The Bookish Dilemma: When and What to Un-haul (10 Questions to Ask Yourself)

Now that yesterday's post, Controversial Bookish Topic: Un-hauling Your Books, is out of the way, let's talk about when and what to un-haul.

This is a bookish dilemma that can be tough for us readers: we want to un-haul some of our books, but we're not sure what to un-haul, how to do it, or even when to do it. This post is here to help with that.

Here are 10 questions to ask yourself with explanations so you can look through your bookshelf and see what books may fit these questions. You don't necessarily have to remove all of your books from your shelf/shelves. If doing this helps you process the books you have and haven't looked at, then go for it.

Are there any books you haven't touched at all since getting them? If you haven't touched a book since buying it, that would be a good book to un-haul.

Are there books you don't plan to pick up again? Similarly with the question above, if you read a book that you don't plan to pick up again, that might be a book to un-haul. Even if you were neutral about it or liked it, if you don't plan to pick it up again, then it's only taking up space on your shelf.

Are there any books you didn't like or even hated? In my opinion, there's no point in holding onto a book you didn't like or hated. Why? You didn't like it, and holding onto it doesn't reflect the types of books you do like.

Are there books that you liked but now aren't interested in anymore? This question connects with the second one (Are there books you don't plan to pick up again?), but I thought I'd put it on its own. My reasoning is that this can include books you have or haven't read yet. If you just aren't interested in a book on your bookshelf, it's likely that you won't pick it up, so why keep it?

Are there any books that are duplicates? If you like having duplicates of your favorite books, that is perfectly okay. But consider your duplicate copies if you have 3 or more: are there any covers that you don't like as much as the others? If so, that might be a good one to un-haul.

Are there any books that you preferred a different format of? Let's say you read the audio and physical versions of a book. If you preferred the audiobook format and now only read the book that way, you may want to un-haul the physical book.

Are there any book series that you don't plan on finishing? Whether or not you have the entire series, if you didn't really enjoy it and/or don't plan to finish it, that would be good to un-haul so you make more space on your shelves.

Are there any books that a friend or family member would enjoy more than you did? If you were neutral about a book, that would be a good book to un-haul. But if you know a friend or family member would enjoy it, then give the book to them.

Did you actually like the book, or did you only like the cover? This happens to a lot of us: we pick up a book because of the cover, read an interesting synopsis, buy the book, and then read it. But then . . . we finish the book and think about it for a while. If you only liked the book's cover, then that might be good to un-haul.

Was it a gift? If the book was a gift, it may be harder to let go of. But look at it this way: if the book gifted to you fits under any - and I mean any - of the questions above, then you can un-haul it. It is perfectly okay to un-haul a book you got as a present. (We do that with other things - clothes, shoes, etc. - so it's okay to do it with books.)

Controversial Bookish Topic: Un-hauling Your Books

Controversial bookish topic time!

When you're a reader, it can be hard to part with your books. Even if it's a book you didn't enjoy, saying "I'm going to give you away/sell you" can be difficult. Un-hauling your books, I've noticed, is an act that tends to be looked down upon in the bookish community.

Here are 4 reasons why I think un-hauling your books is a good thing to do.

1. If you DNF a few of your books and don't plan to pick it up again, you don't need to hold on to it. See the following two posts about DNF-ing your books - DNF-ing a Book: Why It's a Good Thing and DNF-ing a Book: When to Do It and What to Do.
2. If you finished a book and don't see yourself picking it up again or didn't enjoy it, it's okay to un-haul it.
3. If you've never touched a specific book - it's just sat on your shelf being pretty - then that would be a good thing to let it go.
4. You make more space for more books!

While I've noticed that un-hauling books has become a more normal thing on Booktube, I definitely think we need to be more accepting of the idea. You shouldn't tell someone they need to keep all their books just because you don't un-haul your books.

DNF-ing a Book: When to Do It and What to Do

See yesterday's post for a bit more context: DNF-ing a Book: Why It's a Good Thing.

When you DNF a book and what you do as a result is completely up to you. It is all at your discretion because you're the one reading, and no one is forcing you to choose one way or another. (At the very least, the people in your life shouldn't be forcing you to choose one way or another when it comes to your reading.)

Hopefully, this post can give you some pointers as to when to DNF a book and what to do.

When/Why to DNF a book:

1. When you're not enjoying a book. There is no point in continuing a book that you're not enjoying.
2. When you have a lot on your plate for whatever reason. Whether it's school, work, family, or anything else, if you have a lot on your plate, you may not be in the mood or have the time to read.
3. If you're reading too many books at the same time. Yes, this is a thing, especially when you're not used to reading multiple books at once. It's okay to DNF a book and then pick it up again later when you're not reading as many books.

