Why I Start a New TBR List Every Single Year

Why I Start a New TBR list every single year

 

I used to have a spreadsheet of books I wanted to read (i.e. a TBR list) that numbered well into the hundreds. Every time I heard about a book I was interested in reading, I added it to the spreadsheet. Books only came off the spreadsheet when I actually read them (i.e. way more books went on the spreadsheet than ever came off).

When it came time to choose a new book to read, I consulted my spreadsheet. But, I realized I didn’t remember what half the books on there were about or why I’d ever added them in the first place. Plus, I wasn’t using any kind of categorization system, so I literally picked through hundreds of options every time I chose a new book. It was exhausting.

A couple years ago, I tried out a new system…and, realized I’d gradually stopped consulting my massive spreadsheet entirely. And, the best part about my new system? I start a new TBR list every single year!

Why I Start a New TBR List Every Single Year

  • Every year, I start a new TBR list that’s housed in an email draft in my drafts folder (just because it’s the most convenient place for me to access the list from my laptop and my phone).
  • The TBR list has a few different categories that are useful for helping me choose what to read next. More on this below.
  • At the beginning of the year, I consult last year’s TBR list and move any books I didn’t get to, but still really want to read over to the following year’s list. I don’t take this part lightly. In 2019, I moved over less than 10 books from my 2018 TBR list.
  • Since I started doing this, I’ve found that some books I removed from my TBR list have come back around to me. And, that’s the sign of a book that’s worth making time for…when it comes back around to you.

How I Organize My TBR List

Here’s how I organize my TBR list. This format won’t work for everyone (i.e. it probably won’t work for you if you’re not a blogger yourself), but it works for me. And, some variation can work for most people.

By Publication Date 

I divide this portion of the list by month. I keep track of when books are coming out, who recommended them to me, and if I have them in ARC form. Here’s an example…

February

  • Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken – 2/5 pub date (Tyler Goodson loved, Southern Living Best New Books Winter 2019, Liberty on ATB, Bustle 2019 Fiction, EW Anticipated) – ARC/DNF
  • American Pop by Snowden Wright – 2/5 pub date (Southern Living Best New Books Winter 2019) – Coke family novel – ARC/DONE
  • The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer – 2/5 pub date (Georgia Hunter on my podcast, EW Anticipated, Novel Visits, Amazon Best Books of Feb) – ARC/DONE

This works for me because I generally read by publication date for the blog. But, you could organize this section in whatever way supports how you like to read…seasonally, by mood, by genre, etc!

Nonfiction November / Audiobooks

Anytime I hear about a nonfiction book I’m interested in, I add it to this section of my TBR list. My audiobook listening is 100% nonfiction, so I fit a lot of nonfiction in there. I also save some nonfiction to read in hard copy form during Nonfiction November (details here).

So, when I’m looking for an audiobook, this is the only part of my TBR I need to consult, which narrows the choices to a manageable number. Same for Nonfiction November!

Possible Summer Books 

Every May, I put out my annual Summer Reading Guide, so I’m always on the lookout for books that would be a good fit for it.

Anytime I hear about a book I think could be a good fit for summer that isn’t already on my radar (i.e. it isn’t in my “By Publication Date” section), I add it to this list.

Backlist

As you probably know, I read far more new releases than backlist books, but I keep saying I want to read more backlist.

I do focus on backlist reading every December when I’m no longer reading new releases and this is the portion of my list I consult during that time.

Right now, Tell the Wolves I’m Home (recommended by Ashley Spivey when she came on my podcast) and The Age of Miracles (since I loved Karen Thompson Walker’s new book, The Dreamers) top this list.

“Must Try Before the End of the Year” List

This section is my personal favorite! It’s where I put books that I missed when they came out, but I’m hearing so many raves about that I definitely want to at least try before the end of the year.

This is the part of the list I turn to around mid/late November when I’ve stopped reading new releases and ARCs. I also put a lot of books from this list on hold at the library and work them in throughout the year as the holds come in.

How do you organize your TBR list? Would you ever consider starting a new one every year?

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26 Comments

  1. I heard you talking about this on your last podcast. I’m a fickle reader and have found lists don’t work for me.

    Posted 3.7.19 Reply
  2. This is such a good way to kee your TBR from getting overwhelming! I might have to try a version of this. Also, Tell the Wolves I’m Home is one of my all time favorites, I read it probably 5 years ago now and it really stuck with me.

    Posted 3.7.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      So, after mentioning it in this post, so many people are telling me to read it! It just shot way up my backlist TBR!

      Posted 3.8.19 Reply
  3. Mel wrote:

    Tell the Wolves I’m Home is soooo good! Definitely one of my favorite books I read last year. I read more backlist than new releases, so I prefer to keep my TBR list from year to year. That said, it definitely needs cleaning out from time to time — removing authors I’ve tried and didn’t connect with, books I’m not interested in anymore, books I’ve discovered contain subject matter that I have an aversion to etc. I keep my TBR on Goodreads (and somewhat on my Amazon wishlist) so I can access it on my phone when I’m in a used bookstore to remind myself of some of the books I’ve at some point decided that I want to read. I wish Goodreads had a way to keep track of who recommended the book, that sounds useful!

    Posted 3.7.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      That makes sense if you read mostly backlist! And there are so many things I wish Goodreads could figure out…even just a simple Notes section for each book where you could add whatever you wanted…including recommendation sources.

