There are so many books, so I consider my TBR list like prefilter, narrowing my choices. It doesn't matter if TBR has 1000 books, 1000 from zillions of existing books is a good filter in my view. TBR is like a tree, constantly growing, but needs to be maintained, cut branches with fruits you don't like anymore. Just maintain a rough list, it should not be a perfect list, because that doesn't exist. You can always choose some achievable subset and focus on that. People just need to escape FOMO and hype pressure. Forcing yourself to read is counterproductive.
It has never been a goal for me to read every single book from my TBR, because I know it's just constantly growing, and I see it more as a way to keep things on the radar, but recently I felt very overwhelmed by the maths of what you can realistically read in a lifetime and the number of books I had in there... so I did a decluttering. It definitively helped me with the overwhelming and I will keep doing it regularly, as certainly the books that interest us change over time. Also, I think, with time, I only buy physical books I'm really really interested in reading, so they don't sit on my shelves too long, or at least that section of my library doesn't grow that rapidly, and the e-books I mostly just buy them to read immediately.
I dont even know how many books I have on my Kindle or Kobo. I love having a library to browse each time I open a cover. Its not a burden, its a delight.
This is great! Thank you. I like always having a medium sized TBR as it's comforting knowing I have lots of ideas for what to read next. But I think it's a great idea to keep it well pruned! 🤓📚
TBR to me equals homework, these are the books I ‘have to’ read as part of work or training. I own them, mark them, and most have a B as their extension: to be read By, and then a soft or hard date. Then there’s the ‘would LIKE to read’ list. I may or may not own them yet, no due date, no stress. 😊
To introduce a morbid note I am elderly and in poor health. When I look at my pretty big TBR I don't feel vaguely that I will never clear it, I know very well there is no chance of my doing so, even though I am retired and anti-social and (happily) have loads of time to read. So I have taken on board your excellent suggestions and will add my own - I will prioritise those which it would make me very sad not to read before I leave this life.
Doesn't matter if you are able to finish or not. I categorized my personal TBR on Notion with : finished, currently reading, books to read next (after currently reading is finished), books without specific reading goal. Finished should be clear, these are the books I actually finished. Currently reading also should be clear: these are the books I am reading at the moment. If I can't finish a book (just happened once to me yet), I just transfer them to "books without a specific reading goal". Then I'm able to pick them up if I want. Similarely, "books without a specific reading goal" don't frustrate me at all. I see them as things to choose if I want to. Similarely to the cold drinks you could buy at a restaurant which are in the fridge. You see them. Do you really need to drink (finish) them all? No, of course not. You can choose and buy how many you want, but there is no pressure. Same with the TBR. These unread books serve a purpose. They give you the option to choose based on your wants at that very moment accordingly to have a variety for choosing your next book to read after finishing the current one. But you should make a seperate list like I did for your next books to read. By doing that, you're only going to choose between let's say 2 or 3 books. I named it (books to read after finishing the current book). Then there are approx. 5 books in the tab "books to read after finishing the next book". And then comes the big one with 50+ books "books without a specific time or reading goal". I add the new books I see on the internet into that tab. There are books I haven't even bought yet. Only by transferring a book of those into the next tab (either "books to read after the next book" or "books to read next"), I'm going to buy them. But "books without a specific reading goal" can be seen like a wishlist. By having limited the ammount of books in "books to read next", it's not overwhelming, because that's what I'm going to choose from for my next book to read. The only overwhelming thing for me is sometimes actually reading AND understanding the book I'm currently reading. For example now I'm currently reading "Concrete Mathematics" by Graham, Knuth and Patashnik. I try to read 1 chapter (for example chapter 2.6) every night before going to sleep and sometimes another chapter or 2 on the day. I feel that my math skills get better day by day, but it's a bit overwhelming. Being outside my comfort zone is the only way to grow skills. With this book it's math skills with summation.
Agreed that getting that TBF down is impossible, too much with life but also just adding them to the list is all part of the fun. But being realistic on the DNF and just reviewing that list is important for sure.
Great video, Gina! I'm a new booktuber and newly getting (back) into reading, so my TBR is about seven books. But that's ONLY because I'm newly getting back into reading. Haha! I'm sure that list will grow. I walk into a bookstore and feel like if I walk back to my car without a new book, I've let myself down. Am I alone in this? LOL
![10 Tips for Conquering Your TBR [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KbZhHGR4PDI/mqdefault.jpg)
![10 Tips for Conquering Your TBR [CC]](/img/tr.png)
Are you bothered that you might never finish your TBR?
No not at all. My TBR is more so options that I have then really books I HAVE to read.
There are so many books, so I consider my TBR list like prefilter, narrowing my choices. It doesn't matter if TBR has 1000 books, 1000 from zillions of existing books is a good filter in my view. TBR is like a tree, constantly growing, but needs to be maintained, cut branches with fruits you don't like anymore. Just maintain a rough list, it should not be a perfect list, because that doesn't exist. You can always choose some achievable subset and focus on that.
