Tag Archives: tbr

TBR lists and why I’m taking a break.

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For those of you who may not recognize the acronym, TBR stands for To Be Read. It means the list of books you plan to read in a given time period, usually a month but it could be a year or even a season. I haven’t really done a TBR in a while on this blog. I’ve been having a bit of a hot-cold experience with my monthly TBR books for the last few months. (I’ve been sharing that TBR list on my Instagram feed instead of here on the blog). So I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and forgo the monthly TBR stack in exchange for a book by book reading. Here is why.

My reading life has evolved since the beginning of the year.

At the beginning of the year, I wanted to broaden my reading life. I was trying to read an adult fiction, YA, nonfiction, and a classic. At the time, I didn’t count the book I was already reading for the Life’s Library book club, and since then I have joined the Modern Mrs. Darcy book club. Just these two book clubs alone have given ample opportunities to broaden the books I usually read.

Plus, I buy books throughout the year. Books from the backlists of my favorite authors, books that are recommended to me, books with pretty covers (what? sometimes I have no shame). And when I finish a book, sometimes I want to read another just like it, sometimes I want to read something completely different. Having no TBR will allow me that freedom.

I’ve gotten really caught up in trying to finish all of the books in the stack that I’m actually getting into reading slumps.

This happened last month. I was desperately trying to finish a book on my TBR that felt like I was walking through quicksand. There was nothing inherently wrong with the book. In fact, I really enjoyed the content, the writing, even some of the points in the book were things I’ve studied in the past that I found interesting and convicting. But right now, I need to put the book down. I need to read something different – a different format, genre, author, something.

So, not making that TBR will give me the freedom to say, “I will finish this some other time.” I don’t have to feel the pressure to get it done within a certain time frame. And maybe after finishing another book, or time passing in general, there will be a right time for me to pick that book back up and finish it.

As the end of the year approaches, I will have less time to devote to reading.

There have been some rumblings of chaos in my life lately. Typically, the last four months of the year are my busy season. This year has been a little crazier than usual, so I can only imagine that the next few months are going to get interesting. I’m really excited to experience everything, but I also need to realistic with my time. So, giving myself some space to do so will only benefit my reading life, instead of the TBR that will just belabor it.

So, instead of a TBR, I’m taking a page out of my new, more relaxed, blogging schedule and just share the reviews of a book when I complete it. I will also probably share what I’m reading in the moment on my Instagram, so again, if you don’t follow me on there, you will be missing half of the story.

All of that being said, there is a book to the left of my computer right now demanding that I open it. I’m so excited to read this one as it was recommended to me recently (and I couldn’t help myself, I already read a few pages a couple days ago). So, I’m off! Happy reading everyone!

May TBR

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I’m taking a bit of a break this month, which I will talk about later this week, but I still have a TBR list that I’m hoping to accomplish.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. This author has been all over my feeds for the last year. I purchased this book a while ago, but had so many others I wanted to read first. Probably because I’m a bit intimidated. Sanderson is known for his long prose, and I’m a little afraid I won’t like his work after all the hype. Elantris was his first book, and even though it’s not his most famous work, it is all set in the same world so I’m good with starting at the beginning . We will see how it goes.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I’m pretty sure I have read this before, but I wanted something on the shorter end because of the Sanderson book this month. They made a movie a few years ago, and it’s on Netflix still, I believe, so I might watch it after reading the book.

Adamant by Lisa Bevere. I got this book during a sale at Hobby Lobby. And I have been wanting to dig in ever since. I don’t know much about the author, but I follow her on Twitter, and there have been a lot of good reviews and responses to this book.

The Wicked King by Holly Black. I read the first book in this series when it came out last year. I didn’t hear much feedback on this second book, but the third book and its cover have already been announced, so I feel like I need to read this ASAP.

What are you reading this month?

April TBR

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I liked the themes I’ve been doing the past two months, both for Black History Month and Women’s History Month. I don’t think I will continue with themes, but I couldn’t help myself doing it one last time. Of course, this has nothing especially to do with April, but I thought I would read some science fiction since I had a book in just about every one of my categories.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green.  I have been wanting to read this book for months now, and I finally have it on my monthly TBR. In fact, it’s the book that inspired the sci-fi theme. I don’t know much about the plot other than it’s about a girl who takes a picture of this mysterious robot that shows up and she deals with the fame fallout.

