound like a basketcase- I have several ways of keeping track of my tbr:
- My goodreads- nice and normal…
- My amazon wishlist- for books I will most likely have to buy to read- most “independent” books go on here
- My physical tbr which I place in full view so that I can’t escape it!!
- An excel spreadsheet which I try to update with unread kindle books
- Scraps of paper for books I can get out the library at some point… yeah… if you started reading this thinking I was really organised I doubt you’ll be thinking that now 😉
Here’s my current physical tbr:
Is your TBR mostly print or ebook?
However I can get hold of it! My usual choices are library/second hand sites/reduced ebook
How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?
I’m a mood reader- but my moods are often determined by whichever books (physical or ebook) that I have to hand 😉
A book that’s been on your TBR the longest.
Annnnd I promised to read that last year- what’s wrong with me?
A book that you recently added to your TBR.
Which one? I am intrigued…
A book on your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover.
I’ve gotten so much better about not adding books for pure cover value- I have been burnt so many times before- but I do have books on my TBR like Homegoing which both sound amazing *and* have pretty covers- result!
A book on your TBR that you NEVER plan on actually reading.
Hahaha you caught me! I have a few books on my TBR I’ll probably never read. A couple of which I got free on my kindle- one is Ulysses and the other is the entire Virginia Woolf collection… I already dnf’d these books but I’m so stubborn I can’t bring myself to say I’m never gonna read it (I’m never gonna read it though)
An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for.
Book of Dust!! Pierce Brown’s new book. Licanius trilogy.
A book on your TBR that basically everyone has read except you.
A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you.
I first saw A Suitable Lie on Meggy’s blog and recently I’ve seen it tons of places- I want to read it!!
A book on your TBR that you’re just dying to read.
Pahahaha just one?! I’m gonna go with one that I don’t have- otherwise it’ll just be highlighting the fact that I have no excuse not to read so many of the books on my tbr!
And let’s pretend there are no more books I need to read… Oh alright then, here are two more that I’ve been “currently reading” forever because they are long and difficult- SHAME!
(and if I do sporadically try to join into Tome Topple, these will be *it* for me)
The number of books on your goodreads TBR shelf.
Jeez- this is gonna be hard to answer! I considered just sneakily putting my goodreads on here, but that wouldn’t be terribly honest, so I’m going to give a breakdown:
- 90 ebooks
- 282 on goodreads
- 135 on amazon wishlist
So 507… Yeah… like I said I’m drowning *gasp* *splutter* *gasp*
I’m gonna be lazy today and not tag anyone directly, cos I don’t know who has and hasn’t done this- but feel free to do it!!
Okay, that post was about as rambly as my TBR! Do you have a problem keeping up with your TBR? What are your shameful TBR confessions? Commiserate with me in the comments!
the orang-utan librarian 
I actually so the Odyssey in a shop today and was gonna buy it but it didn’t seem like my cup of tea , I thought it was an Irish classic or something but when I read the blurb it was about like mythology and stuff so I didn’t bother what do you think of it?
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Ah I get that- it’s actually really good so far- I’ve studied some classics, so I’ve read sections before, but never the whole thing from beginning to end. And I think the Irish book you’re talking about is Ulysses by Joyce- it’s the roman name for the Odyssey
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Yeah that must of been what I was thinking of. Sorry for the typo I meant *saw
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No problem!
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507 books? I won’t complain about my 133. But, I add daily. So, I’m hopeless.
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hehehehe I know the feeling!!
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I have TBR problems as well. Everytime I say I’m going to pick something to read off it, I go and pick something completely different. I blame Goodreads cause when you go to update you’re reading progress it’s like, “since you read this, you’ll probably like this..” and you get sucked in! P.S. we should be Goodreads friends. 😊
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Ah I’m glad I’m not the only one!! I totally get that- I am the exact same. Yes!!! Oh yes we should!! My account’s my personal one though- so I’ll send you the link through your contact form so that it’s private. 😊
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Awesome! Mine is my personal one too. Woohoo! 😁
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Awesome!! 😀 I sent the link! 😀
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The cover for Furiously Happy makes me chuckle every time I see it. I’d buy the book just for the cover. My mood reading tendencies mean that it’s near impossible to destroy my tbr list. I spend more time trying to decide which book read then I do reading them haha.
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hehe yes me too!!! Yes I’m the exact same!! hahaha oh my goodness I do that too!
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I’m keeping my tbr around 250. Mainly through a ruthless program of not adding ANYTHING until I’ve read X books, then I’ll add an additional X books.
