What-to-Read Decision Fatigue & Why I Love Reading Challenges

A few weeks ago, I launched the TBR Backlog Reading Challenge here on the blog and talked about how I was taking a break from my normal reading challenge, the Read Wide Challenge. I had a number of reasons for this (wanted to do something new, didn’t want to feel stress at the end of the year, etc.) but one of the other reasons was because I wanted to be less restricted in picking what to read.

Well, it sounded like a good idea at the time…

But last night as I sat down with my book journal to record something I’d read, I realized I missed my Read Wide Challenge. The TBR Backlog Challenge is going well (though it’s showing me how my tastes have changed over the years because I’m getting a good number of DNFs), but I felt myself getting overwhelmed by the thought of picking what I was going to read next. My TBR list is currently 832 books long. And even narrowing down to year of purchase (the metric for my TBR Backlog challenge), it was still a lot to choose from.

That’s when it hit me—why I was missing the Read Wide challenge. I missed the guidance it offered on what to read next. Not having that more focused lens was creating decision fatigue.

What’s decision fatigue?

“Coined by social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister, decision fatigue is the emotional and mental strain resulting from a burden of choices.” —Healthline

Too many choices = stress. Too few would also create stress, I imagine. For instance, I wouldn’t want a list of “these are the five books you must read next” because then I’d feel like it was homework and wouldn’t want to do it. But somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot. It’s why I prefer grocery shopping at a store like Sprouts instead of a big box grocery store. I only have three types of ketchup to pick from instead of twenty.

I realized that’s what my reading challenges do for me. They give me light guidance. “Oh look, I haven’t checked off the box for contemporary romance yet, maybe I should go look at what I have on my shelf in that category.” They allow flexibility but reduce decision fatigue.

Which means, I'm adding the Read Wide Challenge to my goals for 2021 (and keeping the TBR Backlog challenge as well.) :) I definitely am looking forward to less decision fatigue and hopefully some great reading!

So, if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed on what to read next (which can lead to reading nothing at all and turning to your phone or TV), consider giving yourself a smaller slate to pick from through a reading challenge. There are a ton out there. The ones I’ve created are here: The TBR Backlog Challenge and The Read Wide Challenge. Both are customizable.

And here are the pages I did in my journal last night for the Read Wide 2021 challenge. I changed up my categories this year to freshen it up. (Also, for those who nerd out about these things like I do, yes, I am allowing books to count for both the TBR Backlog Challenge and the Read Wide challenge.)

So have you ever felt decision fatigue over what to read next? Do you find reading challenges helpful? Which reading challenges are you doing this year?

Does a DNF (Did Not Finish) Count for a Reading Challenge?

I’m not sure a question could get nerdier than this one, but we embrace our nerdiness ‘round these parts, so I’m going for it.

When it comes to reading challenges, should books that you didn’t finish (DNF in book lingo) count?

In previous years, I would’ve said no. For my Read Wide challenge, I only counted books that I finished because the point of the challenge was to read widely and expand my bookish horizons. So a DNF did not serve that goal because I didn’t read a book in that genre if I didn’t finish it. Now, that’s not to say I don’t wholeheartedly believe in DNFing a book that isn’t working for me. Life it too short and my TBR too long to stick with books I’m not enjoying. However, if I didn’t finish a book, it didn’t get included in my challenge numbers.

I also stick to that rule with the annual Goodreads reading challenge. If I didn’t finish it, I don’t mark it as read and don’t count it toward my yearly number goal.

However, this year, I launched the TBR Backlog Challenge. (If you want all the details and a handy dandy printable template, you can go here and check that out.) The basic premise of the challenge is to read books on your shelf that have been sitting there for years. So in my chart, I’ve listed the years starting back in 2011 (my earliest TBR book) and going all the way through last year. When I read a book that I added to my TBR list in that particular year (meaning year it was added to my list, not publication date), I can fill in that box. If I fill in all the boxes, I’ve completed the challenge.

This seemed straightforward until this week when I picked up the oldest book on my TBR, one that has been on there for TEN years, y’all. It was so old, it had a Borders price tag on it. Yeah. But after 75 pages of the book, I realized it just wasn’t for me. Maybe that’s why it’s been sitting so long. I probably tried it back then and put it aside, thinking maybe my mood would change, and then never went back.

So normally, I wouldn’t count this in a reading challenge. BUT the TBR Backlog challenge has a different goal than my previous challenges. The goal here is to whittle down my TBR pile by giving attention to older books I’ve forgotten about. Reading 75 pages of this book and then dropping it in the donate box IS accomplishing that goal. The oldest book on my TBR is no longer there. The towering 800+ book pile is now a little shorter.

