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10 Tips to Help You Wrestle that Pesky TBR Pile


Help! My TBR pile is going to fall on me and crush me to death!


Okay, so that isn't going to happen because my TBR pile is actually a digital list, but still. Sometimes it feels like my list is going to crush me, that I am never going to get through it. Every time I strike one book from the list I add another two.


For that reason I came up with a plan to get rid of that pesky TBR pile, that threatened to stand there laughing at me at my grave side. I still haven't gotten to the bottom of it, but it seems less menacing now and more like a friend. It is this plan, that I am going to share with you here so that you may also turn your TBR pile from foe to friend.


Ps. If none of these tricks work, consider quitting your job and read TBR books fulltime.


1. Go through your existing pile and - gasp - discard books!

This might rub a lot of bookworms the wrong way, but the single best thing I have ever done for myself (sort of, anyway) was to go through my TBR pile with more critical eyes. If you're anything like me, you have hundreds of books there that you added on a whim. Or books you keep promising yourself that you are going to read even through it's been eight years now and counting. Sometimes we just have to face that even despite all our best intentions, we aren't going to read all books in the world. And we don't have to. So it's okay to remove books from your list. If you haven't read that book from eight years ago, you probably won't have read it eight years from now either.


2. Decide on a maximum number of books for your pile

TBR piles have a tendency to get away from us because we don't keep it in line and we don't prioritize. We add and add without being picky about what we add. So do yourself a favour and decide on a maximum number of books for your pile. Once you have a maximum amount, you'll notice that you start thinking more critically about the individual books you add to it. Because of that there's a greater chance of you actually, really wanting to read the books on your TBR list.


3. Organise your pile according to a chosen system

Some people like to order their pile by release year. Others by genre. Some people swear by author or series. I myself am a fan of a 'date of add' organisation. No matter which method you like, you'll do yourself a favour if you choose some sort of system for your pile to help you make sense of it.


4. Consider compiling a second TBR pile

This might sound counter-productive but hear me out. Remember when I said you should discard some books from your list? Well, maybe you don't want to get rid of them completely. So in stead you could consider a second TBR pile. One that doesn't give you guilt or anxiety nightmares. A pile that's just a 'would be nice to read but not necessary' pile. This serves two purposes - first, you prioritize your books, choosing the ones that matter the most over the ones that don't matter that much. Secondly, it gives you something to dive into if you ever need a break from the TBR.


5. Make your pile or list visible so you're confronted by it

You don't have to have all 500 (or however many books are on your list) lying around your home in physical form. But it is always a good idea to find some way to visualize the things you want to get done. So buy a notebook, where you write it down and have the notebook placed prominently on your coffee table. Or have a list hanging on your fridge. Or a digital list on the desktop of your computer. Me, I like to be confronted with my TBR on my Goodreads account.


6. Keep it diverse

It's easy to fall into a genre rabbit hole and go through a period where you only add one kind of book to your list. But that is actually a mistake, because what then happens when you tire of that genre? Or get caught up in a new rabbit hole. You'll be left with a TBR list filled with a lot of books that perhaps don't appeal to you anymore. So try to be conscious af the diversity of your TBR list.


7. Make rules for yourself and stick to them

The rules are totally up to you, but rules are always a good way to get something done. A rule might be to only go to the library twice a month. Or to not read more than two books at a time. Or to read at least one TBR book a week. Think of more yourself and make sure they fit into your reading habits and your life.


8. Remind yourself why you added the book in the first place

Sometimes, when I look at my TBR list, I find myself wondering what it was about a particular book that made me add it. If I can't remember, I discard the book. But that's really a shame, because there must have been some reason. Therefore it might be a good idea to keep some sort of system to help you remember. Post-it notes, Goodreads reviews, notebooks. Whatever fits your fancy!


9. Set up a reward system for yourself

I don't know about you, but I respond better to rewards than punishments, therefore a reward system is always a powerful way to help you get things done. Consider doing something good for yourself every time you've finished a TBR book - eat a snickers, buy a new book (slippery slope, but still), watch an episode your favourite show or something completely different. As long as it gets you motivated, you're good!


10. Repeat step one - often!

Perhaps this goes without saying, but purging your TBR pile is not a one-off kind of thing. It is an ongoing process. Tastes change, books become outdated, the hype fades. So make sure to keep revisiting your list every once in a while and get rid of the unwanted books on it.

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