Mood Reading vs TBR Reading

Should you plan your reading using a TBR list or should you read based on your mood? The answer is different for everyone. Read on to see the pros and cons of mood reading vs TBR reading.

For the past few years, I have been a TBR (To Be Read) reader. Setting monthly goals and choosing my books ahead of time for the month. I liked this system because it gave me a plan and I enjoyed picking out a stack of books to keep me motivated.

But that is where the trouble started. I found myself thinking about the next book in my pile before I was even finished with my current book. Some people may find this motivating I found it distracting. 

The other downside was I felt like a bit of a failure if I didn’t read all the books I picked for the month. Pretty foolish considering it was my own internal challenge I set – there was no consequence or no one depending on it. 

The thing is I thought setting a TBR was exactly what I needed to stay on task. If you have read The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin I fall under the Obliger category. I am motivated by external expectations (hence this blog!). I feel successful when I have that outward validation. So naturally I thought creating a monthly TBR and sharing it on Instagram and my blog would hold me accountable. Instead, it did the opposite. It made me feel stressed and under pressure. 

That’s the thing about reading. It should be a relaxing hobby. I should be sitting back and enjoying the words with each turn of the page. Whether it be 1 page a day or 100, 5 days a week, or 5 days in a month. Reading is for me. It is my escape. As soon as I realized this I knew I had to change my method.

Enter mood reading. This is much more of a freestyle loose system. It is exactly what it sounds like – when you finish a book you pick the next read based on whatever mood you are feeling. Ironically, this appeals to the tendencies of a Rebel (again from Rubin’s Four Tendencies) which I am definitely not. 

But by going with mood reading I eliminated the self-imposed stress of arbitrary deadlines. I can just sit and enjoy the book I am reading and not be worried about how long it’s taking or getting too antsy because I am really looking forward to the next one.

The other added benefit is that when I go to choose my next read it can be something I am interested in right at this moment. I am not limited to the 4 books that I picked based on what I was feeling at the beginning of the month. 

Who Should Follow the TBR Reading Method

• If you like a challenge, like pushing yourself, and love making a plan it is the way to go. 
• It also works well for people that do a high quantity of monthly reading. 
• If you like to have variety having a TBR picked out ahead of time that includes choices from different genres is a great way to structure your monthly reading. 

Who Should Follow the Mood Reading Method

• This method is perfect for people that only read a couple of books a month. 
• If you tend to be an impulse reader or your moods shift frequently like me this is a great guilt-free way to be flexible. 

What about if you are a little bit of both? 

No problem. You can easily merge the two methods. 

• Pick 3 or 4 books in several different genres for the month and then set the goal of reading 1 in each category that month. That way you are sticking to a plan, challenging yourself but giving yourself the flexibility to pick a book based on your mood. 
• Do an annual TBR. I like starting the year with a selection of books I know I want to read at some point. It’s a great way to look forward to a year of reading. 
• Participate in one or two reading challenges. Some of these involve specific categories and warrant a little TBR planning. As long as you can allow yourself grace in finishing the challenge then these TBRs shouldn’t be overwhelming. You can pick monthly challenges and only do a few of them or pick one year-long one and have that TBR planned out across the year.

Will I always be a mood reader? Probably not but for this season of my life it is the way to go. So which method wins the battle of Mood Reading vs TBR Reading? ? In the end, neither. It doesn’t matter which method you use or how often you switch back and forth. In fact I recommend you do just that as your life situation changes. The important thing is that you are cracking open that book.

Here’s the thing I am a book hoarder so I have hundreds of books of all genres that will fit any mood or season. My TBR pile will never disappear and that’s OK because if it did then that would mean there was nothing left to read and who wants that?

Are you a mood reader or do you love setting up a TBR? Comment down below.