Tackling #MountTBR – NA 2 (NetGalleyholics Anonymous – the sequel) @NetGalley #NetGalley

Following my earlier post about my out-of-control NetGalley TBR, I have managed to make some improvements already!

I only have three (whoops) four NG books on my shelf that are due to be released in June and I consider this a great achievement – it is the result of a deliberate attempt to get on top of the pile, achieved mainly by having a cold shower and sitting on my hands when the urge to NetGalley (verb: to obsessively re-check favourite categories for new additions) got too much.

As such, I am hoping to use June 2018 to pick up on some of my neglected NG books from the last few months years. (I’ve also added in one from May that I really wanted to get to: The Retreat by Mark Edwards.)

I have decided to do this by sorting the books on my magic spreadsheet by length, only choosing those whose publication dates have passed, and starting with the shortest. Each one should take less than four hours to read and this way I hope to make good, steady progress through the pile. I also have a week’s leave from work this month which is all good extra reading time.

By the way, I’m not trying to make reading seem like a chore. I do want to read all of these books and am extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity. I do however, need to be organised in order to review them, as I have committed to do via NetGalley. I also want to improve my Feedback Ratio, which is still flat-lining around 65%.

Accordingly, my spreadsheet currently looks like this (look at all that scary red!):

The other thing I need to do is be better at not finishing a book that has not grabbed me. I have probably only DNF-ed about ten books in my entire life so this concept is still a bit alien to me.

I think it’s partly a reluctance to ‘give up’ and partly that old problem I mentioned last time: FOMO. What if it suddenly gets good? What if it’s got the most surprising twist ever, or the best ending?? What if George Clooney’s phone number is on the last page?! I WOULD NEVER KNOW!

Here’s to hoping Operation Clear NetGalley Shelves goes to plan!

But if not…

And if it does…

Wish me luck! 😉