via |
I can't do TBRs. I just can't. I keep a list of books I'm interested in reading someday, but that's the extent of my ventures in TBRs. If I even try to construct an exact, numbered order of all the books I'm going to read in the next 5 years I go insane. I feel like I'm restricted and limited. I begin to get stressed out over just how many books there are in the world, and how little time I have in my short life to read them all.
I applaud the people who can be more organized in their reading life. But TBRs induce existential crises for me. It's just not healthy.
Instead of sticking religiously to a TBR like other professional readers. I choose the books I read one at a time. Whenever I finish a book, I immediately go to my bookshelf, or my aforementioned list of interesting books, to see what exactly I want to read next. What sort of story I'm in the mood for (hence the term mood reader).
There are several cons to mood reading. Sometimes I'll accidentally pick up a book that I wasn't really ready for, and my emotions will affect my ultimate opinion of the story. I'll end up hating a book I might've actually loved if I were in a different mind set.
And since I rely on my feelings, there are times where my emotions simply say no to reading. This is when I sink into the depressing feeling that there is no book in the world that will meet my specific desires. Defeated, I turn to Netflix and develop a massive, incurable reading slump.
These instances, thankfully, don't happen extremely often.
I feel like through being a mood reader, I have enjoyed reading even more. I don't feel an obligation to read all the time. It would feel like a chore to pick up a book simply so that I could mark it off of a TBR. And since I only read what I really want, I end up loving most all of the books I do end up reading.
Ultimately, I really love my mood reading habits. It can be tricky at time, but it has opened me up to countless books and genres I may have never read otherwise.
What about you? Are you a mood reader?
18 comments
I relate so hard to this. I've attempted a To Be Read list before, and it never works. I'm a hardcore mood reader, and I'm glad I'm not the only one. :)
ReplyDeleteYes! Glad that you're a kindred spirit :)
DeleteI CAN REALLY RELATE TO THIS. Although I kind of do have a TBR pile, I'd say I'm a bit of both kind of reader... I have very few books on my TBR compare to most readers and I'm very spontaneous with which book I decide to grab next... BUT WOW I CAN RELATE TO THAT ANXIETY OF TOO MANY BOOKS AND NOT ENOUGH TIME!! STREEESSSSSS
ReplyDelete:'''') mood reading certainly does have its perks.
rock on,
abbiee
Yeah, every reader is different. There are some ways that I stray from the typical mood reader behavior. The important thing is that you read and enjoy what you read.
DeleteIT IS INCREDIBLY STRESSFUL!!
Soooo relateable!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you could relate, Clara :)
DeleteOoh, I wouldn't call myself a "mood reader" but I can definitely sometimes relate! I usually get a bunch of books from the library off my TBR, but only end up reading a couple depending on my "mood." :P
ReplyDeletekatie grace
a writer's faith
Yeah, there are some times where I do stuff like that, just get a big pile of books and read them as I feel like it. It's cool to hear about other people's reading habits!
DeleteYOU JUST DESCRIBED MY LIFE IN A BLOG POST!!! Oh thank goodness this is a thing. I just felt like such a terrible reader without any organization or structure to my reading life. But it's true, for mood readers like us, having a strict TBR pile is simply not healthy or doable. I LOVE being a mood reader, but those reading slumps tho... I just got out of a month long one. It was dark point in my life. XD
ReplyDeletehaha you are definitely not alone, dear! And yes, reading slumps are the WORST!
DeleteI'm happy you're getting back into the blogging world, Elizabeth! :)
I think I'm sort of a mood reader, too. Recently I heard the phrase "reader's block," and I think that explains how I feel pretty often!! Sometimes I just don't know what I want to read, so I pick up several books and end up leaving them after a few chapters.
ReplyDeleteStruggles. :-P
That is definitely a problem I can relate to too. It's rough. :/
DeleteI think I am kind of a mood reader. I just read whatever I feel like reading. :) I was talking with someone about how I choose a book to read, and she was very surprised that I chose a book to read based on what I felt like. I guess there are some people that like to do things in an organized manner.
ReplyDeleteHere is the reason why I'm kind of not a mood reader:
I am doing this book challenge I found on Pintrest, which has been interesting. One of the books for the challenge is you have to read a book about philosophy. I haven't read a philosophical book yet, but I like the idea of stretching the types of books I read. Part of me likes to read the books I know I will like, which are easy to read, but I also want to push myself so I can be a well rounded person. I guess part of me isn't a mood reader because I like challenges that push me to do new things.
Everyone has different reading styles and it's always interesting to hear about what other people do. I like to try to be a "well rounded reader" too, so sometimes I'll force myself to read things I probably wouldn't normally pick up.
DeleteThanks for the comment, Ekaterina! :)
Wow. After reading this, I think I'm a mood reader as well. I hadn't heard the term until today- but it encourages me to know there are others that are like me in that sense. I can't handle TBR lists either. I only pick up a book and read it when I feel like it.
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, I just wanna say...I love your blog and will definitely be revisiting.
-T
x
Thank you, Tane, you're so sweet! :)
DeleteI'm a mood reader as well. I used to read library books in a certain order. I don't even know why. But now if a book doesn't appeal to me at the moment, I just drop it and pick up a new one.
ReplyDeleteThat is the only way that I actually don't fit with other mood readers. I always have to finish what I start reading, even if I hate it. It's weird. :P
DeleteI'm glad you were able to relate, though :)