Do you have commitment issues? I do.
So for today’s posts, I wanted to finally do another Chit Chat. If you did not know, Chit Chats are the more light-hearted version of my discussion posts where I discuss some bookish topics that aren’t that serious, but are still fun to talk about.
For this post I want us to chat about how we choose the next book we’re going to read. I am gonna talk a bit about how I choose my next read, and then I would love to hear from you in the comments!
I am one of those people that cannot stick to a TBR. I’ve tried on numerous occasions to plan out my reading for the month, or even for the next couple of months and it never works. That’s why I have a hard time with readathons, I set a TBR and then just don’t feel like reading said books. I really think that there are books I loved because I was just in the right mood for them, and vice versa – books I would have loved if I were in the right mood, but I wasn’t. So for me, setting a TBR doesn’t work. So when I choose my next read, it’s purely on the basis of what I am feeling like at the current moment. And that can change really quickly too, in a matter of days or hours even.
And I really miss my pre-blogging days when I had no idea what books were out there and I would just go to the library and see what looks inviting on the shelves.
The big issue for me as a mood reader is ARCs, ever since I started getting approved for them regularly. The problem is I am always in a mood to read the ARC when I request it, but by the time I get approved, I am no longer in the mood to read it. Which is why I feel like I have enjoyed so many ARCs a lot less then if I would have if I had read them when I was actually in the mood for them. So most of my TBR is determined by mood + upcoming ARCs that I need to review soon.
This is why I have been trying to cut down the number of ARCs I request, and it has been working out great, because at one point I had so many that I could ONLY read ARCs, so it was not fun.
So what comes into play when I choose my next read? Like I said, mood. For me, being in a mood means I am in a mood for a specific genre, not a specific book. So I would feel like reading Fantasy, and from there, I would look at my shelf and see what I have from the Fantasy genre and then probably try one or two books and see if I vibe with it. If yes, then I continue on with it and read it, if not I move on, sometimes to a completely different genre.
I’m also sometimes in the mood for a very specific thing – so I want to read about friendship or relationships or I want a really complex magic system, and then I choose my next read based on that.
A big thing for me is also to not read two similar books next to each other, especially if I loved the first one. I feel like if I read two Fantasy books one after the other, I get oversaturated and get slumpy, so I try to read books that are different from each other. And if I really love a book and it’s from a certain genre then the next one is very hard to live up to the same standard, so I like to switch so I don’t make too many unnecessary comparisons. One exception is my Romance reads – I tend to binge read a lot one after the other, and then not pick up a Romance novel for months.
And if I did not like my last year, chances are I am going to reread a favorite so I can cleanse my palette.
And that’s some thoughts on the specifics of my reading and choosing my next read. I would really love to hear from you – do you set TBRs? How do you choose your next read? How much planning goes into your reading? I would love to know!
xxx
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Inside My Library Mind 
Great discussion topic.
Do I set a TBR? Yes. Do I follow it? Not really. I’m a lot like you when it comes to what I actually read; mood has everything to do with it. The genre, the content and of course the cover all come into play when I’m considering what to read next. Ever since restarting my blog and fancying myself a part time book blogger my TBR has exploded. This also meant I began to “make plans” for a monthly TBR. Not in an effort to plug myself but I will say I recently wrote that I’m going to be honest soon about my TBR plans. Truth is I just don’t read as much in the summer and I’ve been working on my novel more. I knew right away that it was likely I wouldn’t read ALL the book I set for the month but I should probably stick to saying here’s the couple I’m going to try to read.
That said…every since I recently got into audio books I’m guaranteed to “read” (read: listen) to a book a month. Since I’m paying for a subscription that means I’m going to get a book a month unless something comes up cheap or free. But then there’s the problem of picking THAT book! Which books do I want a physical copy of? How do I know that I won’t wish I’d read a book instead of listened? And what a bummer if I already have a physical copy but wish it was audio because I am NOT going to buy the audio book as well. Since I’m new to audio books I’m going to have to find a system for picking what to get. (I should write about his too, maybe I’ll remember and then link back here. 🙂 ) Right now I look at my TBR on Goodreads and pick from the interesting and familiar (as in I still kind of remember hearing about it) titles. Then I see if audio is available. Then I think and think about whether or not I would prefer a physical copy, cross my fingers and pick one!
