How large is your TBR list? Does it have a mind of its own?

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

See - you are even more controlled than me! I don't own any of my TBR shelf - they are all books I might read one day.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I'm like Sally - I very high percentage on my TBR are owned, both paper and ebook. The ones I have on wish list probably add to about 60 or so, in over 800:)

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

You are a compulsive collectorholic :)

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Or a bookaholic maybe...........

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

And where do you keep them all?

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Definitely a bookaholic Phrynne! ;)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Phrynne wrote: "And where do you keep them all?"

Well....there is the spare bedroom, another bedroom, the dining room...and the kindle! Plus the few (on the floor by the bed, on the coffee table beside me right now)... lol

[Liam || Books 'n Beards]

I don't think counting the books I own that I haven't read would be a very uplifting experience.

[B the BookAddict]

Brenda wrote: "Phrynne wrote: "And where do you keep them all?"

Well....there is the spare bedroom, another bedroom, the dining room...and the kindle! Plus the few (on the floor by the bed, on the coffee table b..."

a bugger to dust, aren't they:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Bette Bookworm wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Phrynne wrote: "And where do you keep them all?"

Well....there is the spare bedroom, another bedroom, the dining room...and the kindle! Plus the few (on the floor by the bed, on the..."

You're not wrong there!

[Diane]

Recently I've given a lot of thought to my TBR list. It is so easy for it to get out of control. Here's my logic. A TBR List is an item where "less is more", meaning the less books you have on your TBR List the more likely it is that you will use the list to find your next precious treasure.

This is how I rationalise my list: I've got a folder on my Kindle titled "Enticing Samples" another folder is titled "Samples to be read". After reading a book sample I move it to my Enticing Samples folder or delete it and from there I list it on my TBR list at GoodReads. When I'm ready to choose a new book I go to my Enticing Samples and choose one and delete those that no longer hold my interest. In turn I go to GoodReads and ensure the only books in my to-read list match my Enticing Samples. This way my TBR list can be periodically revised and contain books I really really intend to read.

This process may sound a bit time consuming, I enjoy each step because it gives me a reason to revisit my list and refine it. I'm seeking the WOW factor and when it hits the spot the BUY NOW button is clicked with pleasurable anticipation. Life is too short to waste time on books that don't "do it" for you. This process can help reduced the "book abandoned" syndrome.

[Kathryn]

You sound very organised, Diane!! Isn't it interesting how we use our TBR lists differently?! Mine's sitting around 300 at the moment, and that's fine with me (kind of). I'd like it to be a little smaller, but then it might make it hard to choose books for challenges from it, if it was too restricted. I think I'd feel overwhelmed if it was too big, and yet some people seem quite happy to have thousands on their TBR list!

I don't have many abandoned books because I'm mostly happy to plough on in the hope it will improve (sometimes justified, sometimes not), so I do have a few 1- and 2-star reads (but generally significantly less 1- and 2-stars combined than my combined 3-, 4- and 5-star reads).

[Diane]

Kathryn wrote: "You sound very organised, Diane!! Isn't it interesting how we use our TBR lists differently?! Mine's sitting around 300 at the moment, and that's fine with me (kind of). I'd like it to be a little ..."

Hi Kathryn, I just had a browse through your TBR list and I can see it's filled with many books that I'd enjoy. There were at least 10 that I've read. Your list was so good I decided to look for one on your TBR list that I hadn't read and I've chosen The Currency Lads.

[Kathryn]

Diane wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "You sound very organised, Diane!! Isn't it interesting how we use our TBR lists differently?! Mine's sitting around 300 at the moment, and that's fine with me (kind of). I'd like it..."

Hope you enjoy it when you get to it, Diane! I added it on someone in the Aussie Reader's Group''s recommendation - maybe Julie's. I don't think I'll manage it this year... Maybe next year!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I just managed to do a (small) cull to my TBR again - got it from 835 to 796!! Seeing as how I own most of those, I'd better get reading!

[Lynxie]

I managed to cull the beast by 253. Down from 1650 to 1397!

I think it's the first time my TBR list has been below 1500 in quite some time - going back through the posts in this topic, it was 2yrs and 1 month ago that I mentioned my TBR list was over 1500 - Here's hoping I can keep it under wraps a bit more. Wish me luck :D

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Wow that's a great cull Lynxie! Well done! I have the problem that a lot of the kindle books I own I'll probably never read (got them for free in the fit of excitement when the kindle was new!) but I can't delete them BECAUSE I own them!

[Lynxie]

Yes, I know that pain too Brenda! I, thankfully, only dropped the ones that I'd put on my list in a fit of excitement when seeing them. So I hadn't gone out to buy them yet!

The only new books going on my list will be from authors of books in a series I have already started OR from authors who request I review their work through GR, my blog or twitter.

That should keep the amount down to a managable amount - I hope!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Good luck with that;) The ARCs are exciting to get aren't they, but they certainly add to the TBR!!

[Kathryn]

Brenda wrote: "I just managed to do a (small) cull to my TBR again - got it from 835 to 796!! Seeing as how I own most of those, I'd better get reading!"

Hey Brenda, how long is it since you did a check for duplicates on your shelves? Because I see you've still got that renamed book The Untold on your shelves - and if you've got many doubles you could reduce your TBR quite painlessly!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

How do you do that easily Kathryn? And thank you! I was so busy letting everyone else know about that double up, I forgot to take it off my list!!

