;how to make a TBR jar ft. I don’t remember the books I own
My TBR list is long and unmanageable and ever-growing. I know this is a problem most of us bookworms face, and no, I am not going to teach you how to manage your TBR. Because I don’t know how.
(If someone can teach me, that’d be great. Thanks.)
Instead, I’ve been recently thinking about making TBR jars. But the thing is, I don’t remember half my TBR list, and I definitely don’t remember the titles of the books I own off-hand.
So you get something like this instead.
In my last Open Pages box, I added in a itty-bitty little TBR jar. Found the jars at the local dollar shop type place, and then I made a list.
Not of book titles, no. Like I said above, I don’t remember the books I own, and then I don’t exactly know the books other people would own, so it made more sense to do something a little bit different?
I made a list of descriptions that maybe you would find on your bookshelf. Things like the colour of your book spine, or a word in a title. Things that you can keep playing around with, and things that can refer to two or more books – and then you can ‘eeny-meeny-miny-mo’ them until you get one book.
I’ve uploaded a PDF you can use if you don’t want to make your own list!
If you do, however, want to make your own, here are some suggestions to add:
- A book with red on the cover.
- An author whose last name starts with the letter ‘M’.
- A book with an animal on the cover.
- A book with a black spine.
- A book with the title in cursive.
You get the idea! This is just a jumping point, of course. You can make your own list with colours, or certain authors you might enjoy, or even book titles if you can remember them!
After all, it is your TBR jar, and I’m just here to talk about how I made mine.
I talk a lot, you guys. On here anyway.
If this something you would do? Or are you better than remembering book titles than I am?
Ara
I’m Ara, a Southeast Asian writer who someday hopes to have published a novel, and who is currently losing herself in the worlds created by others. I love books and food and television and blogging and I get distracted and sidetracked easily.
6 Comments
TeaPartyPrincess
That’s such an excellent idea, I love putting descriptions rather than titles, it would suit me well as I’ma mood reader.
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
Ara
I’m glad you thought so! I had fun making it, though it can get a bit repetitive sometimes.
Olivia-Savannah
I always struggled with TBR jars because I own a lot of complete series, and then if I put the series in and I choose the 5th book before the 1st, for example, it just wouldn’t work. But with your alteration to it, I would be able to make a TBR jar and not have too much trouble about the series. So this is so smart! Thank you x
My recent post: https://oliviascatastrophe.com/2018/10/the-raven-boys-book-review/
Ara
You’re welcome! I’m glad you think this would help!
Gayathri Lakshminarayanan
This is an interesting way to pick the next read. But being a mood reader means I already know I won’t follow the rule and will anyway pick somthing totally random and will definitely not remember the book I have not read but have beening owning for the past 100 years. Sigh.
Ara
I completely get you! That’s why I take these as a guideline rather than a rule. Or at the very least, I know what I won’t be reading?