My To-Be-Read pile is growing out of control. More than a year ago, my husband and I moved out of our apartment and into our first home. When the movers came, they looked with dismay upon the dozens of “book boxes.” When I unpacked, I looked with dismay on how many of them were filled with unread books. I have unread ARCs from my first visit to BEA in 2006. Some of these books are out of print, and I’ve never touched them. I have unread books from my first visits to my local RWA chapters’ PAN booksignings. Some of these authors have since left the business.
That last bit is terrifying.
I started out with a single TBR shelf on my office bookshelf in my new office. It’s now taken over half the shelves on that particular piece of floor-to-ceiling furniture.
The rise of book review bloggers hasn’t helped. Over half of the book on my shelves are in my possession as a result of good reviews I’ve read online: The Clockwork Heart, Obernewtyn, The Flame and the Shadow, Sugar Rush, Palimpset (heck I even bought the Palimpset soundtrack!). Other are the professional hazards of being a writer and buying the books that are getting all the buzz in your particular genre: Intertwined, Bones of Faerie, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, Ash, The Possibilities of Sainthood. I’ve made a concerted effort to attend more author events this year as well. Form those I’ve gleaned Bad to the Bone, King of the Screwups, Love you Hate You Miss You, Stargazer, The Seems, Ice, The Stone Child, and many more. (These last provide a special hell of guilt, as I’ve looked the author in the eye, and had them inscribe my name in their book.)
And don’t even talk to me about the books of personal friends. I still haven’t read my mentor’s latest in her series. My agent’s most recent ebook? Bought and sitting there in PDF format on my desktop (I don’t have an e-reader).
There are the books that friends have lent me (a biography of Abigail Adams, an editor friend’s pride and joy of a project), and the classics I somehow never read (why, hello there, Jane Eyre and Mrs. Dalloway — that last a particular source of guilt as Mrs. D was sent to me by a blog reader appalled I didn’t know her).
I need to take a week off to read all these books. Heck, I need to take a month. I need, perhaps, to go on a bit of a book-buying embargo until I can get my reading under control.
And yet, when will I have time to do that? It’s the end of October. I’m gearing up for NaNoWriMo. With my latest deadline off my plate, I’m looking forward to working on a project that’s been stewing on the backburner since February. And then another deadline, another project. And sometimes, it’s hard to read when I’m writing. Sometimes I need to be immersed in my world, my voice, not some other person’s writing, especially if their style is particularly strong or hypnotic (yes Lisa McMann and your sequel FADE, I’m looking at you).
And yet, all I want to do is read. I find nothing more inspiring than discovering a great new book — an extraordinary new book that reminds me why I got into this business int eh first place. That makes me think, wow, I wish I’d written that. That sends me back to my keyboard determined to create a thing of similar beauty and transformation.
What about you? What book (or books) on your TBR pile are making you feel most guilty right now? Go ahead and tell: confession is good for the soul. And how to you deal with the piles of unread books?
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Wow, you’ve perfectly described my situation. I used to have a handful of TBRs, but between good and/or intriguing reviews on blogs and websites, visits to UBSs where I find “classic” treasures, and the books I now buy in support of writers I like, my TBR pile has become a TBR wall of shelves. When I enter new books into my data program (Librarything.com), I always code the TBRs and the number is in the low 300s, I think.
My problem is that I can’t read when I’m writing because I’m afraid of being either unconsciously influenced or consciously depressed when my writing doesn’t compare with what I’m reading. And when I’m writing, my time is filled with that so there is little time for pleasure reading anyway. I’ve tried the embargo thing, but it never works for long.
I just glanced over at the actual books I own that are TBR, and there are about 20 of them. My list on Goodreads, though, is probably more like 60. At least I don’t have those in my house, though! I’ll deal with them when I get to them, either through the library or PaperbackSwap or the good old bookstore.
While it is school that takes up most of my time, I am most guilty for not having read Beautiful Creatures yet– which is sitting all pretty on my shelf right now. Then of course my little brother has been also trying to guilt me into reading Darren Shan’s latest installment, Dark Calling. I have a zillion and one books on my TBR pile and I really need a weekend to plow through a few. x)
I have a TBR list. I can’t justify the expense or space right now. Maybe it also comes from my mom’s constant, “Don’t put more on your plate than you’re going to eat” admonitions.
I also use the library a lot. Believe it or not, that can also help book sales, because libraries look at circulation records to determine future purchases. (Having one book with a publisher that targets the library market, I’ve become tuned in to yet another facet of the business). If I love the book, I’ll probably buy it for my keeper rooms.
So, I’d say I probably have about 10 physical (or electronic) TBR books at any given moment. They’re constantly on the move through my system. And I’m lax about updating my TBR shelf at Goodreads. I suppose I should do that.
It feels…uncomfortably relieving to know that others have this problem.
I keep kicking myself “You call yourself a fan?! How can you not have read the last THREE books? EH?! EH!!!”
I noticed my downward spiral of read books over the past couple years (YEARS! *shame*) and am attempting to fix it by setting aside time to read, just as I set aside time to write.
I get so very busy that sometimes I feel actual, honest-to-goodness guilt for allowing myself the time to read one book a month.
I take it even further by feeling guilt at allowing myself to spend the money to BUY a book a month, especially if I don’t KNOW that I’ll love it. Even with my well-meaning abuse of the ILL system, I still have to remind myself that it’s okay to read. It’s not “wasting” time, it’s not being unfair to my other projects, and it’s actually good for writers to read!