[Kathryn]

:D

Click on "my books". And on the left hand side, under all your shelves, "add shelf", "owned books" is tools - in the list under is find duplicates - if you click on this it will bring up any books you have doubled up on your shelf and then you can choose to remove one of the copies. Does that make sense?

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Kathryn wrote: ":D

Click on "my books". And on the left hand side, under all your shelves, "add shelf", "owned books" is tools - in the list under is find duplicates - if you click on this it will bring up any b..."

Thanks so much Kathryn! I had 9 duplicates, but most of them are books I have 2 copies of, so I couldn't delete them...

I had no idea about that - we learn something new every day;)

[Kathryn]

Michael wrote: "I think that tip deserves to go in the basic how do you do that thread. Cheers Kathryn. :)"

No worries, Michael. But I just had a look in the Comprehensive How to Use Goodreads + Tip of the Day thread and it is mentioned in there by the other Michael - comment 360: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..., and Brenda, you look like you fixed up your duplicates then!!

Shame it didn't help so much this time, but worth a shot!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Kathryn wrote: "Michael wrote: "I think that tip deserves to go in the basic how do you do that thread. Cheers Kathryn. :)"

No worries, Michael. But I just had a look in the Comprehensive How to Use Goodreads + T..."

Haha! Totally forgotten about that Kathryn! Almost 2 years ago!!! Thanks:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Kathryn wrote: "Michael wrote: "I think that tip deserves to go in the basic how do you do that thread. Cheers Kathryn. :)"

No worries, Michael. But I just had a look in the Comprehensive How to Use Goodreads + T..."

I added it to the BASIC How to thread as it's a closed thread and saves you scrolling through the lengthy other one to find something:) Many thanks Kathryn!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[B the BookAddict]

My tbr is 625; I've done a cull recently of 90 odd. I've started to avoid going into the GR recs and will try to add only if recommended by GR friends. Hopeful...

[Michelle]

Brenda wrote: "Wow that's a great cull Lynxie! Well done! I have the problem that a lot of the kindle books I own I'll probably never read (got them for free in the fit of excitement when the kindle was new!) but..."

That's exactly how I am! I have so many books on my kindle that I got for free but will most likely never, ever read but I just can't get myself to delete them from my kindle and TBR because that just seems so wrong!

[Shane]

This is my TBR pile - My unread books collection...
I made a wall feature of them today :)

[Shane]

For scale... the height on the left is at my eye level. I'm 6'1"

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Holy moly Shane!!!!! I hope you don't want to read any near the bottom any time soon!

I think you should definitely stop buying books too!!! O_o!!!

[Shane]

Well... That is the hard part. It's kinda an addiction. Look at it this way... It's a long time's worth of entertainment already paid for, and every time I want to start a new book, I've got a good range to choose from.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Yes that's the way I look at it too;) It is definitely an addiction!!

[Shane]

There's are worse addictions one could be controlled by. lol

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I'm always telling my husband that!

[Marina]

Awesome wall feature, Shane! My TBR pile is a similar size. I'm a much faster buyer than a reader! But you're right, there are much worse addictions ...

[Sally906]

So what do you do if the book your heart ones is at the bottom of the middle pile!

[Marina]

Sally906 wrote: "So what do you do if the book your heart ones is at the bottom of the middle pile!"

Start excavating ...

[Shane]

Yes Marina, they van add up real quick when you frequent book fairs and 2nd hand stores... better value. but there's quite a few full price in there too. Like to support those stores. It'll be a sad day if they were ever extinct

[Shane]

Sally... haha. I haven't gotten that far yet. Hopefully there's enough in the top half for a while.

[Mell]

I have to say that's the good tging about reading ebooks! They don't take up any space in my tiny house lol. My husband would kill me if I had a physical TBR I think!

[Marianne]

Shane wrote: "There's are worse addictions one could be controlled by. lol"

This is my argument too. I think if I piled them up mine would look like this. But hubby's motorbikes and cars take up a lot more room, have mechanical faults that need fixing and are the cause of some colourful language, and I reckon I get at least as much pleasure out of my addiction as he does out of his.....
I do find it very hard to resist looking in the charity shops, even when I probably have more books than I can read if I were to retire today.

[B the BookAddict]

Shane wrote: "This is my TBR pile - My unread books collection...
I made a wall feature of them today :)

"

That is some seriously big book sculpture you have there, Shane. Hope you never bump into them by accident and the whole lot come careening down!

[Carolyn]

Shane wrote: "This is my TBR pile - My unread books collection...
I made a wall feature of them today :)

"

I love it Shane!! I'm going to show my hubby as it's much bigger than my tbr stash (which he thinks is excessive)!!

Maybe you could make them into an art installation by colour grouping the books or making them into a sculpture ;)

[Liam || Books 'n Beards]

Mine's back up to 748.

I had it so under control

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Mine is still under 800 (it was over 1000 before) - it's 799!! lol

[[deleted user]]

I just did a count of my physical books -I have 166 unread on my bookcases plus another 33 unread ebooks - count doesn't include review copies

[Lynxie]

So two months has seen my TBR list grow slightly...

From 1397 to 1408. I don't think that's too bad for 2 months work... hehe.

[June]

My TBR list is one of the best things that ever happened in my life. I started reading more books and now I feel as if my school library is my second home. I would say that my TBR list is pretty small compared to some peoples, but it is slowly growing.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Ally wrote: "My TBR list is one of the best things that ever happened in my life. I started reading more books and now I feel as if my school library is my second home. I would say that my TBR list is pretty sm..."

I notice you are a new member Ally, welcome to the group! You might like to introduce yourself here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... so you can meet some others:)