Discussing My TBR – A Relaxed Talk & Assessment of What I Should Be Reading (and when)

They go hand in hand, being a reader and having a humongous TBR. I try not to let myself stress out by thinking about all the books I need to read, but recently I compiled a list of every book I own. If you don’t know, my boyfriend is Australian. This means that inevitably in the future, I’ll be spending a significant amount of time over there. Probably without my books. To offset that, I needed a list. A list which made sure I wouldn’t make repeat purchases by buying books I already have.

“Surely that would be easy? Don’t you know what you own?”

For the huge majority, yes! Indeed, I do. I know that I’ve got everything Leigh Bardugo has ever published, and I know that I’ve got several sets of the Harry Potter books. What I don’t know, and what I won’t remember, is the hundreds of standalone that I’ve read once, loved, and can’t convince myself to get rid of. I’ve got four Billy bookcases that are stacked to the brim, and 3 months into my Australia voyage – I will barely remember my own name, let alone the hundreds of books I already own that aren’t big name authors or ones that I’ve read a thousand times.

My solution? The list.

It’s one I’m keeping on top of, adding new purchases to – documenting and changing books when they go from NOT READ to YAY I FINALLY READ IT! And creating this list made me realise how much I own that I haven’t even read yet. Out of 600 books, almost 100 of them are unread. Which, in my opinion, isn’t the worst ratio in the world. That means for every 5 books I have read, there’s one that I haven’t – and I can cope with that. Especially when I read about 100 books a year, if I truly burrow down and focus on my TBR by ignoring all the new shiny books that are publishing, I could get through them all pretty quickly.

But of course, I have no self control, and there’s absolutely no way I’ll be doing that. I mean, come onnnn there are so many good books publishing this coming year and I do not plan to ignore them all. Maybe I’ll try be a bit more picky, but I’m not sure it’ll work out for me. I LIKE NEW BOOKS AND I CANNOT LIE.

So instead, I’ve compromised.

I’ve compiled a list of books that I definitely would love to get to relatively soon, perhaps in the next few months. Check my reading wrap ups later to find out if I’ve stuck to this, but here it goes.

My TBR, in two parts.

PART 1: URGENT READS THAT I DESPERATELY NEED TO GET TO

I’m a reviewer, and by being a reviewer I get review copies. Those review copies pile up until I feel like I’m going to choke on them, and I hope making this list will make them seem more manageable. It’ll mean that I’m able to cope. For some bizzare reason, I always get demotivated by having books I HAVE to read. Probably because I’m such a mood reader and I like to be able to pick up what I fancy. So I figure, if I make a big enough list of ‘urgent reads’ then I’ll be able to have my pick, make a selection from a list – and I won’t feel so much like I’m only picking up a book because I have to, and not because I actually want to.

Books 1 & 2: To Best The Boys and The Antidote (sent for review by Harper360YA)

These two look absolutely gorgeous and I just need to convince myself to pick them up. I owe Harper360YA for believing in me when I don’t even believe in myself, and sending me review copies even when I always feel like my reviews are sh*t. They must have some faith in me, and I have complete faith in them. If Shrina said she loved these books, I will too – I just need to pick them up! (COME ON LYDIA, PICK THEM UP!).

Books 3 & 4: Sky in the Deep and Dread Nation (sent for review by Titan books)

I keep telling myself I have loads of time for these two, seeing as Sky in the Deep has an early spring release date buT OH MY GOSH IT’S ALMOST MARCH AND OH I’M SO BEHIND. Sky isn’t the sort of book I usually read, but it’s one that I’ve always wanted to read despite the fact. Everyone I know who has read it LOVED IT, and that’ll mean I will too, right? Right? As for Dread Nation, I got sent a gorgeous finished copy that has shiny foiling and is an own voices paranormal – something that I’m drooling for. All I need to do is (you know where this is going) actually pick it up.

Books 5 & 6: Enchantee and The Ruin of Kings (sent for review from Pan Macmillan & their YA imprint, My Kinda Books)

I don’t have a photo yet of Ruin, as I received it just before sitting down to write this post – but all in all, I need to read then. Enchantee is already released and is just sitting there staring at me. STARING. I did start to read it, but then I got sidetracked by all the other things I have to read. Mainly because I agreed to read it as a buddy read, so we both picked it up – and then things happened, life got in the way (no surprise there), and we never continued on. Meaning I’ve been stuck at page 100 for a month now and it’s been sat on a shelf next to my bed, but this morning I finally moved it back to its rightful place on the bookshelf. I haven’t picked it up in 30 days, so I put it where it’ll stare at me. Forever.

Actually, hopefully not forever as I do plan to read it. I promise. PLEASE STOP LOOKING AT ME.

Books 7 (and also 8, 9 & 10): Courting Darkness (sent for review by Anderson Press and my love, Layla)

As the final book on part 1 of my list, this is where things get tricky. Courting Darkness is the fourth book in a series I adore, but I always do rereads when a new book comes out – and I just haven’t found the time to reread the first 3 books. Not only am I dedicating myself to read Courting Darkness when I finally want to pick it up, but the other 3 as well. Which puts a lot of pressure on me (which I volunteered for, as I requested it), bUT I JUST CAN’T HANDLE IT.

Part 2: Shiny books that I don’t need to read but I really want to and I won’t be able to concentrate on my review copies until I’ve read these ones because I have no self control and I need help

The title above is as accurate as I can make it. I’ll be honest, I keep getting sidetracked and I hate myself. I just have sO MANY books I want to read, and here are just a few of the ones I want to read the most, and a few reasons why:

1. The Gilded Wolves – SHINY. HEIST. ROSHANI. I LOVE.

2. East – ADORABLE COVER?? CHRISTMAS GIFT. ADORABLE COVER!

3. Trail of Lightning – HYPED. GREAT REVIEWS. ELEMENTAL POWERS! OWN VOICES!

4. Ship of Smoke and Steel – GORGEOUS COVER. I HAVE 2 COPIES? KICK ASS FEMALE CHARACTERS!

5. Paper Princess – BEEN ON MY TBR FOR SO LONG. SOUNDS ADORABLE!

6. Alchemists of Loom – ELISE KOVA!! STEAMPUNK! THAT COVER!!!

7. Nevernight – EVERYONE ELSE WANTS ME TO READ THIS ONE? I HAVE THE SPECIAL EDITION AND I NEED TO DECIDE WHETHER I ACTUALLY LIKE THE BOOK OR IF I CAN FIND A JAY KRISTOFF FAN WHO WOULD APPRECIATE IT MORE!

I also have a bunch of 2019 ARCs I got from trades that I desperately want to read, but I’ll be making a whole other post about those, so just imagine 20+ books added onto the end of this pile, and now you can picture why I’m so indecisive when it comes to choosing the books I want to read and finding the motivation to do so.

I just keep telling myself, even if I end up reading “the wrong things”, at least I’m reading.