Explicating Elle

It's not a TBR, it's a Book Cellar

I have a massive to-be-read list. About half of the fiction and most of the non-fiction I own are unread. I've seen commentary online about "readers" and owning unread books and the like. Lots of "consumerism" this and "collecting just for show" that. But here's the thing. I read according to my mood. So the TBR that fills my shelves with unread books is really my wine cellar, where I keep the best vintages, waiting for the right mood, the right moment, to really savor and enjoy.

The downside, sometimes, is I have hundreds of books and nothing to read when I don't own anything that is right for the mood. But that's why I don't shy away from buying books I'm interested in that I know I won't get to for a while. Because the more options I have, the more vintages I have available to find the right thing to read at the right time.

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