📚 How to Organize Your TBR (To-Be-Read) List Like a Pro

evemrileyauthor
Jul 18
3 min read

...(and Still Leave Room for the Book Boyfriends)

A person in a white shirt holds a stack of books in a library, smiling slightly. Shelves filled with various colorful books in the background.

My TBR isn’t a neat little stack of books. It’s a wild, ever-growing beast full of grumpy heroes, golden retriever boyfriends, and far too many emotionally unavailable bad boys for one lifetime.

If your TBR is spiraling out of control too, don’t stress. You don’t have to go full-on minimalist (because let’s face it, we’re not giving up those upcoming releases), but you can organize your list in a way that feels fun, easy, and totally guilt-free.

This blog promises not to extend you TBR (even though I want to...) but instead, how to whip your TBR into shape-romance reader style:

1. Sort by Mood

Instead of staring at one giant, intimidating list, break your TBR into “vibes” so you can pick your next read like you’re choosing your Friday night plans:

🌸 Soft & Sweet: Small towns, cinnamon roll heroes, and cozy, heartwarming feels.

😏 Angsty & Broody: Enemies-to-lovers, tortured bad boys, and emotional rollercoasters.

✨ Escapist & Magical: Fantasy worlds, fae princes, and epic slow burns.

😂 Rom-Coms & Chaos: Banter, miscommunication, and happily ever afters with a side of laughter.

This makes it easier to match your next book to your mood (and avoid that dreaded reading slump).

2. Try the “Now, Next, Later” Trick

You’re not going to read all 275 books on your TBR this week - and that’s okay.

Break it down like this:

🌟 Now - The 1-3 books you’re most excited to dive into.

🌟 Next - A shortlist of contenders for when you finish.

🌟 Later - Everything else. No pressure, no guilt.

This way, your TBR feels like a curated shelf, not a never-ending to-do list.

3. Go Digital (Or Keep It Pretty on Paper)

If you’re a techie, Goodreads or The StoryGraph make it easy to tag and reorder your TBR. You can even make custom categories like:

“Grumpy x Sunshine Vibes”
“Books Everyone on BookTok Screams About”
“For When I Want to Swoon”

Prefer to do it old school? Start a cute TBR journal or dedicate a shelf to your “Read Me Soon” stack. Bonus: it doubles as an aesthetic Instagram post.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Declutter

Let’s normalize this: you don’t have to keep every book you’ve ever added to your TBR.

If a title’s been sitting there for years and doesn’t spark excitement anymore, it’s okay to let it go. Trust me - there will always be another swoony hero waiting to sweep you off your feet.