To-Read Lists, and Why I Can't Stand Them

I'm going to come right out and say it. I hate the concept of to-read list. I make lists for everything in my life: to-dos, to-buys, to-calls, etc. But to-read? To me, what I read is a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Ok, I have a to-be-read list, or a to-read list, or whatever you'd like to call it. Every booklover does. But to me, the list is an amorphous, imagined, ever-changing thing that grows and shrinks and bends and moves every time I read a new review or see a new booklist or want to learn more about a given author/subject/time period/writing style.

I've tried GoodReads for keeping track of Books I'd Like to Read, but if you ever look closely at it, it hasn't been updated in months. I've even tried keeping a wishlist of books I don't own yet but would like to, but that hasn't worked, either.

For me, my "to-read" pile is pure inspiration. I started to touch on this a few weeks ago when I discussed how book selections reflect our state of mind, but here I will elaborate: I read whatever suits my mood at any given time, on any given day. What I pick up is influenced by what I read prior, whether I'll be reading in spurts or in chunks of time, where I will be reading, who I will be with. The thought of reading through book 1, book 2, book 3 on a pre-written list makes me cringe; if I force myself to read a book because it is "next," there is a significant chance I will fail to appreciate the book just because the setting in which the book is read is just not right.

Take Matterhorn, for example. I picked this book up a few weeks ago and tried to start it, but I was traveling a lot that week, so reading in 5- and 10-page segments, and within the first chapter, I realized that this was just not the time or place for me to read this book. This doesn't mean I don't want to read it, or even that I won't - just that I haven't read it yet. Just as I wouldn't read Winter's Tale (one of my favorite books) in the summer, or War and Peace on the beach, I couldn't read Matterhorn that week.

Sure, when I receive review copies, I try to make a conscious effort to review them in a timely fashion, whether that be within a few weeks of receiving it, or on/around the pub date. It doesn't always happen, though - I'd rather read the book late and judge it fairly than force myself to read it and therefore dislike it by default.

There, now I've confessed. My non-existent to-read list is a chaotic collection of books crammed on shelves, under my dresser, in my closet, written on scraps of paper, recorded in my iPod, emailed to myself. When I stare at my shelves and nothing pops out, I turn to one of the many scribblings of book titles tucked around my life and find something new. When I stare at my shelves and a book calls my name, I'll even go so far as to put down my current read in favor of the one reaching out to me.

Anyone else? Do you plan your reading in advance, or let it come to you? Do you track what you want to read, what you want to receive/purchase/borrow, or just take books as they come in?