I’ve shared how I’ve used Goodreads and StoryGraph, and even a bullet journal, to track my reading. My to-be-read (TBR) list is ridiculously long, and I can accept (perhaps unwillingly) that I’ll never actually read everything on that list. One thing I am often asked though, is how I actually decide what to read next.
Before I share my methods, I want to talk a little bit about my reading personality (yes, it’s a thing!) which I believe will help you understand if these ideas will work for you. I like to plan my reading in advance, which means that I always have a running list of five or so books I plan to read next. Some people are mood readers, and they have a hard time planning like this, because their reading is a lot more dependent on what they feel like reading at a particular time. There is no right or wrong here, it’s just good to know your preference so that you’re choosing books you actually want to read.
Here are a few things I do to help me narrow down my slightly out of control TBR list.
Keep a short “up next” list
I use the Notes app in my phone to keep a running list of at least five books I want to read next. Often I just go down that list, in order, but sometimes library holds dictate what I actually pick up next. I like having this list where I can easily refer to it. If I notice that I’m almost done with my audiobook, I can consult my list and either put the next one on hold or purchase it from Libro.fm.
Having a short, manageable list that’s always handy helps me not to feel overwhelmed by my seemingly never-ending TBR list that I track on StoryGraph and in a spreadsheet. When it comes to decision making, I definitely struggle with “analysis paralysis” so not spending time overthinking and just choosing from my short, curated list helps a ton.
Rotate genres
This works for me because I like a lot of variety in my reading life (as evidenced from my all-over-the-place book round-up posts). Typically I don’t like to read two books from the same genre, or with the same themes, back to back. Occasionally it happens due to library holds and timing, but most of the time if I finish a book from one genre, I choose something completely different to read next. When I’m making my “up next” TBR list, I make sure that there is a lot of variety in themes and genres.
This also goes for audiobooks. I am usually listening to something on audio and reading a physical or eBook at the same time, so I try to choose books that are very different so there’s no risk of getting them confused. For example, I just finished a nonfiction personal-growth book, I’m about to start a graphic memoir, and on audio I’m listening to backlist literary fiction.
If you are in a season where you prefer to stick to just one genre, this method may not work for you. However, I do think you can play around with the idea of having variety even within one genre or theme (such as changing up romance tropes, or types of mysteries/thrillers).
Play library hold roulette with new realeases
Something I’ve started doing recently is looking ahead at upcoming new releases, and requesting them from my library as early as I can. Sometimes that means that I’m one of the first to get a book after it comes out, which is always exciting. Often though, if I request a book after it’s already been published, I’m in a LONG library hold line.
Instead of being frustrated about not knowing when my book will be available, whether it’s not yet released or I’m number 387 in line, I embrace the surprise factor. Whether it’s in a few weeks or in a few months, I know that eventually I’ll get an email telling me my book is available. Sometimes the line is so long that by the time the book is available, I had forgotten that I even had it on hold!
That book then goes to the top of my TBR list (I don’t want to wait for it again!). The only time this backfires is when I do this with several books and then they all come in at once… that happens to me often in the summer, when I like to put lots of (mostly new) books on hold. When it happens though I choose the 2, maybe 3, I’m most excited about reading to tackle first, and then try to accept the fact that some will go back to the library *sniff* unread.
Join a book club or buddy read
A few summers ago I learned about a local online (and soon to be brick and mortar!) bookstore that hosts a monthly book club. Since then I’ve joined the online book club meeting just about every month, and I prioritize reading their monthly selection.
Not only does it help me to read books I wouldn’t normally pick up (such as Legendborn, which I read and loved, despite not being a fantasy reader), but it’s also a way for me to support a local bookstore that I love, by purchasing the book from them each month.
If you don’t want to join a book club or can’t find one to join, I also recommend doing regular “buddy reads” with a friend or two. One of my good friends and I used to do this regularly (although we’ve fallen out of habit since the pandemic), and it was a nice way for us both to expand our reading since our tastes are often different. I wouldn’t want someone else dictating my reading life all the time (aghh college flashbacks!), but for one or two books a month, it’s nice!
Make a yearly reading list
This year, in order to read more nonfiction, I decided to make a list of twelve books (mostly personal growth and development) I wanted to read, one for each month. This works for me because while I like nonfiction and always tell myself I want to read more of it, my default is fiction and it’s what I pick up more often than not.
At the beginning of each month, I download the month’s pick onto my Kindle and read it slowly throughout the month. Usually I read a little bit of it while I eat lunch, because even on busy work days I try to at least take a little bit of a break in the middle of the day. For my nonfiction list I like to choose books that are practical and will help me grow or improve in some way, because for me those are the types of books I often add to my TBR but rarely get excited about enough to request or download them when I see them available. This helps me actually get through that list, and I like having a different focus—like clutter, technology habits, or the enneagram—each month.
See what’s available at the library
While this isn’t a strategy for choosing from my long TBR, it can help me narrow down a smaller list. I usually like to have a couple of “on deck” books to read, and I start to get a little nervous if I’m in the middle of a book and I don’t have anything else lined up next. That’s when I like to see what’s available at my library that I can put on hold and pick up in a matter of days. Or, if it’s an audio book I need and I don’t have a credit on Libro.fm, I like to see what’s available to download right away from my library.
Randomly select books from my TBR
Okay this might be my favorite, yet most ridiculous, way I choose what to read next. When I need something to read and I’ve already read my book club pick, I don’t have any library holds available, and I’ve already chosen my monthly nonfiction, I sometimes let a random number generator help me choose what to add to my “up next” list.
I enter the number of books on my TBR list (an embarrassing 1,330 at the moment… yikes) into the number generator (I use random.org). I keep a spreadsheet of all the books I want to read, so I can easily find the number that was randomly selected. If it’s one I still want to read, I will add it to my short list or request it from the library. If not, I delete it from my list. Not only does this usually help me choose more backlist to read, but it also helps me (VERY slowly) prune my TBR.
I really like the surprise element of this method. My TBR is so huge that I often forget what is on it, so this helps me choose books that I may have forgotten about. For the past few years I’ve been tracking where I got the recommendation from as well as why I want to read the book, so seeing that will often trigger my memory on why I added it to my list in the first place. That’s why I like keeping a spreadsheet, because it helps me to find books easily, especially when I have such an insane number of books on my list.
These are the different strategies I use to help me choose what to read next. I hope this gives you some ideas for how to narrow down your TBR as well. I’d love to hear how you choose what you read next too!