So shouldn’t it count?

I’ve decided that yes, it should. It’s moving me toward the goal I’m trying to achieve. Now, if I just remove a book without reading it, that doesn’t count. That’s just decluttering, not a reading challenge. So, for now, the rule I’m giving myself is that if I read 50 pages of a book for the TBR challenge and DNF it and get rid of it, it still counts. However, I won’t include it in my overall Goodreads challenge count of Read books.

I think this is an important caveat for this type of challenge, because going way back in our TBR is probably going to bring about a few realizations—that our tastes have changed or evolved, that we have different reading standards now, that a book hasn’t aged well. I think this is super valuable knowledge to gain, an added benefit of the TBR challenge, but it also shouldn’t mean that we have to force our way through books we’re not liking just to have them count. Fifty pages will give you that valuable information.

If you’re doing this challenge along with me, feel free to make your own rule, obviously. There are no book challenge police here. ;) I just thought I’d share my thoughts and the rule I’m using in case the issue came up for you.

Also, I’d love to hear, regardless of what reading challenge you may be doing, do you count books you didn’t finish? How do you handle your DNFs?

And if you’re someone who is freaking out at the thought of DNFing a book at all, I encourage you to read these posts about how I overcame my chronic finisher tendencies. ;)

• Reader Woes: The 3 Categories of DNF

• 10 Things That Make Me Close a Book For Good

Okay, let’s talk DNFs!

The 2021 TBR Backlog Reading Challenge

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I love a reading challenge. Since 2014, I’ve done a challenge I created called the Read Wide Challenge (originally called the Push Your Boundaries challenge.) I’ve loved doing this challenge, and it’s worked!

My original goal for the challenge was to expand my reading horizons because I had gotten so homogeneous with my reading, only reading a select number of genres and types of books. I didn’t want to end up writing the same story over and over because I kept putting the same input in. I wanted to have a variety of fodder for my writing brain. And looking back over these last few years, I’ve really accomplished that using this challenge. Yay for it actually helping me achieve what I set out to do!

The completed challenge in my reading journal

But…I realized that I’ve now hit the point of over-correction with this goal lol. Too many years of the same challenge in a row, I think. Of the 72 books I read in 2020, only about 10-11 are romance, which is kind of not great for my favorite genre, lol. Also this year, for the first time, I felt a little stressed about finishing the challenge. (I did but by the skin of my teeth.) I blame 2020 for some of that angst, but I don’t want to be stressed by a challenge. I want it to be fun.

So, I realized it was time for a fresh challenge. I love reading challenges so I don’t want to not do one this year, but I needed something new and different for 2021. I brainstormed on what that could look like and about what I wanted from my reading life this year. What goal would make me feel good and give me a satisfied feeling if I complete it by the end of the year?

I scrolled through my Goodreads account, seeking inspiration, and there it was, staring me in the face. The endlessly scrolling TBR pile. Some people have a TBR pile and some people have a TBR skyscraper. I’m one of the latter. I don’t add a book to my Goodreads TBR unless I own it. Currently, my Want to Read pile is…819 books. That seems ludicrous. At the rate of reading 70 books a year, it’d take me 11.5 years to get through it if I never bought another book. And y’all know I’m not going to stop buying books so…what to do?

Enter the 2021 TBR Backlog Reading Challenge.

When I scrolled to the bottom of my TBR and worked my way back up, I saw so many books that I really wanted to read but forgot I had. That recency effect is real. Plus, my memory is already crap so that’s working against me too. I felt bad for these neglected books just waiting to be read. Dusty and forgotten, filled with stories they want to tell and no one to listen. Yes, I’m anthropomorphizing my books, but you know what I mean.

So I decided I needed a challenge to tackle the TBR. I’ve tried this in a general, loose way before—i.e. making a goal to read more books I already own. But that didn’t stick. Loose doesn’t work for me (except in my writing process.) I need structure in a challenge. That’s why the Read Wide challenge has worked so well.

Therefore, here’s what I came up with…

The 2021 TBR Backlog Reading Challenge

Read Books Based on the Year Purchased or the Year Published to Find the Books You’ve Forgotten About

Have squares or checkboxes to fill in for the year in which you purchased a book, which is tracked on Goodreads. (You could also do this by publication year if you don’t have the record of when you purchased it. Goodreads has an option to sort by publication year.) The years are going to vary based on how far back your TBR pile goes. If it’s only a year or two, you can just have more boxes for those years. Mine starts on Goodreads in 2011, so I’m starting there and doing roughly 2 books per year purchased. That gives me flexibility to pick what I want since each year has a long list of options.

