TBR. My to-be-read list, which is driven almost entirely by that FOMO. I add to it constantly. I sort it (urgent, less urgent, and maybe someday lists). I read books that aren't on it, but are on my mental list. I read books that aren't even on my radar just because I stumble across them at a good time. And then I can't even cross them off the list! Such a waste.
OATSMO. Other acronyms that stress me out. (IRS? ISIS? At least NCLB is fading away.) Okay, my other book-related stressors don't actually have acronyms, although now I'm tempted to start using OATSMO as a catch-all for anxiety inducing entities. I have this lingering sense of books I should read, or at least should want to read. I've picked up Night so many times, but even though it's slim, and even though I've read plenty of Holocaust literature, I just haven't been able to read it. I've never read Kite Runner or anything by Salman Rushdie. And I feel oddly guilty about this. I have no shame about the copious amount of YA or lighter adult fiction I read, and I'm pretty sure that by dint of reading as much as I do I have read a larger than average amount of "serious" work, but it bugs me that I can't get myself to pick up books that look challenging even if I think I will actually enjoy it.
Of course, all of this makes me think of something my parents would say from time to time--"Are you bragging or complaining?" Because seriously, as tragic as it is that I will never read all the good books in the world, how much worse would it be if I already had? I've always thought hot running water and medicine are the two major perks of living in the modern era, but really, humans survived for millennia without BOOKS, and I would not be willing to accept that.
What acronyms are your nemesis? (Nemeses? Hm.)
There are so many classics that I feel like I should read. Modern books are just more interesting!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I worked for a defense contractor for the Army so acronyms are my thing! I definitely understand FOMO. I start to get more than a little anxiety when I start thinking about my TBR. I try not to think too much about all those books that I want to read but haven't yet.
ReplyDeleteLet's let the acronyms go, shall we? Let's enjoy each book we stumble across, perfect or imperfect, for the things it brings to our lives. I'm much farther up the road than you and if I worried about all the good books I'm never going to get to....Of course I DO worry and I DO wish I was reading better books when I land on a dud. It's just our humanity to do this, I guess. Thanks in any case for this lovely post.
ReplyDeleteNight and The Kite Runner are both such powerful reads. I don't think you would regret reading them :)
ReplyDeleteLove this! I'm too old now to ever make it through all the books i want to read. But I'm going to give the next 50 or so years to trying.
ReplyDeleteOh, FOMO is the worst! That's basically my life, books and more, right there. I had to stop my book collecting habit when my TBR pile was two-deep on every shelf of my bookcase- instead, I add books to my library's "For Later" shelf, and try not to look at the numbers (over 600!). I'll never get to them all, but it detracts from my enjoyment of a book if I feel rushed through reading it so I can get to the next one.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, FOMO can totally overwhelm me sometimes when it comes to my TBR. I seriously had to stop reading too many TTT posts because my stress level spikes when I read about ALL the books---and I want to read them ALL!!!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction