Allison Symes's Blog - Posts Tagged "tbr-pile"
The TBR pile
Confession time. I have a large TBR pile in paperbacks AND on the Kindle. There really isn't enough time in the day, though it is nice to know I won't be running out of good reading material any time soon.
Does that mean I won't want any books bought for me for Christmas or book tokens/cards? Don't be silly, of course I will!
Okay, I may need to figure out a way of making sure my TBR pile (paperbacks) doesn't topple over and crush someone (probably me). Or that my Kindle doesn't explode with the effort of containing all those ebooks for me. But I'll manage those!
The lovely thing about being a reader and a writer is you're never stuck for gift ideas, whether you're dropping hints to your nearest and dearest, or buying for other readers and writers.
As for my TBR pile, back to reducing it a bit at a time (before I inevitably top it up again!).
Does that mean I won't want any books bought for me for Christmas or book tokens/cards? Don't be silly, of course I will!
Okay, I may need to figure out a way of making sure my TBR pile (paperbacks) doesn't topple over and crush someone (probably me). Or that my Kindle doesn't explode with the effort of containing all those ebooks for me. But I'll manage those!
The lovely thing about being a reader and a writer is you're never stuck for gift ideas, whether you're dropping hints to your nearest and dearest, or buying for other readers and writers.
As for my TBR pile, back to reducing it a bit at a time (before I inevitably top it up again!).
The TBR Pile
How large is your To Be Read pile?
Mine hasn't quite got to the point where I need scaffolding to keep the TBR pile upright but give me time...
I also have a considerable reading list waiting for me on my Kindle too.
The positives with this are:-
(a) I'm never going to be short of things to read;
(b) I have different things to read to suit my moods;
(c) It doesn't matter if I want to catch up with reading at home or away - the Kindle takes care of the latter nicely enough.
The negatives with this are:-
(a) Being only too aware of the finiteness of time! There will never be enough time to read every book I want to!
(b) Having to get the scaffolding out in due course to prop up my TBR pile!
(c) It's going to take me a while to update what I've read here on Goodreads!
I read most just before settling to sleep or, on a long train journey and I've finished what writing I want to do, I then switch to reading.
However large your TBR pile is, happy reading! Whittle it down gradually and then you'll have room for more lovely books...!
Mine hasn't quite got to the point where I need scaffolding to keep the TBR pile upright but give me time...
I also have a considerable reading list waiting for me on my Kindle too.
The positives with this are:-
(a) I'm never going to be short of things to read;
(b) I have different things to read to suit my moods;
(c) It doesn't matter if I want to catch up with reading at home or away - the Kindle takes care of the latter nicely enough.
The negatives with this are:-
(a) Being only too aware of the finiteness of time! There will never be enough time to read every book I want to!
(b) Having to get the scaffolding out in due course to prop up my TBR pile!
(c) It's going to take me a while to update what I've read here on Goodreads!
I read most just before settling to sleep or, on a long train journey and I've finished what writing I want to do, I then switch to reading.
However large your TBR pile is, happy reading! Whittle it down gradually and then you'll have room for more lovely books...!
Juggling the TBR Pile
I must admit I couldn't physically juggle my TBR pile. There would be an almighty crash and some inventive language on my part, I think, if I tried that.
I love reading a mixture of fiction across many genres, non-fiction, short stories, novels, articles etc. I also like to mix up reading on the Kindle with reading "real" books but I also want to put magazine reading into the overall mixture too.
Over the course of a week, I try to cover most of those bases. I'm currently reading historical fiction, true crime, short stories, flash fiction, and my own novel (on Kindle. I'm reading it as a reader would. It has been illuminating!).
Over the course of a week, I have been thoroughly entertained too!
And yes I have a TBR pile on my Kindle too. One of the reasons I don't put a Kindle app on my phone is so I don't have a TBR pile on there as well.
It is true - too many books, too little time!
Still I'll press on and have a fab time doing so.
Happy reading!
I love reading a mixture of fiction across many genres, non-fiction, short stories, novels, articles etc. I also like to mix up reading on the Kindle with reading "real" books but I also want to put magazine reading into the overall mixture too.
Over the course of a week, I try to cover most of those bases. I'm currently reading historical fiction, true crime, short stories, flash fiction, and my own novel (on Kindle. I'm reading it as a reader would. It has been illuminating!).
Over the course of a week, I have been thoroughly entertained too!