Optional Customized Columns for Whatever Part of Your TBR Needs Extra Attention

I like the idea of having a few customized columns that are specific to your TBR because often there are segments that need a little extra love. Like maybe there’s a series you’ve been meaning to finish. Or maybe you want to make sure you pay extra attention to choosing diverse reads from your TBR. Maybe you’ve purchased a ton of non-fiction but never seem to get to those books. Find those dusty corners where you can shine a spotlight.

For mine, I added columns to read at least 12 of my Book of the Month club books. I love Book of the Month club and have really enjoyed many of the books I’ve gotten through my membership over the past few years, but I buy extras from them almost every month so the backlog on those has gotten long too. I want to make sure I at least read a year’s worth in 2021 because I often discover new-to-me authors to love and are exposed to a variety of genres by the nature of their picks. So that’s what BOTM stands for in my last three columns.

This chart can be expanded for however many you want to do, but I have kept the number relatively small for myself this year on purpose. To complete the challenge, I need to read 28 books as opposed to 42 for the Read Wide challenge, so it won’t monopolize my reading for the year. Since I usually read 60-70 books a year, this leaves me enough room for all the new shiny books and for chasing whims on whatever I’m in the mood to read at the moment. This is particularly important for me because I’m definitely a mood reader and that was hampered a little this year with my Read Wide challenge. So, it’s up to you to choose how few or how many you want in your challenge.

That’s it! Pretty straighforward. I’m excited. :) So, who’s with me?

Join in!

I can’t be the only one out there with a TBR skyscraper. If you want to join in, you can grab a blank template here that you can customize in Microsoft Word. It will look like the one below and will also include a list of suggested categories if you need to brainstorm the custom columns.

Hopefully, this will help us all discover some gems hidden in the pile. I’d love to hear if you’re going to give this a try. And if you do, check in every now and then and let me know if you’ve discovered any great books! I’ll try to do the same.

Happy reading and here’s to a hopefully better year in 2021!

P.S. Read Wide Challenge

For those of you who would like to continue doing the Read Wide Challenge instead or would like to give it a try for the first time, you can get all the info here and download last year’s template, which will work just as well this year! :)

My Top 5 Reads of 2020 + More Favorites to Stock Your Bookshelves

At the end of each year, I like to flip through my book journal and see which books stood out the most. I assign star ratings in my journal, so it’s easy to see which rise to the top. Of the 69 books I’ve read so far this year, 22 have received 4 stars or above, but only 5 have received a 5-star rating. I’m pretty stingy with my 5-star ratings. For me, a four-star rating means I thoroughly enjoyed the book. A five-star means it wowed me. And though I know it’s not the end of the year quite yet (sorry December releases!), I know a lot of us are buying books for holiday gifts or putting some on our own Christmas list, and we might need ideas. So, I’m sharing my favorites today!

My Top 5 Reads of the Year

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab (fantasy)

This was a Book of the Month club read, and reemphasized why I’ve been a longtime member of Book of the Month club. This is not a book I would’ve found on my own because I don’t generally read much in this genre. (That’s a referral link if you want to check out BOTM. I’ve been a member for years and LOVE it.) This was a beautifully written fantasy story about a girl who makes a deal with the devil. She gets to live forever but is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Until after 300 years…one boy remembers her name. The story moved through history so had great settings and period details. There’s a well done romance that wasn’t predictable. And though there was (thankfully) no blatant cliffhanger, the door was left open for a sequel. And I am so here for it if that happens. Loved the whole journey!

Most of All You by Mia Sheridan (contemporary romance)

I read this one in about 24 hours. It was such a page turner. My personal “catnip” in romance is dark, emotional backstories. I tend to write them, and I love to read them. This one hit the spot in that regard with a hero who was kidnapped as a child and a heroine with abuse in her past. I like that the author didn’t make expected choices and that the story kept me guessing. (I’m hard to surprise these days so bonus points for that!) This was a well-done, emotional love story.

Beach Read by Emily Henry (contemporary romance/women’s fiction)

Another Book of the Month pick. Though this was marketed as a romance, I feel like it was kind of a hybrid between romance and women’s fiction. I don’t mind that (in fact, I feel like some of my more recent books lean toward that as well.) This was the book that got me out of a reading slump back in May when I was having trouble reading with all the pandemic anxiety. The story was well-written, funny, and romantic while still having poignant undertones. Really enjoyed it.

