Todays ramblings are inspired by two things. The first is this fun feature that Carole over at Carole's Random Life in Books hosts called Books from the Backlog as well as a question from Book Blogger Hop which is hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer about taking a blogging break.
Lately, I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed. I've been focusing on all the new shiny books and ignoring the ones that have been sitting there on my shelf for years. A few weeks ago I started one of those projects that starts out small and quickly spirals out of control involving the boxes and boxes of books. First I was just looking for a specific few and then I decided that this was the perfect time to sort through them and get rid of all the ones I was sure I'd no longer be interested in reading. I'm guessing you can see what went terribly wrong? Once I started sorted and reading the blurbs and looking at all the pretty covers I discovered all of these books were ones I still really wanted to read! I think out of the literally hundreds of books I got rid of maybe 3 or 4.
I've never been a minimalist and never really had a problem with having a massive TBR however, I'm starting to feel like it has gotten a bit out of control. Am I even reading the books I really want to read anymore or am I just getting distracted by the shiny new ones? I want all of them. I want all the review books and all the books that appeal to me at the library and all the ones hiding in boxes in the spare room and I want to start revisiting bookstores. How do I find the balance of all of these and get back to feeling like I'm reasonably in control again?
How do you balance reading the new books and reading books from the backlog?
I find myself reading mostly new releases these days, so I'm kind of in the same boat? The backlist stuff just kind of gets left behind. I've been making a concerted effort to read some of the stuff that's been on the shelf for a while, but it's a work in progress! I just blame book blogging! If I weren't blogging and hearing about all these new books I probably wouldn't be in this mess haha!
ReplyDeleteMy series catchup challenge seeks to get me reading series I started back in 2010 and need to finish. That works quite well. It forces me to read older books. It's hard not to get distracted by shiny new ones though.
ReplyDeleteI've been on a serious organizational blitz at home, and admit that I put all the backlog dating back to 2001 on a back burner, and as Greg mentioned, I've been reading mostly new releases. And yes, I'm guilty too of reading about new authors and new books from lots of other bloggers, which I love so much. I'd like to set a goal to get older books read, but I fear I may not even put a dent into until 2020.(lol) Great post! Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteI struggle, though I fear I will never win the struggle. There are just so many fabulous sounding new books coming out that it is difficult to go back to ones that have been on your TBR for AGES. I do keep trying however. I just finished a great book that was on my NetGalley list for over two years...(hangs head in shame)
ReplyDeleteI feel your 'pain' or frustration. I think many of us have the same thoughts, especially when we feel the urge to reorganize or 'weed' (a library term) our books. Sigh. I have no great words of wisdom. It's kind of like when people ask me how I find 'willpower' to not eat the things that had me gaining a lot of weight for years. A lady asked me that last night at our small group Bible study meeting. Everyone was standing around eating dip and chips and cake and brownies and I had a half-cup of decaf coffee in my hands. I tried to be honest and say that it's not that I can't eat whatever I want, though my stomach definitely doesn't like fatty foods anymore (and tells me so later). It's just a matter of choices. And how I want my life from here on to look or my priorities, what I want to be able to do. Long answer for the same thing with my book stash. Shiny, new is so, so tempting and I've certainly been right there with you. And with you as I sorted through and tried to 'weed'. We all know so much more about what's being published and it's like a tempting array of cakes and cookies and yummies. Sometimes, I have to take a step away - think about my current priorities and make the choices right for me at this moment.
ReplyDeleteYou'll get there. I'm about to do the same with my print books too. Hey, I heard yesterday that thrift shops and charities are benefiting hugely from the 'Marie Kondo' TV event right now. I can only imagine. Ha! And I'm about to scale back a bit with my blogging and commenting as I need to focus a bit more on my 'movement' priorities. I've gotten a bit off track there. Good luck!
