December Talk Meme: Mt TBR

[calissa]

It's probably high time I started on my December Talk meme posts, since the month is closing in on half gone already. umadoshi asked: How do you feel about your TBR list? Is it intimidating, or is it good to know there are so many books out there that you know you want to read, or...anything else?

As I begin to draft this post, Mt TBR stands at 216 books. So far this year I've read 54 books, some of which were rereads. If I continue reading at this rate and stop acquiring more books (ha!), it should take me around four years to read everything on Mt TBR. Surprisingly, I'm not all that intimidated by this.

What bothers me more is the notion of keeping up. There are so many books I feel I should be reading--not necessarily because they're on Mt TBR (though that is sometimes the case) but to keep in touch with what's going on. Logically I know it's impossible to keep up with everything that's going on in the spec-fic publishing industry, with the various book-blogging communities, with fandom. I struggle to even stay up-to-date with my reading here at DW and constantly feel the need to apologise for being behind. Nevertheless, this idea that I must somehow keep up is a hard one to shake and possibly tied in with a case of Imposter Syndrome.

Mostly, I see Mt TBR as simply a sign of my great love of reading. And if you think my Mt TBR is tall, you should see the size of my wish list!

Comments

[onewhitecrow]

I don't think keeping up is possible: there is a lot of world, and exponentially more books since the digital revoloution. If I despaired in bookshops before...

Still, it is good to know you're not intimidated by it, even if you feel the pressure to be omniscient, being a god. Perhaps you should ask devotees to bring you offerings? They probably would.

What's your attitude to "classics" - that is, the kind of books society thinks everyone should attempt if they've had a certain level of education? The concept (and most of the literature) repels me, but without a few "classic"-guided forays into broader reading of old books I'd never have discovered Dostoyevsky, for instance. Or Dune, to move back into familiar waters.

[calissa]

Keeping up most certainly isn't possible. I just can't entirely convince my brain of that.

If I had devotees, I'd definitely require books and tea as offerings. Maybe also toast with kumquat marmalade.

Yeah, I'm not really a fan of "classics". I think it is difficult to appreciate books that were ground-breaking at the time when their tropes or techniques become commonplace. Or rather, I can appreciate them on an intellectual level but I don't find them in any way entertaining. Above all, I think reading should be enjoyable. If you enjoy reading to learn, that's fine, but not everyone does. Does that make sense?

Also, thank you for the short story you recommended a while back (the one with the foxes). I finally got to it yesterday and totally loved it.

[onewhitecrow]

Silly brain. Distract it with mythology?

I'm sure you have some somewhere...

Aw, that is an understandable but sad-sounding state to be in, though I have the same trouble/impatience with children's books. Not enjoying reading for stylistic/out-of-comfort-zone curiousity does verily make sense as a concept, though I can't quite picture how it works as it's outside my frame of reference.

^_^ I have always held that country & western is mostly folk speeded up with more rattlesnakes. I liked the ending best, though...it could've gone off into fairytale sparkles or modern Western grimgrimgrim, but that was so much more real, and powerful for it.

[calissa]

Excellent suggestion. I'll definitely keep it in mind. Right now, I don't have to worry. The weather here has been making me ow and wearing me out. Reading books (and eating chocolate) has been the most effective way of dealing with the pain and fatigue--and has the side benefit of quietening the silly "keep up" messages.

I certainly do! Though I am just about out of my current batch of marmalade. I'll have to check the pantry/with my in-laws for more.

I perhaps overstated a little bit. There have certainly been some literary classics I enjoyed. I am a fan of Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf. I also loved the Count of Monte Cristo. I guess I just bridle a bit at being told there are books I should read--even though I tell myself this all the time! And I usually welcome recommendations from friends, so it's kind of weird.

Yes, the ending was very deftly managed and the whole thing beautifully written. Thank you again for the recommendation.