What keeps the books from being read? Is it guilt over the time? The money? Or something else?
First, call me crazy, Diana, but I think that little bio blurb about you needs to be updated just a little.
How do I deal with piles of unread books? I read them — eventually.
And the book that is making me feel the most guilty at the moment is one that I am in the process of reading — SPACE CADETS, edited by Mike Resnick.
My ARC stack is no bigger than usual.
Authors, if you want your books reviewed before or within a month of release, you need to get your ARCs to reviewers at the earliest possible moment.
It’s usually first-come-first-served with me at Enduring Romance, but my established favorites, like Susan Grant and Gwyneth Bolton, regularly jump the line.
Lynn, I know, the embargo thing never works for me, either. There are new books coming out every day that I want SO BADLY! I’m glad I don’t have it all organized on Library Thing or similar, though. That would probably depress me further.
Mississippi Mama, you are clearly far more disciplined than I am. Oh, for my TBR pile to be fewer than 20 books! I really need ot learnt o read faster, I think!
Eli, I’ve heard BC is fantastic. That will be another victim of my TBR shelf, I think!
Terry, I should utilize the library more, it’s true.
So when you say “moving through the system” what do yo mean? What do you do with books once you’ve finished with them?
Diana, it depends on the book. The e-books are permanent. Library books go back to the library. Finished books are either kept or donated (I do keep most of them, but since we’re trying to sell our house, I’ve been more ruthless in what I acquire and keep). And sometimes, if a library book was special enough, I’ll buy it. I do that a lot with hard covers because they’re so expensive. I read them from the library, then buy them in paperback.
Tami, yes, UNITE! It’s nice to know I’m not the only one out there with this problem. Like last week when I was at Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan signing and I’d had the book for two weeks and hadn’t read it yet. Yikes!
Part physical pile and part Excel spreadsheet. That’s my TBR. The Excel I can grow as long as I wish (well, up to the 65k max row limit). But in fact, I recently began taking books off the list. I put them on there 3 or 4 years ago. Since then, the author released something else. If the author was new to me–a big portion of my list–then I realized it was reading the author, not the specific book, that was my goal. Cross them off.
If it’s the specific book, I now have a second tab of “archived” books. I mean, if I haven’t gotten around to it in five years, will I ever? But I want to keep track–because I’m compulsive like that–of the fact that I once was interested. Just in case I bump up across that book. Don’t ask me why. Not sure I know.
The physical pile? I’ve taken to reading and boxing them. I have one box for books I realize I’ll never read or didn’t like. The giveaway box. The rest? They’re waiting for when I get floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
PR, you know, I was thinking that myself, but I haven’t the foggiest clue how to go about doing so. Probably email the site admins?
I confess I have a huge pile of TBR books (Fire, Hush, Hush, The Girl with the dragon tattoo, An Echo in the bone, to name a few) but I keep buying more! Which is insane and extremely naughty seeing as I’m not currently working. But I just can’t help myself. I mean how could I not own a book as beautiful as Leviathan?
I’m going to try to be good in November as I’m doing NaNoWriMo too, so I definitely won’t have much time to read but it shall be hard!
And the book making me feel most guilty? That is To Kill a Mockingbird, no I don’t know how I’ve never read it!
I have close to 60 books in my tbr. It is so hard to choose between the “bright and shiny” new book and the one that’s been sitting on there for…gasp…five years. Yes, I have one that has been there that long.
I read whatever calls to me most unless there is something I HAVE to read. But I do find that reading what is shouting at me to be read makes the reading go faster.
I always feel a little better when I see the numbers posted for other people’s TBR pile. Mine hovers around 20 and I’ve been so good about not buying anything new. I’ve also been good about not buying my favorite fantasy authors in hardback and waiting for the paper version. I’m living guilt free right now though I have some books from friends I really want to get to soon.
Don’t even get me started on the book boxes. We’re getting ready to move cross-country and I’m already packing my boxes of books that I need to have organized and easily at hand. Movers HATE me.
As far as my TBR pile… pretty much in the same condition as yours. My biggest guilt right now is An Echo in the Bone, which is Diana Gabaldon’s latest OUTLANDER novel. No, it hasn’t been out particularly long, but boy, I was waiting and waiting and waiting for it and I thought for sure once I got it, I’d gobble it right up.
Nope.
There it sits. With the rest of the TBR.
*sigh*
At least she takes three and four years between books so I’ll have time.
If my GoodReads TBR shelf is accurate (and I know I’m missing at least 1/3 of the unread books owned, I’m rapidly approaching the 1,500 mark.
As for dealing with these tomes? One word: denial. I just keep telling myself: Eventually I’ll work my way through all of them. Ha!
Wow, talk about timing. I was looking at the stack of books I have to read before I come home from Iraq. There are still more than 20 and I’ve got less than 5 weeks to read them all. Wonder why the cut off? Because when I get home, I’ve got mom duties vying for my time and there simply won’t be enough hours in the day. I’ll end up cutting back from a book a day to a book a week if I’m lucky. So lots of books still to go and I’m grateful for everyone who trucked to the post office this year to share!
My TBR pile is huge as well, but I did just finish the Uglies series. (Does that tell you how big and long ago my TBR pile started)
I have a very hard time reading when I’m writing. I’m pretty sure I’d never use someone else’s words, but it’s not something I’ll take the chance with even if it would be unconscious.
So…my pile grows because I’m going to buy more books and I try to reward myself with reading when I reach certain goals in my wip.