I Counted All My Books! || It's Out of Control... || TBR Catastrophe 2024 [CC]

[@AbiofPellinor]

If it makes you feel any better, *you* make me feel better about my almost-200 strong tbr 😅 but I'm someone who would rather be at >50 books so this is a little overwhelming for me. I'm glad that you're spending a year just enjoying your bookish life as it is!

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Haha I am happy to be used as the 'it could be worse!' example in your household 😂 I can understand wanting the TBR to be under 50 though, and you've been making such good progress to it so far this year! You must be creeping closer. Maybe we're due for a TBR check in update from you?

[@AbiofPellinor]

@@OliviasCatastrophe we are most definitely not due a TBR update…. Because somehow it’s gotten bigger and this gives me a huge amount of anxiety 😅

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

@@AbiofPellinor 😮🙈 I don’t know how that happened!! But okay, let’s ignore the numbers…

[@AbiofPellinor]

@@OliviasCatastrophe just until I can try and get them under control by the end of the year!

[@ThatsSoPoe]

Good job on keeping to your anti-goals! Having your own personal library is awesome.

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

I've been really happy with how the anti-goals are going so far this year 😇

[@ChattieTheMadChatter]

5:48 - hey you can't help having a personality that will not be confined to shelves!!! 😂💜📚

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Hehe this is very true 🤭

[@booksandbargains]

I am WITH you! 2025 I need to get down under 500!! Oh also we’re hoping to buy a house in the next few years and the thought of having to move the library makes me feel sick!!

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

2025 we are conquering our TBRs once and for all 💪🏾 Moving is its own mountain for sure 🙈

[@thefuzzybookdragon]

I usually keep my personal physical TBR at around 40... just from a complete lack of space. My kindle is a mess, but I justify that by predominantly buying 99p deals and sharing the ebooks with my husband (who mostly reads on his phone) and our daughter (I have a specified folder of recommendations for her since she is very into science fiction these days).

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

99p deals are very tempting, so that I can understand! And it's nice that you get to share the ebooks out in the family! Love that your daughter is keen on sci-fi. Such a good genre 😇

[@ChattieTheMadChatter]

No idea - have been unhsuling as I go. I have the same problem in that I have a bit of a floor pile. I have freed up some space in that my 9yr old son is delightful, rampaging through 2nd series of percy Jackson and I have passed those paperbacks to his shelfs...so now my kids need more bookshelves! (I am so proud) No idea of my total collection, but I have hauled 47 this year and read 45...uh oh🙈😳💜📚 wow and only 12 were from being healthy stash under by bed. Where is the sand I need to bury my head in it!

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

It's good that you also unhaul as you go though! I love that your son is adoring the percy jackson books (you must be a very good influence) and that they now need more bookshelf space themselves! But it is tricky to know what to do with the overspill, especially if there is no more room for more shelves... You've almost managed to read as many as you've hauled though! I am sure you can tackle that in the rest of the year. There's still time 💪🏾

[@Julija12]

Olivia's Catastrophe in the best possible way📚😄 this was so interesting to hear, thanks for sharing!! I haven't fully counted my physical tbr recently but I think it's at around 80-90. I've decided to try and bring down my tbr to an absolute minimum because I realised that going to a book shop or library to pick out a book to start reading tends to bring me a lot more joy than choosing from my home tbr. It's funny how that changed, I used to love having many unread books on my shelves. I loved how you called it "it's my personality on shelves" beautiful way to describe it ✨✨

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Haha absolutely 😅 Ooh, I like that you've discovered what works for you now is a very different vibe, so I wish you the best in narrowing down that TBR so you can eventually start buying and reading immediately 😌 It very much is my personality on my shelves, and I'm going to try and uphold that mantra by unhauling anything that doesn't fit the bill.

[@awanderingmind]

Omg moving all those books sounds stressful but imagine owning property and having a wonderful big library 😍 a dream

[@awanderingmind]

I have 83 books on my tbr

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

One day I would love to have that library!! 83 is a good number I think, and you've been reading quite a bit this year 😇

[@Nastya-readsandlifts]

Oh, that hits hard 😅 I wish you very good luck with goals and anti-goals. Our family’d moved recently (we rent as well), it is not easy, but doable if needed. Was easier to pack and move books than everything else, tbh. At least they stack 😊 My main pain is the question some friends ask me: how many of these you’ve read? I do not keep most of read books, I keep the best of the best, and unhaul the rest. And the number of unread is significantly bigger than what I have read. These are shelves of possibilities, that’s it 😅

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Thank you! And kudos to you for being able to manage the move as a family as well! Books saving grace is that they stack very neatly into boxes indeed 😇 I think keeping the best of the best is the best way to do it!