And yes I have a TBR pile on my Kindle too. One of the reasons I don't put a Kindle app on my phone is so I don't have a TBR pile on there as well.
It is true - too many books, too little time!
Still I'll press on and have a fab time doing so.
Happy reading!
Happy New (Reading) Year!
Happy New Year!
I'm looking forward to discovering authors new to me this year and getting plenty of reading done. The TBR pile, unlike my ironing pile, is one where I'm not that sorry if it stays pretty much at its high level!
I'd like to read more non-fiction this year too and expand my range of subjects.
The biggest problem, of course, is time. I always mean to read more over the Christmas break and, yes, I did catch up a bit. However, I'm usually too tired to read for long so I never get as much done as I was hoping for.
Am trying to read more (particularly magazines) at lunch time and am enjoying that.
I'd also like to get back to more humorous reading and suspect it will soon be time to resume the works of P.G. Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett, both of whose books bring me much joy.
Whatever your reading plans are this year, I hope you have a fabulous time with them. I intend to!
I'm looking forward to discovering authors new to me this year and getting plenty of reading done. The TBR pile, unlike my ironing pile, is one where I'm not that sorry if it stays pretty much at its high level!
I'd like to read more non-fiction this year too and expand my range of subjects.
The biggest problem, of course, is time. I always mean to read more over the Christmas break and, yes, I did catch up a bit. However, I'm usually too tired to read for long so I never get as much done as I was hoping for.
Am trying to read more (particularly magazines) at lunch time and am enjoying that.
I'd also like to get back to more humorous reading and suspect it will soon be time to resume the works of P.G. Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett, both of whose books bring me much joy.
Whatever your reading plans are this year, I hope you have a fabulous time with them. I intend to!
Lists
Do you make a list of books for gift ideas to share with family and friends as hints for birthdays, Christmas etc? I do. There is always a list to be made!
But I also like to list traits in characters I admire and work out how I can use something similar when I create my own characters.
One of the great joys of reading from a writer’s viewpoint is you learn so much from other authors and you can use that to strengthen your own writing. You also get to see how dialogue is set out and so on.
It is vital to read a good mixture of material though from comtemporary to classic and non-fiction should be included too. The more you read, the wider the net of potential ideas.
You read a wonderful story or piece of non-fiction writing and that can inspire you to wonder well how would I have tackled this topic. What take would I have taken on it?
Of course lists lead to incredible To Be Read piles, both physically and in electronic form, but that’s a nice problem to have!
Another fun list would be to create an inventory of places connected with books you would like to visit once the lockdown is over. On my wish list here would be the British Library and Gladstone’s Library to name but two.
How about thinking of books to take with you on a retreat? My list there would have to include something by Austen, Pratchett, and Wodehouse, and naturally I would be taking the Kindle for this. (The saving in weight and luggage space would be considerable though the main thing would be to not forget to take the charger for it).
Then there’s the list of books your friends have told you about that you haven’t got around to reading yet. That too can be a formidable list.
But lists involving books are fun! Just relishing the possibility of reading all of those lovely books is wonderful. Getting to do so is even better. And now back to my TBR list I think!
But I also like to list traits in characters I admire and work out how I can use something similar when I create my own characters.
One of the great joys of reading from a writer’s viewpoint is you learn so much from other authors and you can use that to strengthen your own writing. You also get to see how dialogue is set out and so on.
It is vital to read a good mixture of material though from comtemporary to classic and non-fiction should be included too. The more you read, the wider the net of potential ideas.
You read a wonderful story or piece of non-fiction writing and that can inspire you to wonder well how would I have tackled this topic. What take would I have taken on it?
Of course lists lead to incredible To Be Read piles, both physically and in electronic form, but that’s a nice problem to have!
Another fun list would be to create an inventory of places connected with books you would like to visit once the lockdown is over. On my wish list here would be the British Library and Gladstone’s Library to name but two.
How about thinking of books to take with you on a retreat? My list there would have to include something by Austen, Pratchett, and Wodehouse, and naturally I would be taking the Kindle for this. (The saving in weight and luggage space would be considerable though the main thing would be to not forget to take the charger for it).
Then there’s the list of books your friends have told you about that you haven’t got around to reading yet. That too can be a formidable list.
But lists involving books are fun! Just relishing the possibility of reading all of those lovely books is wonderful. Getting to do so is even better. And now back to my TBR list I think!
