Jan 30 2017
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Tackling the TBR [20]: February 2017

tackling the TBR

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

February 2017 TBR Tackler Shelf:

I have a couple of novellas/short stories on this month’s line up to help me focus a little bit on last month’s carryovers (people were especially slow returning things to the library in January). I’m starting The Warded Man as a buddy read with my Goodreads group, so that should be fun, as it has been collecting dust on my shelves for ages. AND HOLY CRAP I GOT THE NEW ROBIN HOBB!!! I will be dropping everything to read that one first. :)

Tackler Carry-overs:

I decided to expand my TBR tackler selection list to include titles on previous Tackling the TBR posts that I either didn’t have a chance to get to or am currently part way through. It gives me a more accurate snapshot of my progress over time and more potential high-priority titles to choose from each month. Up until this point, there have only been about five or so carryover titles, but as I am trying to be conservative by relying on the library for a lot of these books, I fell victim to the endless waitlist in January. Many of these titles I put on hold at the beginning of December… something is not right here. I need the next Kate Daniels book, like, yesterday!

Niki’s Incomplete Series Challenge [Via Fantasy Buddy Reads]

January 2017 Titles Tackled:

The Turn by Kim Harrison
The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan
Babylon’s Ashes by James S. A. Corey
United by Melissa Landers
Blood Cross by Faith Hunter
The Demon Awakens by R. A. Salvatore
Sideswiped by Kim Harrison
Firstlife by Gena Showalter

Finished Series: 1
 Series Brought UTD: 3
Series Progressed: 1
New Series Started: 5
Abandoned: 1

Overall I didn’t do too bad in January, but as I’m planning on starting a bunch of new series over the next couple of months, my numbers aren’t going to look that stellar going forward…

2017 YTD Tracker:

Finished Series: 1
 Series Brought UTD: 3
Series Progressed: 1
New Series Started: 5
Abandoned: 1

Last year I had a goal to finish a lot of high-priority series, and I did just that with 14 series finished (some of them with 10+ books that I’d been working on for ages) and 18 brought up to date. I wanted to keep the momentum going in 2017 with this nifty little tracker added on to my monthly TBR. I might make it it’s own feature, but for now, let’s go team for 2017!!!!

Now, I can tell you from experience that this Tackling the TBR experiment is so much more fun and rewarding when there’s more than one person (me) participating. Does anybody want to play along?

Even if you don’t specifically use my system, feel free to share your versions of how you manage your TBR pile (and the links to your posts if applicable) in the comments!

Maybe we can help make each other’s systems even better. :)

What books are you Tackling this month?

by Niki Hawkes

17 comments on “Tackling the TBR [20]: February 2017”

  1. Jacqueline Carey and Ilona Andrews <3 What a lovely reading list you have for February. Can't wait to see what you think about Moirin's trilogy! Also, I just took some time to write down all the series I have in progress and I think I need to join you in the Incomplete Series Challenge. Yikes! Looks like it was a good month! Good luck for February!

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    • Right?! How can I go wrong haha. I’ve been saving Moirin for a rainy day for ages now, but I’m tired of waiting. The incomplete series challenge is really fun! And yes, you could totally benefit Haha – you breeze through more books than almost anyone I know. :)

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      • Yeah, I read one Carey book a year from the Terre D’Ange series so I could savor it. 9 years later, I’ve finished. *sigh* I miss it. :p I’m glad I was able to keep myself from reading more than that, though. Probably my favorite series ever. Haha the tough part is, the more I breeze through, the more I feel like adding more and more and more to my to-read list. :p

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      • Haha that is so smart!! I’ve been doing a full trilogy every couple of years, so my timeline works out about the same lol. At least she’s still writing.
        Isn’t that a vicious cycle???! The more you read, the bigger your tbr gets. It defies some sort of physics, im sure lol. :)

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  2. Very impressive January accomplishments, especially when considered alongside your reorganization of your blog-roll!! I’m nearly finished with the first novella in Arcanum Unbounded and it’s amazing, of course. Ooh, Cress is my favorite of the Lunar Chronicles!