[@jaleesaRBTBC]

I don’t know how many books are on my TBR. I read more from my library’s digital catalog than I do from my own physical and digital book collection. 🤭 One series of trilogies and a tetralogy I’m excited to continue reading from my physical TBR is the Realm of the Elderlings. I’m waiting for the right headspace to jump back into the world(s). 😊 I think you are doing good in managing your library. Only a couple more unhauls or reading down your TBR and you’ll be able to better manage the books when it’s time to move.

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Libraries are so tempting (and equally, so wonderful!) so I understand how you end up turning to them more often than not! I know so many people who adore the realm of the elderlings series so I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. Thank you for the encouragement 🥹

[@CaughtBetweenPages]

“Confess” is exactly the word, isn’t it? 😂 I’ve started logging my owned books on Libib and seeing that number rise is, in part, delightful (because like you I LOVE having books), but also it’s like…. I don’t know. Maybe it’s the “unread but owned” book percentage where any negative feelings come from. I think taking a ruthless look at the shelves is a brave but important thing to do if it’s gonna make you happy! I hope your shelves just make you overjoyed when you look at them, with no uneasy vibes at all ♥️

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

I have a Libib too and that has helped me understand my numbers a lot more too! I managed to find 75 books to unhaul from my read shelves which gave me a bit more breathing room 😇

[@_d0ser]

These numbers are pretty high but glad to hear you do second hand and "unhaul" as well. Too many book lovers fall into the hole of over consumption and it's hard to get out of and just bad all around.

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Love a good secondhand shop, and I pass along books so other people can experience stories as well. I wouldn't say I'm not part of the over consumption issue, but am aware of it and try to work on it 😊

[@tr_4600]

Great job on your anti goals. I have worked myself down to 9 unread books on my tbr from 90something a few years ago and I haven't stopped buying. I am just at a point where I only buy something if I am super excited about it and plan to pick it up soon. Anything else isn't worth my time or money. I gutted my unread tbr by being brutal and getting rid of those I didn't care to read or forced myself to read those I was less interested in but thought still might be good. I am hoping to be at a point of no unread books by the end of the summer. I would love to just go buy a book because I am excited about it and start reading it rather than shelving it to get something I am less interested in off my shelf. I am going to reuse the shelf space and cannot wait for it. We have to do what makes us happy in our space. If having just enough to fit your shelves makes you happy and no more than thats what you should do if it doesn't bother you because you love all the options you have that is good too.

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Thank you 😇 I remember when you started on your TBR journey of working it down on Twitter and it is amazing that you have managed to get it down to 9! I hope you're enjoying being able to buy a book and then pick it up almost immediately. And I hope you have fun choosing how to reuse that shelf space as well ^.^ Thank you for the reminder to do what makes me happiest above all 💙

[@OnlyIfForAPage]

Always fun hearing your thoughts and feelings about your numbers :- )

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

A bit of a mixed bag this time around 😅

[@ChattieTheMadChatter]

Firstly your hair is incredible! ...OK now books 💜📚

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Thank you 🌺

[@TheBookSanctum]

Loved hearing your thoughts on owned books/TBR numbers etc - I agree that about 500 is a nice range of unread too!

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Yess! Definitely need to work on reading it down to around that number 💪🏾

[@LeanneRose]

I’m approaching the 1k mark, if I combine the books I have in my flat and my mam’s house. I think around 250 are unread which I’m not comfortable with 😬😬 it’s so difficult! It’s such a privilege to receive books from publishers, and it’s a great perk to get books from work… but it doesn’t scratch the need to buy books 😅

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Working in publishing just makes it so much harder when it comes to gaining unread books 😅 we can only do our best -- and you've been reading so much each month!

[@Nao_Craft]

I always love this video! I’m not going to make myself count my books, but I’m very proud that I’ve mostly read library books this year rather than buying new books. I think I’ll take a bit of a library break soon and work through my physical and digital shelves soon, because my shelves are much more full than they were at the start of my birthday month! I just got a copy of the The Court of the Vampire Queen (because of one of your earlier videos) and I am SO KEEN! Thanks for the great video ❤

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Hehe I am happy it can entertain! Yay for the library love as well, we do love our libraries 🤗 I hope you enjoy reading from your own shelves a bit more and I even more so, I hope you have a good time with the court of the vampire queen! It's one of those fun vampire books that made me happy reading it late at night 🤭

[@BookChats]

I need to count my owned books again! I've moved twice since I last counted and have been waiting to count again until i actually moved my bookcase in. Something that's been delayed because i am only one person, bookshelves are heavy, and my parents have been nice enough to store it for me. Hopefully I can move it before August 🤞🏻 then I will have no excuses for not counting.

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Bookshelf installation is definitely a two person job in my book! I hope you enjoy when everything is all set up beautifully, and that the numbers don't scare you too much when you count 😁

[@ChattieTheMadChatter]

1:54 😂😂😂😂😂😂🎉...do you have space for a bed? Or are you sleeping on a mattress stacked on books! 🤯😍😍😍💜📚

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Hahaha, it's book stacks everywhere!