People just need to escape FOMO and hype pressure. Forcing yourself to read is counterproductive.
It has never been a goal for me to read every single book from my TBR, because I know it's just constantly growing, and I see it more as a way to keep things on the radar, but recently I felt very overwhelmed by the maths of what you can realistically read in a lifetime and the number of books I had in there... so I did a decluttering.
It definitively helped me with the overwhelming and I will keep doing it regularly, as certainly the books that interest us change over time. Also, I think, with time, I only buy physical books I'm really really interested in reading, so they don't sit on my shelves too long, or at least that section of my library doesn't grow that rapidly, and the e-books I mostly just buy them to read immediately.
That's a very good idea and strategy. We've got to figure out what works for us that's for sure!
I dont even know how many books I have on my Kindle or Kobo. I love having a library to browse each time I open a cover. Its not a burden, its a delight.
I love that for you. If it makes you happy, then it's working!
This is great! Thank you. I like always having a medium sized TBR as it's comforting knowing I have lots of ideas for what to read next.
But I think it's a great idea to keep it well pruned! 🤓📚
Oh I totally agree. There's nothing like having some good choice so you can find the right book right then and there!
TBR to me equals homework, these are the books I ‘have to’ read as part of work or training. I own them, mark them, and most have a B as their extension: to be read By, and then a soft or hard date. Then there’s the ‘would LIKE to read’ list. I may or may not own them yet, no due date, no stress. 😊
@@wowKitch ooooo that's an interesting distinction, I like it honestly!
Why would anyone want to get their TBR to zero? How sad would that be?! :D
Haha good point
To introduce a morbid note I am elderly and in poor health. When I look at my pretty big TBR I don't feel vaguely that I will never clear it, I know very well there is no chance of my doing so, even though I am retired and anti-social and (happily) have loads of time to read. So I have taken on board your excellent suggestions and will add my own - I will prioritise those which it would make me very sad not to read before I leave this life.
Thank you for sharing that Christine. I hope all your chosen books are excellent!
Doesn't matter if you are able to finish or not.
I categorized my personal TBR on Notion with :
finished, currently reading, books to read next (after currently reading is finished), books without specific reading goal.
Finished should be clear, these are the books I actually finished.
Currently reading also should be clear: these are the books I am reading at the moment. If I can't finish a book (just happened once to me yet), I just transfer them to "books without a specific reading goal".
Then I'm able to pick them up if I want.
Similarely, "books without a specific reading goal" don't frustrate me at all.
I see them as things to choose if I want to.
Similarely to the cold drinks you could buy at a restaurant which are in the fridge. You see them. Do you really need to drink (finish) them all?
No, of course not. You can choose and buy how many you want, but there is no pressure.
Same with the TBR.
These unread books serve a purpose. They give you the option to choose based on your wants at that very moment accordingly to have a variety for choosing your next book to read after finishing the current one.
But you should make a seperate list like I did for your next books to read.
By doing that, you're only going to choose between let's say 2 or 3 books.
I named it (books to read after finishing the current book).
Then there are approx. 5 books in the tab "books to read after finishing the next book".
And then comes the big one with 50+ books "books without a specific time or reading goal".
I add the new books I see on the internet into that tab. There are books I haven't even bought yet.
Only by transferring a book of those into the next tab (either "books to read after the next book" or "books to read next"), I'm going to buy them.
But "books without a specific reading goal" can be seen like a wishlist.
By having limited the ammount of books in "books to read next", it's not overwhelming, because that's what I'm going to choose from for my next book to read.
The only overwhelming thing for me is sometimes actually reading AND understanding the book I'm currently reading. For example now I'm currently reading "Concrete Mathematics" by Graham, Knuth and Patashnik.
I try to read 1 chapter (for example chapter 2.6) every night before going to sleep and sometimes another chapter or 2 on the day.
I feel that my math skills get better day by day, but it's a bit overwhelming.
Being outside my comfort zone is the only way to grow skills.
With this book it's math skills with summation.
Agreed that getting that TBF down is impossible, too much with life but also just adding them to the list is all part of the fun. But being realistic on the DNF and just reviewing that list is important for sure.
You've absolutely got it! 💪
I always love your video Topics and your advice. ❤
Aw that's such a nice thing to say, thank you!
I clean my TBR and start again every year bc I get a huge anxiety about long lists.
I feel that. They make me very overwhelmed too
Great video, Gina!
I'm a new booktuber and newly getting (back) into reading, so my TBR is about seven books.
But that's ONLY because I'm newly getting back into reading. Haha! I'm sure that list will grow.
I walk into a bookstore and feel like if I walk back to my car without a new book, I've let myself down.
Am I alone in this? LOL
Haha I mostly walk into bookstores and have to purposely avoid buying things. It's a dangerous game 😅
@@GinaLuciaReads You have better self-control than I do! ;)
Great video as always
Here to celebrate DNFing 🎉
Thank you so much Robin 🥰