Mood Reading vs. TBR: Unlocking the Secrets to Becoming a Better Reader
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
When choosing your next book, do you lean towards the freedom of mood reading or the structure of a TBR list? As a mood reader, you might pick up books based on your current reading mood, allowing your feelings to guide your choices. On the other hand, setting a TBR list involves curating a reading plan that aligns with your reading goals and challenges, offering a more structured approach.
Both methods have their merits, and each can profoundly influence your reading habits. In this blog post, we’ll dive into how mood reading and TBR lists affect your journey as a reader, exploring how each approach impacts book club selections, book recommendations, and your overall reading experience from January to December. Whether you’re a historical fiction enthusiast or just looking for the perfect mood read, let’s explore which method could be the key to unlocking your best reading self.
In 2023, I’ve set a few TBR’s for various reasons, including monthly reading challenges and book tags. Thinking it would suit me and enhance my reading. In the end this setting of a TBR every month felt restrictive. And when I didn’t read all of the books that I set up for myself that month, I felt like a deflated balloon.
What in the world is a TBR?
For anyone reading this thinking, what are you talking about Dominique??? A TBR what does that mean? It stands for To Be Read. It is a curated list of books that you want to read each month. Giving you a guideline to follow. Having the direction to pick your next books rather than the whole of your book collection is often freeing for readers. Guiding them, giving them what they need to find that next adventure or fall in love with their next book boyfriend.
For me, being on team mood readers is freeing. I am not bound to one set book that I picked at the end of the previous month. Tending to base my next read on what I am feeling at the end of that particular read. I could stay with that genre or completely jump ship to another one. Sometimes I even read based on the season. March through August tends to be more of a romance time for me. September and October: horror and all vibes of spooky. December and January: winter reads win out.
But is being on team mood reader or team set a monthly TBR right for you? Let’s look at some of the pros and cons:
Pros:
- Each month you will have a set number of books to choose from. Ultimately, making choosing your next read easy (If you have trouble being indecisive this will be a great plus).
- It is a great way to stay on top of ARC reads and book reviews.
- It can broaden your genres, including things that you may not have previously.
- You may be keen on reading more when you set yourself up with a TBR pile each month.
Cons:
- Setting a monthly reading goal may be too restrictive, leaving you dreading reading.
- Depending on how strictly you are following your monthly reads guidelines, you may not be allowed to add a spontaneous pick (say that book you just picked up).
When I think of the positives and negatives, it depends on your approach to setting a TBR each month. Reading is subjective and you have to do what works for you (else why do it?)
Let’s talk a little about mood reading. When you pick a book entirely based on what you are in the mood for at the time, it means there is no (or very little) planning. As I’ve mentioned this is how I like to pick my reads (most of the time). When I am not mood reading it is most likely because I have promised an author a book review by a certain date (and even then I try to give myself time so that I can be in the mood to read that particular book). I enjoy that there are no restrictions placed on me. It makes reading feel more enjoyable and not like a chore that I have to get done, but the thing that I love to do!
Pros:
- You have your heart’s desire at the end of your fingertips. If you are in the mood for it you read it.
- If you buy the book you’ve been wanting to read mid-way through the month nothing is stopping you from picking it up and devouring that read.
Cons:
- There is no direction when it comes to picking what to read (this is not a negative for me).
- There are often too many options and that can be too much, taking hours or leaving you not wanting to pick your next read.
- It’s harder to complete preplanned reading challenges because you won’t want to pick certain reads for certain prompts.
In the end, it doesn’t matter if you like to set a TBR, mood read, read one book at a time, or multiple books, just read something. Read books!
Check Out These Related Posts:
The Knife and the Serpent’s Epic Cosmic Quest Reviewed
Castle of the Cursed Review: Beyond the Castle Walls