2023 Wrap Up - Thoughts on the reading year - TBR update

My thoughts on my 2023 reading year, and an update on my project to read all the unread books on my shelves.
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[@thelefthandedreader6632]

Jen, I really hope this year is better than last for you. You really did fantastic on that TBR! Oh how I love Persephone books. I only own one. I found it at a thrift store here in the US, of all things. Happiest of New Year’s to you.

[@emeline_4]

Woooow I'm so impressed with how well you did with your TBR project!! Cutting it down to 7 is amazing. I've definitely realised a similar thing about my unread TBR. I try to keep it manageable, but having even those 20 books sitting there for a long time, takes away some of the excitement, and also prevents me from randomly starting a new reading project like reading a long book or a series, because I always have in the back of my mind that I need to work on my TBR too. There was one book haul from September which I prioritised before reading my older books, and I was impressed that I was excited to start every single one, spent less time oohing and aahing about which one to pick (I actually did the "read them in the same order I put them down"), and I just finished reading the stack, only 4 months later. Which confirmed to me that that mode of buying is more exciting to me. So the plan for 2024 is to reduce my TBR! A friend gave me the idea of applying this rule: I can only buy half of what I've read from my TBR since the last time I brought a new book to it (so basically, waiting until I get my TBR down by 2 books before adding a new one). We'll see how it goes!

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

What you said about how having a tbr prevents you from starting a new reading project totally resonates with me. I have so many projects that I haven’t started or fully thrown myself into because of my looming tbr making me feel guilty 🤣

[@ameliabarlowbooks]

I’m definitely tackling my TBR shelves this year and going on a spring clean, it’s not huge by any means but I want to reclaim some of that space back and finally make a decision with the loiterers! lovely to see you, here’s to a better 2024 ♥️

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Good luck reclaiming your book space from all those loiterers ☺️

[@themusicsnob]

Something I have realized over the last few years is how much my reading taste does change over time, and I think that contributes to me not liking books as much that have been on my shelves for a long time. Good luck with your reading in 2024!

[@ameliareads589]

Totally agree with that!

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Yes, you’re definitely right about this and I forgot to reflect on that as well. So many of the books I ended up not liking or not finishing were definitely because my reading tastes have changed.

[@kitthereader]

You did so well with your tbr challenge, I’m so impressed! Definitely hoping for a better 2024 for both of us 🧡

[@readandre-read]

Sorry that your year was rocky; here's hoping for better times and better books in 2024. For me, the books that have lingered unread for a long time reflect fleeting enthusiasms that...fleeted. If they are classics there's still hope.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Thanks - 2024 is already looking to be a million times better so I hope it continues. "Fleeting enthusiasms that fleeted" describes 80% of my tbr last year 😂

[@ameliareads589]

Every time I force myself to read my own books, it takes away some of the joy of reading them. That's why I like reading challenges with prompts. I think the playfulness of it, is a good combination of tackling my stack and having fun for me. Also I have my tbr on StoryGraph and I'm using the survey and the recommendations to choose my next book sometimes. They improved that section lately even more and the algorithm (the plus version uses AI on top) knows me quite well meanwhile. That helps too in avoiding some bummers. And I'm still singing the praise of dnf'ing. I've read 170 books last year and bailed on 91. I don't see this as failing in choosing right, I see that as trial and error.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I really hope to join in reading challenges this year (with library books). I always found it hard to join in because I never seemed to have books to fit in with prompts, so always ended up buying more to fit something 😅

[@ameliareads589]

@@JentheLibrarianreads I am hosting a challenge called Public Library 2024. No prompts. Just logging in the books I'm getting from the library each month. I am also hosting some more reading challenges without prompts. Would love to see you joining the ones you like and suit you.

