Thursday, June 28, 2012

That proverbial pile

Some people hate it with a passion. Some have learned to live with it. A few don't even have it. I'm talking about that pile—the to-be-read pile, or just TBR as most of us would call it.

I've accepted the fact that I'll always have a TBR. My reading speed doesn't even come close to the rate at which I acquire books. My TBR has become my friend, always egging me to read, read, and read.

It's always interesting to see what other people have in their TBR, yes? My friend, Orly, has a wonderful TBR, shown below.

Thanks for the pic, Orly!

While our TBR may not necessarily reflect the books that we immediately read, it does allow other people a glimpse of the books that we like to have. (Yes, buying books doesn't always mean reading them.) Book porn for the book voyeur, the TBR seems to be.

Are there books that have been perpetually in your TBR, dear reader? I have lots. 

18 comments:

Kaz said...

Hi Peter,

That is one impressive TBR pile!

I'm catching up with mine - just a couple on my current TBR pile - but it's been a few weeks since the last bookstore experience. I can keep up with reading the piles - it's the bookshelves that can't keep up withthe acquisitions...I'm eyeing the wall space in the new apartment at the moment!

On the permanent list... I have a bunch of 'shoulds' - youknow, the books that apparently we should read in our lifetime... The Dickens (have only got to Oliver Twist so far), Dostoyevsky, Pepys Diary, The Shakespeare I haven't yet got to, it's endless really. So many books and not enough time.

Currently re-reading Noah Gordon's 'The Physician' and loving it as always. About to get back to those two YA historical novels I mentioned in a comment on your previous post, so watch out for those on my blog...playing with Shakepeare!

K

Peter S. said...

Hi, Kaz! I can't wait for your series of posts about Shakespeare!

Monique said...

For each book I finish, I think I acquire two or three more. I have devised ways through which I can whittle down the TBR pile, including destierro from bookstores and Amazon and forcing myself to strictly follow a reading list for a month, all to no avail. It's like an addiction, no? *sigh*

Peter S. said...

Yes, Monique, exactly! But it's a happy problem, no?

Jack Tyler said...

Yeah, I didn't have a TBR pile until I started following you damned bloggers! Now it's the Mistborn series, which I believe I have you to blame for (just acquired the second one today), the Caveat Emptor series, for which Arabella bears the guilt, Rook, which I seem to recall you being behind as well. After that are Across the Universe, s/f by Beth Revis; City of the Dead, Herbert Lieberman; The Taken, Vicki Patterson; and The Darlings by Cristina Alger.

I'll get you for this, Red Baron!

Peter S. said...

Jack, your comments never fail to crack me up! But Mistborn is quite addicting, no?

Jeane said...

Oh, yes! My TBR comprises an entire bookcase. I've been slowly working on it but like many of us, I acquire books faster than I read them. Not a bad thing, in my opinion. Then there's always something to choose from!

Peter S. said...

Hi, Jeane! So true!

Jack Tyler said...

Mistborn is quite addicting, yes!

Peter S. said...

Which reminds me, I still have to finish the 3rd book, The Lord of Ages.

caite said...

I decided you can think of the TBR pile as a problem or a lovely opportunity! sort of like the book version of job security.
book security!

so long as they don't fall on my cat!

Peter S. said...

Hi, caite! LOL!

Unknown said...

TBR pile, amateurs!!!! I have a medium sized bookcase, with a small pile next to it. I should really just get a bigger bookcase.

At the end of each year, I go through it and honestly decide if I still intend to read each book. If it's been on the bookcase for more than two years and I'm not sure that I still want to read it, it goes to the library book sale.

I donate books to the library book sale in Vallejo where I live, but I only buy books at the library book sale in Benecia, the next town over. That way I can be sure that I won't buy back the books I've donnated.

Peter S. said...

LOL!

That's a wonderful way you have there regarding buying books and donating them, C. B. James!

Anonymous said...

Hahahahaha!

"To be read or not to be read. That is the question."

Orly said...

No sweat, Peter. Actually that pile increases by the week!

I finally accepted the fact that this is a problem. A good problem to have!

Peter S. said...

I love the quote, Anonymous!

Peter S. said...

Hello, Orly! Such happy problems we have!