My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl (memoir)

From my book journal: “This was exactly what I needed to read right now during this pandemic.” This is a food memoir, a favorite genre of mine, and it was just exactly the perfect book to read in 2020. Ruth Reichl has written a number of food memoirs, but this one was about the year after Gourmet, the magazine she was editor of, closed down suddenly. This memoir is about grief and slowing down and appreciating the small things. Gorgeous writing. There are recipes but come for the stories first.

Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday (philosophy/self-improvement)

I really enjoy Ryan Holiday’s books. He uses the wisdom of ancient philosophers to tackle contemporary issues in our lives, and does so in a way that makes the material really accessible. In Stillness Is the Key, he focuses on finding, you guessed it, stillness. In our always-on world, this book is much needed. I underlined a ton of passages (my book darts got quite a workout!) and I wish I could imprint some of the information onto my brain so I don’t forget it when I get swept up in the whirlwind of life.

More Fantastic Reads

These just missed the 5-star mark but were all 4 or 4.5 stars for me. You’ll notice more horror than usual. I was writing a heroine who is a horror author, so I read a lot of horror for inspiration. :)

Fiction

Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade (YA/new adult) - I love a book set on a college campus and this was one was made for me because I’d just finished binge-watching Felicity a few months before. The heroine used characters from Felicity when she was talking about her “friends” to her mom to hide the fact that she didn’t have any friends. But now she’s going to college. A well-done portrayal of social anxiety.

Diamond in the Rough by Skye Warren (dark erotic romance) - Warren’s books are dark, dark, dark, but I like a good dark erotic romance, so this fit the bill. Warning, it has a cliffhanger and is part of a trilogy.

Normal People by Sally Rooney (literary fiction) - Book of the Month pick - This is the rare circumstance where I’m going to recommend watching the TV adaptation of this book BEFORE reading the book. I know that’s sacrilege, but I think watching the show first enhanced my experience of the book. I could better picture the atmosphere and characters. Also, warning, this book has an abrupt non-ending (as does the show), but I still appreciated the journey enough to get past that and have chosen to believe what I want about how the couple ends up. :)

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (YA mystery) - Book of the Month pick - Clearly inspired by the Serial podcast, this was a fast-paced mystery that kept me turning the pages. And that’s a feat because I’m not typically a mystery reader. I immediately had to track down book 2, which I had to buy from the UK since it’s not out here yet lol.

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips (thriller) - INTENSE. A mom and her son get trapped in a zoo at closing time when mass shooters enter. Great setting and fantastic writing. Plus, love the cover.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix - I really enjoy Hendrix’s books. Lots of humor but also real deal horror. I loved that this one was set in the 90s around a true crime book club of ladies. He nailed the concept of southern hospitality having “sharp teeth.”

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons (horror) - Written in the seventies but regularly pops up on lists of great haunted house stories. The growing dread in this one was legit.

Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke (horror short story) - Creepy. And a true horror premise - what if that screaming child in the grocery store is suddenly calling you mom or dad?

Followers by Megan Angelo (dystopian) - The best dystopians are ones you could imagine happening. This fit into that category because social media really does feel like it could go there.

Non-fiction

Why We Can’t Sleep by Ada Calhoun - This was focused on the midlife crisis of Gen X, so I related. I liked how she focused on the generational aspects.

Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey - Really liked his concepts of hyperfocus and scatterfocus. I teach a class on focus for writers so this type of book is my jam.

Keep Moving by Maggie Smith - Short, uplifting essays and quotes about loss, creativity, and getting through changes. Lovely. Would make a good gift book.

I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron - The last book Ephron wrote before she passed away. It was a quick, funny, and entertaining read.

The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker - Full of little exercises to enhance your creativity.

Losing Earth by Nathaniel Rich - Well-researched, fast read about the history of global warming

Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Right Now by Jaron Lanier - favorite quote” “Social media is making you into an asshole.” Very cerebral so don’t pick this one up for a light read, but it had great food for thought.

24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week by Tiffany Schlain - Loved the idea of taking a day off of tech each week.

Books on Writing

Dear Writer, You’re Doing it Wrong by Becca Syme - I always get something from Becca’s books, and they are good for getting me out of a writing rut.

The Scream Writer’s Handbook by Thomas Fenton - A short little book about writing horror screenplays that I got a lot out of.