      Posted 3.8.19 Reply
  4. Eileen M Kunstman wrote:

    I start a new list each year but I keep the previous year’s. I don’t read much from the new list until I finish the old list. I couldn’t bear to just remove books! 🙂 So now I am still working on my 2018 list, probably won’t finish until halfway through the year, oh well. 🙂

    Posted 3.7.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Oh my Lord – I’d be like 5 years behind by now if I did that!

      Posted 3.8.19 Reply
      • Eileen M Kunstman wrote:

        I know, every year I get farther and farther behind. But I can’t help it. 🙂

        Eileen

        Posted 3.10.19 Reply
  5. Brittany wrote:

    Tell the Wolves I’m Home is such a good book. You shouldn’t wait til December to read it 🙂

    Posted 3.8.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Everyone is raving about Tell the Wolves I’m Home…I’ll definitely try to fit it in sooner!

      Posted 3.8.19 Reply
  6. On the podcast this week I was a little surprised to hear about how you use your TBR list. After reading all the details here it makes a lot of sense and seems overall like an easier system than keeping it all in a single spreadsheet. I may have to give your method a try….NEXT year! (Also, I’m with the others on Tell the Wolves I’m Home. So good!)

    Posted 3.8.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Confession: I don’t actually use the TBR list portion of my reading tracker – oops!! That’s for other people if they want it.

      Posted 3.8.19 Reply
  7. You’re so organized! Mine is basically my library holds and my ARC downloads. Backlist is just kind of a mental list (plus what’s physically in front of me on my shelf). I do need a better system of managing it, though. I like your categories, especially for things like Nonfiction November. Definitely food for thought!

    Posted 3.8.19 Reply
  8. I love this idea and I love that you’re tracking potential Nonfiction November reads! I’m not sure I’m willing to completely refresh my list the way you do (although I’m thinking about it!) but I definitely want to start categorizing the books on my to-read list.

    Posted 3.8.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      The categorization has definitely helped me!

      Posted 3.8.19 Reply
  9. Jan wrote:

    Sarah,
    I love this because I love lists1 I’ve been adding books to my tbr on Goodreads but I often forget why I wanted to read the book, so it’s not been all that useful. Then I tried keeping a tbr in a notebook but it’s not always with me so that wasn’t helpful either.

    I will have to try this. I also think culling the list every year is a great idea. Thanks!

    Posted 3.8.19 Reply
  10. Anne wrote:

    I haven’t read “Tell the Wolves I’m Home” but I came to highly recommend “Age of Miracles.” I read it a few years ago and I still think about it which puts it on my “best” book list. The vast majority of books don’t stay with me so ones that do are clearly special. Happy Reading!

    Posted 3.9.19 Reply
  11. I have a massive wishlist on Goodreads which is separate from the TBR list of ones I actually have on hand. I keep a rotating collection of roughly 300 books on hand that are TBR and it takes me about two years to get through them because I also intermingle my reading with books from the library (off the wishlist). I also keep an “exwishlist” list on Goodreads of books I have acquired either through purchase or library to compare the want to reads to the have actually reads. I do sometimes delete books off the wishlist.

    Posted 3.11.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I did that for awhile too, but found I never actually consulted my Goodreads “to read” list!

      Posted 3.12.19 Reply
  12. Lauren wrote:

    I’ll add to the TELL THE WOLVES I’M HOME recs. Superb.

    This is an interesting system. Before you said you forgot what books were/were about I thought to myself “Oh, I’d never remember!” I need covers. So I keep (oh boy, my AR/OCD is going to show) lists on Amazon. I have a basic list where I drop books when I hear about them. Then, over time, I see if they are at one of my two local libraries (if they are, I move the book to that library’s list), or available in audio or ebook form (and then they get dropped in THAT list). So if I need an audiobook, I know to peruse that list.

    To be honest, it doesn’t get a lot of things read, but I have (1) mostly assignments and (2) books on the shelves I don’t have enough time for. But I need that visual of the cover to have a chance of remembering. It’s when covers change that I’m screwed. More things get dropped from the list because the cover changes and I have no idea what it is anymore. I would like to try the part of your system that involves dropping more books, especially with the faith they will come back around if I was meant to read them.

    Posted 3.12.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I get it – I’m pretty visual too so I can see how seeing the covers matter. Seeing the words still works for me, but pictures are even better!

      Posted 3.12.19 Reply
  13. I’m new here…what is ARC?

    Posted 3.12.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Welcome! It stands for Advanced Review Copy…it’s either a hard copy or e-book that publishes send to reviewers before the book is published…so reviewers can have their reviews ready by publication date.

      Posted 3.12.19 Reply
  14. Jeff wrote:

    I keep a TBR pile in Goodreads, but I wonder if I could do better. Often books that get thrown on the list are the results of reading reviews and something either pops out at me or their books that I am looking to read in a particular area, mostly for intellectually curiousity about, wanting to keep up with the literature of a particular topic, or a topic that I am looking to write about. I am amazed at how you keep your lists so organized.

    Posted 3.12.19 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Ha – well it was mostly out of necessity after awhile!

      Posted 3.14.19 Reply
  15. Tina wrote:

    I love how organized you are about your reading. I don’t have anything formal, but I know that I have probably forgotten about half the books I thought about reading. I am going to have to get more organized and get my list in writing. I can see why you would need to clean the list up every year. There would be no way I would be able to read everything on the list and it would spiral! Thanks for the post – you have given me food for thought!

    Posted 3.15.19 Reply

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