Written by Peta Hardiman
While this topic falls squarely under the banner of #firstworldproblems, have you ever gotten the feeling that your TBR is getting way too big for its britches? Does simply looking in the direction of the unread books on your shelf or the unread books on your Kindle give you anxiety?
I spend way too much time scrolling through book related accounts on Instagram (especially for someone who doesn’t post on her own enough) and noticed a trend forming—readers feeling overwhelmed about what to read next, and how to get through the massive piles staring accusingly at them from across the room.
But fear not my friend! For below there are a short list of things you can do to take some of the stress away from reading!
1. Organise!
Do you have any books sitting on your TBR that you have to read? Maybe you’ve promised a review in exchange for an advance copy, or you have a book you need to read for your work—but these are the ones that you need to get done. Obligation reads can be the hardest to get through, especially if you’re not feeling a particular book—but push through! Once they’re out of the way, you won’t believe how good you’ll feel.
2. Stop Reading
Okay, hear me out: what if your TBR feels out of control because you’re in a reading slump? You’ll pick up a book and put it down before you’ve finished the first chapter, or you discard book after book because literally nothing is catching your eye. And the pressure to just pick a damn book can become a bit overwhelming. So, stop reading. Watch something on Netflix, scroll through your socials, have a conversation with someone, or draw—the list of things you can do in place of reading is endless. Sometimes, you just need a break and give yourself some time, step away from the books, and wait until you feel like reading again.
3. Clear the TBR
This one’s a biggie. And it’s also one of the harder things to do—but organise your TBR! Go through it and actually look at the books on it. Now, take the books that you’re looking forward to reading, and move them to a separate pile. Then look at the books that you don’t really want to read—maybe they’re on there because you feel like you should want to read them. They might be gifts from friends, the books with rave reviews and hype that you’re not quite sure you get, or the classics that you think you should read because you read a lot so shift them into another pile.
Here comes the hard part, take that second pile and move them away from your TBR. Redistribute them back into your normal bookshelves, but take away some of the pressure. Remember you don’t have to read something if you don’t want to. Keep a digital list of the books you redistribute, and that way, when you’re in the mood for something a little different, you can pull that list out and give something a go. The trick here is that you’ve given yourself permission to read what you want to read, and you’ve made the TBR a little easier to look at.
4. Watch Your Kindle
Or any eReader really, basically, watch out for your digital books. I get that not everyone uses a Kindle, but for those of us who do, they can make your TBR massive without you even realising it. You’ll notice a pile of 30 unread books piled on the floor of your bedroom, it’s a lot harder to remember that you have 30 unread books sitting on your Kindle, because they stay the same size no matter how full they get. Whether you keep a list of your digital books, or you just check in with it when you’re looking to start a new read, make sure you don’t forget about the hidden aspect of your TBR!
5. Add Books Mindfully
So, by now I’m sure you’ve worked out that most of these tips revolve around removing expectations and clearing clutter, and this step is no different. Once you’ve re-organised and cleared it out, be mindful about what you add back in, or you’ll lose control of it all over again! This is the part where you ignore Instagram trends, and unless you’ve got obligation reads to add in, only add the books that you really want to read.
That’s it really! At its core, I think that taming your TBR is just about choosing what you want to read and ignoring expectations. And if none of these tips resonate with you, that’s cool too because after all, you can always use that beautiful book pile as a coffee table, a hat rack, or props for the ‘gram.
Great list 😁 I love all your tips.