Read and Reduce the TBR

Last year, I went on a journey through all the dusty old websites I have ever used to create the ultimate list of every book I've ever wanted to read. What started as scattered lists became one master TBR. My own personal treasure trove of stories that I have wanted to discover. 

Currently, I use Storygraph and Goodreads, but I ultimately decided to move my entire TBR to Goodreads because their shelves already held so many of the titles I wish to explore.

I pulled books from old accounts from when I was a teenager, plus my more recent obsessions, and ended up with over 700 books. A true mountain of stories. I managed to whittle down to around 500, but then I went to the Red Dirt Romance Book Event. I am currently sitting at 560 books that I want to read. On top of this, I have 25 unread books in my personal collection that I have not read and I really want to!

I do have a few rules for what can be on my TBR. Such as, it can only include the first book in a series or the next book in a series I’m already reading. This means there are plenty of extra books that aren’t included in that total. Just scrolling through the first 20 books on my list, over half are a part of a series. Now, I don't have to read the whole series, but chances are high that I will conquer them in full. 

Now, let’s do a little math. I can read 100–150 books a year fairly easily, so I’ll assume I can hit 130 consistently. At that pace, it would take me about 4.3 years to conquer my TBR. When you factor in all the series, the journey could stretch to 7 or 8 years! I find it hard to believe that my passion for these titles will last. Thus, the start of a new crusade on this blog I'm calling Read and Reduce the TBR.

This will be a two-way attack on this huge list. 

  • Phase 1: Read the TBR - I will focus my energies on books from my master list. I've been trying to do this since I saw the giant 700 number, and it's been working! I will highlight these monthly wrap-ups.
  • Phase 2: Reduce the TBR - I will pick out a few books at a time to give my attention to and decide if my passion for the book burns bright or has fizzled out. I will share my decisions and hopefully inspire others to add or cull it from your lists.
My starting number is 560. The journey ahead is daunting and thrilling.

How many books are on your own list? Have you ever culled your list to make room for the stories that truly call your name? 

Happy reading!

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