“I have come to accept the feeling of not knowing where I am going. And I have trained myself to love it.”
– C. JoyBell C.
S’up internet?!
I’ve been experiencing a bit of a dilemma this week.
After posting my monthly wrap up, I set about drafting a post about my TBR for the month of June, and you know something? I just can’t do it.
I mentioned in an earlier post about reading challenges, how I can’t force myself to meet some of the requirements to complete the list – I’m talking about you political manifesto!
As I sat looking at my books, planning what I would read two-three weeks from now, I realised how stubborn I am when it comes to being told what to do.
Yes, even if I’m telling myself to do something, I’m reluctant to do it.
I’m sure there’s some sort of psychological problem buried there…
When I read, I like the journey that comes with it. I like not knowing what’s going to happen next, and if I plan out my reading expedition for the month, the adventure sort of loses it’s sparkle.
Who can say what I’ll be in the mood for next week. Right now I’m thinking Passenger by Alexandra Bracken, but come tomorrow, I may want to try Percy Jackson or Miss Peregrine or Shatter Me.
The possibilities are endless and that’s what excites me about reading.
That’s the magic of adventure.
This week I’ll finish off The Falconer by Elizabeth May and The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.
Next week; who knows.
What are your reading plans for the month?
Or, are you like me and have no plan?
Peace out
xoxo
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The Not So Secret Life Of A Fan Girl 
I think I have the same problem. I don’t quite like listing all the books I’ll read in the month – sort of takes the excitement out of it, doesn’t it? But I do have a lot of books I want to read soon, so those are pretty high up on my TBR.
I’ve spotted A Thousand Nights on your bookshelf, and I really think you should give that one a read soon 🙂
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Yeah, I definitely prefer to live moment to moment. When I finish reading one book, I’ll look at my shelves and and just pick one up that jumps out to me at the time and read that.
I bought A Thousand Nights last month and it’s the most beautiful book cover I’ve ever seen. I do hope I’ll pick it up soon because I love the story 1001 nights and I’ve heard this is a really great adaption.
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Definitely do that! 🙂 Read it as soon as you can. I recently finished it and absolutely loved it.
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I dont make plans on what books i will read either. Just go with the flow… i just pick up what i feel like. Making lists makes it feel like i have to get through it and then i wont enjoy it much xxx
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I think if you plan it starts to feel like a chore and you don’t have as much fun.
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I’m pretty much the same way. The second I *Have* to read a book, I no longer want to, even if I’m the one making myself read it…
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Yup, I’ll think “I want to get this new book and read it” I’ll go and buy it, and it will sit on my shelves for months before I get to it because by the time I’ve bought it, I don’t want to read it anymore.
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I do this ALL THE TIME. Or, I’ll buy more than one book at once, read one within a week and forget about the others entirely.
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Yup, I do this also!
There are just too many good books. And a lot of the time they’re all released within a few days of one another.
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I KNOW! Everything seemed to come out in May this year…
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I know! It was such a bad month for my bank.
I’m actually not sure what’s coming out for the rest of the year, barring Empire of Storms in September (?)
I’m totally out of the loop at the moment.
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I know the next Magnus Chase comes out in October but other than that *shrugs*
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Yeah, seems there were a tonne of books scheduled up until May and then… nothing until September
Weird
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I don’t know… Bad planning? Maybe people don’t buy as many books in the summer? They want to stress us out by only releasing books doing AP testing and the start of school?
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I bet there are a million good books coming out over the next two months too, and I just can’t think of them right now haha.
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I have no idea. I think my brain is still fried from AP Biology.
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I’m the same – I hate making a plan of what to read, feels forced and causes me to think, ‘I wish I wasn’t reading this, I want to read that over there’. Xx
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Better to just wing it for sure, more exciting that way 😀
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I find if I list out all the books I want to read I get stressed out and overwhelmed by the list- like I suddenly have this deadline of reading I have to complete, rather than seeing it as something I want to do. I always find I read far more and feel more relaxed when I don’t plan out my reading
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Right?! It’s much better to just pick up what you feel at the time, I’ve never understood how someone can plan and stick to it for an entire month! It’s crazy
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I don’t make plans, I can’t follow my own orders either. I have to be in the mood to read something. I still have things I’d like to read but I have to wait till I feel like it.
