TBR Zero: After Two Years

It has been two years. Two years since I decided to tackle my TBR and reduce it to zero. Am I closer to that number than I was when I started? I like to think that I’m crushing it! Although I’ve only managed to cut it down to about 20 books. So, 10 books read per year. At this rhythm, it will take me a decade. At best!

Looking back, the project was structured to force me to read the books I already own. That has changed completely. I ended book-buying bans, went through reading slumps, and thought about ending the challenge altogether. But life continues, and I’m still determined to see this through. I imagine I’m just taking a stroll, enjoying the view, and sizing down my TBR in the meantime.

February

I was still feeling the high of finally being out of the reading slump, and I got a two-month subscription to Everand (previously Scribd). So, not only was I ready to tackle my TBR, but also had access to other books that I was excited to read. A win-win. I finished Trigger by N Griffin, and Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young to wrap up the books I started in January. I also had until the end of the month to read The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. And I’m so happy to say that I was successful. I finished the second and third volumes, concluding this 1000 pages-long story. It feels like it was ages ago.

Then I read Thor e o Poder de Mjolnir which is part of one of those periodic collections about Norse mythology, and for 2,99€ I thought it would be a great introduction. I know barely anything about Norse mythology, but I want to change that. I think I would enjoy reading more about it. Right now, I have my eye on Norse Mythology by Neil Gayman.

I also listened to Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree and The Seas by Samantha Hunt. Having access to audiobooks is very handy and a great way to slip in some reading time even when doing something else. At this point, I was still making my way through all the past Magical Readathon challenges. And having an Everand subscription was a great way to hit prompts that my shelves couldn’t deliver. The downside was that my TBR wasn’t moving. Not going down, but also not going up.

Finally, I read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir! I thought it was one of those books that would stay and stay and stay… and take me something close to two years or more to pick it up. Thankfully, I didn’t take that long. Despite having some beef with the main character, it’s a book I’m fond of. It’s so sweet, so cute. I adore it. No, I’m not talking about the book, it’s something IN the book. And I’m not going to say anything else. If you know you know. If not, then you know what you have to do.

Project Hail Mary, Trigger and Julie & Julia laying on a table.

Because I was in a sci-fi kick, I reread 2001 Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke. That opening with the monolith and the human ancestors is still my favourite part of the book. It’s so good! But the month wasn’t over until I DNfed something. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell have been on my TBR for years. Ever since I saw the movie, I expected it to be a story I could relate to, on some level. It’s about creating a blog and food. I love cooking, so it has everything to be such an enjoyable read. Although, we didn’t vibe at all. I DNFed it. I rather watch the movie again which is a better blend of both worlds.

March

March was the best and worst month ever. The best because I read almost as much as I did in February. And the worst because barely anything was from my TBR. You see… when you have a portal to endless possibilities for the books you can read, it’s hard to look at anything else. Also, my subscription to Everand was ending at the end of the month, so I wanted to take the most out of it. And there’s nothing wrong with that. My TBR just doesn’t share the same opinion.

When I saw New Eden by Ruth Fox available as an ebook, I didn’t think twice. I was continuing with sci-fi and going back aboard a spaceship with whales. This sci-fi series slowly won my heart and I can’t wait for the author to finish writing and releasing the last book.

Then I finally watched Call Me By Your Name, and the movie was just stunning. Peaches aside, the imagery is beautiful. The warmth of an Italian summer – that I can only imagine how it is by living somewhere with also quite warm summers – feeling the light breeze while relaxing in the shade, and the freshness of the water. I just wanted to be there. The story also brings a lot of nostalgia and melancholy that I was really in the mood for. So I read the book by André Aciman. Sadly, it focuses more on the melancholy part of the story than anything else. I’m here for it, but isn’t exactly what I was looking for. I wanted more summer vibes.

The next three books, I’ve wanted to read since they came out. Vox by Christina Dalcher is the oldest from 2018 and the premise always intrigued me. It didn’t disappoint. Although the ending was rushed. Then With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo because I love food. Did I say that already? It was a very sweet story, I enjoyed the characters a lot. And I wished the magical cooking the MC had could come with some recipes. I want people to have those reactions to my cooking. And, on the theme of food, I listened to Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. A book that does more to vegetarianism than vegans themselves. It was amazing. It eloquently sets a picture of the horror that the meat industry can be. And also, how changing the subject from an animal to a human becomes horror instead of food. This is one of the books that I have to buy a copy for myself.