I am so with you. I'm struggling with that so much right now myself. I want to be reading new books, and I don't want to fall behind on the series I'm up to date on, but I also have books I've bought in series I've started I want to read. Or books I bought years ago that appeal to me I just don't have the time to get to. And I'm reading more than ever before, too.
ReplyDeleteSame sort of thing happened to me but I do not have hundreds of books at home. I have been making use of my Goodreads account and the To Read section. That's been my game plan and it's working - for me. Obviously I will jump on my favorite authors such as Peter Robinson and Tana French when a new book comes out but I have been looking at the To read list and picking one.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I finally ended up reading the Gemma Hardy book. The library didn't have it but the used book store did. I did not allow myself to buy another book. Tucked into the Gemma Hardy and bam, it's done! But you have to do what is best for you.
Having the flu took me out of the reading and blogging world for a good 10 days.
Luckily or unfortunately, I have only 2 bookcases and if I want new books I need to get rid of the old ones. So I start reading myTBR finally this year, as there is no room left. But i always hav3 a book stack from the library on my nightstand))))
ReplyDeleteI think we're all in the same boat - I did quite well last year in beginning to tackle my TBR. And then I had a rush of blood to the head at the back end of January and I'm now stacked up with a bunch of new arcs... *sigh*. I have all the self control of a sugar-stimmed toddler in a sweet shop! Though it's a comfort I'm not the only one:)
ReplyDeleteI think most book bloggers have the same struggle. I haven't come up with a balance yet and I've been blogging for eleven years. What I've become good at is not thinking about all of the books on my shelves and kindle that are waiting to be read. Darn shiny, new books!!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying harder to mix in some "older" books with the shiny new reads. I just finished one that's been on my TBR shelf for 8 years. It felt like a major accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteI can so relate to this post. I started Books from the Backlog after a discussion with my daughter about all of the awesome books I have sitting on my shelves that I never talk about on the blog. I really want to read everything! There just isn't enough time though. This year I am allowing myself to only add 52 review books which is forcing me to be more selective. The real goal is to open up some time in my reading schedule to get to all those books on my shelves instead of only focusing on new releases. It is so hard to find a balance.
ReplyDeleteYeah - tough question. I don't think I have as many as you, most likely about 150 sitting there unread and so far haven't thrown any out, and then the shiny new ones. I am trying to really avoid review books now that I only might want to read, but I get tempted by some. And I have a list of new ones being published that I'll want to buy or borrow. It's the age old thing of human limitations and having to make choices!!
ReplyDeleteYou crack me up as this is me exactly. I want to read it ALL and right now. I was struggling the other day to let books go when I was going thru my shelves for books to turn in as used bookstore credits. I kept putting books back on my shelf saying nope I want to read that still. The struggle is real 😂😂😂
ReplyDeleteFilling my ereader instead of buying physical books has helped. At least 100s of books hidden on a Kindle doesn't make my eye twitch. Ha ha. I only buy physical copies of the books I love the best now. I think on an ereader, or books borrowed from the library it doesn't matter if you read them or not. 🎴
ReplyDeleteI'd go through and get rid of all the physical books that aren't most loved authors if the library has them, or if you can get a cheap ebook. 📚
Yeah, I got nothin'. I have boxes and boxes (I'm embarrassed to say how many) of review books stacked in my house, plus a whole pile of library books, plus shelves of books I've bought and not read, plus an iPad full of e-ARCs, plus ... it's never-ending! I read the books I need to read for scheduled blog tours first. After that, I just read whatever I feel like reading from my HUGE collection. I probably won't ever go through all my books until I move out of this house which may be never. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could offer some sage advice, but the truth is I am in the same boat. As I read this, I felt like you could read my own thoughts. It can be overwhelming when I really think about how many books I have/want to read, both the new and old. Every now and then I do go through my bookshelves and try to weed out books that no longer interest me. I have to be in a certain mood though or nothing will land in the donation pile. And I can't leave that donation pile sitting around the house too long or some slip back on my keep shelves all too easily.
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