[renay]

Keeping up is some kind of fuzzy dream. I know a few years ago I put a lot of stock in the idea that I could keep up, but the older I get the more I'm getting zen about it. There are people who can read a book a day, remember details, and parse the main ideas/themes enough to discuss them intelligently for an hour. I've got to be realistic about my brain's ability to process that much information that fast. I try to remember that my brain is my friend, not an obstacle. XD I do get torn up about pre-2000 books it feels like everyone has read, especially in SF? I feel like I'm missing something when reading/taking part in those discussions, but I'm not sure if that's because I'm actually missing something or if I've stumbled into a niche community with infinite amounts of disposal funds/time.

I have 400 books on my list, but I think that's because I combine all the books I own/my library has with books that sound interesting that I'll need to purchase on the same list. It's so exciting to see them all there. Like you, it's not really intimidating to me. The larger my list gets the more excited I get because it means more choices/adventures. \o/

[calissa]

Keeping up is definitely a dream but one I apparently struggle to let go of.

You make an excellent point about remembering your brain is your friend. I think I need to work on keeping that in mind. And I am aware enough of my limitations that I haven't signed up to be an Aurealis Award judge, though I dearly want to. I know that I'd never be able to keep up with the volume of reading they have to tackle.

At some point, if you're willing, I'd be interested to hear about if/how you prioritise your reading.

400 books is a lot! I take a slightly different approach to interesting library books. Books I'm interested in reading go on my wish list and get highlighted if they are available at the library. That way if I get the opportunity to buy or be gifted something from my wish list, I can ask for a book that isn't as easily available.

Yes! It is exciting to have such a wonderful list of potential reading.

Thanks for stopping by.

[renay]

Oh wow, I would love to be an award judge someday, just for the experience. The reading does seem really daunting, but it would be a neat exercise in how to pace reading/assessment.

My spreadsheet will become a little useless for books marked at my library, because I'll have a new library when I move... Although I hope it will still have most of the things, and maybe more, since it'll be a bigger city. Right now my rural library is great but still limited, and I lost access to the academic library when I graduated, unless I wanted to go in and sit there for hours like a creep. >.>

I'll have to think about how I prioritize my reading! That's an interesting question...

[calissa]

I can see how moving would make things complicated. Hopefully the bigger city will mean more books available.

[umadoshi]

I'm glad you don't find it daunting! ^_^ (I find mine to be. *sighs*)

[calissa]

Do you think you find it daunting because you feel an obligation to read them all?

[umadoshi]

That's probably a lot of it, yeah. :/ And the disorganization likely doesn't help--most of the stuff on my library holds list isn't recorded elsewhere, and the books I've bought but not read aren't recorded, and then there's the to-read shelf on Goodreads...

I'm starting to think I should make a spreadsheet and then cancel the bulk of my library holds (after noting in the spreadsheet that the library HAS the book). I'm coming up on 400 books on hold, and it's...unwieldy, to say the least.

[calissa]

A spreadsheet works pretty well for me and would probably be easier for managing so many books. It might be a bit of work to get set up in the beginning, but it is pretty easy to maintain after that.

I'm not sure it would help with the sense of obligation, though.

Also, if you're looking for a new Goodreads friend (and I won't be offended if you're not), you can find me here

[umadoshi]

Ohmygosh, I have spent a good few hours just dealing with the library holds list and putting everything on the spreadsheet. Whew. And as I was going through, I removed all the books I couldn't remember much (or anything) about, including who recced them. So now I have my list of them all, and my holds list is down to 77 books (from 375).

My initial feeling is that it will help with the feeling of obligation, esp. since I almost never think about the books on my Goodreads to-read list. ^^; Which isn't ideal, but hey.

I just added you over there!

[calissa]

Sounds like it was quite an effort! Worth it, though, especially if it helps with the feeling of obligation. I was actually thinking about doing a cull of my Mt TBR soon.

Thank you for adding me! I like to keep up with what friends are reading.