Stack of Space Odyssey and Anxious People with a potted plant on top.

In February, I didn’t read 2001 Space Odyssey just because I was in the mood. I wanted to read 2010 Odyssey Two, the continuation of the adventure and I wanted to have the story fresh in my memory. I also forced myself to watch the movie. And all my thoughts on all three are in a post by themselves. In short, not bad, I have some beef, will continue the series. A roller coaster. I know.

I also DNFed Avatar by Frederico Duarte, a book by a Portuguese author that I bought when I was a preteen – so this one wins the crown for the oldest on my TBR. I’ve tried twice before to read this book and sooner or later I would put it down. So the third time would be my last try. Now you know how that went. This is a debut book and the writing was not good. The characters also didn’t help, and so nothing was working positively in this book. While some books leave the TBR, others come to it. And I bought Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. I’m going to read all of this man’s book, I’m telling you.

April

Now I’m back to reading my TBR. Also, this is the month of the Magical Readathon Spring Equinox, and I was very excited to participate. However, it didn’t go well. I want to write a post about readathons and give my perspective. This whole project started after a very successful readathon, but I also have suffered from the frustration of failing or better yet not being able to fully play along in a readathon. This topic really needs a dedicated post to go over everything. So, I stopped planning any of my further reading to accommodate any part of the Magical Readathon.

I read Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan also a TBR veteran. And Anxious People. While I’m no longer in a buying ban I want to read the books shortly after buying them. This way I only increase the TBR temporarily. Also, it’s my final goal with this project. To read it when I buy it because that’s when I’m most excited. Then, I DNFed Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. That seems almost a crime. But I was getting very bored. The story takes a while to get to the meat and the drama and I wasn’t in the mood to wait. I’m counting it as a DNF, but maybe someday I’ll give it another shot.

May

May was another month dedicated to the TBR. It’s interesting how much of a difference having/not having a subscription to a book service does. I only read three books in contrast with the seven I read in February, the shortest month of the year. I read Clean by Juno Dawson, a YA story about a teenage socialite going into rehab. The story is surprisingly light for such a heavy topic. I finally finished Strangers in Paradise Volume 1 by Terry Moore, the new Omnibus edition. I don’t even know how to describe this graphic novel. It stretches into so many directions. The story is very interesting and I love the characters, but the structure was tough to get into. I would always get so confused with every new chapter.

I also did some more shopping and bought Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson and Normal People by Sally Rooney which I imitatively read. To be honest, I’m still not sure if I’m going to write a full review for it or not. I went into the book not thinking of it as romance, and it isn’t in a way. Although, I was expecting a different ending. The writing style didn’t bother me at all, although I realised I was dozing off. So while I think it gave the story a good rhythm, it also didn’t grab my attention at times. It was an interesting experience to read Normal People.

After Two Years

I feel like my TBR is growing smaller and smaller. Although I look at the numbers and that doesn’t translate. I still have a very long way to go, but I’m enjoying my time. This was never truly a challenge. It’s a project, so there is no rush. I’ll get there when I get there.

When I had my two-month subscription to Everand, I loved reading. It is very handy to read any book you are craving at the moment instead of being bound to what’s available on your shelves. And only at the end of the month did I realise I barely touched my TBR. I also wanted to make the most out of the subscription before it was over, so it’s understandable why I neglected my TBR. Although at the same time, it spoiled my reading. Because I didn’t want to go back to my TBR. I wanted new things.

However, what made me read so much with an Everand subscription, besides the versatility of audiobooks, was the time limit. I knew my time to access their library would be over soon, so I wanted to take the most out of it. That meant being more consistent and making more time for reading. Yes, I didn’t progress on my TBR, but I read more intentionally than I do with the books I own. They are mine, they aren’t going anywhere. I can read them whenever. And because of that, I guess I take them for granted.

I’m still not quite sure what I want to do with this realisation. If I want to create a time limit for my books or if I want to keep embracing my shelves with read and unread books as reading possibilities. Just like a library. Where books I’ve read and books that I haven’t read live happily ever after hoping to be picked up one day. This is one of the reasons why I thought about giving up on this project. Why does it matter if I read every book I own? Although, after all this time, I’m curious to see what that feels like, and how I’ll react to have barely any unread books. Will I go buy a lot of books and quickly grow a TBR again? Will I keep my TBR at a minimum? We’ll have to wait and see.