Reading Decisions

In which I ramble about my trouble deciding on an August TBR (and in other months, too) and ask for your advice.
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[@ConnorStompanato]

i used to make tbrs quite a lot but recently i often just grab the first book on my shelf that catches my eye. going to the library and choosing something completely different also helps me because then when i go back to my shelves, it feels slightly new again

[@freshparchment]

Thanks, Connor! Having new books definitely helps with that clean slate feeling (though part of me always feels guilty for the books that have been waiting YEARS).

[@ConnorStompanato]

@@freshparchment i made a new tag on goodreads called 'owned but not tbr' so those were out of sight and out of mind 😂

[@absolutetwaddle]

@@ConnorStompanato I do this too!

[@amy8458]

Hi Heather I've been dying to tell you that I five stared Mansfield Park. It's now tied with Sense and Sensibility. As for my TBR, being a digital reader mine's on GR. This year i've become more intuitive. This has carried over to my reading. So far I've not been steered wrong. Since joining Goodreads in 2020 this will be the first year where I'll meet my goal and not un haul anything.

[@freshparchment]

I'm so glad you're loving Mansfield Park! I had a feeling you would, now that I feel like I know your reading style. I have a long-term TBR on Goodreads as well as a physical TBR, but I always try to build TBRs mostly from my physical TBR. Being intuitive is getting better for me in a lot of areas except my reading (hence the video). I'm stocking all of these suggestions in a doc for the future. I'm really glad you're having what sounds like a fantastic reading year!

[@spinstercatlady]

Oh yes, I know this feeling haha! I'm a seasonal reader, so I try to organize my reading by season. I'll read the synopsis and maybe the first chapter to see which season the book works best with. As far as prompts, I try to get variety in my month by picking a cozy book, a spooky/gothic/, historical fiction, a classic, etc (not sure those are prompts exactly).

[@freshparchment]

Thanks! I sometimes go seasonally by general vibe, but I find it really hard (especially December - I never have Christmas books). Thanks for the prompts, though! They definitely count.

[@absolutetwaddle]

@@freshparchment I read winter books as opposed to Christmas or holiday books since there is a much larger selection, and love it!

[@cynthiasmith2685]

Especially if these are items you haven't read yet, maybe the best thing would be to try a chapter and read the first 20 or so pages of five or six and go from there.

[@MusingintheMargins]

I'm in between a planner and a mood reader too. One of the things that has helped me the most was back when the 112 Page Tag started floating around Booktube. It is based off a French book prize that for the first round the judges will read the 112th pages of books completely blind to the title or who the author is, and from there decide what the pool of books are going to be for the shortlist. Now whenever I can't decide what I want to pick up next I'll read the 112th pages of a number of books and see what clicks with where my head is at. It has worked well each time I've tried, hope that helps!

[@freshparchment]

Neat idea! Thanks so much.

[@karlalikestoread]

I constantly feel like I want to read too much all at once too. I think I’m more prone to paralysis than binging, sadly. I think the most helpful way for me to deal with this has been to sample the books I’m most interested in and using that to guide me, it makes it very easy to tell what ends up pulling me most in the moment. It also leaves me with an impression of the ones I’m not immediately prioritizing. Funnily enough, even though this works really well for me, I haven’t managed to make this a habit and I forget to do it as often as I should. I’m excited to see if you end up using a tbr jar and how you like the experience. Some prompt suggestions: -A book you’ve had for a long time -A book you didn’t finish and want to try again or a reread -A book from a favorite genre or genre outside your comfort zone -A 5 star prediction -A book with a pretty cover or an ugly cover

[@freshparchment]

Thanks for those! I'm never inspired enough to do a try-a-chapter video, but thanks for inspiring me to actually go for it one day!

[@barokokolo]

Hi Heather, love your channel! I struggle with the same issue occasionally. My TBR is mostly a list of titles because I either read on my Kindle, listen to audio books on Libby or borrow physical books from the library, but every so often I end up with many borrowed books and many unfinished books on Kindle and Libby, and reading anything becomes a struggle. What I usually do at that point is return everything to the library and remove everything from the Kindle and Libby, and take a day or two away from books of any kind. That ends up being such a relief. When I come back to it guilt-free (clean slate baby!), I indulge my mood and pick up the _one_ book I feel most like reading _right now_ , because usually there is one that comes to mind immediately. Personally, I'm not a fan of a TBR jar, because I feel it would just add extra pressure to read something I might not completely feel like reading at that time. For a TBR jar to work, it requires either discipline to stick to the title you've drawn, or for the luck to draw a book you really feel like reading. In your case, with your stacks of physical TBR, I would try moving all of it someplace out of sight and come back to it for one book at a time. Good luck, good reading and take care!

[@freshparchment]

Thanks! I definitely need to get better about not feeling guilty about letting a reading break/slump happen. I don't know about moving my books, but I have been covering some of my books with a blanket (summer, open windows, chances of rain) and it's got me more inspired to read them than ever.

[@absolutetwaddle]

This may not be super helpful, as I am 100% a mood reader, one thing I do when struck with decision paralysis due to my own personal moodiness (LOL) I reflect back on the last few months and what I really enjoyed reading and what I DNF’d. Sometimes this means a book I haven’t read by an author I love. I also try and read a balance of fiction and non-fiction as I know my mood will change day to day in terms of what I want to read. I do hope this helps somewhat. I’m personally not a fan of “games” when it comes to my reading. I won’t even plan a TBR because I fear too much organization within my reading habits. I don’t want reading to feel like work. Sometimes I will simply go to my shelves and pick out the first book I touch or whatever book stands out to me. When it comes to reading, the old advice “never go to the grocery store hungry” can also be true! Good luck 🥰

[@freshparchment]

Thanks! I always try to have one nonfiction and a fairly wide variety of topics. I think moodiness and knowing the new school year is coming (and thus less reading time) may also be contributing to my decision paralysis.

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

I often find myself experiencing decision paralysis, especially when I'm traveling, because I can't decide if that's the book I want to be reading while I'm gone. There are also books I have put on hold and I cannot decide what books I want to prioritize finishing.

[@freshparchment]

Glad to know that I'm not alone. :)

[@sarahel19]

Hi Heather, I havn't been in this situation (not really that is, because I often feel like reading several books at once), but a TBR jar sounds like a good solution to make a decision on what to read next. Or, I think that if it happened to me, I would probably go for comfort/easy reads, at lest to start with, and then see what takes my fancy. Not sure this is very helpful to you, but I hope it will not be too difficult for you to decide what to do.

[@freshparchment]

Thanks, Sarah!

[@barbarahelgaker390]

I have created a tbr list too and then mood pick from it - at least every second book I read had to be on it. As to prompts - how about some of mine Must have been written before 1950 - has a link to Paris/London/Berlin - a book I bought because of its cover - a book linked to the sea.

[@freshparchment]

Thanks for the hints!