If you spend any amount of time on WordPress, then you’ve likely come across many of these. They could be for summer or winter or June or anything at all. And I’m trying to figure them out. I have one question that I’d like to ask all you TBR List-making people. How do you come up with them? I’m not asking because I have any intention of adopting the practice, I’m asking because it’s a mystery to me.
You’re just about guaranteed to find these lists for every month into the future, but why? Why does there have to be this set list and how does one even decide what to put on it? I mean, when I first started seeing them on WordPress I thought they were just books that hadn’t been read before by the post author. But I now know that not to be the case. People are picking random books to reread at random times. And I just don’t get it.
How do you come up with your monthly (or similar) TBR lists?
Johnny Reads 
I don’t keep monthly lists or themed lists or anything crazy like that. I do have a TBR list on goodreads and I simply add books that I want to read at some point. When I’m looking for my next book, I consult my list and see if anything jumps out at me. Mostly I use it just so I don’t forget one that I meant to read but hadn’t gotten around to it.
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Same as me. When I buy a new book it goes on my TBR shelf. They’re all books I haven’t read.
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My TBR list is made up of books that I read about online, movies that look really good that are based of off books ( I like to read the book before seeing the movie), or books that people I know recommend.
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Do you ever come up with a TBR list for a specific time? Like summer.
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There is a lot of information behind the psychology of making lists. https://www.google.com/#q=why+do+people+make+lists
I wrote an android app several years ago specifically to create and maintain lists of things that I still use every day for ideas, shopping, to-do lists, things I need to pack in my luggage, books I need to read, websites I need to keep track of, people who are important to whatever research I’m doing, appointments, etc. It helps me remember things, because I have way too many things on my mind at any one time, so it’s easy to forget something. It really helped with writing my book, because anytime I had an idea or thought of something I had to fix, I could just enter it the app and not lose the thought.
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Got it. 👍
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I have a list of housework to be done, what to pack for a vacation, groceries to be purchased, weight gains and losses, but I have no list for books I’ve read or plan to read. I search for the next book as I finish the last one. Until now, I had never heard of a TBR list. Who woulda thought?
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Really? Do you not read many book blogs?
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No, I do not read many book blogs. Yours may be the only one I read. I do read many books now that I have more time to read.
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Even though mine isn’t really a book blog. Not really.
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What’s a TBR list?
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To-be-read list. Books you’re going to be reading.
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Yeah… No. My TBR list is huge, but I don’t plan ahead what I’m going to read. It feels too much like work if I do that. Reading is fun and relaxing so I’ll decide what I want to read when I want to read it.
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I think I have 15-20 on my TBR shelf. I just read whatever and whenever I feel like. Like you.
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I wish my TBR list was 15-20. There’s so many books on there, it’s sometimes overwhelming. SO…MANY…TO…READ!!!
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I only buy books when my shelf reaches like 10 books. No point in buying books for them to just sit there.
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I’ve recently come to that conclusion. Which is why I’m on a book-buying sabbatical until my TBR list is more manageable. Or has shrunk a little.
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But it’s different when you read as my h as you do. You know that you’ll get to all your books. There are books I’ve had for years that I haven’t read. Which is worse when I don’t have many to choose from.
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I suppose that’s true. I’m just hoping to plow through quite a few books this summer. There are SO many new books coming out I want to read.
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I only know of Michael Connelly’s new book coming out in November. I think? I have no idea what else is being released this year.
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I’ve been on Goodreads a lot recently and am keeping up with some of the new releases. Mostly in middle grade and such.
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Hmm. Don’t they do giveaways and stuff, too?
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Yes, but none have struck my fancy yet.
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Picky, picky.
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Meh. I’m okay with it.
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I know. As I’d fully expect.
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I totally get you!
I don’t do tbr lists. I read the books as I buy them. Or only if I’m really compelled to read them.
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Exactly! Why do people need these set schedules? Ugh.
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I know. You read it when you want to read it.
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Mhm.
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Had not heard of the acronym but took an educated guess at the meaning. Like you, I don’t have a monthly list, just books sitting in an ‘unread’ list on my Kindle to choose from. I have a Goodreads book club which has a monthly book, which I try to keep up with. I usually have at least one fiction book and one or more non-fiction books on the go at one time. But I don’t get through as many books as I imagine most people with TBR lists get through, because between full time work and parenting, my free time is limited and I try to devote most of what isn’t needed for basic social stuff to writing.
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Same. Except I work part time and never having kids. Haha I just have books on my TBR shelf that I haven’t gotten to reading just yet. I don’t try to plan out what I’m reading over a month or season or anything. That’s weird.
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How I come up with my monthly TBR lists is basically I pick a couple of books that I know I need and feel like reading for that month. For me, making lists helps me keep direction or ill be stuck with nothing to read because I can’t make up my mind. It helps keep me focused.
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Do you always stick to your list?
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My lists usually consist of less than 5 books so I tend to stick to it. But I love to have the freedom to branch out if I feel like it – hence not having many books on my list each month.
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Hmmm. That doesn’t sound too restrictive. Maybe I’m just weird.
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You’re not weird at all 😊
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I guess I’ll have to take your word for it, huh? 😂
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Yep, you’ll have to 😂
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😊
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