I’ve been sorting out my TBR (to-be-read) stack of books. Ever the latecomer, I’ve discovered that GoodReads is indeed a thing and that I like adding books to my To-Read shelf. I’ve culled from the TBR pile books I’ll never read but there’s still a sizable number left that I’d like to read.

Some points about my TBR:

1. Most of the unread books that have been on my shelves the longest are written by men. Hardly surprising since books by women writers comprise about 70% of my total reading.
2. Quite a number of chunky translated books by Hašek, Nadas, Škvorecký, Topol, Pelevin, Shikibu, Kostova and more. No doubt, as I reached for a book to read, my hands were repelled by the lengths of these books.
3. There are 25 (and counting) collections/anthologies of short stories on the TBR. Joy!

THE TBR Book Tag

Darkowaa, of African Book Addict, tagged me in her responses to the TBR Book Tag. Below are my answers:

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

I arrange the imminent TBR pile, into groups of 5, atop a long shelf above my bed. (A question I don’t ask myself: If I have 30 books in this pile, how can they all be considered “imminent reads”?). I stack a selection of probable reads in the grove between the wall and my bedside table. The rest, the long-term TBR, are on a bookshelf in my bedroom so I don’t ignore their existence. Now, I keep track of the entire TBR in Goodreads.

Is your TBR mostly print or e-book?

Print because, in only this instance, paper is best. I do have about 30 e-books but, try as I can, the most I can do in e-format is a short story.

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?

Mostly I go by feels, with some constraints especially if I’m participating in reading challenges or just doing my own reading projects.

A book that has been on your TBR the longest?

I can’t tell since I don’t typically keep records of my TBR. However, in July 2010 I did a post on the 10 Overlooked Books in my TBR. I’ve since read three books from the list. Coincidentally, some are the chunky translated books that I talked about earlier.

A book you recently added to your TBR?

That would be any one of the 27 books I brought back from Ake.

A book on your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover?

As a longtime avid reader/lover of African literature, I haven’t acquired the habit of getting a book because its cover is beautiful.  Covers of African literature were awful when I started reading. Covers are better now. I appreciate gorgeous book covers but I had to learn to disregard a book’s cover in assessing possibly entertaining reads. It’d be a different story if I started my reading journey even a decade ago.

A book on your TBR that you never plan on reading?

Easy peasy. Solar by Ian McEwan. I did my McEwan time and I will go never back there again. EVER. There are some in this camp who claim that all of McEwan’s novels should have been published as short stories. To this I say: don’t slander the short story form.

An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for?

None at the moment

A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you?

 

A book on your TBR that everyone has read but you?

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

A book on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

How many books are in your Goodreads TBR shelf?

205 as of January 24, 2016

——-

Lovely! Thanks, Darkowaa.

I don’t like tagging. So go right ahead and post yours if you’d like to participate.