[@christinacampbellbooks]

I completely understand the issue with being less interested in reading a book the longer it sits on your bookshelves. I'm really going to try to read books as soon as I bring them into my home where I can this year. I think my main problem with this is when I pick up a few books from the charity shops that are £1 or £2 each and I always have a few books out from the library, I'm always more excited to read the library books. And I always prioritise the library books because they have to go back soon over the ones I own. I definitely have quite a few books on my shelves now from a few years ago where my reading tastes have changed so much I probably won't even enjoy them now. I think it's brilliant that you managed to get your unread TBR down to 3. And I'm sorry to hear that 2023 has been a difficult year for you, Jen. Wishing you all the best for 2024 ❤

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I don’t mind so much getting books from charity shops and then taking them back unread, it’s like a double donation ☺️ But I definitely think you’re right about tastes changing, that’s got to be one of the reasons my older tbr was less successful when I eventually got around to reading it.

[@jenniferlovesbooks]

That's a 39% DNF rate! Here, take my crown 👑 I do love a stats video 😁 I agree about the expectations thing, the longer a book stays on my shelf the more I feel the need to like it so I keep putting it off....hoping to tackle this in 2024!

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I’ll just borrow your crown for a bit, for safe keeping. You can hopefully have it back soon 😂

[@jenniferlovesbooks]

@@JentheLibrarianreads 😂🤣

[@Dottiemi]

I positively gasped to hear Elizabeth von Armin was going back unread 😮

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I know, I’m such a monster!

[@GemofBooks]

I am amazed that you managed to get your unread TBR down to 3!! I really need to reflect on my book buying and adjust, there is just no need for me to have 50 years worth of books on my shelf that I’ll probably never read. Happy New Year Jen - I hope 2024 is an awesome one matey (I think you’re owed it!)

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

TBRs are overrated. Down with unread books!! 😂

[@RovingReader]

It got worse? 😭 I am also allergic to big books ha! I noticed the Persephone books right away in your video now that I'm familiar with them due to my trip planning :) Can't wait to pick one up for myself soon :) I cannot believe you have 7 books left! Wow, wow, wow! I have not purchased a single book in... 19 days!!!

[@SupposedlyFun]

I'm sorry 2023 was so rough. Here's hoping that 2024 gets better! I have definitely found that the longer a book sits on my shelf, the less urgency I have to get to it. And that can be pretty deadly for my odds of ever getting to it.

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

Yes I'm definitely working on the assumption that 2024 must be better than 2023. Although reading was one of the positives of the year for me. I think books can go stale somehow if they stay on the shelf too long.

[@SavidgeReads]

Here’s to a fab year of reading in 2024! You did so well to get that TBR down. Good on you!

[@hilocaluer3915]

Thank god someone else's 2023 book year was bad! I saw through all my reads (I keep a list in my notes app), and I enjoyed only two books (of 55): "The Kings" by Julio Cortazar ( a shortstory) and "History of Wolves" by Emily Fridlund. The rest was kind of bland? Let's hope for more interesting reads in 2024 :) I also stopped buying them, I went to the library to get "Hopscotch" by Cortazar, because now I am interested in his writing, and finally started reading "Hamlet" which I bought when I was in school. About the largeness of books: I think a story takes space in our time and life, and the longer it is, the more grows our disbelief in terms of "is this worth it?" and"how long until i gain control back?" i read long books when i'm compelled by the question HOW an author is going to deliver a certain plot idea. Hopscotch is also fun, because Cortazar mixed up the order of the chapters, and you can read the book in two ways, from the beginning to the end, or from chapter 123-17-4-45... etc. I think he knew that long books can be boring. :D

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I’m sorry you had a bad reading year too, let’s hope our 2024 reading is better for both of us. I’ve only ever read a couple of long books that I thought justified the length. Most long books I’ve read seem over indulgent in their length and could definitely have been edited down a bit.

