Monday, May 4, 2009

I Am Ready to Ruminate!


A gray, rainy day here at the Jersey Shore, just the sort of day I love, and I am in the mood for musing! This week's Musing Monday question, from Just One More Page...

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?

Gosh, that seems like a very personal question! Ok, not really, but I hesitate to even think about the size of my To Be Read pile. In fact, I can no longer call it a pile, because the actual pile portion of it was downgraded to a semi-pile, after poor Kitty, my imaginary kitty, almost had what would no doubt have been a tragic, if imaginary, accident. The pile, an actual tower, was reaching a dangerous height, of perhaps 50 books. The real problem was that it was blocking a light switch and soon would partially block the doorway.

So, 50 books, is that the number of my TBR pile? NO, that was just the immediate pile. ARCs, books won in contests, and from various other sources that require a review at some point. Some, a point already passed, if you hold to that idea that ARCs should be review close to the publication date. Personally, I like to take a wider view of the review dates. I see at it drawing out the publicity for a newly published book...drawing it out a month or two in some cases.

So that pile, the Immediate Pile, now contains just ARC...and things I would like to read soon, perhaps 25 books. The rest were moved to the secondary pile, which I would estimate at perhaps 125 books, contained on a shelf on a landing at the top of my stairs. Not to be confused with the thirdary (I think I made that word up) pile, which contains about...hmmmmm...120 books. That 'pile' is double shelved on my once very neat and tidy downstairs bookshelves. Then there is another group, on a sideboard in the dining room, that is made up of books I have read and are awaiting a trip to visit another reader's home, my SIL or niece or a friend. Some of those will come home to me in the future and some of them will go out into the world for others to enjoy, forever.

To tell you the truth, I don't want to actually count them, so these are just vague estimates. If I started to count them and look them in the eye, they would speak to me, demanding to be placed in better order. Books that have been there a long time would demand to be move to the Immediate Pile...it could all get very ugly...and them poor Kitty's imaginary life would again be in danger.

Does the number of TBR books cause me anxiety? No, not at all. Well, except those ARCs...I feel an obligation to get to them in a timely fashion, and while I fell a bit behind, I am doing my best. And will try to limit my ARC requests in the future to a select few...unless something looks very good. :-)
But other than those demanding immediate attention, and hence situated in the Immediate Pile, my TBR piles make me very happy. I feel secure that I have all those lovely books, like new friends, just waiting for me. They don't go bad, there is no rush. If another book never came into my house (which is a ridiculous idea) I would have unread books to read for years actually. Then i could start re-reading the approximately 1000 other books I have, and should be set for life. So, it is lovely having all my wee bound friends waiting for me and everything will be fine...so long as you don't single them out and look them in the eyes. Then things could turn very nasty.
{{Watch out Kitty!!}}

p.s. No cats, imaginary or real, were damaged in the writing of this post. ;-)

20 comments:

  1. Oh poor Kitty, I hope your answering this question didn't cause her too much stress.

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  2. There is no way I'd count my TBR pile either. I'm happy with my ignorance.

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  3. what do they say...ignorance is bliss...and a big old pile of unread books is bliss in my mind.

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  4. its not rainy here in gainesville. ITS ONLY 10 AM AND ITS ALREADY 80ISH. its going to be over 90 today and its HUMID AS EVER. we can't wait to get out of gainesville for the summer.

    mom has only 15 tbr books. that seems pretty pathetic compared to you.

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  5. I'm glad I have bookcases in 3 different rooms because if I had to look at all of them at once, I would be very intimidated. still gives one a very secure feeling knowing there is probably a year worth of reading on those shelves.

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  6. What a great post, hope 'kitty' is ok.

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  7. I don't have them sorted into a certain area- it would be rather intimidating. However, on each bookshelf I know which books I've read and which are tbr.

    Someday, right?
    I once tried to make a rule not to buy any new books until the tbr list was gone.... but that didn't work. Alas.

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  8. I know. Piles everywhere. And beyond that, the lists that are everywhere as well. I don't want to know how many there are. It would remind me that I will most likely die before I get to half of them.

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  9. Heh, you sound just like me! The immediate TBR pile, the semi-immediate TBR pile, and then those books which I would like to read but have hidden away because I don't want to face just how many I have. I do know how many, but I prefer not to think about it!

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  10. Oh this is too good! Excellent method of delineating, tagging, and piling.
    Very matter of fact.

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  11. I would rather die with books unread than live with no books to read!

    hmmm...maybe that should be my new mantra...

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  12. I was semi-happy with my TBR pile until I counted it. I looked every single book in the eye and ended up rearranging my shelves.Though most of my TBR books are on my shelves, I have several piles surrounding my bed just in case of insomnia. I'm going to try not to be so anxious anymore. Instead I'll just buy another shelf.

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  13. yes, that is the right frame of mind. we all just need more shelves...and a bigger house to put them in...

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  14. Sometimes it really is better not to know exact numbers. I loved your post.

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  15. What a healthy attitude towards your tbr's. Well done!

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  16. I know what you mean about the ARCs. It feels like those should be read as soon as possible, but this is supposed to be fun, not stressful.

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  17. yes Yvonne, I tell myself that...I tell myself that... ;-)

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  18. Sounds like a dangerous, precarious place for kitties real and imaginary! And I love the imagery of having 100s (perhaps 1000s) of friends just waiting for your attention. My TBRs all sit there ... pleading with me anxiously "PICK ME. PICK ME." and I never know what I will be in the mood for next. And some of these books -- who have been waiting for a while -- get all huffy and jealous when they don't get picked AGAIN and I lavish my attention on a brand-new ARC for some other "move the front of the line" book. And the outrage when EVERYONE got shoved aside for a Twilight extravaganza was just beyond belief...I have a little bit of calming down to do.

    You so amuse me. You really do.

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  19. lol...I try...

    It is nice to know I am not the only one whose books are talking to them and acting up. I thought it was because I live alone..and then there is the whole 'Kitty' issue..

    but you are right. take a new ARC, just arrived off the pile while others have been sitting there for months (or years) and things can get nasty.
    I send Kitty in to settle them down.

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  20. My pile is probably well over 1,000 but I've never counted because I really don't want to know. :)

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please speak up, I LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!