How are you cutting down your TBR list - besides reading?

[[deleted user]]

Hi everyone. I have a huge (over 2300) books on my TBR list. I am trying to cut down its size. Of course, I read the books, but I am also downloading the available Kindle samples and by reading those, I usually know if I want to continue or if it's a waste of time.

How do all of you cut down your list, or is it a lost cause. ;)

[Cheryl]

For me, I think it's a lost cause! :)

Every year, I plan a 100-book challenge to pare down my TBR list, but I always end up buying more and more books (both paperback and Kindle ebooks) throughout the year as they catch my eye and interest. So, my TBR list never gets any smaller even though I do complete my challenge!

I think I'm just a hopeless addict! :D

[[deleted user]]

Yes, I went through my list and deleted several that I was no longer interested in, but it's still so large. hehe

I don't buy the books I'm interested in right away - I put them on my list. hehe But reading the samples is helping, so there is hope, but it's a LOT of samples to get through. ;)

[Deborah]

In my case it's a lost cause - my list just keeps growing and growing!

[Jim]

I have learned that most To Be Read lists are more wish list or an exrcise in futility than true commitment.

When initially becoming aware that more than 450 Goodreads members had placed my novel on their TBR shelf, I excitedly informed the marketing representative, assigned by the publisher to promote it.

That excitement quickly dissipated when informed that many members of literary websites routinely state their intent to read many books; however, seldom follow through. When asked to explain the reason for this anomaly, he merely responded that there was no logical explanation.

Quarterly sales reports and royalty checks since then have supported his statement. There has been no correlation between declarations of intent to read and actual sales.

[Nicole]

@Jim, that is quite interesting to know. It would probably explain my own very long TBR list which still has books that I added in 2011.

Personally, I have a very long list because my taste in books change every once in a while, which guarantees that there are books that I might have wanted to read a week ago, but now, not anymore.

[Brandon]

Jim I feel I may be guilty of doing just that. I have printed book on my shelf that date back to the 1980's when Reagan was in the White House. I intend to read the books as most people do but before I know it I'm buying more and with it being so easy to purchase e-books on my nook I fear that the problem will only grow.

As far as cutting down the size of your TBR list there are only a few options available. You can delete the book without reading it in full - which is kind of a waste IMO - you can lend the book out to your friends and let them read it and use their reviews to make an informed decision on whether or not you'll read the book or you'll have to make the commitment to reading the books on your list and cut back your visits to your favorite digital book store. I'm currently trying to honor this commitment myself but it's not easy especially when dealing with both a large collection of print and e-books.

The bigger question in all this might be when does the purchasing of books stop being a collection and than become a habit finally an addiction. I fear I'm getting ever closer to addictive behavior with my collection.

[Nicole]

Ah, there is a specific word for that behavior, although the word does not necessarily imply an addiction. It's Japanese though: 積ん読. Read as "tsundoku." "It is the act of leaving a book unread after buying it, typically piled up together with other such unread books." (en.wiktionary.org/wiki/積ん読)

And I am afraid that I might also be guilty of having that addiction.

[Alice]

Brandon you are the kind of person Jim would be happy with. Buying supports the author and you may get around to reading it, or lending it out at some point. It's the people who put you on the TBR list and never purchase that are disappointing to us authors.

I use my TBR list as a wish list and then buy in spurts. And when I purchase from Amazon I often add to my wishlist from the also-bought recommendations

[Terence]

Hi Kim
I didn't cut down my list; I just bought them. They sit there on my bookshelves, gathering dust and cobwebs. Sometimes I pick one up and have a read, but there's always something else to do. Eventually I'll have to part with them. :-(