Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

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Let's Talk About: Your Books > One down, X more to go.

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message 1: by Shadow Jubilee (new)

Shadow Jubilee (uhqs) I know that there is a TBR Challenge but is there a thread where you can gleefully post your progress in trimming your TBR pile to a manageable...number?

Is there a book that you think has been on your TBR list too long? Something you've been meaning to read and finally got around to? Maybe you see a significant decrease in the number of books in your TBR shelf? Why not share your progress?


message 2: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer (jhaltenburger) Is there really anyone out there whose TBR is actually shrinking?


message 3: by Shay (new)

Shay | 923 comments I don't think my TBR pile has gone down. It's now at 302 in terms of books in the GR shelf. I know that I had over 2,000 books, real and virtual, at the start of the challenge. I think I've since acquired more than I've read.


whimsicalmeerkat I don't believe it's possible for a TBR to get smaller.


message 5: by Shay (new)

Shay | 923 comments Denae wrote: "I don't believe it's possible for a TBR to get smaller."

I don't either. Especially your GR shelf. I can't stop adding books that catch my interest. I'm trying to manage at least the books I buy- I try to read a book I own for every book I buy or download. But, I'm really failing in that because there are so many public domain books that I end up downloading. I mean they're free, so when I go to Gutenberg I figure why not download all the books by that author all at once. So, I go for one book and end up with 5 or 10. Also, my library has been putting out virtually perfect, almost new books for 25 cents. I have to buy them or I feel like I'm losing money- I'll just buy them at full price or at a used bookstore for 1/2 the cover. So, it's like I'm saving money by buying them- I've gotten about 20 books the past month and a half and spent $5. Not even the cost of a new paperback book, right.


message 6: by Gayle (new)

Gayle (gretarahikkainen) | 125 comments I know my TBR shelves never diminish. Every time I think I'm going to make a dent in it, I find more books to add. Seems lately that for every 1 book I take off and read, I add 2 to replace it!


message 7: by Shadow Jubilee (new)

Shadow Jubilee (uhqs) lol. This thread is basically to post a book you took off from the TBR pile just so you can feel a sense of, err, accomplishment? haha.

My own list isn't getting any smaller. I have the to-read shelf and the own-but-not-read shelf and the to-check-out shelf. The first two are those I am resolved to read, and between the two, I have over 700 books (some aren't listed). I keep adding freebies to the own-but-not-read shelf so it definitely isn't getting any smaller!


message 8: by Sashana (new)

Sashana Jennifer wrote: "Is there really anyone out there whose TBR is actually shrinking?"

My shelf has gotten smaller. I've been making an effort to make it more manageable by actually reading the books on my TBR. I also deleted books that I no longer want to read. I feel like why add books if you're not going to read them? I'm trying to read them all but I know it will be a long long process.


message 9: by Rachel (new)

Rachel (treychel) | 1484 comments I rarely read books on my TBR pile mainly because I forget about it! Sometimes the only way I remember that it is there is when I go to do my review or add it to the "currently reading" tab.


message 10: by Sashana (new)

Sashana Rachel, I created a 'Books on Deck' folder recently. I got the idea from book bloggers because they usually have this shelf or a 'in my mailbox' shelf. I moved a few books from my TBR to my books on decks and it makes everything a bit more manageable. Hopefully it will pay off over time.


message 11: by Shay (new)

Shay | 923 comments http://www.random.org/

If you go to that website, look at the upper right hand corner. You can input, the "max" number in the True Random Number Generator as the number of books in your GR TBR list. Then hit the generate button. Match the number it gives you to the book number on your to be read list on your GR shelf. If you don't have that book, hit the generate button until it's a book you own or can acquire quickly. I'm thinking of doing this so I can actually be forced to read from my TBR list.


message 12: by Shay (new)

Shay | 923 comments The first book for me to read from random.org is The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe


message 13: by Sashana (new)

Sashana That's a really cool idea, Shay.


message 14: by Mary X (new)

Mary X (marymaryalwayscontrary) | 5588 comments Mine seems to constantly go up despite my purging books as soon as I read them and the fact that I read a lot.

I am barring myself from getting any books from the library until I make a decent dent in my own TBR. I was trying to get new to me authors and series books that I'm missing from the library instead of buying them somewhere. But it seems like I am only readinb library books now. I made myself a list on PBS (I should make a library shelf here) on books my library has.


message 15: by Mary X (new)

Mary X (marymaryalwayscontrary) | 5588 comments Now if only Borders would stop sending me 33 and 40% off coupons and giving me unearned $5 Border's Bucks.


message 16: by Kristen (new)

Kristen  | 223 comments I do something very similar to random.org, Shay. I have sooo many books that I want to read and I never know what to choose so I just randomize my to-read bookshelf and read whatever is first on the list. Requires some planning since I do this before I go to the library, but saves time because then when I get to the library I don't spend hours searching for books to read.


message 17: by Rachel (new)

Rachel (treychel) | 1484 comments Thanks for the ideas ladies. I will definitely put some of these to use and find out what works for me. My TBR pile actually stresses me out sometimes. Maybe that is why I hardly look at it?


message 18: by Sans (new)

Sans Shay, I was thinking about doing a challenge based around the Random Generator. It sounded like a fun way to read books I might otherwise bypass on my bookshelves.

Rachel, could that maybe be a group challenge?


message 19: by whimsicalmeerkat (new)

whimsicalmeerkat I like that idea.


message 20: by Rachel (new)

Rachel (treychel) | 1484 comments Sans, I would say so. I like the idea too. Sashana mentioned something like it on Sunday. We three just need to talk about it more.


message 21: by Sashana (new)

Sashana Shay and I are working on a challenge like that. I haven't been doing much with it because of school but I'll work more on it this weekend.


message 22: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer Reeves (barefootdokusha) | 0 comments I finished 2 books off my TBR shelf today....and added 14 (?) more! I have made it a bit easier for me though. I have catagorized it for the next 3 years. I'll put my yearly goal in each one, roll-over what I don't finish into the next year. What my library has available makes a considerable difference. A majority of the books I want to read are not available at my library. I have a shelf for what is available at the library so I know when I go in. Most of the time I just put about 10 books on my request list so I don't have to search for them and they can call me when I get a few books in.


message 23: by Sashana (new)

Sashana Jennifer wrote: "I finished 2 books off my TBR shelf today....and added 14 (?) more! I have made it a bit easier for me though. I have catagorized it for the next 3 years. I'll put my yearly goal in each one, roll-..."

Maybe you can come up with a reading:adding ration, Jennifer. For every few books that you read you can come up with a certain number to add. Your TBR timeline sounds really smart though.


message 24: by Sashana (new)

Sashana 95 books read this year, 25 more to go.


message 25: by Sashana (new)

Sashana A freebie shelf sounds like a great idea. Though usually when I get free books I don't read them, I just can't pass up on the opportunity.


message 26: by Shay (new)

Shay | 923 comments I made a "Priority" shelf for my TBR books that I really want to read. Or that I bought because the library wait was too long and I feel I need to finish those books before I could have gotten them from the library. The Priority shelf is my way of forcing me to read off my TBR shelf without having to go through a thousand books. I also have shelves for Challenge Books- I'm going to put books with "hard" letters in there like Q and X.


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Books mentioned in this topic

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (other topics)

Authors mentioned in this topic

Katherine Howe (other topics)