Tag Thursday: Reader Problems Book Tag

Today’s Tag Thursday is all about reader problems. Because being a reader is hard, y’all! As much as we wish we could always find the perfect book and be in the perfect mood for reading, that’s not always the case.

Thus was born: #ReaderProblems. Check out the tag for some of them.

This tag was created by About To Read

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

I’m a big mood reader so I pretty much just pick a book based on my mood. I will read the descriptions and see which one I think would fit best. Am I in the mood for fantasy or contemporary? Do I want some romance or not? Do I want a quick and easy read or do I go for something a bit more intimidating? Do I have any next books in a series I want to read? Do I want to read a standalone or start a series?

Usually this works pretty well for me. The downside is that I have a few books on my shelves that have been there for a while but I just have not been in the right mood for them. It’s also not so good when someone lends me a book because I want to be able to return the book as soon as possible, but if I’m not in the right mood I have to pressure myself to read it.

2. You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you quit or are you committed?

I used to push myself through a book, but now I will quit reading more easily if I really don’t like it. That said, I do usually push myself to read at least half the book before giving up, to give the book it’s best chance. Because some books just take me a while to get invested in the story and I don’t want to miss out on a good book because of a slow start either.

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

If it’s still a possible goal to reach, I will try to catch up by trying to add in a few easy and quick reads. However, if it becomes a chore and too stressful to read, I will not bother. I like reaching goals and I’m pretty competitive with them, but reading should stay enjoyable.

4. The covers of a series you love do. not. match. How do you cope?

I will act like everything is ok while I am falling apart on the inside… Seriously though, I have tons of covers which do not match. It’s not fun but I’m also too cheap to buy new ones just to make them match. I’ve learned to live with it.

5. Every one and their mother loves a book you really don’t like. Who do you bond with over shared feelings?

I will stalk Goodreads reviews. Chances are there will be at least a few people that do not like the book either. I will read those reviews over and over again and rejoice that I am not alone!

6. You’re reading a book and you are about to start crying in public. How do you deal?

Blow my nose and pretend it’s allergies. Then take my book and find a non-crowded place to continue reading and revel in all the feels. And if someone saw me cry anyway, so what? I have an excuse to start talking about the book and recommending it to them.

7. 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 book? Skip the sequel? Try to find a synopsis on Goodreads? Cry in frustration?!?!?!?

Argh, one of my biggest reader problems! I have the memory of a goldfish so this happens ALL THE TIME. That’s why I prefer binge reading series. But if it happens anyway, I will usually try to reread the previous book. If I don’t feel like that, I will skim the pages a bit until I get the general gist of the story again. And if I don’t feel like that either, I will wait until I do feel like it because it’s THE WORST when you love a series but you can’t get into a sequel because you forgot so much.

8. You do not want anyone. ANYONE. borrowing your books. How do you politely tell people nope when they ask?

I only borrow books to my most trusted friends. They know my obsession and I know they will take good care of my books and return them quickly and safely. If someone else asks… I have to be honest, I’m a wuss and would probably not dare to say no. BUT I would give a long list of conditions that maybe might just scare them off anyway.

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

I wouldn’t force it. If reading’s not working then I think it’s better to do something else for a while. Watch some movies or binge watch a tv show would probably do the trick. When that’s done, I would pick up an old favourite again, that for sure would pull me back out of the slump.

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

I’m an adult with my own income, so I think I can spend it how I want and I can buy however many books I please! That said, it doesn’t have to be exaggerated either and I have to make sure my books still fit in my shelves. It’s all about balance, I can allow myself to go crazy sometimes as long as it’s not every single month.

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

As I said before, I’m a mood reader. Some books I will pick up immediately and others may stay on my shelf for months before I get to reading them. It’s all good though. I like reading books immediately because I’ve been anticipating them for so long and I also like having a little library of unread books at my disposal to browse through when I’m looking for something new to read.

I tag you! What are your reader problems and how do you deal?