How many books (roughly) are in your tbr pile? Is this in increasing number or does it stay stable? Do you ever experience tbr anxiety in the face of this pile?
I would probably experience reading block anxiety more than a TBR one. Yes, the TBR pile is only growing bigger and taller, but reading is a work in progress, and specifically to me a lifetime commitment. Over winter break and spring vacation I have dented the TBR pile, which is now actually dwindling at a reasonable pace. That I have recently turned down some ARCs certainly have help mitigate the bookish inundation. The make-up of my current TBR pile is stock-up purchases at the bookstores and recommendations from book bloggers. I try not to overbuy and maintain a stable number of books. Around 45 right now. Knowing that I won’t get to read some of them I have never felt anxious about the ever staggering pile. One at a time and usually I’m content with the one good book that I’m reading.
I travel to warm places for vacation: Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii; it’s when I’m abroad that I find my towering TBR pile lovely and sweet, for book selections, at least in literature (not supermarket paperbacks) are dearth. The point is that it’s okay to have ing TBR. Don’t get us and just focus on enjoying the current read.
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A Guy's Moleskine Notebook 
I am a bit surprised to read how many people are anxious about their TBR books.
I am trying to be more select about requesting or accepting ARC…and I try to pause before rushing to purchase a book that receives a great recommendation and sounds so interesting from a fellow blogger. Not doing as great with that one…lol
I must be promiscuous by nature — well, in my literary life, anyway. I have several TBR piles; some of them I’ve even forgotten about. I probably will never get through them all, because, whimsical creature that I am, I can’t refrain from buying new books. I’m never anxious about unread books.
My TBR pile is totally out of control at this stage, and I do practice some restraint when it comes to accepting review requests. But what can do you, when you’re a booklover sometimes it’s like a disease.
Yes, there is The Pile. I impulsively buy books if I dare into a book store. I win them. Some are loaned to me. But then there is The List, which I consider a TBR pile of a sorts. I don’t think I want to know what the grand total is; then I’d be reminded about how I’ll die before some of them will be touched. I am trying very hard not to buy any more hard books, as I have a Kindle on the way to my house that was purchased by my husband for my Mother’s Day and birthday. I was against them for awhile, but then decided when I travel this summer to Poland and to my parents, this will solve the problem of bringing 20 books with me and pushing my baggage all over the 50 pound limit! I’m very excited!
I had to move my TBR pile to my scrap room because looking at it made me anxious!!! Most of them are checked out from the library and the thought of having to return a book without the opportunity of reading me it stresses me out…just a tad bit!! I would love to visit those warm, exotic locales!!
Matt,
Shoot me your address and when I’m done with In the Land of Cotton it’s yours!!!
Hi Matt,
Claire from kiss a cloud told me you were having a read-a-long in June for Tales of Genji and invited me to join in since I just received the book from BookMooch. Would that be okay with you?
I think I’m also anxious about getting a space to store all my TBR pile! I had cleared some of my books and are giving them away but it’s definitely not helping considering I’ve been adding new books to it, LOL.
Well, since I count very book that I’ve bought but not yet read on my TBE list, I would say close to 200 books.
I wish I could avoid “overbuying”… I definitely do, given that the number of books I splurge on every so often far outnumbers the amount of books I read in the intervening period. That being said, I don’t really experience anxiety re: my TBR pile, so much as guilt… I feel like I should only buy as many books as I’ve read since my last shopping spree or something like that, but I never do!
I have quite a lot of TBR piles and sometimes I do feel a little daunted at the “task” ahead because the piles never seem to dwindle down to a sizeable amount but since I enjoy reading, it’s a “hardship” I’m willing to take on…LOL. I just hope that my TBR piles don’t take over my tiny flat…heehee…
You are so right…the important thing is concentrating and enjoying whatever you are currently reading. I buy way too much and I know it, but I do love having all these choices when I go on vacation.
Can you ever have too many books? Okay- that’s how I justify my 200+ tbr pile. (We won’t talk about the hundreds of titles in my tbr journal.) I’m not anxious about it, though- for me it’s kind of like having a mini book store in my house. When I’m done reading something I stand in front of the book shelf (I have a separate one for these books) and decide what I want to read next. I am trying to refrain from binge-buying…and I’m doing okay, but I still add a couple titles to my stack every month.
I’d say my TBR pile is about 150, but I’m never anxious about the size (although my partner is) but I am anxious to get to reading them all. Like other people have mentioned, my favorite part about having so many is having so many options when it’s time to start the next book. It is an ever increasing number – but I try to balance out the number of books in the house with Bookmooch – I tend to give two away for every one I bring in.
I have to admit that my tbr pile is out of control. I have shelves filled with books to be read. Oh my… I think some of the books on there have been there for so long that I may have even lost interest in a few. But, I don’t feel overwhelmed by it. I like having all those books waiting for me to read. Now, the ARC pile is something that will get me more overwhelmed as I feel guilty if I don’t get to the books within a reasonable amount of time. I fail a lot 😉