Book Tag: Reader Problems

So I was tagged by the lovely Michelle from Much Loved Books to take part in this Reader Problems book tag and I couldn't resist joining her. If you want to read Michelle's answers you can find them HERE and mine are below.

1. You have 20,000 books on your TBR. How in the world do you decide what to read next?

This is a real problem in my house, I have so many awesome books that I'm desperate to get to and sometimes it can be impossible to decide where to start. I'm pretty much a mood reader so I'll think about what kind of book I'm in the mood for - YA/NA/Adult, Contemporary/Paranormal etc. - and then take it from there. This year I've been trying to read more of the books that I bought for myself since they've taken such a low priority since I started receiving books for review. I'm trying to alternate one review book followed by a book I bought but it doesn't often work out that way. If I sign up to take part in a blog tour then that book will get priority but other than that it'll depend what book catches my eye on any given day, I can hardly ever decide in advance what I'll be in the right mood for.

2. You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you quit or are you committed?

I hate not finishing books but it's something I've started getting better at over the last couple of years. I still feel guilty if I abandon something but there are so many books that I want to read that I don't see the point in forcing myself to waste time finishing something that I'm not enjoying. If you're reading for fun then it shouldn't feel like a chore to pick up your current book.

3. The end of the year is coming and you’re so close, but so far away on your Goodreads reading challenge. Do you try to catch up and how?

I'm actually well on track for my Goodreads challenge and was thinking about increasing my goal so this hasn't been a problem for me so far *touch wood*

4. The covers of a series you love do. not. match. How do you cope?

I HATE it when the covers don't match so if it's a series I love I'll often end up rebuying the books so that I have a matching set. I have seen it where the covers on particularly long series change several times over the years though so I'm now much more wary about buying books until the series is complete. If you change mid way through the series I'll stop buying print copies and switch to kindle versions until I reach the end of the series and then make up my mind on whether to buy print copies depending on whether it's a reread type of series or not. One good thing about my kindle is that I don't care what the covers look like on my ebooks because I never see them LOL.

5. Every one and their mother loves a book you really don’t like. Who do you bond with over shared feelings?

My friends tend to have a lot of varied opinions about books so the chances are there will be at least one person who agrees with me. I don't have a problem if I'm the odd one out though, I'm happy to discuss books with anyone, whether they have the same thoughts as I do or the compete opposite. I actually think it can be more fun to chat with someone who disagrees with you - as long as you all remain respectful about it there is nothing wrong with a difference of opinion! I enjoy that kind of discussion with people and it can make me think about things in a totally different way.

6. You’re reading a book and you are about to start crying in public. How do you deal?

I try really hard not to read books that are going to turn me into an emotional wreck when I'm in public. It's fine when I'm at home with a huge box of tissues and a slab of chocolate to get me through the experience but there is nothing worse than sitting on a train trying to hold back tears because a character you love has just died! If a book catches me by surprise then I'll usually end up putting it to one side and trying to do something different until I get home and can read it in private.

7. A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you've forgotten a lot from the prior novel. Will you re-read the book? Skip the sequel? Try to find a synopsis on Goodreads? Cry in frustration?!?!?!?

Before I started blogging I always used to reread the earlier books in a series before a new release came out but I just don't have the time to do that any more. I'm actually getting really fed up with YA trilogies because by the time I get hold of book 2 I've forgotten what happened in the first instalment and I know it's going to be another year long wait for the 3rd book. I will try reading the second book but more often than not I find I'm not enjoying it as much as I could because I've forgotten too much (one of the hazards of reading over 200 books a year I guess LOL). There are a lot of trilogies that I've decided to just wait until all 3 books are available then I'll reread book 1 and then dive straight into the last 2 books.

8. You do not want anyone. ANYONE. borrowing your books. How do you politely tell people nope when they ask?

I'm actually happy to lend out my books. Well, I guess I should clarify I'm happy to lend my books to MOST people, if you borrow a book from me and it comes back badly damaged (or doesn't come back at all!) then you'll be off my list but as long as you take care of them you can borrow as many as you like. I'm not too worried about broken spines or books showing that they've been read (even though I tend to keep them in fairly pristine condition myself) so as long as people aren't turning down the pages or REALLY wrecking them I'm fine. The only time I'm more wary about loaning books is if they're signed & that's only because I lost a few signed books that I lent to a friend who I've since lost contact with.

9. Reading ADD. You’ve picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over your reading slump?

Thankfully I don't get in reading slumps very often but when I do rereading a favourite series or picking up a new book by one of my favourite authors nearly always does the trick. Paranormal romance and urban fantasy seem to be my go to comfort genres so even trying a new series that fits that criteria tends to give me a boost.

10. There are so many new books coming out that you’re dying to read! How many do you actually buy?

I buy way more books than I should and probably have books on my shelves that I'll never actually get around to reading. I'm trying to control myself more now but I do have a fair number of authors who are on my automatic pre-order list (Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Lara Adrian, Patricia Briggs, Jeaniene Frost and Chloe Neill to name a few - see what I mean about PNR & UF being my go to genres? LOL) but I'm trying really hard not to add any new ones. I'm also trying to be careful about not ordering new books in a series until I've read the previous one. I have so many complete series sat on my shelves where I've only ever read the first book and it's a little crazy really!

11. After you’ve bought the new books you can’t wait to get to, how long do they sit on your shelf before you get to them?

That really varies, I wish I could say I got to them quickly but the chances are most books I buy will sit on my shelves for at least a few months, if not longer, before I get to them. My to read pile has now spread to take up 5 whole bookcases so it's going to take me years to get to the bottom of it! This is why I'm supposed to be on a book buying ban but I never seem to manage to resist for long LOL. Some books do jump straight to the top of the pile though, especially if it's by one of the author's I mentioned above.

I'm going to tag:
Kirsty from The Overflowing Library
Sammee from I Want to Read That
and anyone else who wants to take part

Make sure you leave me a link in the comments if you decide to join in (or if you've already posted your answers!) and I'll come and check out your posts.