By Klancy Hoover
What’s always in a pile and never seems to shrink? To-be-read lists! I’ve heard numerous readers say that when they finish one book another two are mysteriously added to their TBR lists a short time after. It’s a cycle that Goodreads reading challenges love us for, but the reason why our TBR piles silently judge us. So if you’re struggling with your TBR pile, you’re not alone. Life happens. You’re not always going to feel like reading, and sometimes real life situations are going to demand the majority of your time. But, hopefully, the tips in this blog post will help you conquer your TBR struggles.
Set a monthly goal for yourself!
But make sure your goal is realistic with your current situation. Is work going to be busy next month? Are you currently in a reading slump? Are you wanting to make more time for your family instead? It’s important to ask yourself questions about your current situation in life so that you’ll have a better idea of what you can handle. Finding time to read is hard. By giving yourself a reading goal that you can attain, it’ll be easier to find the motivation to carve out the time to read and conquer your TBR list.
Make picking what you’ll read next fun!
Sometimes, looking at all of the unread books on your TBR pile can feel daunting. If you’re like me, you probably have multiple books stacked haphazardly on your bedside table that you reassure yourself you’ll get to eventually, but never do because there are too many books to choose from. Next time you feel like deciding what to read is too difficult, try making it fun for yourself! I like to write the titles of the books on my TBR list on strips of paper and place them all into a jar. Whenever I can’t decide what to read, I pull out one of the strips of paper out of the jar and let whatever forces are out there decide what I’m going to read next. It eliminates the pressure you may feel whenever you glance over at your TBR pile and makes choosing your next read so much easier!
Unhaul the books you know you won’t get to!
The fastest way to tame your TBR pile is to unhaul all of the books in the stack that you don’t want to read anymore. A rule I like to follow when unhauling my books is: if the books have been on my bookshelf more than two years and I haven’t got around to reading it, then I sell them or give them to other people who want them more. Periodically unhauling books from your shelves will give you more space for new books you know you’ll enjoy, and will help you organize your TBR piles.
It’s okay to feel overwhelmed about your TBR piles, most readers do. There’s a limited amount of time throughout the day to find time to read, which makes TBR lists seem more like a chore than a goal. With the tips from this blog post, however, I hope that anyone who wants to conquer their TBR piles are able to find helpful advice!
Edited by Emily Chance