Remember that nothing is stopping you from picking up a book you DNF-ed to give it another try. No matter why you DNF-ed it at a given moment, you can still pick it back up when you want to.

What to do when you DNF a book:

1. You can rate and review a book you DNF.
2. You can count a book you DNF towards your reading goal.
3. You can pick up a book you DNF at a later point in time.

Whatever you decide to do with the books you DNF is up to you. If you decide to rate and/or review a book you DNFed, and if you decide to count it toward your reading goal, I would suggest noting how far, percentage-wise, you were in the book in your rating and review.

Lastly, try not to be overly critical of a book you DNF-ed. Yes, you may have hated it, and with good reason. But there are others that will most likely enjoy that same book. In your review, I'd suggest saying why you DNF-ed it, but also acknowledge that it wasn't a book for you.

The Reader Problems Book Tag

I've been wanting to do some more reading/book tags like this, so I found another one to do!

Here are my answers to the "The Reader Problems Book Tag." I found the questions at "Reading, Reading, Reading: The Reader Problems Book Tag!," so go check out their post.

This post will be a bit on the longer side, so let's get to these 11 questions!

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

I try to take a look at what books I have access to: physical, ebook, or audiobook. I filter through the ones I have read, usually with the help of Goodreads, and then I take a look at the ones I have yet to read. I also try to let myself figure out which book is "calling to me," as I like to say - in other words, the book (or books) that my eyes are gravitating towards. I also try not to limit myself to books I haven't read; I know what I said at the beginning of this answer, but if I'm feeling like rereading a certain book, then I'll do that.

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

I usually don't DNF a book since I tend to read mostly history books (nonfiction). The only time I'll DNF a history nonfiction book is when it's very dated, but even then I may just stick through it to see what the available information was at the time the author wrote the book. However, when it comes to fiction books - historical fiction or otherwise - I usually allow myself to DNF a book if I'm not loving it.

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?

Whether or not I try to catch up really depends on the kind of year I've had, mentally and emotionally. If the year hasn't been so great, I usually don't try to catch up. (If I'm honest, I'll usually lower my reading challenge to make myself feel a bit better about the number of books I have read.) If the year was relatively good, I usually try to catch up by reading multiple, shorter books. Sometimes, I'll even read children's books.

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

I'll be perfectly honest: book series covers not matching usually doesn't bother me. I read a lot of history (nonfiction) and historical fiction, so there aren't that many "series" at my disposal. I have one series on the history of England where the covers sort of match, but sort of don't, which doesn't bother me. It may bug me a bit initially if the covers are drastically different from each other, but I'm usually able to deal with it.

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

Usually, I don't really care if it seems like everyone loves a book I don't like. I tend to be a social butterfly, so I don't have trouble bonding with people. If they like a book I don't like, I usually try to figure out why they like it and what exactly they liked about it. (This way, I find out if they actually liked the book or if they're just liking it because of any hype surrounding it.)

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

I'm usually not driven to tears - or even to the point where I actually will cry - because of a book. I think there are only 3 (maybe 4) books that I've read where I've teared up. But if I needed to cry over a book and I was in public, I'd try to find a nearby bathroom or a place that's a bit private where I can hide and get the tears out.

7. A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you've forgotten a lot from the prior book. Will you re-read the book?

I would re-read the book. I have no problems with re-reading books, even if there's no sequel(s) to it.

8. You do not want anyone - ANYONE - borrowing your books. How do you politely tell people no when they ask?

For me, it really depends on the book if I mind people borrowing it. However, telling someone something as simple as "I'm not going to lend you my book" or "I don't lend out my books" are perfectly fine responses, as long as your tone is polite and calm. And even if the other person gets offended and annoyed, you should still remain calm.

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

I actually have 3 posts on reading slumps, posted between Jan. 24-26, linked to their corresponding titles and links: "Reading Slumps: What Are They?", "Reading Slumps: My Thoughts on Them", and "Reading Slumps: Tips on How to Deal With One". I usually don't force myself to read during a reading slump, and I always have access to a book for if I feel up to it. Even if I'm only able to read one sentence, then I'm okay with being in the slump until I'm over it.

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

Disclaimer: I am terrible at keeping up with recent releases. This is mainly due to the fact that I have a hard time finding reliable lists for plain history books. Not historical fiction books, or historical romance fiction books, but plain and simple history books. Nonfiction. Not even Goodreads is helpful with it. Usually, I'm reliant on the author, but that's only if I'm following them on social media, like Instagram. (If you have good links for keeping up with history NONFICTION new releases, PLEASE hit me up with them.) I may only buy 2-3 books of my most anticipated reads.

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

It really depends on the book. Some sit on my shelf for close to a year, while other books immediately get read. However, I usually try to get to the books I've had on my shelf for a while before I pick up recent purchases.