Hello readers! Today’s post is a book tag. I have done this tag before, but it was back in 2021. I think it’s due time to do it again! Book tags are genuinely so fun and I have a lot planned for the next few months that I haven’t done before.

I was doing tags on Sunday, but from here out, they will be on Thursday. They won’t be every single Thursday, but I do have 4 more Thursdays planned!

This book tag was created by a Booktuber named About to Read, but from what I can find, they no longer exist.

You have 20,000 books on your TBR. How do you decide what to read next?

Most of the time, I will have a genre in mind that I want and I’ll either browse my shelves or Libby. I usually find something available on Libby and even have a shelf for my owned, unread books.

If I start something I am having trouble getting into, I’ll just put that one down and repeat. I will sometimes start 5 or so books before I find the one I’m actually in the mood for.

You’re halfway through a book and just aren’t feeling it. Do you quit or are you committed to finishing?

This is such a good question! It really depends on how I’m feeling. If I get half way through a book and realize I just cannot stand it, I’ll put it down and permanently DNF. However, if I think it’s more of a 3 star read, I might push through, or at the very least, search for some spoiler reviews to find out the ending. It’s so hard to put down a book you don’t really like when you have this urge to know what happens at the end! Thankfully, there are plenty of reviewers out there that have spoiler-filled reviews.

The end of the year is coming and you’re so close, but also so far away from your Goodreads reading challenge. Do you try to catch up and if so how?

If I get behind on my Goodreads goal, I’ll just drop it. I don’t take Goodreads goals too seriously!

Although, if I am approaching the end of the year and I’m a few books behind, I will try to reach it. Let’s say I’m 5 or so books behind, it would be a fun challenge to get back on track.

The covers of a series you love do not match. How do you deal with that?

I personally don’t care if my series match. I do sometimes want a full set that is the same. Although, most of my book series don’t match. I don’t have a talent for design or aesthetics and don’t buy those pretty editions of books.

Everyone you can think of loves a book that you don’t. Who do you talk to about your feelings?

If this happened to me, I would just tell my husband about it. There will always be someone out there to dislike the book, I would just have to check the one-star reviews on Goodreads.

You’re reading a book and you’re about to start crying in public. What do you do?

I would probably just hold it in and stop reading it until later. I do not commonly cry at books nor do I often read in public.

A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you’ve forgotten a lot from the prior novel. Will you re-read the previous book?

I’m not big into rereading, but if I remembered absolutely nothing, I might reread it. Honestly, if I read it a year ago and I can’t remember anything, I would probably quit the series. I think it speaks volumes if I can’t remember much about a book I read sort of recently.

You aren’t a fan of letting people borrow your books. How do you politely tell them you don’t want them to borrow your books?

Well, there are only 2 people who would borrow my books. Most of the people I know don’t read, at all. Those two people would be my husband and daughter. My daughter is not gentle with books, or anything for that matter, so I would just buy her a copy of a book. For instance, we both really love Diary of a Wimpy Kid. So, we both have our own copies of the books.

You’ve picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over your reading slump?

Now, if I’m in a slump because there is a lot going on in my life, the only thing to help with that is to wait for life to calm down.

Although, if I’m in a slump because of the books I’m reading, I have a few steps I take to help. I have an entire How to Get out of a Reading Slump post!

First, I will allow myself to take a break! There is no use in forcing yourself into a hobby when you aren’t feeling it. Reading is supposed to be fun! After a few days, I’ll try to find a book in an easy genre for me to get into like a thriller. I am in no way able to process a whole fantasy book when I’m not feeling like reading. I can also listen to audiobooks while doing house-related tasks. If I’m not up to reading as much as usual, I can at least listen to an hour of an audiobook while cooking dinner. The last thing I would try if nothing else worked is graphic novels. Most are quick reads and have a lot less reading than a regular book, which always helps.

There are so many new books coming out that you’re dying to read! How many do you actually buy?

I don’t actually buy books that often. A few times a year I will buy a lot of books at once and then not buy any for a while. Do I then read all those books? No. Before life decided to kick me in the teeth this year I was doing better at reading my owned books.

Looking at my 1st Quarter Book Haul, I have bought 11 books this year. I can’t remember for sure, but I think I’ve aquired 1 other book since then and it was free from the library.

After you’ve bought the new books you can’t wait to read them, but how long do they sit on your shelf before you get to them?

Well, of the 12 books I’ve acquired in 2023, I can say I have read 4 of them. BUT! All of the ones I have read, I read before I bought them. I was planning this post where I read books that had been sitting on my shelves for a long time. It was a read it or unhaul it kind of post. Then, I had to pack my books up and just unhauled a bunch of them. Now, this was around 3 months ago, so I’m not even sure which books I still have.

I don’t like books to sit on my shelves for years and years, but I don’t mind them sitting there for a while.

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