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Well, I have since gotten over it, I mean – for the most part I have cut down on my ARC Tours, not because I wanted to but because of the pressure...and though I have still been getting plenty of books from publishers and the like, I feel less pressured, since they are “my books” I can read them as I want to.
So, now I have another problem – figuring out what to read next...
I mean – I have over 300 books sitting on my shelves UNREAD! Books I really want to read, like Firelight, 7 Souls, Shade, The Death Day Letter and Extraordinary...to ONLY name a select few...
Then I have 2nd books in the series to read too like Torment and Crescendo – which I am actually afraid to read, afraid that I will not like them as much as I did the first ones.
I think my problem is, fear actually, at least part of it – that and being TOTALLY overwhelmed with the AMOUNT of books I have waiting.
I can't help it, my favorite place IS the book store – besides hanging with the kids, and home of course! I also, don't want to take all the books down, I LOVE looking at them, they feel “like home” to me – if that makes sense!
So, I wrote all of this to ask you one simple question – how do YOU pick your next read? Do you just put them in order and take one off the stack at a time? How do you balance your eBooks with your REAL books? I mean, I see my REAL books in front of me, but my eBooks are on a device, I can't see there shiny covers or read there synopsis'.
So, tell me – give me the benefit of your great wisdom and advice – oh and if you want to check out my “to read pile” and help me pick out my next read – you can see it on goodreads! (Some of them are not even listed! ACK!)
Well due to one of the suggests I just went though, and created a TBR - ARC, TBR - Publisher (most of these are from NetGalley) and a TBR - Bought lists - :) Maybe it will help! :D
Oh gosh, I wish I had a clever answer for you! I guess I just do my best to prioritize. That, and I'm super OCD, so my books are height and colour coordinated, and sometimes I feel like reading a small blue book, or a thick green book haha it makes life a wee bit easier to go by the cover and appearance haha
ReplyDeleteI have very limited time. I work two jobs and read during my breaks (lunch and two 15 minute breaks in the day) and before I go to bed. If I have a particularly hairy schedule, I choose the book that seems to be the shortest. I also choose according to my mood. I love the paranormal and dystopian books right now but sometimes I need a little chick lit to lighten the mood. I suggest starting with a shortlist of maybe 5 books (standalones) to get you warmed up and feel like you've accomplished something and then move onto series books. Think of it as the baby-step book recovery program! You might need to re-read the first in the series (such as Hush Hush and Fallen) before pursuing them. :D Good luck Jen!
ReplyDeleteYeah I hear you, I have the same problem. I can'T answer the e-book vs real book question though because I don't read e-books =P
ReplyDeleteNow how do I choose, well I have multiple publishers sending me books and I try to rotate between them to try and keep everyone happy lol So it makes to task to chose somewhat easier. For exemple, I read a book from Random House last week, I just finished a book from St-Martins and I am currently reading a book from S&S I will most likely read a book from either Harper Collins or Penguin next. I hope it helps you!
Wow, I have no idea how to help. I read them in the order I get them from ARC tours or win them etc. As far as my personal books, I just read whatever interests me most first. Wish I could be of more help. ;)
ReplyDeleteLisa ~ YA Literature Lover
Tynga - hmm that's cool - though I don't have to many different publishing companies sending books they are mostly more authors with there books - bu that's an idea.
ReplyDeleteMelissa - I am REALLY OCD with my books too, LOL they are all by author name! Gosh it's weird, I used to have them all by size, now it's by authors last name - took me forever to re-do them, that was a project I took on at like 12 AM one night when I could not sleep and was undecided on what to read next.
5 short standalones - HMM...I just started one, short stand alone - so maybe I could do that - course not sure I have time to reread fallen or hush hush, though I have read Fallen twice it's a fav. :D
I feel the same way and I'm going through something like that right now. I finally made some headway with all the BEA books I got so some of that pressure has been lifted but like you I have a ton of books to read and then end up downloading something new.