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I’ll just randomly pick something up and go with it, I can’t stick to any kind of plan. My life is no where near that organised! 😛
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I never do monthly TBR because I never stick to it! However, I do participate in the weekly WWW meme to plan what I am gonna read next. I find it much more manageable to think of what to read in the next couple of days than for the four weeks to come…
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That’s probably a much better way to do things.
I’ve never understood someone planning that far ahead for something that’s supposed to be fun
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Exactly. I am a control freak and I love planning, but books are about feelings, and those you can’t control.
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Couldn’t agree more.
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My bookshelves are my tbr basically. And I really suck at listing things. I am very intrigued by “book bingo” which is sorta like a reading challenge, but where you can decide if you want nonfiction to be excluded. I have yet to actually do anything about it, but the idea intrigues me xD
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Over half my shelf is my TBR because I packed a lot of the books I’ve read into boxes.
The bingo sounds like a neat idea, but I could just see myself saying “Nah, I don’t want to read that now, I’ll read this instead.”
I’m awful with this sort of thing.
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I think that’s why the bingo is pretty awesome. It’s not a list or something set in stone. Like… you just write down a theme you’d like to read: fx. Angels, gods, superpower, beyond the stars, highschool, etc. And then, when you don’t know what to read, you can look at it and be like: “hmm… a highschool romance might be just what I need” and then you have a goal in your mind when you’re looking over your shelves. XD
Of course, there’s other ways to do it too, with set book titles, but I think a “book theme bingo” sounds more fun.
– and I have a serious bookbuying addiction. My May bookhaul consisted of 126 books. And so far, in june, I’ve already bought over 60 books… 🙈
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Ooooh I like the theme idea, that does sound pretty awesome!
Oh my gosh, thats a serious amount of books to buy in one month :O
I think I’ve had a bad buying month if I buy over 5.
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I think I’ll try the theme idea xD just… not sure which themes to use . XD
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Hmmm, when I’m trying to think of something to read next, I think of the genres I’ve read most of recently and try to go in the opposite direction. I’ve read a lot of high fantasy recently so I might try sci-fi or dystopian next.
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Ohh… i do that too.. when I’ve read a fantasy or sci fi I usually pick up a contemporary romance to cleanse the pallet. XD that way, I won’t accidentally compare or mix up worlds and characters 🙂
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I don’t set monthly TBRs because like you, I like to go with what I’m feeling as it makes reading more enjoyable. However, I will also have books I want to read at certain points of the year, so I might do seasonal TBRs every now and then whilst still leaving room for additional books to be read.
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A seasonal TBR is a good idea, because there are occasions when I’ll pick something up and think, ‘I would much rather read this toward the holiday season, or Halloween or summer….’
Mostly I just like a free for all.
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Exactly! Some books, and even genres, are better to read at particular times of the year. I definitely go for a bit more romance in summer, more thrillers in Autumn and more fantasy in Winter.
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Yeah, romance is a nice, happy light read for sunny afternoons, fantasy is nice to snuggle up under a blanket and thriller is nice and spooky in time for halloween and darker evenings.
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This is really interesting, I’ve never looked at it that way! I’m pretty much the complete opposite though, if I don’t set out a couple of books I know I want to read, then I spend too much time deciding and it stresses me out. 😂 That being said I still love impulsive reading and I completely agree with you about reading challenges!
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I know some people who need to have a TBR and stick religiously to it, and it works for them, but I just can’t seem to do it. Then again, I’m not a very organised person. When it comes to work, I’m so meticulous and methodical but in real life, I’m a big ol’ mess.
I have a huge rant about reading challenges in an earlier post,https://thenotsosecretlifeofanerdgirl.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/on-twenty-sixteen-reading-challenges-soup-for-thought-and-overzealous-tbr-shelves/
I just…I can’t with reading challenges.
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I totally understand you. I also can force myself to read anything.
That’s why I don’t really make monthly tbrs or even if I do, they’re for fun, mostly xD
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I just stand in front of my shelves and pick something up at random and read it. I can’t do it any other way.
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Same. I can’t EVER force myself to read something I don’t want to.
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This makes a lot more sense then I thought coming into this post 🤔 Dont take that the wrong way! There have been soooo many times where I plan ahead what to read oy to find myself reading something completely different… And I never noticed it before until now. I mean I will continue to do the post because it helps me get through my TBR but now Im will just be more conscious of how I go about choosing what books to read
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I know some people who can stick to a tbr and they enjoy planning ahead, but it’s just not for me. I tend to just pick up whatever catches my eye in the moment and read that instead 🙂
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