Why Does the TBR Stack Never Shrink?
Tallying the Books I Read in 2024
I didn’t reach my goal, but I am hardly disappointed.
Most (if not all) writers will tell you that you need to read in order to write—or, more specifically, to write well. The general advice is to read deeply within whatever genre(s) you write but also to read widely across multiple genres. That’s excellent advice, to be sure.
However, such advice doesn’t come with extra hours in the day to help facilitate all of that reading. I don’t know about you, but my “To Be Read” stack of books is not so much a stack as a bookcase. A very large bookcase. Possibly several bookcases. And for all of my good intentions to read, read, read, I can’t seem to shorten that TBR stack (or clear those bookcases).
This year, I aimed to read more books than I read last year and utilized a reading log to keep track of the books I’ve read. I was skeptical when I received my first reading log as a gift a few years ago and resisted using it for several weeks. When I finally did begin to use it, I discovered two things: First, I was actually reading more books than I thought I was. I never considered myself a fast reader, was never one to devour books, and when I practiced law, I rarely read for pleasure. Nevertheless, when I began writing in earnest, I also made more of an effort to read. Keeping a log helped me see that I was actually getting more reading done than I realized.
My other takeaway from keeping a reading log was that I had a desire to up my reading game—to read more, faster, and better. I worked on increasing my speed and began reading more than one book at a time. Now, I have no fewer than two to three books going at any given time. There is always an audiobook that I’m listening to, and I’m reading either a print book or an e-book (and sometimes both).
So far this calendar year, I have read fifty books. Five years ago, I would have been ecstatic that I’d read so many. But in 2022 and 2023, I read an average of eighty books per year. I won’t be able to match that this year, unfortunately, as there are not enough days left in 2024. While I’m pleased to have read as many as I did, I am hoping to be back in fine reading form in 2025. My goal for next year? One hundred books.
How about you? Do you have a reading goal or keep a reading log? What spurs you to read?
Over on my podcast . . .
I’ve had some great guest authors visit with me this past month on The Bookshop at the End of the Internet podcast. Check them out!
Episode #223 Author Doug Kari discusses his debut true crime novel, The Berman Murders: Unraveling the Mojave Desert’s Most Mysterious Unsolved Crime. In this book, Doug chronicles the 1986 disappearance of Barry Berman, heir to the Kahlua fortune, and his wife, Louise, from Saline Valley, CA, located in the Mojave Desert. Their bodies were eventually discovered by the local sheriff’s office, but the double homicide was never solved, and no one was ever arrested, let alone convicted, for their murders. After years of research, investigation, and interviews, Doug names the most likely suspect and details how he linked the murders to an overseas sex crimes and trafficking case.
Episode #224 Author David Weill discusses his new book, All That Really Matters. In this novel, the main character, Dr. Joe Bosco, is a rising star in the heart transplant field, and he’s feeling all the pressures that come with the job. His professional and personal issues lead him into trouble, and he struggles to find redemption. David knows all about being a transplant surgeon, and he wrote this story to give readers an idea of the kind of people who work in the field and what it feels like to that job. While the book is a work of fiction, it incorporates real-world personalities and situations in an effort to humanize doctors and explore the high stakes world of medical transplants.
Don’t forget to check out some of the previous episodes featuring other talented authors and their wonderful books. Here are a couple of them (selected at random from the podcast’s 200+ episode backlist):
Episode #149 Author Shannon Stocker discusses her new children’s picture book biography, Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion. This project is near and dear to Shannon’s heart. Evelyn Glennie began learning music as a small child. She also began to lose her hearing starting at age 8, but her profound hearing loss did not keep her from continuing to play. Shannon’s new book, Listen, is the story of Evelyn Glennie, a deaf woman who became the first full-time solo percussionist in the world.
Episode #049 Author Kay Dew Shostak talks about writing southern fiction, including her two series set in small towns in GA and FL. Kay grew up dreaming about becoming an author, but it wasn’t until she was married and a mother of three that she gave it serious consideration. At a book club meeting, Kay asked, “Don’t you wish you’d written that book?” Her question was met with blank stares, and she realized that not everyone dreamed about becoming a writer. Kay stopped dreaming, started writing and hasn’t looked back.
One more thing . . .
With the holidays approaching, I’ll be taking a short break from producing podcast episodes. It is a time-consuming undertaking, and I would like to spend some of that time with family and friends (and reading, of course!).
Episodes are usually released every other week, but the last episode for this year will air on December 18. The first episode of 2025 will air on January 8.
During the holiday hiatus, please check out the podcast’s backlist, which is filled with wonderful authors discussing their books. You’re bound to find something of interest—either as a gift for a fellow reader or to add to your own TBR stack.
Wishing you happy holidays, a safe and happy New Year, and lots of happy reading!