Precariously Tall Once Again (Too Many Books...As Usual)

Once again things are out of control.  I had this problem last year as well.  I actually managed to finish most of the books in those piles by the end of the year, and I thought I would not be doing this sort it thing again.  Obviously I didn't learn, or actually in my case I can't say no to a new book.  Normally I don't mind having more than a few started, but even I admit there are a few too many in those piles.  If you look at my sidebar you can see links to most of what I have started, and there are a few that I never bothered to add to my reading list, since the list is already too long.

So now the question.  Do I go through the piles and pull out the books I haven't been reading or have barely started and put them back on the TBR pile for some other time?  I hate doing that as I tend to not pick them up anytime soon.  Or once again do I just read my way through?  That means, of course, not starting anything new until the piles are more manageable.  But I have several new library books that look so good....If nothing else, I have found that I am quite good at multitasking these days!

Comments

[Wendy]

Oh wow! I am one of these readers that has to finish one book before I start another...so my opinion here will be worthless *laughs* That said, you have some fantastic books there!

[Matt]

If there is one area in your life that would spin out of control, letting your book pile tower up would not be a bad one! :)

I always have to make sure I have at least several choices waiting when I'm finishing up one book. But I can hardly manage reading more than 2 at the same time.

[Danielle]

Wendy--I would like to be one of those people who just reads one (or two) at once rather than a stack. I suppose I should just give up at this point! LOL. There are so many good ones that I can't resist reading them at the same time, hence my problem.
Matt--Yes, there are definitely worse problems I could have!! Although I have lots sitting on my nightstand, I usually only dip into three or maybe four in one day. And when a book gets really good, or I want to finish something I will just concentrate on that one book. I guess I am a book juggler!

[Kristy]

Perhaps try buying smaller books....less pages I mean. Oh forget...just face it..we have this problem...we can't pass up a good book even if the possibility exists that we won't ever live long enough to read them all. The important part is our intentions. :-)

[Sam]

You are not alone :) Right now I have O Pioneers, Death in the Garden, Tipping the Velvet and a couple of nonfiction books all going on. Yesterday I turned in a bunch of library books unread and told myself I need to read books I've actually paid for first in case I meet an early demise. I'm sure that will last until, oh, tomorrow!

[nutmeg]

As I looked closer I could see all your bookmarks - it reminded me of my bedside table! I seem to have two piles of about three to four books each. One very current and on the go the second pile sitting over the back is less current - nearly half of the books in the back pile go back on the shelf with the bookmarks removed never to be picked up again! I think reading 3 out of 4 books I buy not too bad. The ones that go back unread I usually end up giving away as I think if I didn't read them the first time I probably will never go back to them. If I'm wrong about a book I've given away (which I found over time is fairly rare - I give them at least 100 pages of reading) I can always buy it again :-)

So, as you can see, I have not "good" advice to offer you on this one!

[Victoria]

Tricky, tricky... ;-) I think the best thing to do is select three books from your piles that you really want to focus on, read them pretty solidly, finish them and then select three more...and so on. You can always put bookmarks in others and add them to your reading piles, but you don't have to actively engage in reading them. I find this satisfies my cravings. :-)

Of course, I would recommend you gorge on the Virginia Woolf, A Woman in Berlin and Mists of Avalon. Not that I'm biased or anything.

[Susan]

I've been doing my best this year to have no more than one or two, maybe three, going at a time, and although I do experience a lot of angst over the books I'm not reading yet, I think I'd go right round the bend if I were reading any more than that.

[Kim]

I don't see what the problem is :) I have a number of books going at one time. It is standard operating procedure for me. I do try and focus on my library books first, as someone else is usually waiting for them. Sometimes if the writing is particularly lyrical, I will concentrate fully on one book, start to finish.

[iliana]

I'm with Matt, as long as it's the books that are spinning out of control then all is good :)

I like to have a couple going on but more than four and I can't handle that too well. My problem is that if I set aside one book for too long then inevitably I will lose interest in it. Does that ever happen to you?

[Ashlee]

Oh my, I can relate to this only too well. I have a large bunch of books that I'm "reading" at the moment as well. It's funny because I think I'll get away with juuuuust one more, but of course not. ^_^ I wish I could advise, but I'm afraid that would be the blind leading the blind, hehee.

And to think, I was actually considering going back to the library ...

[Carl V.]

Glad to see Stardust at the top, in its rightful place. ;)

[Stefanie]

I can so relate Danielle. I am currently trying to focus on one book for most of my reading and then dip into the other books but I am feeling a growing need to start something new. Don't put any of the books back on the TBR pile.

[Litlove]

It wouldn't be you, Danielle, without the topply pile! My worst pile of books is on top of the bookcase just by the door out of the study. I'm quite seriously afraid that if I move too swiftly between rooms, I might dislodge it and give myself severe concussion, or else just be buried alive. What a way to go, though!

[Danielle]

Kristy--Well, I definitely have good intentions! :) I have tried that shorter book thing--it's kind of fun once and a while, and they definitely read much faster generally!
Sam--You have some really good books started! I loved Death in the Garden (that's E. Ironside, isn't it?). I usually end up returning lots of unread library books, but for some reason I really, really feel like making a point of reading those I happen to have on hand. That due date always messes me up!
Nutmeg--I have this fear of putting books back on the shelf unread--they tend to not get picked back up anytime soon! 100 pages is a good chance--sometimes I don't get past 50!
Victoria--I really do need to narrow it down to just 2 or 3 to concentrate on--usually I do, but lately I can't seem to stick with one that long! I was doing so well with VW! I really do like Night and Day and was reading a chapter a day--I need to get back to that one (needless to say I have fallen very behind the other Woolf for Dummies readers!). I was also doing that with Woman of Berlin--reading one diary entry every other day or so. The Mists of Avalon is one of my challenge books, so I am planning on finishing it!!
Susan--It was my goal to keep my stack down to a semi respectable number this year, but that one seems to have gone out the window!
Kim--I see I am not alone! :) Usually I don't think anything of having several started at once, but recently I looked at my piles and they seemed to have grown rather tall...when did that happen?
Iliana--I don't necessarily lose interest, but I start getting interested in other subjects and expanding my reading selections! I can't just stick to one thing, my mind goes off on all sorts of tangents!
Ashlee--I need to go and pick up a library book this week to. I wonder what the chances are of me leaving with just that book? I think blogging has worsened my habit as I read about so many more interesting books. Heaven forbid I just write titles down!
Carl--Stardust is a nice book to pick up and work on--the chapters are fairly short. It is one I had planned on finishing sooner rather than later!
Stefanie--I did put Wilkie Collins back--but only because I literally had not started reading it--just read part of the intro. I don't plan on putting any others back. Surely a little will power and I can get them read in a timely manner...
Litlove--I think you are quite right. I think if you stopped by and didn't see any piles about, there might be something seriously wrong! As much as I would like to at times...I don't think I am going to change.

[John]

Absolutely nothing wrong with reading a stack of books at once. I often read one chapter of each book in rotation. Let the piles grow...