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Good luck with your novel! I wish I could get into audiobooks, I think I would be able to read so much more. And I totally get the struggle – I wish we got an ebook and audio version of a book with every physical copy purchase, so you could switch between formats when you want to! 😅
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Yes! At least a digital copy when you buy the physical. Sheesh
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I’m not adverse to reading similar books back to back but I do wonder about it. Since my reading is also work/research towards my own writing I think a lot about this because I don’t want to confuse my little brain with similar topics. I need to be able to differentiate and break down my thoughts on the story about what did and didn’t work.
When it comes to series I don’t always just pick up the next book although if I’m LOVING the story and I already have the next one that’s an easy decision. Sometimes I think Gosh I have so many books to read maybe I should break this series up and get to something else. Then I think yeah but you should finish this series and stay familiar with the story.
I don’t do ARCs but I have thought about it since doing the book blogging thing. But the more I read about others doing it and the more I really think about my life and my schedule I think yeah that’s probably a bad idea. Let’s be honest, I just like the idea of free books. But it’s already bad reading other book blogs. Some books are like oh man that is RIGHT up my alley so I add. Others make me say meh that sounds interesting, they said really good things about it, I’ll give it a shot. I keep notes pertaining to who referred me to the book but not so much where it fits, top to bottom. Sometimes I try to write about why I added books.
Like you though, at the end of the day it comes down to how I feel about reading that particular story…unless it’s time to pick an audio book and availability comes into play. 😉 Thanks for bringing this up. Hope you don’t mind reading this story of a reply.
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I don’t mind at all – I love it! I use to binge read series all the time, but now I cannot justify focusing solely on one series because there are so many other books. Like you said, blogging has made me discover sooo many new books, and choosing what to read next has become such a difficult decision because of that. Thank you so much for the comment!
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I’m actually not that much of a mood reader, I could make a list in the beginning of the month and just go by them in order. Not that I always do that haha, and I do sometimes skip books because I’m not in the ‘mood’. But still I totally feel you on the ARCs, quite some times when i got approved I was thinking ‘why did I request this again’. But once I get approved I feel like I have to read it anyway, and will definitely take from my enjoyment!
(www.evelynreads.com)
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I really wish I was organized enough to make lists and stick to them 😅 oh my god, the ARC struggle is so real for all of us
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I used to set a monthly tbr but them came to a point this year when I realised that it was sucking the enjoyment out of reading for me so now I’m just being a mood reader and picking books off my large tbr!!
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That’s great to hear! I always feel like not sticking to a TBR makes me miss out on certain books (because I always put them off) so it’s great that you switched to my method and are enjoying it 🙆🏻♀️😂
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I am with you on the ARC thing! Always in the mood when I request but sometimes no longer later. That’s why I ask ARCs that won’t be published before many months as I know my mood will be back!
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That’s smart! I try to request a lot in advance but always end up getting approve like a week before release 😂
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This post totally resonates with me. I also struggle to stick to TBRs and easily lose interest as soon as I’m approved for an ARC. It’s a vicious cycle.
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yeees same. And like I always get approved so close to the reading date that I am already over it and just can get the actual book by that point 🙃
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Marija this is such a mood!! I think I’m a lot more consistent about my five star reads now (my average rating in 2016 vs now is a true GLOWUP) but I do sort of miss how impromptu I used to be about reading.
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I completely agree! I am much more aware of which books I love and what I look for in books now, but I sometimes miss just picking books up on a whim.
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This is exactly me! I cannot work through a TBR to save my life because I will ultimately come across a book I’m not in the mood to read and therefore I don’t enjoy it as much. For me, being a mood reader also means constantly putting down books I’m part-way through reading because I decide I want to read something else instead.
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Oof that’s a big mood – I start a book and I am loving it, but still leave it at like third of the way through because I am just not in the mood for it at that moment in time 😅
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I feel this entire post so much! There are definitely a few books I think I would’ve LOVED if only I’d been in the right mood. My biggest problem is requesting ARCs though, because I never seem to be in the mood for the ARCs I request until way before or way after publication date. I’m always in the mood to read an ARC when I request it and usually when I am accepted to read it, but I always stop myself because it’s usually months and months in advance. Really I should probably just read them when I’m in the mood regardless of release date and I’d get more read that way.
great post!
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I hear you on the mood reading front! I tend to just go through the books I own (or browse Amazon/GoodReads) and then pick out whatever sounds interesting to me at the time! My mood changes so quickly as well, for example this morning I wanted to reread Our Dark Duet as my next read (currently rereading TSS), but now I’m in the mood for a light contemporary.
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I can totally relate to this! My mood also changes sooo quickly, sometimes I get annoyed at myself for it 😂
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