How I Choose My Next Read? AKA. Finding A Method To My Madness

I think I may have a problem. 

No not the one with my having a never ending list of TBR books (is that a problem even? Doesn’t everyone have that?)

And it is not about feeling guilty about all the book reviews that are pending. But thanks for reminding me of that.

And the one about how I struggle with a book even when I don’t like it, without DNF-ing it? Great, This is exactly why I don’t write out what I think nor I have a conversation with the mini-me.

You know what, I will tell you guys myself! I am an indecisive schmuck when it comes to choosing my next read. And I used to think it was normal too, until I saw those beautiful posts on monthly and weekly TBRs. Well, as much as they inspired me, they broke me.

How I Choose My Next Read?

So I guess I need a system. FOR CHOOSING MY NEXT READ. That makes sense doesn’t it? I should not be wasting an hour or two of my precious time on deciding what I am reading next instead of reading it already. Especially with the tremendous growth I have been showing when it came to planning of late. It should be a cake walk right?

Next read

Let us get on with it, I will choose my next read right away WITHOUT WASTING ANYMORE TIME.

Method 1: Choosing the book (ARC – Advance review copies) that is closest to the publishing date.

Well, these seem obvious right? With planning and I being so chummy these days, I just have to choose one that is near the deadline. 
I never thought it was going to be this simple. Now I can just read!

BUT.. But I don’t feel like waging a war with the zombie right now. Maybe, I am in the mood for a romance, especially since it is winter and all. 

Let me check the Goodreads’ romance shelf.

*Ends up ordering two or three or ten books and spends the night worrying about how broke I am*

Next read

Method 2: Choose a book from the recommendations and reviews of your favorite blogger

Today is new day and a new beginning. Let me pick one book before I have my morning coffee so that I can start reading while I commute or run errands. 

Let us make this easy. Pick the one that your favorite blogger recommended recently. 

But which one? I have so many favorite bloggers and they have so many books on their recommendation. 

It is going to take a while, guys. Let me get that coffee first.

Next read

*Ends up blog hopping till it is dark, skipping breakfast, lunch and survives on coffee*

Method 3: Pick one that has stayed the longest on your TBR

I will just pick the one that I have in my TBR already. 

May be the one I added the first, like the First in first out. This method works so well for stocks in the stores, it should work me too.

OMG, I need to read THIS, I have no idea why I have not read this. It has been so long that I don’t even know where it is. I just have to find this on my shelf.

Next read

Well, that is a bust. I have no clue where it is. 

Method 4: Pick the one right next to you, literally.

You know what? I am just going to pick that random book that is physically near me and save the time instead of searching for one in these heap. 

But my e-reader has like 100s of books and it is near me as it should be as always. Should I pick that one up already? The ‘latest one I added in that’ makes more sense right? What am I if not the most sensible one!

Next read

I am going for it. And I am just going to ignore the hard copies and their beautiful covers. Like I care about them. Or do I? 

Method 5: Take a quiz or two

Sigh I give up. I can’t do this. I wish someone told me what to read. Someone like Goodreads but not exactly that. 

Something more personalized and more according to my mood. Maybe I will take one of those quizzes.

Next read

*Goes deep into the world of GIFs and food and never emerge out*

Method 6: My go to method for choosing my next read

I give up. I may as well pick something that is not on my To Be Read shelf. 

What did I say? OhMYGod. Thats it, I am picking THE book SHE recommended. I know it is not my TBR. but I am adding it now. 

But your TBR is crying!

Next read

Sssh! I am done with trying to be organized. 

I am a mood reader and bad at taking decisions and I accept it after I waste 3-4 days where I read nothing, almost every week. 

Well, if you have a system that works for you, enlighten me. Save my TBR! Let us chat. 

Next read

Related Posts

36 Comments

  2. This post made me smile so much 😀 It sounds like you really struggle with what to read next. I don’t really have a method to the madness really. I either need to read something for uni or the blog, or I just choose what genre I am in the mood for and look at my shelves because there is plenty on there for me to read. I am a total mood reader so I just go for my mood really 😛

  4. I have a list I work through for those on my normal TBR list that goes off when the publisher, author requested a review. My other list is for those on blog tours or dates for review booked in. These take priority.

  8. This post is so true, and I have tried all of these at one point or another! I tend to stick more closely to method 1 on due dates… but I have been reading more backlist lately. I’ve been doing a lot of buddy reads lately and mood reading, which is fun.

  11. I like doing tours, and I make sure that I have my NetGalley and Edelweiss books up to date but when I have chance, I have so many favourite authors that I cannot wait to catch up with.

  14. I love this post! To pick my next read, I usually try to pick up review books first. But on occasion, I find myself wanting to read another genre and I lose all hope of staying on track. I honestly am not sure how I ever pick a book to read, it just happens. 🤷‍♀️ 🙂

  15. haha your post made me smile! I’m a chronic “THE BEST” seeker. What is the best way to [then insert here whatever! Make coffee, train a chihuahua, choose a book! LOL] since I’m also chronically behind in life I learn to go with the opposite of your ARC strategy. I pick the farthest to the publishing date. 🙂 Nad.. Congrats you won my last NaNoWriMo Giveaway! I don’t think you are in the U.S. right? (Dubai?). Should I send you the gift card to the email you left on the comments?

  16. I used to always end up tearing up my hair when I need to choose my next book with open-ended options. Then I started an excel sheet for every year with a maximum of 50 books that I should read. It is a mixed bag of all my usual authors, genres, recommendations from bloggers and reading clubs, tbr, etc. It gives me a goal to complete but these are not the only books I read. Sometimes I diverge from the list when some books are compelling, but I get back to this list in the end. If I am unable to complete any book I carry forward it to the next year. It has worked for me for the last 2 years.

  17. TBR is not a problem unless you recognize that it’s problem, so we’ll just ignore it and go on our merry way, all right? Also thanks for reminding me that I’m guilty of pending book reviews that need to be written as well.

    I’m very much a choosing a book by publication date – I’ve gotten in the habit of requesting certain books every few months so I have time to read what I DO enjoy, and not ones that I’m obligated to read when requesting. Sometimes I do a combo of adding or moving a book up because a blogger friend recommended it, but that’s a very rare case (I did do it for This Mortal Coil, though, which I’m still waiting for the hold on it).

  18. This post is hilarious but SOOO true! I don’t have a system set to decide what I read next either but I think that’s a fun thing…? Because that doesn’t limit my choices but of course, it can waste a lot of time XD Guess, you gotta lose something to gain something. However, if the book turns out to be a DNF, then that’s a heartbreak right there. I’m so guilty of #6 and #1 is what I wish I was doing, haha. This post was so much fun to read, Gayathri! <3

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *