I have a vivid memory of the first time I saw a friend's TBR shelf. It was sometime in the early 90s and we were talking about books, and she was telling me about Willa Cather. As she pulled a book from her bookcase, I noticed a few more that sounded appealing. I asked her if she liked them, and she told me that she hadn't yet read them. What?! Why not? Apparently, she had several that she was planning to read, but had others to read first. Up until then, I either bought a book and read it or checked a few out from the library and read them before getting more. I had no idea about TBR shelves. Fast forward a few years and not only had I started a small face-to-face book club, but I joined a couple of Yahoo book groups. Suddenly, book recommendations were coming in faster than I could read. I participated in book box mailings lists (from those online groups), eagerly attended library book sales, perused used bookstores, and swapped books with friends and relatives. As if that weren't enough, I got a job at Borders Books and Music, followed by Barnes & Noble, and was the lucky recipient of numerous comp copies and ARCs. Blogging added to the flow of ARCs, as did giveaways on Goodreads. Before I knew it, I had a bookcase overflowing with unread books. I was all set for a blizzard!
I can't tell you how many of those books have been with me for over 20 years, but I do know that many have moved with me from Nebraska to Texas, back to Nebraska, and ultimately winding up in my office in Oregon. Each year I try to read from my own shelves, but the new and shiny releases are hard to ignore. This past year I read over 50 books from my stacks, which felt like a great accomplishment. Eager to keep that trend going, this past week I've pulled well over a dozen books from the shelves only to discover they no longer appeal. I gave each a chapter or two before moving on to the next. I don't know if I'll ever be happy without a TBR stack, but there's something liberating about weeding out the deadwood while discovering a gem in the rough.
Yeah you'd likely be appalled by how many books stand unread on my shelves, sigh. The times come & the times go and often our interests move on. But it's good that you weeded them out of your shelves. It is hard for me to "let go" and get rid of some. Back in the 1990s I used to buy books or get them elsewhere ... but over the past 10 years I get more at the library which is helpful or as e-books. I still have too many on bookshelves. but it seems I rarely go back in time to read those. It's crazy but I still think I will ... then I don't !
ReplyDeleteSusan, there's something so refreshing about clearing out the deadwood on my shelves. I'll probably purge another stack later in the month. I'm saving all the shiny new books for summer. :)
DeleteWow, 50 books from your own stack?! I am most impressed! I have a large to be read pile; as soon as I buy them they seem to lose some luster. However, one of the things I’m doing this year (which is certainly not blogging as I once did!😔) is enjoying rereads. I have reread Harriet the Spy for the first time since fifth grade, and I think I enjoyed it even more now. And, I just reread One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest which somehow never loses its appeal for me. Something about fighting the establishment is deep within my bones, I guess. xo
ReplyDeleteIf this has appeared twice, do delete. I can’t tell if it’s taking…
Meredith, I probably should have qualified that statement about 50 books from my own stacks. Some of those were audiobooks, but they were still mine. I'm hoping to reread more books, too, but I'm on a mission with these stacks of unread books and I'm planning to continue with my "weeding."
DeleteGood to hear from you! xo
You would not believe the number of books we weeded after selling our house in NY, but I still keep a healthy TBR supply. The condo we just purchased in CT has built-ins in the bedroom and living room, so I'll have to start a TBR collection there, too!
ReplyDeleteThe only book in your photo that I've read in Evening. Pretty sure it was an advance copy, but I think it was just an okay read for me.
JoAnn, I got rid of a lot of our books before we moved, too. Even some that I'd already read, but decided I probably wouldn't read again. I still have at least 8 shelves left to read from. Glad to know that I'm not missing out on anything spectacular with Evening.
DeleteAs a former librarian, I am supportive of TBR shelf (and list) weeding. I also get distracted by the new and shiny, often leaving many a wonderful book languishing on my TBR shelves. And sometimes, books just need to go.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I always enjoyed pulling returns from the stacks when I worked at B&N, but somehow this is a little more difficult. I'm hoping to keep the ball rolling, though, and will add to my discard stacks over the next few months. The shiny new books will be waiting for me later this summer.
DeleteIt seems many of us book lovers have the same problem. The years I worked in libraries gave my early dibs at book donations for our friends group sales. At one point prior to moving in 2009 I had over 1,000 TBR print books.I donated loads prior to our move and I now keep that number to 200 of less. Let's not talk about my 2,000+ unread Kindle books though...LOL
ReplyDeleteDiane, I counted all the books on my TBR shelves several years ago (before we moved and I got rid of a lot), but I have no idea how many I had then. No clue how many I have remaining, but I'm determined to keep culling the stacks and leave only those that I REALLY intend to read. I have a lot of audiobooks, but only a handful of ebooks. You have over 2000?!?! Wow.
DeleteI totally understand and support your 'weeding'. As several have said, it's a normal thing for 'libraries'. I got rid of a bunch of book when we moved too. And I'm using my library here a lot, plus also picking up things at the used book places (and then donating them back to the Friends of the Library bookstore). I haven't read any of the books you show above.
ReplyDeleteKay, yep. It was a regular project at Barnes and Noble, too. Free up the shelves for more of the new releases. Glad you didn't tell me that you had read some of the books in my reject stack and recommend that I give them another chance. I'd be torn whether to try again or ignore them! ;)
DeleteOh, I am so thankful that I don't have a stack of TBR's. That would do me in, LOL. I have SO many photos that I need to cull, and blog posts that I need to write, so I do understand the feeling of nagging loose ends. I read at least a book a week, but I almost always borrow them from the library to read on my Kindle and never have more than one or two waiting for my attention. That comes from eight years of traveling full-time and not wanting to haul books around. :-) Good for you for weeding stuff out and only keeping what you enjoy!
ReplyDeleteLaurel, I'm in the same boat with photos! I've been slowly scanning old photos since I never seem to look at our albums. Then there are the thousands of digital photos that reside on my computer. Every once in a while, I look at a folder from a trip or outing and realize I've never gone through them! Eeek!
DeleteI'm not sure why I'm so eager to get rid of my TBR stacks. Maybe not so much as get rid of the books, but work my way through the ones that have been on the shelves the longest. I'm sure there are some hidden gems (like Moira's Crossing) in there.
This makes me laugh! I'm pretty good about culling physical books, but that doesn't mean I do it quickly. Sometimes a move is required. The advent of ebooks has helped with the strain on bookshelves. :)
ReplyDeleteJen, it's a slow process, but it's feels good to free up some space for newer books. I'm still not on the ebook wagon, but I do love audios, which are just as hard to keep track of!
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