Whew! I know that’s a lot. I hope you found something on the list that caught your interest or that would make a great gift for someone you love.

I’d love to hear your favorite reads of 2020! Let me know what got your top ratings this year. :)

Reading Life Upheaval: Why Your Goodreads List May Look Different in 2020

This week, in my private reader Facebook group, I asked how everyone’s reading challenges for 2020 were going. I asked because I was staring down mine, knowing I was behind. I had set a Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 70 books and had 56 read so far. Goodreads was happy to tell me I was behind. (In my Read Wide Challenge, a reading challenge I created, I’m faring better, so at least I had that to hold onto when Goodreads got judge-y.)

But my deficit on my reading goal got me thinking. A goal of 70 was reasonable for my normal reading year. Last year I read 75 without a problem. So what’s up? Well, 2020 is up. The term “normal reading year” or “normal year” in general do not apply.

I know I’m not alone. In my reader group, people either had read significantly below their normal amount or significantly above. Some had lost their audiobook time on work commutes or their lunch break reading time. Some had gained reading time because of lockdown or working from home. I know I have lost a lot of alone time, which means I’ve lost reading time. But also, I think of lot of us have struggled with energy during this time, and it takes some amount of energy to pick up a book instead of doomscrolling or watching the news or binge-watching something on Netflix.

So 2020 is to blame for much of the upheaval. But outside of that, it made me think about the evolution of a reader. I think sometimes we expect our reading life to be a static thing. We read this, this, and that genre/subgenre. We read about X number of books a year. We read in X format mostly. We love this, this, and that author.

For many, there’s comfort in that predictable rhythm—and there’s nothing wrong with that. But for others, I think we can get stuck in an older version of our reading life, trying to recreate what we had even though our tastes, habits, or lifestyles have evolved. We take it on as an identity. I’m a mystery reader. I don’t listen to audiobooks. I read three books a week.

This is one reason why I started the Read Wide Challenge, to try new things. Because what if those old labels don’t apply anymore? Or what if we would enjoy things we haven’t in the past? Or if we no longer enjoy the things we used to be obsessed with? Like you keep picking up what you always loved but just aren’t excited about it anymore?

This is why I took a step back when I got frustrated with being behind on my reading goal. It’s not a sign of being a slacker. It’s a sign that my reading life has evolved. Yes, I’ve had less reading time and have had less energy because 2020 is a dumpster fire, but also, what I’ve chosen to read has been different. I’ve tackled a few classics (Rebecca, Anna Karenina). I’ve read some literary fiction. I’ve read more horror (because I find it comforting when the world is scary.) Almost half of my reading has been non-fiction. Those genres take me longer to read than YA or romance, so it makes sense that I would’ve read less quantity this year. And that is OKAY.

Anne Bogel has an essay in her book I’d Rather Be Reading called “The Readers I Have Been” about how we are all the readers we have been throughout our lives. That middle schooler reading R.L. Stine and Babysitter’s Club. That college student reading all those difficult books our professors assigned. The parent reading all those children’s books to our kids. We carry all those versions with us, but we also create new versions, new phases, new seasons in our reading lives.

I’ve mentioned before that I wasn’t a romance reader until my mid to late twenties. Before that, I read mostly horror and suspense—and only a few books a year. I completely burnt out on reading in college and took a while to come back to it. I went through a paranormal YA phase with everyone else post-Twilight. I discovered erotic romance somewhere in my late 20s and started writing it. I’ve always loved self-help books and different flavors of non-fiction. I avoided classics and literary fiction at all costs until the last few years. Things are constantly changing.

In 2012, my reading was 88% romance. This year it’s 24% so far. (Yes, I did the math, lol.) That doesn’t mean I don’t still love romance the most. It just means that my reading life has evolved. (After writing romance and studying it for over a decade, I’ve become super picky about my romance. I want it really, really well-written or I end up putting it down because I can’t turn off my writer brain to enjoy it.)

So what’s my point? Just that evolution isn’t a bad thing. The number on your reading challenge is just a number. Be open to being a different kind of reader this year than you were last year. Maybe you’ve read more this year. Maybe you’ve read less. Maybe you’ve stuck to your comfort genres or maybe you’ve needed a break from what you would’ve normally read. It’s all part of the journey. As much as I love a reading challenge, there’s no wrong way to be a reader. Don’t let that Goodreads number judge you. ;)

Read on, my friend.

If you want to get your 2021 reading year off and running, my next book Yes & I Love You is up for pre-order!