Spring Cleaning Your TBR. What Stays. What Goes.
Your TBR should excite you. Not stress you out. Not make you feel like you owe it something every time you walk past the shelf.
This week we got honest about our shelves, and things got a little uncomfortable. One of us owns approximately 3,000 books and has read about 10 percent of them. Another owns all three Fourth Wing hardcovers and has not started book one.
We are not here to judge. We are here to be judged together.
If your shelves are giving you anxiety instead of joy, keep reading.
🧼 The Types of TBR Clutter
Most book clutter falls into a few recognizable categories. See if any of these live on your shelves.
The Hype Hangover
You bought it because everyone was talking about it. The buzz faded. The book did not.
The Aspiration Shelf
Books you keep for the person you wish you were. The 700-page presidential biography. The literary fiction era that never arrived. Be honest.
The Series Trap
You bought books two and three before finishing book one. Sometimes it works. Sometimes you DNF book one and now own a trilogy you resent.
The Gift Guilt Stack
Someone gave it to you. You feel obligated to keep it. That is not a good enough reason.
The Pretty Cover Buy
You bought it because it was beautiful. You cannot be stopped. Honestly, neither can we.
🔍 Three Questions to Ask Before You Keep It
Run each book through these before it goes back on the shelf.
Would I buy or request this today?
Not two years ago. Right now. If the answer is no, it can go.
Am I keeping this for me or for the person I wish I was?
You already know the answer.
Did I DNF or dislike book one?
The rest of the series will not fix it.
📱 Apps Worth Knowing About
Libib
Scan your books, tag locations, and export to a spreadsheet. Extremely useful if your shelves are out of control.
Goodreads
Still the default for want-to-read lists. Do a quarterly clean-up so it does not turn into a graveyard.
StoryGraph
A strong alternative with better mood and pace tracking. Best on desktop for imports.
Libby and Hoopla
Free with your library card. Libby for holds. Hoopla for instant access with limits.
For the full conversation, including our confessions, disagreements, and what we are actually getting rid of, find us at linktr.ee/chapteronesceneone.
Now tell us. What is the most embarrassing thing sitting on your TBR right now?
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