[@ChelseaZhao]

I love this video every year! And it makes me feel pretty good about my numbers since we are so close!

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Haha I'm glad I can entertain! I'm honestly not sure how *I* feel about our numbers creeping closer 😬 Maybe I should be challenging you to a TBR challenge in 2025 🤨

[@ChelseaZhao]

@@OliviasCatastrophe 😂😂 I could be up for a challenge!

[@dompishere3014]

At first I heard "I hauled 1159 books" and I was like GIIRL! You can start a whole library system and I'll come to London to be your first patron 😂😂 Listen some of the books you hauled were manga series!!! This makes the number seem not as daunting 😂😂

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Hahaha imagine!! If I hauled over 1000. I do have an online library system that my patreons can browse maybe 🙈

[@KayBethBookish]

ooo I see Tarah Dewitt on your shelf- I've read and loved two of her books! Lol I love how you're getting closer to the tbr getting closer to the same number as read, I've been in the same situation since forever.I love to have a big tbr but over 100 makes me start to get anxious (and yet I still have over 300 ebooks!)

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

WOW such good spotting 😲 I recently hauled that one in and it will be my first Dewitt, so I am looking forward to giving her books a go! The tbr is really threatening my read ratio, because I unhaul too well while reading 😬 I understand more than 100 being quite a bit (she says...)

[@BrewsandReviews]

I love that haulling is next year's problem 😂 I'm too scared to count my TBR 😅

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Haha yup! Future me is gonna be so fed up with past me 😂

[@lexyreads]

Definitely agree with you about keeping the tbr to 500 and under, i get overwhelmed when there is too many on my tbr… i dont know the exact number but i’m curious to count now 😂 Good job on getting the kindle number down too.

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Ooh, I would challenge you to count for a video as well 🤭

[@WhatVictoriaRead]

Are you happy with the books on your shelves? Because if you are, that’s all that matters ☺️💛

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

This is a really good reminder -- and since doing a little unhaul of my read shelves, I do think I am! 😇 Thanks Victoria x

[@novellenovels]

I think my unread books are just over 300 but my read is probably higher as I’m keeping more. Do need to check again 😊

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

That makes sense! And you do pretty well with your unhauls of books you don't like or feel like you don't need to keep, so I am sure your shelves are healthy 😇

[@StarsAndEmbers]

Last I counted there were about 100 on my tbr and it's been like that for years. It doesn't go up and it doesn't go down 😂

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Maintaining consistency is good though!! Not growing shouldn't be underrated 😅

[@librarianlirael]

You and I are in the same boat! I live in a tiny apartment and my physical tbr is about 750 right now 😭 and I have my already read books here AND at my mom's house and I just constantly feel overwhelmed by it. I'm on a No Buy right now but I am still not reading the physical books fast enough to feel like I'm making a dent.

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Good on you for putting yourself on a buying ban while you try and work it down, but do take your time and I hope you're enjoying the books you're reading as you go too 😇 TBRs that size can be stressful but you'll get there!! If you're feeling overwhelmed, maybe there is some you can unhaul for the time being? I hope the overwhelming feeling passes soon :(

[@librarianlirael]

@OliviasCatastrophe omg you're so nice thank you! I'm doing my best, I've been unhauling as I go it's just a lot. good luck with yours as well!! :)

[@heyitsgabs21]

i love that you count pre-read purchases as non-tbr cause i dont, if i borrowed something from the library then got my own copy i count that as tbr cause otherwise why do i need it lol.

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

It's up to you how you count it! But that definitely helps me a lot 🤭

[@heyitsgabs21]

@@OliviasCatastrophe you take the collection-of-books-i-love approach

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

@@heyitsgabs21 yes definitely, which is why end up unhauling anything I don’t like but still build up a collection. But I know lots of people also take the books to read approach where you get them to read them and not necessarily collect

[@ChanelChapters]

You got your own mountain of books to climb

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

I better get climbing 😂

[@louisity]

If you can only ship books here in the Philippines seamlessly then that might make unhaul easier? Hahahahaha! 🤣 All the best in conquering your TBR pile. Go go go! 🙌🏽

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Haha I love your solution 😉 Working on it for sure!

[@the_creepy_geek]

💜💜💜

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

🌺💙

[@rasaslase]

💛💛💛

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

💙💙💙

[@ChattieTheMadChatter]

5:08 - if you ever move, you need to do a shout out and we will come and each pack a box label it and move it. I really hope you love where you live and the person you rent from loves you as tennents! 🫂💜📚🙈😆

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

It may just take a small army whenever I next need to move 🙈

[@MaryAmongStories]

🧡🧡🧡

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

🩶🩶🩶

[@heyitsgabs21]

i think the more you engage with others that are reading, especially if its the same title, you just fly through more and more, but idk maybe thats just me.

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Yes, it's why I love being part of the book community! I also do a lot of reading for my job too.