The lovely Elle of Elle Thinks has tagged me for a TBR meme. It’s been a long time since I have done a meme, so why not? Besides, who doesn’t enjoy talking about their TBR piles?
How do you keep track of your TBR pile?
Now that I got that off my chest.
When I talk about my TBR I am talking about two different forms, the actual pile of books that I have bought and a mass of lists I keep because there is no way on earth that I could ever actually buy all the books I want to read and even if I could, I have nowhere to keep them all. If I have bought the book, I generally catalog it at LibrayThing and then put it on a shelf above my desk. However I have more TBR books than will fit on this shelf so they also live on a large library cart in the basement library as well as on the basement library bookshelves because the cart isn’t big enough either.
When I don’t buy a TBR book, a thing that is becoming the norm, I place the title on a WorldCat list or on a list at my public library. But whether I own the book or put it on a list, once either of those occurs, I tend to forget all about it. So I keep track, but in reality keeping track is only an illusion.
Is your TBR mostly print or e-book?
See above. When it is not an actual print book, it is on a wishlist so neither print nor ebook but only a dream of a book.
How do you determine which books from your TBR to read next?
The library usually decides for me. If I actually get to choose then it is by what mood I am in and that is usually keyed off how busy life is and what else I am reading at the time. So first I think of fiction or nonfiction and then I decide genre and then I think of all the books in that category I’ve been wanting to read and then I narrow it down and pick one. Once I pick one I slap myself in the forehead and yell doh! because throughout this entire process I did not bother to look at my TBR lists or shelves.
A book that has been on my TBR the longest?
Yeah, I have a science fiction book I bought as a teenager, Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany, that I have not read yet. That was over 20 years ago. I still mean to read it!
A book you recently added to your TBR?
The most recent physical book I added is The Ocean, the Bird, and the Scholar: Essays on Poets and Poetry by Helen Vendler. The most recent book I added to a TBR list is Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi.
A book on your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover?
Uh, none at the moment.
A book on your TBR that you never plan on reading?
Every book that goes on my TBR I plan on reading. There are currently more books on my TBR than I can actually read should I live an average human lifetime.
Good thing I am not an average human.
An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for?
The Cabaret of Plants: Forty Thousand Years of Plant Life and the Human Imagination by Richard Mabey.
A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you?
Almost all the books on my TBR were recommended in one way or another and most of those recommendations come from other people’s blogs. I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I am when I read a blog about a book and the book in question does not end up on my TBR!
A book on your TBR that everyone has read but you?
Currently it seems like H is for Hawk by Helen McDonald.
A book on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
Absolutely all of them. But at the moment the one I am anticipating most is Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie. The library has not seen fit to make my turn come round yet. But I am up to number ten in the holds queue which is progress since earlier this week I was number thirteen.
How many books are on your TBR shelf?
Shelf? Try Shelves. There are far too many to count and I will not count them because it would make me feel sad and guilty and those are two things one should never feel in relation to one’s books. In terms of my TBR lists, hundreds.
***
Well that was fun! I won’t tag anyone directly but if you’d like to play along, please do! And link back so I can find you.
Hahahahahahaha … Love your opening answer. Most of your answers are me exactly except I don’t have actual TBR lists. I either have the books on shelves, but those i don’t physically have are in my head. I don’t dare list any more. Last year I was proud of having read about 5 from my shelves, but I’m not sure I’ve managed any this year. I’ll check when I do my yearly round up!
I have 24 TBRs on my Kindle. I have to have had a book for a year for it to be officially TBR.
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I love the way we come up with various rules to make us feel better about all our unread books. You just gave me a way to “pretend” I don’t have as many as I thought I did…
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Haha, Karen, anything to help an addict deny their addiction!
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whisperinggums, so your poor books are in limbo for a year before receiving TBR status? That seems like a special form of torture for your books, allowing them to mill about for months not knowing if they will be read immediately or TBR’d. I’m beginning to think we need to start saying TBRS — To be read someday! 🙂
It seems like once I buy a book, the chances of my actually reading it any time soon drop dramatically so reading five from your shelves in a year is really impressive!
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Haha Stefanie, they are … But they get a special section of the TBR shelves recognising their high status! As far as they know, they are GOING to be read this year … mwahaha!
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You crack me up! 🙂
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Hope you had as much fun writing this as I did in reading it. It brought on a wide grin to brighten an otherwise gloomy day. Now when you say basement library is this in your home or have you managed to squirrel stuff away in a public library somehow?
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BookerTalk, glad you enjoyed it because, yes, I did have fun writing it. I actually have a room in my basement that has nothing in it but bookshelves and books. It is a rather gloomy room and not very large but I presume to call it a library anyway. 🙂
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Glad to hear that someone else has a 20something year old book on their TBR! I have a few of those in the 746 🙂
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Cathy, oh you have dared to count the number of your TBR? You are a brave person! I too am relieved to know there is someone else who has a 20+ years book on their TBR!
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Very interesting answers.
I laughed at – “I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I am when I read a blog about a book and the book in question does not end up on my TBR!”
I also have a tendency to want to read so many books that I hear about.
Sadly there are unread books on my bookshelf that I will likely never read because of changing interests. That seems to be one of the dangers of a big TBR.
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Brian Joseph, thanks! It’s true! I am glad to read about books I don’t end up wanting to read! I am afraid I might have a few of those unread books I might never read because of changing interests as well. It is a danger but one I am willing to take 🙂
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I like your answers. I might just do this meme myself. And guess what, I’m reading H is for Hawk right now!
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Jeane, thanks! I look forward to your own answers 🙂 H is for Hawk! See everyone reading it but me!
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Great answers. I also have TBR shelves. The last time I counted it was an embarrassing number so I no longer count them 🙂
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The mental murmur of TBR is constantly added to, often on impulse. Don’t suppose this is something to be very proud of but it is probably part of the mindset being a reader. I do like it when i do finally read a book that has been on the list for ages – that recently happened with me finally getting around to Sebald’s Austerlitz.
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Ian, yes, I think you are right that a TBR is part of the mindset of being a reader, it’s the ways we keep track of it — or not — that make it so interesting. Austerlitz is on my TBR! I do like Sebald, his books are in a category of their own. Hope you liked it!
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Iliana, thanks! You’ve been brave enough to count? I have never counted, too afraid of what that number might be!
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Love that gif! I don’t dare do this meme, though I am enjoying everyone’s responses and loved yours. You are not alone when it comes to H is for Hawk. I really want to read it, I own it, and I just haven’t got there yet. One day soon!
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litlove, it’s a good one, isn’t it? Yeah, the perpetual phrase of the reader, one day soon! We should all get matching tattoos 🙂
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You know how I ALWAYS follow your lead….so here goes:
https://madcaphat.wordpress.com/2015/11/16/tbring-all-the-way/
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cirtnecce, that was fun!
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Pingback: TBRing All The Way…. | Mockingbirds, Looking Glasses and Prejudices.....
I actually don’t have THAT many books on my physical TBR shelf, because I try to sharply limit my book purchases and be reasonable about which books I keep vs pass along. But my TBR list is infinity long, particularly the nonfiction one.
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Jenny, most of my physical TBR books were added years ago when my dear husband worked at Barnes and Noble. Ah those were glory days!. Since then, the buying has been sharply curtailed and most TBR goes onto the list, which, like yours is infinitely long. And funny you mention the nonfiction, it seems I am very much interested in nonfiction these days and the lists get longer and longer.
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