In the last couple of years I’ve seen book bloggers start acting like alcoholics at an open bar. They cram those books in and then, even while being overloaded with too many books, longingly look at all the other books they can see. And they’re miserable. So I have determined not to be a miserable feeling hoarder. I’m only going to read what I can read. It does mean that I’ll miss out on some books that I “might” have enjoyed, but it also means that I am not feeling like I have to get THROUGH my current read just so I can start another book. Kind of like gluttony [since I’m going with a drink and food theme here].
The publishers have latched on to savvy marketing and are selling books just like a breakfast cereal. Nobody can eat 10 boxes of sugar bomb bomb charmios, but they make it look so good that you have to buy another box, just in case you run out [while already having 8 boxes at home]. At some point bloggers will either learn self-control or they will explode like a dragon that never pooped. Of course, will potential billions of bloggers, that point in time might be a VERY long time off…
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Very well said!
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hehe well I salute you!! That’s very laudable! And sounds like a great system! I wish I had that shelf control 😉
That’s very true! hehe nice metaphor!! I think the issue is how easy it is to just add a book to a list without ever reading it or download books that I don’t really intend to read… so whoops! I mean why on earth did I download the complete Virginia Woolf when I don’t even like her work!? I mean that just shows how ridiculous this gets. I just have lists made up of books I don’t ever intend to read, so it’s just a bit impractical!
hahahahaha so true!!
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Like I said, it’s ruthless. So it’s not for everyone and honestly, I probably couldn’t have done it myself even 5 years ago. Life hones and cuts us to make us what we are today.
Acquisitionism. Not sure that is even a word 😀 But the feeling that we need to have Book X, just in case. I think it shows a generational shift, as the millennials [and whatever those after them are now called] don’t seem to be quite so focused on having so much stuff on their hard drives, etc. Of course, their expectations will go down the tubes the first time the internet goes down. So different expectations, different problems 🙂
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and sensible 😉 Yeah I have tried to do things to organise things better and hopefully cut my list down- but it’s so time consuming. Maybe when I have lots and lots and lots of time to spare.
Yeah I think that’s word (or it sounds good enough to be one, so it counts 😉 ) hehehe true!
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I have a major TBR problem. Every time I plan to get reading some of them, new books I want to read are released. Either those new books go onto the TBR while I tackle the old ones, or I read the new ones and the old ones stay on the list.
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Ahh yes!! I feel like the problem is there’s a never ending supply of amazing sounding books and I don’t want to miss out… never mind the fact that I’m swamped 😉 hehe so true!!
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My goodness… I feel your pain… having shared my first ever summer reading list a while ago, I now realize that I have read one single book on it so far-and I had completely forgotten it was on the list as well. I just get so drawn to reading other things that don’t appear on the list… or that I randomly acquire at the bookshop just because I feel like it…
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hehehe thank you!!! Haha I do the same!! All the time!! I put lists of books I’ve prioritised everywhere… and then get distracted by other shiny books!! It’s a problem 😉
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I can’t even THINK about my tbr! I’m so glad you have One of Us Is Lying and Strange the Dreamer on yours though, because I loved both of them!💁🏻
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Ahh fantastic!!! I’m really looking forward to them 😀
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Readathons scare me!! Too much pressure!!!
I also use Goodreads to keep track of my reading but the details are limited so I have a giant spreadsheet with looooots of info xD I wish my physical TBR was that small!!!!! Haha, I feel like a star in your blog recently, YOU NEED TO READ A SUITABLE LIE, and I get to be the first to rec it!!! That and omg Furiously Happy ❤
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Ah I know right!! I always think “yeah maybe…” but when it comes down to it I run away in fear!!! Ah I wish I was a bit more organised to be honest!! hhehehehe that’s cos I love you’re recs and you *are* a star!! I really do!!! 😀 I bet I’m gonna love them!! ❤
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I won’t judge you if you don’t read the Hunchback. I strongly recommend an abridged version. I love Victor Hugo, but MAN that book was tough to get through!
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Ah thanks! I had similar issues with some of Les Mis, but I loved it in the end- it was a great book, but did it really need 100 pages on Paris’ sewers?
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Hunchback is exactly the same. And entire chapter (with page-long paragraphs) describing what Paris looks like from a bird’s eye view. Then another describing what Paris looks like from a person’s perspective. SO. MANY. RUN. ON. SENTENCES! Like I said, abridged versions aren’t always a bad thing!
