Play Book Tag discussion
Footnotes 2017-2018
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TBR Anonyomous (sort of) - what can one do to stop adding books to tbr?
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Karin...Ellen and I work together at the same library. We have an “adding to our TBR” issue. In fact we may encourage each other. There is no way around it. We work at the best place possible....and we see all the new stuff first. Ellen literally handles each new book that comes in. I actually have 4 new release books waiting for me....they still need cataloged and processed.
So i am no help.....😁
I only add books to the tbr that I own, but I have a huge TBR, so I am of no help.
Sorry, I'm in the same boat! If I want to be sure not to forget about a book I thought sounds good, I put it on my TBR but it just happens too much. I'vd tried to be more selective but it doesn't work!
I say embrace it(I do. So many good book)
Shrink my TBR? My grandchildren will be struggling to finish that list!
470 on mine at present. I think I have a problem.
I stopped counting long long ago. I also stopped obsessing about reading every book on my TBR, and just read what I feel like reading. It's very freeing!
Perhaps the very term TBR is an unhelpful way to look at it? If I view it as a ‘to do’ list - which TBR implies - I panic about how many I have on it. If I look at it instead as a smorgasbord of possibilities that I can choose from if I wish - books that I own and/or that people whose opinion I value have recommended to me - then it’s a useful tool to help me think about what I might like to read next...
I have 2 shelves on Goodreads - the 'Want to Read' one and a specific shelf for 'To Get'. The Want to Read list consists of books that I own and need to read, whereas the To Get shelf has books that I'd like to read at some point but don't actually own at the moment!
Maybe just change the name to something less daunting - a lost called “sounds interesting” is much less committing than “to be read”
I agree - there are things that are on my TBR - just hanging out in case they would ever be useful for a future tag. My shortlist (long) is a whole different story.And this is how I ended up using Queen of the Tearling for dystopia - and you know what? Its not so bad. Dare I admit I'm enjoying it?
I like the smorgasbord of possibilities :-)I make a distinction between want to read (I own) and wishlist (sounds intriguing but have managed - barely? - not to buy yet)
I use several different shelves to prioritize my to-reads, also.And I've learned to be much more discriminating abou adding random recommendations, too... but that takes a lot of effort and may not be worth it if you have a 'sounds interesting maybe' shelf.
I do not worry about my digital TBR. It doesn't take up any space or require dusting. I tag books that I put there so I can search my shelves later when I need something for a challenge or just to fit a mood. The problem is that I spend as much time scanning lists and recommendations for future possible books to read as I spend actually reading them.
Barbara wrote: "Sorry, I'm in the same boat! If I want to be sure not to forget about a book I thought sounds good, I put it on my TBR but it just happens too much. I'vd tried to be more selective but it doesn't w..."This is kind of my thinking, though there have been times where I've really tried to restrict myself! I still have over 600 books on my (online) tbr. Some of those include what I own, but there are a few I own not listed there. I also have many saved in email that are not listed there.
KateNZ wrote: "Perhaps the very term TBR is an unhelpful way to look at it? If I view it as a ‘to do’ list - which TBR implies - I panic about how many I have on it. If I look at it instead as a smorgasbord of po..."This is how I view it
Susie wrote: "470 on mine at present. I think I have a problem."I have only 215 on my want to read shelf, but then there are the ones I took off and saved elsewhere when I prepared it for a pbt game, so it's significantly higher.
Thanks. I try to be discriminating and do sometimes remove books I have changed my mind about. I do realize I could have added 2-3 times as many.Yes, perhaps Want to Read is better. I click that, but am still calling it my tbr. I should just say wtr, although when I see wtr I think "water".
Joni wrote: "Karin...Ellen and I work together at the same library. We have an “adding to our TBR” issue. In fact we may encourage each other. There is no way around it. We work at the best place possible....an..."My son Volunteered at our local library as part of a merit badge requirement for boy scouts and I had to help clean the books as he was old enough to do it by himself. I can't tell how many books I added to my TBR.