The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J Siegel, MD and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD. So this isn’t science fiction, per se, but it does kind of fit into the science realm. It’s one of the books I picked up for parenting, and I’m interested to see what it says. I like holistic approaches, and it seems to be leaning in that direction.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. This was a big series in the YA community that actually completed last year with the book Obsidio. The format is really fascinating which is what pulled me to the book in the first place. It’s a collection of notes and emails and other correspondence back and forth. I’m intrigued.

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. I think I read this book in school, but I don’t really remember what it is about, other than it probably takes place on Mars. But it fits the science fiction theme, so I’m excited to read it.

What are you reading this month?

March TBR

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Since the books from Black History month worked out so well, I thought I would try to do it again for Women’s History Month.  Of course, I have a lot of books written by women, so I tried to whittle it down to the four books. It was really hard because there is so much I want to read. Here’s my final four.

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis.  It’s funny because before I chose this book, I saw nothing but accolades for it, but after I chose it, I’ve been seeing a lot of harsher critiques.  I’m trying to go in with an open mind and make my own decision.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett.  A friend recommended it a year ago and it has been sitting on my shelf for a while, so I’m finally going to read it.  I read a collection of her essays which were okay, but I’m hoping to enjoy her fiction more.

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson.  The second book in the Truly Devious series.  I read the first on towards the end of last year so excited to continue this mystery!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.  I’m a little intimidated about this book, but I really love Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights so I am interested to see how much I like her sister’s novel.

What are you reading this month?

February TBR

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This year, I’m trying to read four books a month. I completed this goal last month with It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst, Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness, Devian by Shanna Bosarge, and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I might do something with all my classic reviews at the end of the year, or maybe towards the middle of the year, we shall see. But the other reviews are linked above.

This month is Black History Month, and I thought it would be interesting to read only black authors this month. So, here is my line up.

For my nonfiction, I’m reading I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown. This has been on my TBR since last year, and a friend of mine read it and said it was a good read. Also, I follow her on Twitter, which is really where I find a lot of the authors I enjoy.

For my classic, I’m reading A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. This is my classic pick for the month. I think I read this in high school, but I don’t remember it. I wanted to switch up my classics and read a play, so this was a good match.

For YA Fiction, I’m reading On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. I read her first book, The Hate U Give last year and really enjoyed it. This book takes place in the same neighborhood but follows the story of another girl who faces homelessness while trying to make a name for herself as a rapper. It isn’t pictured above because it comes out tomorrow.

And finally, my Adult Fiction will be Mycroft Holmes by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse. This was a random but fascinating book. I like Sherlock Holmes, and I came across his second book, Mycroft and Sherlock, at the library. When I realized it was the second book, I stopped reading it and placed the first book on hold. And yes, this is the basketball player. Apparently, he is a huge Sherlock fan. I’ve already started this one and it’s already fascinating.

I’m also reading A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit for the Life’s Library book club and Reviving Old Scratch by Richard Beck for another book study, but they are on different time frames. The four books above I will try to actually complete this month.

What are you reading this month?

January TBR

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For those of you not familiar with the bookish vocabulary, TBR stands for To Be Read. Last year I read 40 books, much to my own surprise. This year, I have a goal to read 44 books. So, for my TBR each month, I plan to try to read four books, so that will give me a month margin of error.

Of course, being who I am, I love to categorize and label, so I thought I might try to do that with me TBR. I want to read a classic, an adult fiction, an young adult fiction/middle grade, and a nonfiction book. I have a lot of books on my shelf that I haven’t read yet, so I’m hoping to read one from each category.

This month, here are my hopeful books I will read:

The Bell Jar by Silvia Plath. I have had this book since college. I’ve tried to pick it up and read it twice but something has always come up to pull me away. I’m hoping third time’s the charm.

It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst. I love her work. I got this book as soon as it came out last year. I’ve already begun it, and it is SO good so far.

Devian by Shanna Bosarge. This was an impulse buy at the end of last year. The author was selling her book at a farmer’s market. There is a lot of world-building and people who can control the elements. I’m excited to jump in.

Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness. Her All Souls trilogy is one of my favorites. This book is a continuation of the story more than a sequel. I have already read a few pages into the story and I’m loving it.

So those are the four main books I am reading this month. Of course, that didn’t stop me from going to the library last week and picking up a few more books that piqued my interest. But we shall see how fast I get through these four first.

What are some books you are reading this month?