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Ahh I wouldn’t have thought it would be any other way tbh!! hahahaha fair enough- I’m not really into that, but I can see why people are.
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I’m totally going to feel free to do this tag. Also I want like every book on your physical tbr right now. Esp the gorgeous hardbacks. *drools*
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Ah fantastic!!! hehehehe they are so good!! (although half are borrowed/library books 😉 )
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😂 I wish we had such a good library nearby! That’s so cool
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Ha! I’m in the same boat – I recently thought ‘Oh! I should clean up my Goodreads TBR as it’s getting ridic at almost 500 books and I probably don’t even want to read most of them anymore…’
Long story short, I ended up with almost SIX HUNDRED books on there. MORE than I started with! It’s a never ending problem…
Hope you enjoy One Of Us Is Lying – it’s from my Publishing House/team and it’s SO good (not a biased opinion, it’s honestly cracking.)
Sarah (xpectopatronerd) x
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hehehe glad I’m not alone in this!!
Oh gosh wow- yes it really is- cos as soon as I decide to narrow things down, I just know several more books I want to read will creep up on me!!
Thank you very much!! That’s great to hear! 😀 x
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I had to get real and make a TBR list for books I actually physically have, and another one for ones I want to read but need to buy first. That way I can pretend I only have around 70 to go! 😉
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Ah I totally get that lol!!
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My TBR and I are in a constant state of fighting and falling out. It’s bad. I have over 1300 books on my Goodreads TBR, which is where I Try to manage my list. But, I spend too much time at the library and I never end up reading any of the books on my TBR
So embarrassing. Oh well, someday I’ll conquer it. Maybe? Hopefully? Perhaps?
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hahaha I can totally totally relate!!! hahahah I get that- I do the exact same!! hahaha yes!! We can do it…. maybe… hopefully?! 😉
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Haha your physical TBR is so little compared to my monster piles. I have impulse control issues at the Chapters sales. But your others blow my Goodreads list out of the water…So maybe we will call it even.
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hahahah well that’s good to hear to be honest!! I really don’t get too many physical books and half of the ones pictured are borrowed cos I just don’t have the space for them unfortunately. hahahahaha yes, I think that’s fair 😉
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Ahh yeah I get that, I have books everywhere in my house, open a drawer any drawer you’ll find a novel.
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hahahahahah that’s hilarious- and it’s true of my flat too. Every surface in my room is covered and I’ve stuffed them into nook and cranny 😉
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Lovely answers! I haven’t read Strange the Dreamer yet, I’m glad I’m not the only one left ahah. Everyone LOVES this book so much – need to get around to reading it soon 🙂
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Thank you!! Ah me too!! I really need to read it cos I love Laini Taylor!
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I haven’t read Strange the Dreamer either!! I love its cover though! And I have to say although I heard awesome things about Homegoing and I was probably gonna buy it anyways, it was the beautiful cover that convinced me to definitely get the physical copy!
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Ah I’m glad I’m not the only one! Me too! Ah I totally get that!!!
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Lol! I totally know how you feel regarding the readathons. I usually avoid them all except Bout of Books, but I can’t pass up the recent ones I found. Hopefully I’ll succeed at them.
I’ve been searching high and low for that edition of Homecoming. But it’s hard to find that cover in paperback on my side of the world. I’ll have to go on Book Depository maybe to get it.
And I think you’ll love Furiously Happy.
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hehe I know- I’m always tempted but then am never able to do them (or complete them- I tried doing tome topple but a) failed to get out a tbr post, then tried to do it anyway but have ended up crashing out of it spectacularly… ah well 😉 ) I love the look of the ones you’ve found!! Yes I want that copy too for sure!! It’s exquisite!! Ah thank you- I desperately want to read it 😀
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The books you got in queue all look like so much fun! Hope you enjoy them when you get around to it. 😀 As for TBR’s…. let’s just all agree that it is impossible to solve that worldwide issue.
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Ah thank you!! They do look amazing!! hahahaha so true!! :p
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Gosh, don’t even start with the TBR piles and lists 😀
I actually saw someone on Twitter say they deleted their whole Goodreads TBR list and are starting from scratch… I have to say, it sounds tempting, but I’ll only go for clearing it a bit… but.. but… it’s books…! After deleting them from the tbr list I’ll probably end up adding them back 😀
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Hehehe wow I could never do that- although it might be a sensible thing to do…. But but books!! (Like you said 😉) hehehe I know right!! That’s why I never take anything off unless I’ve read it- just in case!
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