How to keep a reading list you'll actually read

Every reader knows the to-be-read pile (TBR): the list of books you mean to get to. It starts as a promise and can turn into a guilt trip. Here's how to keep one that actually helps you pick your next book.

Add freely, choose carefully

A reading list is a net, not a contract. Save anything that catches your eye: a first chapter you enjoyed, a recommendation in a forum thread, an advance copy you're waiting for. Adding a book costs nothing.

The choosing is where the care goes. When you finish a book, don't pick the oldest thing on the list. Pick what you're in the mood for.

Know why you saved it

"Why is this on my list?" is the question that makes a TBR useful. A few words is enough:

• "Found family + heist, loved chapter 1."
• "Recommended by the author of X."
• "On a deal until Friday."

Six months later, that note is the difference between "ooh, yes" and "no idea".

Keep three shelves, not one

One long list turns into a wall. Three shelves keep it honest:

1. Want to read. The maybes and the definitelys.
2. Read. What you finished, so you remember what you liked and why.
3. Didn't finish. The ones that weren't for you, and ideally why. It's how you learn what to avoid, and it's perfectly fine: DNF: is it OK not to finish a book?

That's exactly how your reading list works on Bervet: every book page has Want to read, and a small menu for I've read it and I didn't finish it (with an optional reason). Your list is private; authors only ever see counts.

Cut without guilt

If you look at a book on your list and feel nothing, take it off. Your taste has moved on, and that's the point of reading. A shorter list is easier to choose from.

Mix it up

• One from a new author, one from an old favourite. The new one is how you find your next favourite; the old one is comfort.
• Try a first chapter before promoting a book to "next". Ten minutes now saves a slow week later.
• Say yes to an advance copy now and then. Reading a book before it's out, and telling the author what you thought, is a different kind of fun. How to become an ARC reader.

Let the list work for you

On Bervet, if a book on your "Want to read" list goes on a free or cut-price deal, it shows up in your weekly email (if you've asked for the email), even if it's outside your usual genres. Follow the authors you like, and you'll hear when they have something new.

Start with what you already love: how to find new authors, or browse by trope.