Murder Plan: Kill My TBR In 2016

Don’t worry, it’s not a real murder 😉

 

I realize this is not a very realistic plan, as of today the dreaded TBR stands on 1215 (I’m ashamed to admit) and it will take me at least four years to read all that (and that is only if I would stop adding to it, which is not going to happen either).

 

I was also saying that I wouldn’t really join in any kind of reading challenge this year (except reading at least 250 books), but when I saw a link on The Primroses Were Over about the 12 Ways to Kill Your TBR This Year I’ve changed my mind.

 

Each challenge takes a month and there is a lot of room for interpretation, which is great since I’m not looking for a very stringent challenge. I will also continue to read new ARCs, even when they do not fit into the monthly challenge. Books I’ve started reading during any of the challenges but that I don’t finish in the designated month will be taken with me to the next month. These are the challenges together with some of my comments. Make sure to check the original blog post for more information.

 

January: Read whatever you want

This one is fairly easy and basically what I’ve been doing this whole month. I’ll just continue now with reading whatever I want.

 

February: Read books you’re embarrassed you haven’t read yet

 

I think I’m going to count ARCs that I’ve had for an embarrassingly long time without reading into this category as well. I’ve quite some of those, I would really like for them to be read.

 

March: Read based on the cover

 

This one is going to be easy. Far too often I choose books because of their awesome cover, often even without reading the blurb.

 

April: Read the genre you own the least of

 

April might be a bit tricky. I’m not sure yet how to fill it in. I believe non-fiction or romance will be my least-owned genre but I don’t know if I can handle to read any of them for a whole month. On second thoughts, maybe contemporary is also competing here. I need to check.

 

 

May: Read the classics

 

This will be interesting, since there are loads of classics that I’ve always wanted to read, but with the ARCs and everything I’ve found that classics are usually the first ones to disappear to the background. I also want to read some modern classics. But one thing is for sure: THIS YEAR I’m going to finish Les Misérables. (Admitted, I’ve been saying that for the last four year, but I’ve already made 25% progress this year so I’m confident!) It may be however that I finish it already in February.

 

June: Read the adaptations

 

 

I know for a fact that I have loads of books to read that have been adapted to the screen, but at the moment I haven’t really an idea yet what to fill this month with. I’ll have to look into it.

 

July: Read diversely

 

This is another challenge that I will have to look into, but I’m sure I’ve quite some diverse books. I would go, I think, with original settings and books taking place outside of North America and Europe. One book that certainly comes to mind for this challenge is The Wind-up Girl.

 

August: Read chronologically

 

I’m not completely sure how to fill this one in yet. It would either be reading some of the oldest books on the TBR and working my way forward, or starting with the books that have been on the TBR for the longest.

 

September: Read the books with the least number of pages

 

This has the potential of being the month with the most books, as I have quite some short stories and novellas on my TBR. I would have to find some kind of balance though as I don’t think I would like to have a whole month of them.

 

October: Read books people gave or lent you

 

I feel bad when I think about books I got years ago (for my birthday, I don’t even remember which one) and that I still haven’t read. Also, making some time especially for the books I got last Christmas, will be good. I don’t have a lot of lent books because people tend not to lend me a lot of books because ‘you should first read the books you already own’ and if I get one I feel obliged to read it immediately.

 

November: Reread the books you can’t remember

 

I’m not a rereader. There, I’ve said it. I get nervous just thinking about rereading, for all the nice books that are out there and that I haven’t read. I was thinking some time ago about rereading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell but in the end I didn’t do it. On the other hand I’ve planning to reread Harry Potter for some time now. It would not be a complete reread though, as I’ve never read them in English before. I think the rest of the month I will just go YOLO and read ‘January-style’. 

 

December: Read what other people recommend

 

I get loads of recommendations, both online and offline, but I often lack time to really get to them. So, I’d say this has potential to become a very interesting and divers month. I’m looking forward to it already.

 

So, these are my plans for the rest of the year. I hope, but I’m not sure I will succeed, to get the TBR below 1000. *fingers crossed*