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To Be Read

I recently compiled an Excel spreadsheet containing information about my TBR books so I could keep better track of how I am doing in the informal “reduce the TBR stack” challenge. I excluded reference books, craft books, cookbooks, travel guides and books one rarely if ever reads from cover to cover, and according to this reckoning I have, as of today, 789 TBR books in my book collection.

I had not realised I owned so many books I had not read. Of the genres, about half are mysteries, thrillers or crime novels of one kind or another. The second biggest genre is novels of all sorts, including 81 historical non-mystery novels. This is followed by 55 romances and 49 travelogues and a smattering of other genres. Since I get rid of 9 out of every 10 books I own either through BookMooch or by donating them a local charity after I have read them, there is a lot of shelf space I can free just by reading more of my own books and fewer library books.

When I have finished reading the current crop of library books (most of them Top Mysteries Challenge books), I will concentrate on the TBR stack for a while and reduce the numbers even further. It will give me an excuse to buy some discounted books when the spring sales begin.
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Tabitha said…
Reading this makes me feel quite a bit better about all the TBR books I have. I haven't counted, but there are a lot. And I can hardly keep up with all I borrow from the library either. I guess it's good to be ambitious, but the reality is I just don't have enough reading hours in my day.
Tabitha.
March 31, 2009 3:50 am
Bibliophile said…
I know the feeling. You go to the library, check out 20 books, and before you know it you have to return them, but you have only read half.
Right now, I am trying only to buy books that are on my wishlist, and none on speculation, and to not buy books I can get from the library. It has slowed down the accumulation a bit, but I have a huge wishlist, so it's not slowing down as much as I would like.
March 31, 2009 10:45 am
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