For the past few years I’ve signed up to take part in James’s TBR Dare.
Hosted by James of James Reads Books and featuring his beloved pooch Dakota in the graphic, the TBR Dare is very simple –
Read only from your TBR from Jan 1 until April 1.
You can make your own exceptions for book groups, scheduled reviews etc. reserved books at the library etc.
You don’t even have to stop acquiring books – you’re just not allowed to read books that come into your house from Jan 1st until the dare is up. You could go out on December 31st and have a splurge on new books which would be valid to read during the dare.
You don’t even have to do the full three months – just set a target and enjoy revisiting your TBR piles, or in my case, mountains. James doesn’t like calling it a challenge – and I’m all for that – I nearly always fail in those – so it’s a dare.
This year I’m having to make a different exception because of my involvement with Shiny New Books which, by its nature, will require me to read some new books. However, as they will appear on a different website, I feel justified in saying that here at Annabel’s House of Books I am aiming to go the full three months reading only from my TBR (except for Book Group choices).
If you want to join in, head over to James’s TBR Dare page and sign up. Your TBR piles will love you for it.
Good luck!
I’ve found rather refreshing the past few years so given that I can still read new books in the house for Shiny, it’ll be perfectly manageable – I hope!
I certainly need to do this! I do write official reviews for Crime Fiction Lover, so I’ll make an exception for those, but other than that, I do need to clear a path in my study between my door and the printer… all filled with TBR piles.
You and me both 🙂
I wish I had the willpower to do this! I’m actually amassing very few books at the moment (I suppose because Christmas is approaching) and reading very much from what I’ve already got. But the minute I place restrictions on myself all goes wrong. Perhaps I’ll try and do it informally! (And I certainly think SNB review copies are excluded!!) :))))
It’s the only time I impose this kind of discipline on my reading – I’m useless at challenges – but the TBR dare is a discipline that encourages whim-reading which is generally a joy.
Hmm I’m thinking I should join but I know I would fail within about 3 weeks. Good luck.
You could sign up for 3 weeks then, you don’t have to do the full three months…
I have review copies so I can’t sign up. I’ll watch you instead.
Review copies for other websites don’t count – and arguably, as long as they’re in your hands by December 31st they can be read anyway. However this isn’t a restrictive challenge – it’s an encouraging dare… 🙂
I’m definitely going to do this. Knowing others are doing it too will help keep me focused ! Can I add to the TBR prior to January 1st ?!!
Of course you can pre-load it! This is a do it your way dare. Do let James know you’re going to join in.
I love your thinking – buy a pile on December 31st and then they count! I’ve got to do this and get these piles down. It’s so bad today I noticed I had two copies of the same book – and its not the first time that’s happened!
Tell me about it! This is a dare that’s full of cheats – but if you read just a couple off your TBR piles, it helps… good luck.
I think this may be the year I finally do this. I have a very small window of time to use the library now that hours have been cut, so I could forego that, and maybe make just a little exception for particularly desirable review books offered ….
Of course. 🙂 This is a do it your way dare.
Not much point in me doing this is there 😉