Recently people have been posting pictures of their to-be-read piles, so I thought I’d show you mine. First of all, though, here’s a picture of my TBR shelves from 2 1/2 years ago:
Just a couple shelves and a little pile on the floor. Not too bad! But here’s how things look now:
There are about seven books on the left side of the top shelf that I’ve already read; the rest are all patiently waiting for me to get to them.
I really think I can’t be blamed for this situation, as just about every one of you reading this post has tempted me to read one book or another at some point. Tempted me beyond what I can bear. So yes, this is entirely YOUR fault.
Here is a closer shot of the piles on the floor, complete with one of Muttboy’s many abandoned bones strewn around the house:
And now I need to go read …
Of Books and Bicycles 
Ambitious!
LikeLike
Funniest post ever on this blog. Not sure that “tbr” captures the spirit of this collection and enterprise. Keep acquiring, ready what you like, when you can.
LikeLike
missing you at the Villette read, btw. Infinite Jest and Villette would be a lot, I’m sure.
LikeLike
Ha! You can’t blame me. I don’t recognize a single book in the closeup shot that I’ve read (uh-oh. I think that means that once you get reading, my TBR tome is going to have a few new pages added to it…).
LikeLike
I don’t feel so bad about my “pile” now.
LikeLike
Wow, that is quite a pile. Blame the bloggers!
LikeLike
Haha I can see tons of books in that pic that bloggers have encouraged me to add to my TBR list. Don’t feel too bad, my mum and me had to buy a new bookcase last year to house all the books sitting on the floor (and we still didn’t manage to find homes for them all).
LikeLike
I see you have Pinkerton’s Sister in that pile – that’s the book that started me reading blogs. I haven’t written about so you can’t blame me though.
By the way you’ve added to my piles too – thank you.
LikeLike
That makes me feel better, as my TBR
pile is similarly out of control.
I can see Double Fault there- memorable for how dreadful it is,especially the sex scenes whihc use phrases like “instrument of their mending”- Ugh!
LikeLike
Bwaahahahahahaha! It’s only fair since you have added to my TBR pile too! 😀
LikeLike
Oh, but have you read, ________________?
Just kidding! Happy Reading! 🙂
LikeLike
I’m envious of the pile actually and a little bit happy you have such a large TBR. I can now show my wife the pics and she’ll know that I’m not the only one.
LikeLike
Bardiac — definitely a case of my eyes being bigger than my stomach, or whatever that old saying is!
Zhiv — you are totally right about the TBR label. You’re making me think of a post, in fact, where I write about the shelves as a representation of the kind of reader I want to be, more about a fantasy of who I am and what I can do than anything else. As for Villette, I was tempted to join, except for Infinite Jest, and also the fact that I’ve read Villette before. I suppose a second reading would be ideal for such a group, but I’m not sure Villette is what I’d choose to reread right now.
Emily — well, I do have the Chesterton book you send me still on the shelves, and Rose Macauley is on the shelves too, so you definitely don’t escape blame!
Darby — very glad to help. Perhaps I’ll post more pictures in another 2 1/2 years and make you feel even better.
Charlotte — oh, I do. I hope to add a book of yours to pile one day! (Except I won’t let that one languish on the shelves for long.)
Jodie — we have a tiny bit more room for books, but not a whole lot, and adding more shelves would mean pushing other things out of the way. So I’d better get reading!
BooksPlease — I remember hearing about Pinkerton’s Sister on the blogs (perhaps I’ll read that one soon!). I’m glad to help with your own piles! 🙂
Adevotedreader — you’re making me laugh about Double Fault. I liked the one Shriver book I read, but your quote makes me uncertain about this one!
Stefanie — well, I’m glad I’ve contributed to your piles, because you’re one of the worst offenders out there! I probably could have an entire shelf devoted to books I’ve gotten from you or bought because of you!
Sheila — oh thank you for not filling in the blank! 🙂
Mike — I’m always happy to help out in the cause of marital harmony!
LikeLike
Wow, that TBR is out of control! Will be interested to hear about the Virginia Woolf, The Chateau and also Einstein’s Dreams. No pressure mind 😉
LikeLike
Now I don’t feel that bad… the 40 books I hauled back from the used book sale is nothing compared to what you have here. I don’t just mean the number, I mean the type of read. What you have on your tbr shelves (and on the floor) are heavy weights. Also, I’ve finally finished my meme post, well, thanks to bloggers who pass them around… now I can have some time to read.
