We’re declaring ARC bankruptcy

Before we started this blog, my TBR (to be read) pile was almost non-existent. I could stack them up on my bedside table, and whenever I looked at them I would feel a thrill of anticipation.

But now I have two huge tubs of books waiting to be read or reviewed. At some point, the ARCs coming in outnumbered our ability to read books. Even with four of us reviewing on Book Thingo, we haven’t managed to get on top of the ARC pile.

Guys, the guilt is killing me! Every time I look at those piles of books my stress levels go up and it’s all I can do to even pick up a book. This is not fun and it doesn’t get books read or reviews done.

So today I’m granting amnesty to my co-bloggers and myself. We’re declaring bankruptcy on our TBR piles and pending ARCs and starting afresh. Don’t get me wrong—I’m still reading books. But I can no longer live with the guilt of my TBR and to-review piles and, to be honest, the longer they remain unread or unreviewed, the less I’m motivated to read or, in some cases, reread them.

Yes, I’ve had to reread books to review them. Sometimes I’ve had to read them three times. And while that’s great if the book is fabulous, it’s like pulling teeth when it’s not.

Which is not to say I haven’t learned some lessons. Soon I’ll be posting some guidelines on how I’ll be dealing with ARCs this year. I’m hoping they’ll help me and my co-bloggers to keep on top of our reviewing commitments. Bear in mind that we all have day jobs and family obligations, so it’s always going to be a juggling act.

But I’m hoping that the reviewing guidelines will help me prioritise the ARCs we receive and the books we review (most of the books we review are still from our own bookshelves). I also hope it will help publishers and authors better understand if Book Thingo is the right fit for their books. We’ve received a lot of intriguing books that don’t fit our niche and are languishing in the TBR pile when I know there must be plenty of readers who would appreciate them.

So…we’re looking forward to getting our reviewing mojo back this year, discovering new authors and adding not to our TBR piles but to our shelves of keepers. I think that’s a fabulous way to celebrate the National Year of Reading. Here’s to a guilt-free year of reading adventurously!