Barbara wrote: "Sorry, I'm in the same boat! If I want to be sure not to forget about a book I thought sounds good, I put it on my TBR but it just happens too much. I'vd tried to be more selective but it doesn't w..."I also add books to my TBR so that I don't forget them and it continues to grow,
I think I've mentioned this before, I try and keep my TBR contained to the number of books I've read (on Goodreads). So the more books I've read, the more TBR books I "allow" myself to have. Rewarding reading with more reading, lol. Of course this doesn't always pan out and work (right now my "read" is 347, and TBR is 486)- but hey, it's a thought.Also, I try and "purge the TBR" about once a year.
Joi wrote: "I think I've mentioned this before, I try and keep my TBR contained to the number of books I've read (on Goodreads). So the more books I've read, the more TBR books I "allow" myself to have. Reward..."My read number is much larger because I'll add almost any book I remember reading, not just books I've read since joining online book groups. Of course, I have forgotten hundreds of books if not triple digits as I was a very prolific reader when young. I've even had a few times when I thought I was reading a book for the first time only to realize I read it as a teen or child but had forgotten the title, etc.
Joi - I’m the same! It would be impossible for me to live with myself if the number of want to read outshone the read category, so I am mindful of that. I like everyone else has trouble figuring out just how to trim the thing. Meaning, like there are some books on there that I have reserved just in case we have a tag that it would fit. That I would have something on the occasion that something difficult came up. Then I probably wouldn’t have necessarily chosen it but I’d want to read it if it fits. Hard sometimes to know what to do with those. And then I try periodically to make sure that I’m really looking at books that don’t have a 3.5 rating or higher. There still a few bucks in my TBR that fit that description- but there’s a reason why I’ve kept them. Like I like the author or the subject matter. And something about it still trust me. Lately, I’ve been culling for under 3.6 or 3.7. Then there are some other weird categories that are up there for reasons I can’t explain. A whole bunch of Tudor/Plantagenet court royal stuff that is like another 20-30 books. Right now I am at about 460 for TBR, and maybe just over 600 for Read. I keep hoping that every month since I’m reading so many books on this list that it actually drops a little. But it doesn’t seem to drop faster than I can read. But I actually do have a goal to get it down to 450 by the end of the year. Which of course is hard to do with him when one keeps adding. Isn’t it hard to get pickier about what to add?
As Joni mentioned in an earlier post, working at a library wreaks havoc with a TBR. I listen to the "What Should I Read Next" podcast and that adds a significant number of books as well. I did some spring cleaning on the TBR a few months ago and purged about 85 books. Some had been on there for 7 or 8 years and I figured if I hadn't read them yet, I probably wouldn't. I also got rid of anything that was book #1. The last thing I need is to start another series! That being said, I still have over 200 books on that teetering pile.
I usually take a picture of it. In that case you record down the book without adding it.
This topic has gave a whole new way to look at things. I not familiar with all the different lingo I was using "want to read" as the same as "TBR" I will not have to take a closer look at my list of books that are "unread"
I think I am going to try to reduce my "want-to-read" shelf to 100 like Laura from Bookriot, but I think that is definitely a number that can be tweaked reader to reader. I think a minimalist "want-to-read" shelf will help facilitate my reading goals and keep the shelf more current as my tastes change.
Amy, that's a great idea to purge looking at rating- I'd never thought of that before. Shave 61 books off the TBR today! Most of them were psychological thrillers with a rating less than 3.5.
Atta Girl! Now the big question is have you chosen which books to take with you on your honeymoon?
Meli wrote: "This Bookriot writer heard your (our) call! https://bookriot.com/2018/07/19/goodr..."
Thanks, I'll think about this. It's a great idea, but time consuming. Also, every time I vote for pbt I check to see if there are books on the shelves we are voting for already on my tbr. Perhaps one day I'll devote time to culling my list to 100, or some number I choose.
Amy wrote: "Atta Girl! Now the big question is have you chosen which books to take with you on your honeymoon?"Haha, I'm kind of sad I read The Woman in Cabin 10 because that would have been perfect. I'll be stacking the nook with a bunch of choices! The cruiseship will have a library too.... who knows what I'll find there!!
Thinking romantic - how about Next year in Havana?
I have a shortlist which I made as an exclusive shelf on Goodreads which I keep to less than 100 books. Those are books I actually plan on reading soon. My Want To Read is more of a hopeful wishlist than an actual plan to read. I take books off my Want To Read to put on the shortlist.
