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:

March 2021 TBR Tackler Shelf:

Whelp that didn’t go well.

I’m about 60% through Deadhouse Gates (I’ve been reading consistently, it’s just really dense) and 20% through The Heroes, but other than that haven’t touched my TBR for February. I might have made more progress, but my hold for Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang came in a week or two before my hold on The Heroes, so I decided to read that one instead since it was technically a carry over from January. I’m annoyed I’m so far behind my planned reading schedule for the year already, but really, it was developed more to help me stay focused on the titles that matter most rather than to be a do-or-die regiment. I really shouldn’t have decided to take on Malazan if I wanted to stick to a schedule, anyway.

So my TBR Tackler Shelf is identical to February’s and as much as that bugs me, it definitely reflects my reading life accurately. Hopefully I’ll be able to make a dent in it this month. I do return to work from maternity leave in a couple weeks, so that should give me a little more quiet time to absorb more books (surprisingly it’s not the newborn sapping my mental energy, but my four-year-old. I love him so much, but his constant chatter and need for attention make it impossible for me to read heavy fantasy novels when he’s home. #momlife).

Have a great month in reading!

by Niki Hawkes