    And YAY, the new Robin Hobb!! Another of her series is my Goodreads 2017-tbr shelf. That’s my version of “tackling the tbr”- way less impressive than your system, but yours did inspire me to try it out this year! :) I think it will help me put together a more satisfying reading year. I have a lot of SFF canon to read this year, since I want to eventually publish in the genres. (Oh drat, right? Haha. SUCH a bother! Reading everyone’s favorites!)

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    • Thank you!! I’m thrilled with myself haha. I just got my copy of Arcanum from the library and am SO EXCITED! I just hope I remember enough from the stories for it to make sense. And I’ve been putting off cress forever even though I liked the first two. :)
      I checked out your GR shelf and you have so many amazing titles on there!!! Ones I either have read and loved or ones I desperately want to start. It’s a good idea for an overall tracker – I hadn’t considered compiling books for the full year. I very much want to read a lot of the “favorites” in SFF, mostly so I can join conversations and see what the hype is about haha. Of all the books on your list (besides Hobb), I most want to read the twelve kings of sharakhai. :)

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  3. I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!! It’ll be so fun to talk about :D I’m loving The Emperor’s Soul, which I see you’ve already read! Which of the stories do you still have to read? Btw, I’m excited to see what you think of the Warded Man, too! I hope you enjoy everything you choose this month :)

    Aw, thanks for checking out my shelf!! 🤓 I’m pretty psyched to hear that you liked and/or are excited about them, too! (We really seem to have very similar tastes *fist pump*) 12 Kings of Sharakhai sounds AMAZING and the sequel is coming out really soon, so that’s a high priority one for sure. I’m hoping to finish all of the series on my shelf and that I can fit in some Rothfuss, Lightbringer and a few sci-fi authors, too. Being part of that “conversation” you mentioned is one the most rewarding things about book blogging!

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    • Oooohhh!! I loved the emperors soul. So unique! Shadows for Silence was probably my fav. Other than those two, everything else in AU will be new to me! I’m starting it as soon as I’m finished with Warded Man. :)
      I love your list! I’m totally going to be reading a lot of them this year too haha. I don’t think you can go wrong with great titles like that. Our tastes are sooo similar – go us! Haha

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    • Thank you!! It totally works for me! I feel free to choose what I want to read, but it helps keep me from getting sidetracked from lower priority titles (which I was always picking up out of guilt haha). You’re totally welcome to use my system! I hope you have as much fun with it as I do. I can’t wait to see your list! :)

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  5. Soo jealous you got the new Hobb already! Wow! I would drop everything immediately as well. Hope you like it! I will keep on waiting patiently ;-)

    The Warded Man was a good read, enjoy! Should be even more fun to read it with a group, there’s a lot to discuss!

    I bought Arcanum Unbounded last month and will read it this month as well. Have been without a Sanderson book for too long. That’s the problem when you catch up with all of his work, aaah!

    I only read a couple of the Kushiel books by Jacqueline Carey so far and liked them – maybe I should check out Naamah’s Kiss as well.

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    • I know – I feel totally lucky to have access to it now. I’m fighting with the urge to read it as fast as I can because it might be the last one. It has to be my favorite series.
      Thank you- I am about 4 chapters from the end of warded man and enjoyed it thoroughly! Although I think a lot of my buddy read people didn’t make it past the slow start. I’m really looking forward to continuing on.
      I know!! Thank goodness we have AU to hold us over. I’m looking to start that one next! :)
      Kushiel was amazing!! But the first book of Imriel’s trilogy was my favorite of the whole saga, easily. I’d recommend picking that one up next!!
      I love how many books we have in common – excellent tastes haha. Thanks for taking the time to leave me such an awesome comment! :)

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