ReplyDeleteMy strategy for last week was to read a more serious (PR, etc)and books I HAVE to review then alternate it with a short fun book. I managed to get through 5 books in a week with that method but I also read a few duds and felt pressured to get them done....so basically I have no answer! lol
Karen - LOL at least we are in the same "boat" so to speak - I have picked up 2 duds I just could not get into in the last week - it's driving me crazy LOL
ReplyDeleteHm, well I read books for challenges and ARCs first. Like right now, I'm reading a couple of Jane Austen books (for a challenge), and next I'm going to read The Sherlockian ARC, and then I'm going to read Birthmarked for the debut challenge. XD So I usually have a "plan" like that up to a certain point. Sometimes I just feel like cozying up with a book for an evening, so I pick one that looks "fast" and entertaining and just read it all at once.
ReplyDeleteReally, it just depends on my mood. If I don't have something I "HAVE" to read, I'll just look at my TBR and pick the one that I most feel like reading. ^_^
I am in the same predicament! I try to stay with a theme so I can go about knocking the books off in an organized manner and yet I fail miserably every time. I usually just end up looking at them going oh this one will work this time LOL
ReplyDeleteHmm. It's hard to make some sort of list of books that you should read. My suggestion is that you prioritize the ARCs sent to you. Let's say that you read 5 real books and read 1 or 2 ebooks next. When you choose a book, go by instinct. Think: What do I want to read NOW, in this very moment? I hope you get to read all of them soon! Goodluck!
ReplyDeleteI pick by my mood and what interests me most.
ReplyDeleteI think, honestly, you need to be much more proactive in what you are accepting for review. This helped me out a ton. I was accepting review copies from just about everyone. I've stopped. I haven't accepted a review book that I didn't honestly want to read asap for over 6 months now.
I've been able to hammer through a ton of the books I wanted to read because I wasn't hampered by those few books that I felt I had to read and wasn't reading.
Now, I just browse my not so big TBR shelves and pick out a book. Usually that requires reading the beginning pages to make sure it keeps my attention.
I know you've got at least 5 or so books in your pile that you've been dying to read. Pick them out and read them! It's not supposed to be work. Reading is fun for us!
I was going to look at your Goodreads but I wasn't sure how to go about suggesting a book. I'd suggest breaking it down to books for review, arcs for review, publisher sent etc. That way you have clear picture of exactly where you are in regards to what needs read for review and what needs read for fun. :)
Jess, honestly MOST of the books i have in my TBR pile are books I have bought LOL but that's a good idea breaking them down by what I have gotten from publishers and what I have bought.
ReplyDeleteWell, my tbr pile is super little, compared to yours. :D
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it depends on my mood and my time. Because of my coming-soon-super-important-exam, I'm avoiding series for now.
Sometimes, I choose based on the book cover, or the reviews, or the hype.
I don't have an e-reader, and I don't like reading e-book on computer, so..
I read the book I want to read the most. It always depends in which mood I am. It also depends on how many books I need for college, on mondays I have to carry two thick books for class, so I always bring a book with at least 250 pages (or less). ;)
ReplyDeleteIn weekends I love to read books that I got from Netgalley. Then I can relax a bit more.
I don't know if that helps. I would say when you are done reading a book, think about your tbr pile, and then the title that comes straigh to your mind, pick that one up. ;)
Good luck!
1st Books for review
ReplyDelete2nd Books that just came out and I can't wait to read
3rd I try to fit one of each Fey Book, Vampire, Wolf, Chick Lit
I publish a list once a month and some times I do and and take away just depending on my mood.
I am a complete mood reader. I have a handful of review books that all seem to be due this Fall, if I can't get into one right away I'll put it aside for a while and read something else. I always try to space out the review books with the many, many books I bought but never read. Sometimes I want MG sometimes fantasy, sometimes paranormal and once in a blue moon I'll want to read something slightly more realistic.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much help, I know. But I don't see anything wrong with being a mood reader. ;)
Cat, I tend to read via my moods too, just sometimes I guess I am not sure what I am in the mood for LOL
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this 100%. I too have a ton of unread books sitting on my shelf yet every month, I buy more. It is an addiction.