LikeLike
Isn’t it amazing what blog reading does to your book piles!! I think we all have that problem. I see the Mitford book migrated from the shelf to the pile–mine have a way of wandering about, too! Thanks for sharing your photo–it’s always nice to know other people have the same problem…
LikeLike
Wow. I’m speechless. And you know what? You’ll read them all and I’ll be here to hear all about them and feel so lucky to get to do just that!!
LikeLike
I am way toooooo afraid to put all my TBR books together in one place, so they are snuck in between the “read” books.
LikeLike
You introduced me to book mooch, so you’re partly responsible for the Cabinet of Shame. Can’t fit another book in there, and am beginning to seriously worry!
Maybe at some point we can read the Mitford book together. I have that same copy.
LikeLike
I am happy to see we aren’t the only people with dog bones randomly deposited by books :-). I am planning on posting similar pictures sometime in the next week or two…
LikeLike
You can think of it as having the luxury of choice in picking out your next book! I think mine would be a lot bigger if I kept an organized list of recommendations – I always read blog posts, think “that sounds great!” and then promptly forget about them. 🙂
LikeLike
Ha,ha.. I knew it, book bloggers are bad influences 🙂
Loved this. We definitely have a lot of the same books on the TBR piles.
LikeLike
That is quite a pile. Whatever you do, don’t read that Basbanes’s “A Gentle Madness” I see, as it will surely add another twenty books to your pile.
One the other hand, don’t delay too long a reading of “Essays of Elia”. It is quite beautiful.
LikeLike
Oh it is so good to see that someone else has a TBR pile that rivals mine!
LikeLike
Pete — Hmmm, now that you mention it, I’m kind of in the mood for something like Einstein’s Dreams … but we’ll see! I’ll get to them all eventually.
Arti — I have about 5 times the number you brought home, so you’re doing pretty well, I’d say! I do tend to collect heavier kinds of books, although that’s not all I read — but I’m a bit ambitious in my book buying, in a number of ways!
Danielle — I do like to shift the books around now and then, just so they don’t get too dusty or start to look stale. Funny what little quirky habits we have! And yes, it’s great to know we’re not alone.
Bloglily — well, that makes me think I’d better get around to doing some of my reviews! I love the sense of possibility those piles give me — all those books to read and write about! I’m glad you’ll be around to read about them.
Verbivore — I used to have my books arranged that way, too, and then I got it into my head to separate them out, which was a pretty big project. I’ve sometimes wished I hadn’t done that, but it’s too late, and I’m not putting them back at this point!
Debby — sorry to say, my bad habits have infected other people! But I feel better having my shelves of shame when I know you’ve got your cabinet of shame! I’ve read the first volume of the Mitford book, but haven’t read the second, and when you get there, I’d love to read it with you! Just tell me when!
Courtney — I’m definitely looking forward to your pictures. When I’m tidying up, I generally don’t even see the dog bones and toys scattered around — it’s like they don’t even register. They are just so natural there 🙂
Emily — keeping a formal TBR list has definitely been part of the problem. It helps me remember what I’ve heard about, and then I’m more likely to buy it when I can. And Book Mooch is a problem as well, because recommendations arrive by email. So many sources of temptation!
Iliana — very cool we share a lot of the same reading plans! Yes, bloggers are a bad influence, but I wouldn’t really want it any other way.
Anthony — well, I’m lucky because the Basbanes isn’t terribly high on the list right now and I don’t need to add 20 more books! I’m looking forward to the Lamb collection — I like his writing a lot, and that book is such a nice-looking one.
DebbieQ — I’m very glad to make you feel better about your pile!
LikeLike
Oh no! I have the same bookcase, also full of TBRs. If I included the stacks in my bedroom I think mine my surpass yours.
Recently my son, home from college and totally bored, asked me which book I’d recommend, looking at my tbr case. He asked me repeatedly over a few days if I was joking when I told him I hadn’t read anything in that particular case. Still not sure if he believes me althought I saw he noted, without comment, that I placed some new books on that case. So he may be believing me now.
LikeLike
Cam — I’m very glad to know that your TBR shelves might be bigger than mine 🙂 How funny about your son. I can imagine quite a few friends and family members might have the same reaction to my shelves.
LikeLike
I spot the Essays of Elia! I don’t know if that was my recommendation, but I’ll take the credit. 🙂
LikeLike
Pingback: Umberto Eco: On Owning Lots of Books « An American English Teacher
Pingback: Recent Acquisitions « Of Books and Bicycles