If you’ve been here awhile, you already know something about me:
my TBR is a menace.
A sweet, lovable menace that I continue to feed even though it stares at me from my shelves like, “Ma’am… please.”
And listen—I have made peace with the fact that I’m never going to be the person who has a neat, alphabetized, perfectly curated reading list. I deeply admire those people from a safe distance (usually behind a stack of unread books).
But I am the person who loves cozy reading vibes, pretty graphics, faux organization systems, and the general illusion that I have my life together.
So today, I’m sharing my “system” (and I use that word loosely) for organizing TBR chaos in a way that feels fun, manageable, and totally un-intimidating.
Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:
Your TBR doesn’t need to be tidy—it just needs to be yours.
☕ Step 1: Accept That the Chaos Is Part of the Charm
Your TBR is not a problem to be solved.
It’s a personality trait.
A lifestyle.
A living ecosystem of books whispering, “Pick me!” (and you responding, “I will… eventually.”)
Some people go to therapy.
I buy books.
We all cope differently.
☕ Step 2: Divide Your TBR Into Easy, Cozy Categories
No, not a spreadsheet. We’re not doing that here.
We’re doing categories that feel warm and intuitive, like:
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Books Haunting My TBR (the ones I swear I’ll get to next)
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Books I Bought Because TikTok Bullied Me
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Seasonal Vibes (fall cozies, holiday magic, summer feral energy)
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Spicy, But Plotty
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Spicy, But Let’s Be Honest About Why We’re Here
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Fantasy Worlds I Might Never Escape
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Books I’m Saving for the Right Mood
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The Ones I Keep Pretending I Didn’t Buy Yet
Pinterest loves a good category, but more importantly—you will love having little mood-based piles instead of one endless list.
☕ Step 3: Create a TBR Board You’ll Actually Use
Pinterest is where my TBR gets its final form—beautiful, shareable, and slightly feral.
I just created a board called:
Books Still Haunting My TBR
It’s a cozy home for:
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books I want to read
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cover art I love
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new releases I'm excited about
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recommendations I grab from everywhere
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the books that quietly judge me from my shelves
It’s the perfect mix of helpful organization and “this is who I am now.”
☕ Step 4: Embrace the Power of Mood Reading
Some people read linearly through their TBR, crossing off books one by one.
I love that for them.
That is not my ministry.
I read based on:
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my mood
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the weather
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the color of my drink
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how much emotional damage I’m prepared to sustain (I'm looking at you Kingdom of Ash)
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whether the main character is giving “broody feral cinnamon roll” energy
Mood reading deserves its own system—and your TBR should support it, not fight it.
☕ Step 5: Keep a “Books I Actually Read” Shelf Somewhere
This is purely for serotonin purposes.
There is no greater joy than moving a book from “Haunting My TBR” to “Books I’ve Read.”
It’s like feeding a Tamagotchi.
Or leveling up.
Or proving to yourself, “Yes, I do read the books I buy… sometimes.”
This can be:
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a Pinterest board
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a notebook
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a shelf
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your Goodreads/Storygraph
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a stack on your nightstand
It doesn’t matter how you track it—just give yourself credit when you finish something.
☕ Step 6: Give Yourself Permission to DNF
A DNF is not a personal failure.
It’s an act of self-care.
Life is too short—and your TBR is too long—to read books that aren’t sparking joy, intrigue, tears, rage, or whatever flavor of emotion you're looking for.
Your TBR will understand.
It knows how long the line is.
☕ Step 7: Let Your TBR Be a Reflection, Not a Burden
Your TBR doesn’t need to be conquered.
It’s a scrapbook of:
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who you are as a reader
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who you were when you added certain books
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who you might become after reading them
A chaotic TBR is a cozy TBR.
A hopeful TBR.
A beautifully unrealistic TBR.
And maybe—just maybe—that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.
💜 Final Thoughts
I hope this gave you a cozy permission slip to stop fighting your TBR and start embracing it.
This is your reminder that:
**You don’t need perfect organization.
You just need a system that feels like home.**