Most of us have an unmanageable TBR pile. Some of us aren’t reading quickly enough to put a dent in it. A lot of us are adding to it. It’s pretty simple mathematics or statistics or physics (I don’t know how those work). And the truth is…it’s going to eventually kill you.
Logic:
If you have a pile of unread books and you’re not reading them, they will sit on your shelf. If you’re buying more books, those will squish in alongside the books you already have on the shelf. If you continue to get new books, they will sit on top of the books you have, then in front of the books you have, possibly spilling over onto a nearby table (or four) and onto the floor. When you are hopping over hardcovers and ducking under paperbacks, you know you’ve lost control. Your love of books has blinded you and now it is too late. (You have literary Gremlins.) These books simply cannot stay perched atop the precarious pile any longer. Whether they trap you in a corner, suffocate you, or come crashing down on your head…they will eventually kill you.
Math:
Word problems are fun. (See what I did there? You know, because a toppling TBR pile is a problem. With words. Get it? Okay, let’s go.) There are 1000 books on your shelf. 1 book is taken off the shelf and read. 20 more books are purchased and added to the shelf. 5 books are taken off the shelf and read. 10 are received as gifts (lucky you) then 25 more books are purchased and 5 read. (If you subtract 1 from 1000 then add 20 then subtract 5 then add 10 and add another 25, then subtract 5 they actually defy the laws of math and multiply…and eventually kill you.)
Story:
Once upon a time, people and books lived together in harmony. They got along swimmingly. They were similar in a lot of ways and respected each other. After some indeterminate amount of time had passed (because this is too short to get into the history of it all), people forgot that books had feelings. People treated books poorly, bending their pages, breaking their spines, piling them in stacks on the floor, and, worst of all, leaving them to gather dust. The books felt unloved, neglected, and angry. Those tricky YA trilogies, dastardly detective novels, and sneaky mysteries gathered fellow books for a revolt. People began to get that uneasy sensation of being watched. Began to imagine books were glaring at them from shelves, tables, and floors. Under the careful watch of sweet romances (they’re the ringleaders), deadly plots were hatched (pun completely intended), and plans were carried out. Moral: TBR piles will eventually kill you.
Story in Emojis:
📚 😊
📚📚 😍
📚📚📚 😟
📚📚📚📚 😳
📚📚📚📚📚 🔪 😱
📚📚📚📚📚 🔪 💀
This silliness is in response to Diana’s awesome writing prompt about TBR piles. Check out her post here:
Diana’s awesome writing prompt
… excuse me while I go check on the bookshelves, I now have a bad feeling they might plotting something.
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Indeed. Indeed they are…
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I mean, do they not understand we’re supposed to plot together! Not them against me.
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LOL. I remember the day I realised I had more books on my shelf to read than I had days left to live. I don’t worry about the TBR pile killing me but my anxiety over which is the most important to prioritise into reading first. Oh if only we were old when we were young and young when we become old.
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I’ll just lock the library….
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LOL. I love the math! That’s exactly what’s going on at my house. And the emojis are hysterical, Sarah. Thanks for playing along, my friend. Can’t wait to share. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Myths of the Mirror and commented:
I’ve always enjoyed Sarah’s wry and quirky sense of humor. I hope you enjoy her self-proclaimed “silliness.”
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This was hilarious, particularly the emoji version. (I just need to make sure my husband doesn’t see it.)
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Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, (I’d say something pithy and erudite, but I’m laughing too hard!) 😂😂😂😂😂😂
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Thanks for the laughs and fun examination of our complicated relationship with books. 😨
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well, silliness aside, I have a library devoted to housing my books, a whole room in our house. There are still piles of books on the floor and eventually I will have to buy another bookcase. This is in spite of my Kindle and Kobo, also quite full of books to read. I think writers who know other writers/authors have more books than readers who do not consort with writers!
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Yeah, I’m already at stage six! 😀 Great post! 😉
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LOL, you cracked me up! Thanks for the laughs. 😀
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I suppose it’s too late to say sorry. 🏃♀️📚📚📚
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Hilarious and completely logical! 😉
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Hilarious! Now, I’m paranoid my Kindle is glaring at me. 🙂 Well done, Sarah!
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Lol, love your story. Now I’m really afraid of my books and my toppling pile. ❤
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Yeah – I’m in that last category and can feel them plotting against me. If you don’t hear from me for a while, you’ll know why.
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I’m now nervously eyeing my brimming bookshelves…lol
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Brilliant, Sarah! 😀 I think I’m off to hide behind the sofa, I can feel the books coming for me! 😀
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I love “silly.’ And really a TBR pile isn’t silly, it isn’t silly at ALLLL (mimicking a Paul McCartney song…) Fun response to Diana’s challenge.
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I’m very familiar with those deadly TBR piles. I know they’re deadly because I don’t know anyone who outsurvived them. 😅
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