I think if you're a book blogger, and you don't have this problem, you must be some sort of saint. You buy a book, intending to read it within the month. Other books come before it, of course, you can't just stop everything and read that one book, even if you were enthused about it to begin with. So the book languishes in the place you left it, forgotten until you begin your spring cleaning
You wonder why you picked up that book in the first place. What terrible reviews it garnered on Goodreads! Absolutely none of your bookish friends have read it. Did you just pick it up due to the price, or even just the cover?
In an effort to curb my own neglect of the books I already own, I've tried many things, none of which have been proven that effective. So my latest scheme is simple: put my TBR shelf in an area I walk by everyday, and make it look tempting. (Also, host a challenge to help me commit to reading the massive amount of paper books that I've gathered, which make up my version of a doomsday bunker).
Here's a look at my the-pile shelves before (and this was on a good day):
My the-pile shelves after:
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| I have a thing for book stacks. |
I redistributed about half of my the-pile books into the hallway shelf, giving them both breathing room and a bookstore-vibe. I hope this method will help me with my goal, more than some others I've tried like:
-the-pile TBR Jar
Why it didn't work for me: Even when I chose the genre, it didn't necessarily give me a book choice I was "in the mood for". I'm a mood reader. A piece of paper can't tell me what to read!
-Shutting Down My Review Requests:
Why it didn't work (that well): I still have my review requests closed, but it didn't really force me to read books I already owned- I could just buy more instead!!! I did this for several other reasons, and don't regret the choice at all. Still, it hasn't slowed my consumption of freshly bought reads.
-Entering More Bookish Challenges/Read-a-thons
Why it hasn't worked (that well): Again, I buy books like a bit of a machine. And since it's one of my holy trinity of vices (sugar, caffeine, and books) I really don't feel like going on a buying ban, especially since the other two vices likely hurt me more.
