Last time I gave you 4 Monetary Tips to Reduce your TBR pile. This post is going to give you some ideas on how organizing your TBR pile can motivate you to get through it.

1. Start a Spreadsheet.

Enter all the books from your current to be read pile and then all the books you've read that you have on your bookshelf. Before selecting any new books for your collection double check your spreadsheet to make sure there are no repeats.

2. Group by Common Denominator.

Put your organizational skills to work and group your TBR pile into smaller piles. Sort your books by a common denominator such as subgenre, author, size, year, or similar titling. Do it however it pleases you best and make it a goal to read one book each month from your new smaller piles. By getting your TBR pile manageable, you are not faced with the daunting task of choosing a book to read or the prospect of a book avalanche.

3. Challenge Yourself.

Did you know that supposedly the average romance novel reader can read 10-40 books in a month? This statistic is pulled from the Romantic Times advertising page. With that in mind and knowing that some people work best with goals, I challenge readers to reading the mean - 20 books - with sub goal of reaching as close to 40 books as possible this month. Here's a game to get you started (and remember only choose books from your TBR pile!):

• Books 1-5 by authors you've never read before.
• Books 6-10 by your favorite authors.
• Books 11-15 in a genre or sub-genre you've never tried.
• Books 16-20 in your favorite genre or sub-genre.

Repeat for books 20-40 if you get that far. Do this challenge with a buddy and now you're accountable to someone other than yourself. Get together once a week and go for coffee. Talk about the books you read and if you're on target to the goal you could even swap a few and read for next month.

4. Purge: Be Ruthless.

Yes, I know, it's a sad thing to even contemplate, but it's for your own good. Go through the pile and anything you bought more than six months ago seriously consider removing, permanently. If you weren't inspired to pick it up and read it six months after purchasing the book, chances are you'll never get to it. Donate the books to your local library and get a receipt for tax purposes or use the books as swapping material on Paperback Swap.

5. The 3 Strike System.

Start a 3 Strike System. If you pick a book up and decide not to read it mark the side of the book (not the spine, the pages) with a pencil. When a book gets its third strike, remove it from your TBR pile. This system can be modified to 4 or 5 or 6 strikes, but be consistent and don't waver once you get to the last strike. The book might have sounded good to you when you first got it, but it's not calling to you anymore. Pass it on.

*This idea originally came from Willa in the Paperback Swap TBR Reduction Thread.

6. Keep it Simple. Start Slow.

Make the goal easy. Did you put last week's purchases on the floor because there was no space? Read enough from your pile to move those babies off the floor and onto the shelf.

Are your books in six locations? Pick a location and read them. All of them. That's one less location to trip over your books and a simple goal that allows you to focus on your reading instead of your buying.

7. Share Your Reduction Tip!

Now it's your turn to talk about your TBR pile and what you do to keep it under control. Leave a comment in the form below!

Photo Credits: bitmask

Originally posted 2009-05-19 05:47:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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If you're a writer, published or aspiring, these tools are for you! Answer this: do you have a hard time getting started? Don't be shy even Jamie Hill admits it. You get an idea, you're at the computer fingers poised to type and then... three hours later you're still staring at a blank page. Don't let the distractions win!

1. For Writers Using Mac: White Room

Free Download

2. For Writers Using Windows: Dark Room

Free Download

Some Word applications: Alt-V/U to go to Full Screen

Bonus: Java Dark Room (can be used with Windows, Mac, and Linux)

What are Whiteroom and Darkroom?

Both are in fact full screen distraction free writing environments that will allow you to write without the distractions that usually call to you such as your latest game of solitaire or your email. They offer this opportunity of undivided attention by taking away the toolbars and get it done quick buttons that are common in writing applications. You are left with just the words and a solid background. In both applications you can change the colors to suit you best.

The applications are admittedly primitive in that they don’t have spell check or grammar check, but that isn’t the point. You can fix those later. The point of these programs is to help you concentrate on the most essential thing: getting your thoughts down quick!

Now take a deep breath: ahhh… no more noise! Oh and get to typing!

Originally posted 2009-05-21 05:40:38. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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I'm so excited! Today is the first year anniversary for my blog! I'm in good company too as Bitten by Books and The Galaxy Express both had their blog birthday's this month also!

Poll: What features do you want more of?

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To celebrate this most glorious of days we're going to play a game to win a contest. Are you ready for fun, fun, fun? Me too!

The game is raunchy and not particularly work friendly if you're not allow to have glorious mantitty on your monitor. I promise however that all the photos used will be of chests and nothing else...

NotHing elsE?!

Why, yes, nothing else as you see this game is called "Guess the Chest!"

Over the course of the day I'm going to reveal 26 fabulous male celebrity chests and it's up to you to figure out who they are. Some will be easy, some hard, and some maybe even impossible, but the real question I know you're thinking is why 26? Because today is the 26th! Oh, that wasn't your question? You want to know what you could win?

The person with the most correct guesses will win... drum roll please...

A New Never Been Read ARC Copy of A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore!

(Thank you Jennifer for donating the book!)

This contest is open to all readers, bloggers, random stopping by browsers, domestic and international!

In the event of a tie, those with top marks will be placed in the nifty random generator list-master and a winner will be selected.

I have some other goodies to give away also and those will be announced in the upcoming 25 posts. Get ready to have a blast ladies (and gentlemen)!

Your first chest will now be revealed:

Who is it? You may use the comment form or keep your answers secret by emailing me at reviewromancenovel@yahoo.com with the Subject Header: Happy Blog Day Contest

Photo Credits: *spud*

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Anne’s found another job three thousand miles away from her current one and she couldn’t be happier. Life for her has stalled, and she’s eager for it to start again. On the day she goes into work to tell Mitch that she resigns, no quits, that he plans to fire one of his communications team members. Mitch decides to make a game of the experience and won’t tell them who he’s going to fire, instead he’ll make them work to keep their jobs. The loser voted off the island as it were could easily turn out to be the winner in this farce, because the loser will be sent home with six weeks of severance pay for every year worked. For Anne that’s two years worth of salary. Immediately her plans change, she won’t tell Mitch she’s quitting, she’ll get him to fire her!

Fire Me is the direct opposite of The Devil Wears Prada. Instead of vying for approval from the boss that can’t be pleased, our heroine is trying to attract his attention and disapproval. The book takes place in a single day and I devoured it in the same time frame. For hijinxs and crazy shenanigans that’ll leave you chuckling to the bewilderment of those around you, I highly suggest this book.

Along her trip to the land of pink slips, Anne finally notices Ken. She struggles to keep her secret and gets both irritated at sweet Ken’s helpfulness to sooth over all her over the top schemes and falling just a little bit in love with the white knight routine. Ken is the new graphic design manager for the communications team. He’s only been working for six months and finds Mitch to be a charlatan and takes great pleasure in mentally dissecting the man. He also has a thing for Anne, whose face he’s been trying to capture in the moment right before her smile takes off and lights her up.

It’s hard to work romance into a single day but Libby manages to do it. There are stolen kisses in the elevator, a lunch date, and some lovely emotional concern for the other by both parties. Ken thinks Anne is taking the news and pressure badly, not realizing what she’s up too and Anne works to keep Ken’s name away from Mitch’s axe. While the heroine and hero are not officially together at the end of this story the possibility is there. They meet up the next morning after the ridiculous day before and the promise is wonderfully uplifting.

Rating: 4 Stars

Buy: Fire Me

PS - this would make a great movie!

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