I manage my TBR…

With lots of lists!

I’m a library patron first, then buy my favorites to reread in future. I also purchase anticipated new releases by a few auto-buy authors.

I’m a mood reader, but also a planner. It’s a strange mix! Being a mood reader can make me anxious that I’ll get behind on commitments and miss publication dates for my ARCs, or take too long (whatever that means to me) to read a gifted book from an author. So I have lots of lists to balance my TBR (to be read) pile and keep me on track. And yes, I will edit the list on a whim when I have to read this book now!

I’ve used Goodreads for several years but I have 625+ books on that want to read list. To tackle that monster, I made two additional shelves on Goodreads this past year. Since the bulk of my want to read list is SFF, I now have mystery TBR and nonfiction TBR shelves so I can balance genres. I then created a note in my phone with about 30 books to grab from the library during the next few months. This is especially helpful so that I continue the various series I have started before starting new ones.

I have an excel spreadsheet that started as a log for my bookstagram posts and has become a proactive reading planner. I still use it to keep track of upcoming book reviews to post and the bookish challenges I have been tagged in so I can spend a day a week finding books and snapping photos. Recently, I started listing out the books I used in those challenges to keep me accountable—so I actually read them someday soon—and then eventually I get to post a “challenge done” photo, which gives me a sense of accomplishment. I also make sure ARCs and author gifts are in queue with their received date and publication date so I read them “on time” despite my bookish moodiness.

A few physical books that I purchased or were gifts from friends might not be marked on Goodreads but since they are literally sitting there in my living room staring at me, I tend to read them fairly quickly. Recently, I noticed mood decisions had left the same few books in the pile, so I used them in a bookstagram challenge and they are now officially in queue. I tricked myself!

Most of my ebook library isn’t logged into Goodreads either until I start reading the book and either shelve it as DNF (did not finish it) or shelve it by genre after I finish and review it. I’m a sucker for free or 99cent ebook deals. I’ve discovered some great indie authors this way—and will quit early without remorse if the story is not for me. But after I buy the ebooks, I forget about most of them—and that was frustrating me last year whenever I would open my kindle library and see so many books. This winter, I logged all my ebooks into the spreadsheet with buy dates so I can read some of the oldest ones first and catch up a bit. I might not read them for months yet, but the fact that they are on the list makes me content to wait. Again, I am tricking myself into moving steadily through my TBR!

This crazy multi-colored excel list balances my reading life and makes me happy. Every so often the list reminds me to grab old ebooks or request new ARCs from NetGalley or BookSirens. With this list, I won’t lose track of current ARCs or author gifts, and I leave space to get a new book haul from the library every month. Balance feels amazing.

So what did I read during the first four months of 2023? 66/160 books of my Goodreads 2023 Challenge. Here’s a breakdown…

Genres:

• 45 SFF
• 9 Mystery/crime/thriller
• 8 Nonfiction/Memoir
• 1 Middle Grade Horror
• 1 Paranormal Romance
• 2 YA fiction

Formats:

• 30 Physical books
• 29 eBooks
• 7 Audiobooks

Length:

• 55 Novels
• 6 Novellas
• 1 Novella Collection
• 2 Short Stories
• 2 Short Story Collections

Special sources:

• 6 NetGalley
• 5 Author/PR/Publisher Direct Gifts
• 2 BookSirens
• 2 BookishFirst
• 1 Goodreads giveaway