End of year TBR Update

It is the end of the year and I am looking at my TBR (To Be Read) stats. Today we're looking at how I did on my TBR, what I could do differently, and other stats based on my TBR Excel sheet. Let's dive in. 

I began this journey because one coworker asked how many books I read in a year. I kept a log all 2023 long, detailing how many were read-it-or-unhaul-it challenges, TBR between my husband and I, vacation TBR, and what wasn't a TBR. I also kept track of what books I decided not to finish (DNFed) and what I finished. This year was me getting a feel for how much TBR to put on my list without being too ambitious. 

What To Change

I am adding more books to my TBR list from the start. About three a month was the least amount I finished, thus that's what my 2024 TBR is going to be based on. I underestimated how many books I could read in a year. It turns out I need a longer TBR.

On the other side of things, my husband and I didn't sit down and listen to audiobooks as often as I'd hoped. I have to shorten that aspect of my TBR for this reason. The same goes for the vacation TBR, in which I finished three of the four books during our vacation and one outside of it. I'm sticking with three from now on. 

What I added to 2024's TBR is a "reader's choice". This is a chance for me to not read a pre-planned book and pick one based on my mood. Given what I wanted for Christmas/birthday this makes total sense. I have several books I intend to read, some even intended for review on this blog. Also, mood reading is totally acceptable and I can skip a darker book on my TBR at any time, should I need a lighter vibe or a smaller novel. 

What Worked

I, for the most part, wrapped up my TBR before all the holiday stuff took over my time. I like to wrap up projects before the holiday fun steps into my schedule. Christmas, New Year, and Thanksgiving are for family and fun, not personal hobby goals. This was ideal and I'll try to shoot for November for the end of my reading year again. I think I only had two books I planned to read in December. One of them was rather long. Both of them were technically read-or-unhaul books. One was a quick DNF.

Read-it-or-unhaul-it is a challenge I needed dearly. I'm putting it in my TBR plans for all of eternity. I have too many books I don't read. I am a book dragon. I need help. I will forever be acquiring free and donated books. In other words, this makes me pick up and read those free romances I'm afraid to crack open and consider whether I will read them before I even pick something up. It gives me pause at book sales and donation piles. That is a good pause to have. If you aren't sure whether you'll read it, maybe don't pick it up. I still have to learn this lesson. The challenge helps. 

The Data

First, we begin with how many books are in the TBR and how many were not TBR. This is the full number, counting what didn't get read. 

Next, we come to how much I actually read of my TBR only. I was doing great in all the categories except reading with my husband. That book number is going down for the 2024 TBR. 

 When it comes to the form of books, this is what I ended up reading. I read a lot of audiobooks and physical books this year. I also learned that I am not into staring at screens while I read. This means my impulse reads are physical and not ebooks. 

Lastly, this is what the months themselves looked like in reading numbers. January, October, and February/August are my best reading months. This is also the month I finished the books. This graph won't reflect when I started reading it, just the month it was completed. Some of these were just thick books I didn't have as much time for or felt intimidated by. 

After seeing all of this, I will also tell you exactly how many books I DNFed and how many I finished. I finished 44 books and DNFed 4 books this year. In total, I picked up/attempted 48 books. I now know how many books I can read in a year. This will give me a good number to keep in mind for future TBR lists. 

If you are reading this and you have never made a TBR before, see this blog to learn more about making one. 

If You Intend To Try TBR/Book reading logs

If you are going into the new year with a TBR for the first time, this section is for you. Here is what you need to remember when creating your list. 

First of all, it is yours. It should be manageable for you and not be too long. The first time you do this it may be too short or too long, but you can adjust it for the next year. Also, no one has to do any reading challenges. Every TBR should fit the reader attached to it. 

Another thing to consider is that a book doesn't have to be on your TBR to be read during that year. The TBR list is what you plan to read at some point in time during any given year. When another book you just got has all your attention, it is totally okay to read this one instead of the next book on your TBR. In the same logic, it is totally okay to skip a book until you want that vibe. Your books can be read at any time of the year. You can read them in any order you want to. Your TBR , your rules. 

You are going to adjust it. It takes a trial year to figure out what works. In my case, I had too few books on my personal list and too many I tried to read with my husband. Take into account how much time you have and how thick your books are. Thick books can take up to a month if you decide to take them on. When reading with a buddy (husband or friend) keep in mind how long your buddy takes to read. If someone takes forever to read a book don't plan a high number. 

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I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have four five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.