ReplyDeleteI am in the same situation. I enter each book I get in LibraryThing and tag them TBR. I currently have 851 books (and I'm cheating because I boxed up some really old TBR and relabeled them storage). I keep the most recent on my entertainment center. Then there are 4 milk crates full of 2010 arrivals and many bookshelves with 2009 and earlier arrivals. I am trying to choose from the entertainment center until that is empty. The only problem is that with school starting I am reading 4 books a week and still buying 8. I need to go on a book buying ban but, like you, I can't pass up all the good books I hear about on the blogs I read. I choose the book I'm in the mood for from the stacks. Luckily, I seldom get books for review so there are no deadlines.
ReplyDeleteI don't have an endless supply of review books. I usually accept enough to fill out a month. On average I read 1 review book, 1 library book, 1 purchased book, and 1 tour book a week (sometime that tour book gets replaced with one of the above categories).
ReplyDeleteMy problem was my purchased and library lists were forever long. I could sit and stare at the shelves all day long and not figure out what I want to read (both at home and at the library).
I decided to use random.org to choose what I want to read for me (I sometimes don't listen because I know I'm not in the mood for whatever it's chosen). Since goodreads lists are numbered, it works perfect. I have a book in mind when I go to the library and know what to grab off my shelves!
HEY what a cool idea :D Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness my TBR stacks are much smaller than yours! I might be feeling the same stress of too many options otherwise. But I do know what you mean about just not knowing what to choose - and like others have said, I judge by my mood. If I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for, I'll just pick something up and start reading. That's the best way to find out what you're NOT in the mood to read. :) And honestly, sometimes you just need a break from reading in general.
ReplyDeleteRandomly? Based on goodreads challenges I'm participating in? I need to review it like yesterday...
ReplyDeleteI just pick up whatever I guess. There's no rhyme or reason to my madness. Although lately I've been really digging into some older books I've been meaning to read for a while.
OMG! You have so many books! I wish I have more. Usually, I just pick up a book and start to read it. I enjoy reading real books instead of e-books because I like holding it in my hands, and I get to look at the cover any time I like. It feels real.
ReplyDeleteI read the first page of several and wait for something to snag me :)
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time on your blog! Enjoying it!!! I, too, have tons of books sitting on my shelves waiting to be read. I just love books--buying them, reading them, borrowing them--everything! Here's kinda how I choose what to read:If I have books I have borrowed from friends, I try to read those first, although occasionaly I'll stick one of my own in there somewhere. If I only have my own books, I gauge my mood to see what I want to read. Do I want something light? Chick lit? Something short, that I can get through quickly? Or do I want something I can savor and really sink my teeth into? Basically, I look at my shelves (and stacks!) and see what grabs me at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could help you but I'm in the same boat! I actually have some review books that I need to read first - first come, first read basis. Then once I'm all caught up, I get to go thru my "own" TBR pile. I have a few set aside, ones that I've been wanting to read for a while now.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Ahh, you've got so many books! I normally read my books in the order I get them but if there's a book everyone seems to be raving about, then that gets bumped up to the top. Sometimes though if I have nothing to do but am not really in a reading mood either, I just pick something to read based on the cover.
ReplyDeleteHOLY CRAPOLA. THAT is A LOT of books! LOL! But I saw your TBR ARC list and I say...CRESCENDO CRESCENDO CRESCENDO! LOL =) I just finished reading it yesterday and it was AMAZING! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! I WANT TEMPEST NOW! Becca! Please! Don't leave me hanging!!!!! LOL! I'm crazy, but you know ya gotta luv moi =))))))
ReplyDeleteReggie =)))))))))
Great question! Not sure I can give it a very good answer though lol.
ReplyDeleteReview copies I tend to put in order of publishing date so that's relatively easy. Library books, I generally put in order of return date, although I bump some ahead if I think they're likely to be ordered by someone else (and therefore I won't be able to renew them).
Of the books I've bought. I kind of just stare at them for a bit until I I decide which I want to read. Probably not the best way to do it but I find if I plan ahead, I don't always end up with a book that suits my mood.
I've started a new feature on my blog to promote review posts. Come and check it out!
Read My Review
Read Torment...better than Fallen!!!
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