TBR or not TBR? Pros and Cons of Keeping a 'To Be Read' List ⋆ Wonderfully Bookish

TBR is a popular acronym in the book world, and it simply means “to be read”. Some readers decide to keep a TBR list—i.e. a list of books they’d like to read within a specific time frame—while others choose not to stick to one.

But why do people decide to stick to a TBR? And why do others hate them? If you’re on the fence, I’m going to help you answer the question: TBR or not TBR?*

*This was supposed to be a play on ‘to be or not to be’. Did you get it? Am I a genius or was it totally not clear? (Remember that saying “no” might hurt my self-esteem.)

I’m going to preface this post by saying that I do currently keep a monthly TBR list, so many of the reasons listed below are likely to be why I personally find them useful. If you’ve got anymore to add that I may not have thought of, let me know!

First, let look at the pros of having a TBR list.

1. They help keep you disciplined with your reading.

I find that when I have a TBR handy at all times, it helps me decide what I’m going to read next, and I get a great sense of accomplishment when I tick them off my list. I make an actual checklist so I can cross them off when I’ve read them, and seeing that list all completed makes me feel great! I can read other books throughout the month too, but I like to try and read at least the books on my list.

It helps me stay disciplined and actually read the books I set out to read, rather than getting distracted and that book I wanted to read in May still hasn’t been read by October.

2. It’s a great way to keep on top of ARCs and new releases.

As a book blogger, I get quite a few ARCs (advanced reader copies, or proof copies) of books, and I also like to stay on top of new releases so I can keep up with the rest of the community and review them when they come out. Keeping a TBR list is a great way to do this. If you receive an ARC that comes out in a certain month, I’ll make sure to add it to my TBR at some point before its release.

Similarly, with books I’ve bought new, I’ll try and read them ASAP and adding them to my actual TBR list keeps me accountable so I actually do that. This is also the same if you borrow books from the library, and you need to read them before they’re due to be returned.

3. You don’t need to spend ages deliberating over what to read next.

If you’re anything like me, you might be incredibly indecisive and spend ages choosing what to read next. And sometimes, this can often lead to not reading at all because I spend so god damn long trying to decide that I don’t bother. (Just me? Okay.)

By having a list of books that I’ve already predetermined at the beginning of the month, I don’t face that decision every time I finish a book. I can just look at my list that might have 4 or 5 books on it for the month and choose one of those! It even helps me get excited to finish my book and move onto the next one because I know what’s coming next and I’ve built up my excitement to read it throughout the month.

4. It helps you vary what you’re reading.

When I put together my monthly TBR, I try to make sure it’s nice and varied so I don’t have too much of the same kind of thing. When I’ve chosen books in the past based on my mood or how much I liked the previous book, I go for a lot of similar things and often find myself falling into a slump because I’ve read too much of that thing.

Setting your TBR at the beginning of the month (or week, or however often you do it) can help you see an overview of the books you’ve chosen, and you can decide to add some variation in there if you’d like to do so.

5. Don’t forget those books you need to read!

This is similar to point 3, but a TBR list planned in advance helps you make sure you never forget books you should be reading. Whether it’s a book for school, university, a book club, one a friend gave you and wants back, or whatever the situation might be, popping it on your list for the month helps you remember that it’s there and needs to be read soon, so you can ultimately decide what you prioritise that month. An important book with a deadline might be prioritised a bit higher than one that on there just because you’ve wanted to read it for ages.

6. You might encourage yourself to pick up books that aren’t in your comfort zone.

Being a mood reader (see below) is great, but it could also mean you read a lot of “safe” books that you know you’ll like. I love dropping a couple of books into my TBR that I wouldn’t usually ever choose to read, but they’re ones I’ve been curious about. This means I’ve read a few books recently that are usually way out of my comfort zone, and I’ve ended up loving them because my TBR encouraged me to give them a chance.

Okay, so now that we’ve looked at the pros of a TBR list, how about the cons? Here are a few reasons a TBR might not work for you, and that’s completely okay!

1. You might find it too restricting.

If you’ve made your list but you find yourself halfway through the month desperately wanting to read something else that isn’t on your list, what do you do? Panic? Flail about? Or read it anyway and forget the list altogether? If the TBR list is just stressing you out because you’re struggling to remain loyal to it, don’t worry. It might not work for you. Go into the world and read what you like without having a list!

2. If you’re a mood reader, you might feel forced to read things that don’t work for you right now.

The part I’d like to highlight in that sentence is right now. A lot of people are mood readers, meaning they like to pick what they read based on what mood they’re in. If you force yourself to read what you fancied putting on the list a couple of weeks ago, it might dampen the experience of what could otherwise be a great book, just because you’re not feeling it right now.

You could pick it back up when you’re more in the mood and love it, but being forced to DNF it first time could have a negative affect. If you’re a mood reader, a TBR list might not be good for you.

3. If you acquire new books but your list is full, what do you do?!

You’ve already planned your TBR list at the beginning of the month… but oh no! You’ve bought or received a book that you’re super excited about, but your list is full! But you want to read this new shiny book right now! Pausing the list (or scrapping it all together) might make you feel guilty or a little thrown off. In this case, if this happens regularly, you might want to stop using a TBR list altogether and read those new books straight away.

4. You might end up reading more books that you don’t enjoy.

Making yourself read books you’ve put on your list might mean you’ll enjoy them less. This could be for the reason in point 2, where being a mood reader is stopping you from enjoying books you might otherwise enjoy later on when you’re in a different headspace. It could also just be that forcing yourself to read specific books might lead to you disliking them, which can be frustrating if you keep wanting to DNF them. In that case, scrap the TBR and read books you’re more sure you’ll love.

5. Seeing a TBR list staring at you might feel daunting.

…and being daunted or intimidated by said list could lead straight into a reading slump. And readers don’t like reading slumps! Working on a huge TBR list might feel like you’re slowly chipping away at a massive stone with a plastic spoon. If this is the case, and you’re feeling overwhelmed by the list you’ve made for yourself, make it smaller or simply get rid of it altogether and read whatever the heck you want. TBR lists don’t work for everyone, and you might be one of those people. And that’s okay!

OKAY. So. Those are all the pros and cons I can think of right now, but let me know if you can think of anymore that I might have missed off the list.

Personally, I didn’t keep a TBR list for ages but recently I’ve found it really helps me read more varied books, read the books I need to read (whether they’re ARCs, new releases or book club books), and have a jolly good time.

A lot of this year for me has been a consistent readings slump, but making small TBR lists for myself (4-6 books a month) has helped me overcome this massively, and I love reading right now. There’s just something very satisfying about ticking them off my list once I’ve read them and moving onto the next one. (Maybe I just really love lists.)

So whether you’re a TBR fiend, a mood reader, or something in between, embrace it! Be the reader you truly are! Read all the books, whether they’re on a list or not, and have a great time doing it.