During the days we visited libraries often, either at school or public ones in the holidays, the library card was my golden ticket. At school we were allowed to borrow one book at a time and once the librarian trusted us enough to be voracious readers who also returned books without scribbles and dog ears, she’d let us borrow two over the weekend. This system helped us finish off the book we borrowed as quickly as possible so we could move on to several others in the towering shelves. I used to say very confidently that I’ll one day have all four walls and the ceiling of my room covered with books. How those books in the ceiling of my hypothetical scenario would defy gravity I’ll never know. But I think that’s where every reader’s never ending mystical TBR pile begins.
Now, as much as I’d like that ‘book room’ to be real I have a couple of shelves that I adorn with books- old and new and a bay window to sit and read in. Yes, my TBR is out of control like yours. There is a new book around the corner, where ever you go, and I swear if you listen carefully enough you can hear the pages whispering and calling out to you to pick it. In my head that voice sounds very much like Dobby from Harry Potter, and gosh, you can never ignore that! So, onto my TBR list it goes- another book on my shelf. Picking what to read next is like trying to pick a chocolate from a box of all my favourites. But eventually I do and just as I finish it, more books keep getting added to the pile.
Some days I arrange the books in my shelf to see if there are any in that list I may never read, you know to organize them, maybe reduce the precariously balancing TBR. Then I come across a book that was probably in the list a very long time ago and it suddenly sparks my curiosity becoming my next read. You see how it works? You can’t just sort books and eliminate some from your list. Some day you’d want to read them. I’ve come to think of a TBR pile as just one of those bookworm things, but a challenge we valiantly face, like book dragons in fact.
Now am off to read a book I had put away at least 10 years ago, and in the meantime, let me know if you solve the mystery of the never-ending TBR.
This post is part of Blogchatter Half Marathon
Also pssst… Blogchatter has a TBR Challenge for people like you and me. You can set your reading goal and slay it. It brought back library card days. Check it out here.
THE LITERARY AFFAIR 
Library was the fun place to go to. I can totally relate to what you mean. Somehow I can never complete my non fiction TBR.
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Yes, libraries are so much fun. Glad you could relate:)
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I had promised myself I won’t let my TBR on Goodreads go beyond 200. It’s sitting pretty at 213 now. I think the sheer potential that you may love a book on just a blurb or the cover is what makes us add a book to the TBR, making it ridiculously long.
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Wow, 213! I am now tempted to make a diary for my TBR so the excitement of checking books off can motivate to reduce the pile 😛
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I always want to write things for precisely this purpose but Goodreads is so visual I prefer it 🙂
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So hear you Leha!
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The TBR list never gets shorter for me
🙂 🙂
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I have come to terms with the fact that my tbr is not going to end. there were times when in i naivity tried reading faster than the rate at which i was adding to it but then i lost so miserably that i had to make peace with it. Now i keep adding the books but read at my own pace. And world has again become a beautiful place.
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that’s a great feeling, making peace with it and to keep adding books to the list while we pace our own reading.
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Aisa lagta hai ki sarre book lovers ki yahi kahani hai! Such a relatable post. 🙂
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haha, thank you 🙂
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That’s a mystery no one can solve.
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Crap! I swear I do this every couple of weeks or so. 😛 I can feel you, boo. I can feel you. 🙂
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hahaha, thanks Shalini 😛
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A couple of years ago I got the big Billy Bookcases I had always wanted. I neatly arranged them promising myself I would restrict my TBR books only on shelf. Somehow like an amoeba they have expanded and now I have about 4 shelves of unread books sitting pretty. Not to mention the bought and downloaded books in Kindle…
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I am laughing so hard, we book lovers are all the same 😛 *adds one more book to cart*
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The urge of reading is very strong and that’s why we keep on adding books in the list, sometimes I feel pressurised and sometimes feel motivated towards reading due to the pending reading list.
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