I'll probably try and find some with "cruise themes" or based on the places we're going. I love reading books based on places we're traveling to. I've added Next Year in Havana to my TBR. Lol. Adding books to the TBR on the thread that is literally how we're trying to shrink our TBRS.
I liked Denzian's (and it sounds like AJ's) "shortlist" idea. I don't think that far ahead in terms of books though, I prefer picking and choosing based on what I'm in the mood for.
I think it was me! I have the short list. The very long shortlist on my phone. It keeps changing with monthly tags and challenges, and with what’s in from the library. But its easy to organize. It’s in my notes file. Eventually I get to what feels important to get to sooner than later.
Joi wrote: "I'll probably try and find some with "cruise themes" or based on the places we're going. I love reading books based on places we're traveling to. I've added Next Year in Havana to my TBR. Lol. Ad..."
That sounds like a great idea--reading books set or based where you're going. Enjoy!
AJ wrote: "I have a shortlist which I made as an exclusive shelf on Goodreads which I keep to less than 100 books. Those are books I actually plan on reading soon. My Want To Read is more of a hopeful wishlis..."That's a great idea. I need to mull this over.
I started trying to purge the TBR yesterday and I didn't realize all the editing options for shelves, particularly increasing the exclusive shelves. So I messed around with that and screwed up some stuff, but I learned something new so it ain't all bad. I am no under 100, but there were a bunch of books on there I had already read as well as stuff I added back in 2011 that are not a priority right now.
What do you guys use as your exclusive shelves? Just the default, or modified?
I added a "love" shelf but thinking about some other options.
I have knocked 48 books off of my want to read shelf. Some are books I have read, a few books I have discarded and some I put for reading groups that I chose not to read and other reasons. I didn't go through it with a fine toothed comb as I am still mulling over making a dedicated shelf to books I plan to read or an a official tbr or something.
I don't keep my TBR on goodreads. Instead I have a series of Excel spreadsheets ... including a "top 100 Priority" list that I update each year. I have separate lists for Fiction / Mysteries / Biography / Nonfiction. I also have a separate spreadsheet for Series books (in order), and for "favorite authors" (books listed in publication order by author)I have thousands of books on these lists, but I do purge once a year. About once a month I go through the spreadsheets and make sure I've taken off anything I've already read.
KateNZ wrote: "Perhaps the very term TBR is an unhelpful way to look at it? If I view it as a ‘to do’ list - which TBR implies - I panic about how many I have on it. If I look at it instead as a smorgasbord of po..."Lol, I'm with Kate. I know it is called a TBR, but honestly that is a singularly unhelpful perspective. I really view it as "books of potential interest to me". From there, I actually formulate a true tbr on a monthly basis based on the books I really want to read that month. That list is short - 4 to 6.
LOL Have to coin a new acronym, Anita - BOPITM, I like that. Exactly how I view my TBR, only I don't do a monthly "true" TBR like you do.
annapi wrote: "LOL Have to coin a new acronym, Anita - BOPITM, I like that. Exactly how I view my TBR, only I don't do a monthly "true" TBR like you do."Ha ha ha, maybe we can shorten it to BOPI. That's a little catchier. Now I want to re-label my "want to read" shelf to that.
Anita wrote: "KateNZ wrote: "Perhaps the very term TBR is an unhelpful way to look at it? If I view it as a ‘to do’ list - which TBR implies - I panic about how many I have on it. If I look at it instead as a sm..."Yeah, I guess that would be more accurate to what my "want to read" shelf is too. But I don't usually decide what to read until right after I finish a book. I have an idea what I want to read, but I don't really keep a TBR because I change my mind too much.
With the flexibility of changing those threads, I may have to consider operating outside of the default labels. (which I really just discovered I could do last week :)
I have an own-TBR exclusive shelf which I have all my books I own but haven’t read......it’s quite large.I use the GR want to read shelf for things that I find interesting. The good things that it will show me that as a button for when looking through lists or shelves (it also show if it’s on my own-TBR shelf). It also alerts for giveaways. Also, if there is a books sale and I look back to GR, I’ll know that I was interested in the book. It doesn’t bother me how long it is, but I do cull it from time to time.
I don't want to add more than one a month. See what this group leads to??? (many of them added from books people here have read or added).