[@bookofdust]

I really enjoyed the Forster read along for the year, it was a great motivator and I’m adapting it in two ways for this year. I’ve enjoyed about 1/3 of Oliver Sacks’ books and I became more fascinated with him this past year, and he lead me to Thom Gunn and reading his letters. I finished the year reading the recent biography on him focused on his early days. I’ve decided I want to read all his books in publication order, but I’m leaving the timeframe as open ended and on going. I’m a bit intrigued by Gunn and Sacks as Gay Brits who come to the US to find freedom to become themselves and openly embrace their sexuality. I’ve never read Quentin Crisp, and he didn’t feel the need to suppress his sexuality in the UK, but he comes to the US as well. Overall I’m getting very interested by the idea of Gay Brit expats in the US as a group. Of course Auden and Isherwood fall into that group as well. I also read at the end of the year another biography on Joan Didion who I’ve loved and read maybe 3/5 of her writings. I’m going to start reading her body of work in publication order, but dividing the fiction and nonfiction with the loose goal of reading all the fiction this year. Not to put pressure on you, but I hope you continue to use your Discord over the coming year, even if it’s just announcing one title and encouraging others to read along with you and discuss it. Maybe something for Pride month? It was nice to have a safe space for discussion of Queer books and authors and to join in congress with like minded others.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I hadn’t yet decided what to do with the discord, but I do like your idea of keeping it open as a space for people to talk about queer books ☺️

[@MsReadsAlot]

I have 243 unread books on my shelves 😳 I am currently reading the books on my shelves but I miss buying books 😊

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

243 😱 I couldn’t cope! I love buying books and I’m hoping that reading them soon after buying them will bring back the excitement of book buying for me.

[@josie8997]

I've also had a terrible 2023 and for most of the year that has meant no reading at all for me. Just getting back into it now and my plans are basically a redo of what i had planned for 2023: read from my shelves, don't buy new books. Also, this is new: prioritize lesbian books, fiction and non fiction. I've noticed that I read a lot of queer books but most of them are by and about gay men and I want to be more concious of that. I really want a clean slate, because I've noticed the same issue. The longer a book is on my shelf, the less likely I am to enjoy it. It's a mixture of different factors, I think. I've gotten used to them, I have specific expectations, I've lost interest but not enough to get rid of them (shout out to the 6 Isherwood biographies on my TBR, plus the two volumes of diary I haven't read yet 😬). I've also noticed that I tend to avoid more challenging reads, books with heavy topics, especially non-fiction, even though those are usually the books that interest me more and that I end up enjoying more.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

I’m sorry you had a rubbish 2023 as well. Fingers crossed we both have a better 2024, and your reading plans sound excellent ☺️

[@josie8997]

@@JentheLibrarianreads if we both keep our fingers crossed it might just work! 🤞

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

I feel like if you had a “shitty” year…. You shouldn’t give yourself a hard time about the amount of books you read, nor how you ranked them. If you’d been having a better year, you’d have had more brain power for reading. I hope 2024 is better . 💖🤩🤗😍🍀👋☘️🇮🇪📕📚☕️📖

[@PageTurnersWithKatja]

i also get annoyed by having bought books i ultimately don't enjoy. i've been pretty lucky with recent reads but I'm tackling a big backlist of owned books going back over a decade and now and then i think...meh.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Aren’t you ever tempted to just get rid of all the older books? The temptation was just too much for me, I couldn’t keep them any longer 😰

[@judybrown1624]

I have 427 unread books on my shelves. Do you feel better now? I have pulled 24 to read in 2024. I know there are many I'm no longer interested in reading, I just know which ones they are. First world problems.

[@JentheLibrarianreads]

Ooof 427, I couldn’t deal with that. I’m pretty sure there aren’t many people like me though, most people are fine with unread books in abundance 😂

[@judybrown1624]

@@JentheLibrarianreadsI'm in complete agreement that the majority of your books should be from the library. Why spend on books you can read for free? You have plenty of time left to build a home library. In fact, 40% of the books I read last year were borrowed.