Bookmarks Subscribers discussion

I'm curious - does your To Be Read pile have an order to it and do you read things in that order? Or do you select your next book according to your mood at the moment? I was reading a post on another group and the poster had her future reading in a very firm lineup. The concept is so alien to me I had to find out what others do. I treasure the selection of my next book almost as much as I do the actual reading of it and it is very much based on my mood at the moment.

When I want to pick a new book, I usually go to my Goodreads to-read list, sort on average rating and pick something that looks appealing to me from the top of the list.

The only time I choose what to read ahead of time is if I have a deadline for the book (due back, bookgroup selection, etc) I prefer to choose based on my mood and I sometimes even delay choosing for an hour or so just to savor the fact that I have so many possibilities in front of me.

My TBR is fluid and based on many factors, like what I have to read for my book clubs, my mood, what's new, what I own, etc...... I try to look at my TBR by the month and list the books I "must" read for my 3 F2F book clubs. I also factor in the several GR book groups I'm a part of, then include books I'm dying to read because they're by a favorite author or a friend has given it glowing recommendations or it's new and I want to be among the first to read it. That being said, I still choose day by day depending on my mood; and if I can't decide then I start more than one.

Something I did last month, which I think I will continue with is I made a printed a collage of a dozen book covers of books I wanted & needed to read for the month. I tacked it to the bulletin board in my library. It helped keep me on track; plus I liked visualizing the books since I read so many ebooks now.

My TBR is arranged simply by the order that I have put them on the TBR - it means absolutely nothing. My "order" of books are those that need to be read for my face2face book clubs, what is due at the library, and then whatever I pick up out of my piles of books at home (which are always growing). Most of my reading choices are just by mood at the time.

I do somewhat like Lisa in that each month I put up a list of books for each of my book clubs (2 face2face and 4 on-line). I just type the titles, but I like her idea of a collage of covers! I keep it on the fridge noted with the day that month they need to be read by.

I usually set a line-up based on book club reads and some of the challenges in which I participate. I find, however, that I'm constantly changing this line-up based upon many factors, such as mood, library availability, etc. I have friends who plan a year's worth of reading in advance! I love being organized, but when it comes to my reading, I like to have some spontaneity. New books come out all of the time so I try to read some of those while also working through my TBR list.


From time to time, I also order my TBR list on GR. However, I find that I rarely actually get to the books in that order. I keep lists on scraps of paper that I write by hand to keep those books top of mind that I'm interested in. I've started to put the Bookmarks magazine and other books on my Amazon wish list and then I use that list to find books from the library or to buy them if I can get them cheap.

In the end, I'm all over the place with some semblance of order that is frequently in flux if that makes sense.

I cut bookcovers from Goodreads reviews and paste them into a document titled "Books to Read".

I still get most of my books from my local library, so the date they're due back plays a big part in deciding which book to read next. That said, especially when I have more than one book due back at the same time, my decision each time is largely based on what I'm in the mood to read at that particular moment.

My TBR list is just a list of books that I want to read at some given point. Since I don't have any F2F booksclubs at this moment - I will decide from my bookclubs here on Goodreads, if I don't want to read something from those groups, then I just choose a book from the books that I own. I am more of a mood reader.

I gather titles from web sites and magazines mostly and promptly file the titles in one of 12 Goodreads folders I've created. I try to be a well-rounded reader so when I need something to read, I browse my folders and try to choose from an area I haven't read as much of. Mood wins though.

I'm definitely a mood reader ... but must be a very moody person because I'm often reading a dozen books simultaneously. Always some non-fiction, some light fiction, and something serious (to carry around when I want to appear intelligent!) I gather suggestions from podcasts, websites, newsletters from book sources, BookTV on the weekends, plus good old serendipity while browsing library shelves or Amazon. No order to the pile. Whatever strikes my fancy at the moment.

My TBR list is loosely organized by genre - mystery, classics, non-fiction, and everything else. I choose what to read next based on my mood, although lately I have been trying to choose books that have been on the list for a long time - trying to get through some of the backlog.

I like variety, so for example, if I am reading a historical novel at home, I will have a contemporary mystery at work (can't waste those 15 minute breaks) and a fantasy selection on audio (to listen to while commuting, doing housework, etc.) If I am in the middle of similar books I can get confused. The mark of a really great book is that I take it with me everywhere and don't want to read anything else till it's done!

I was never a multiple book reader until joining GR a few years ago. Now, I have an audio book for my commute, a Kindle book for my lunch hour and two paper books for home - one is a chunkster that I read in parts after finishing the other, a shorter read.

I also have much variety in my reading and continue to extend myself to try new things. Generally, I am surprised in a good way, but some clunkers do tend to find their way into the mix - ha ha ha.

Robin wrote: "I like variety, so for example, if I am reading a historical novel at home, I will have a contemporary mystery at work (can't waste those 15 minute breaks) and a fantasy selection on audio (to list..."

I'm with you. I always know I've found a new favorite when i'm so hooked that I take it in the car with me and read it at the stop lights.