{"id":694,"date":"2026-05-10T15:09:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T20:09:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=694"},"modified":"2026-05-10T15:09:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T20:09:50","slug":"fun-ways-to-pick-your-next-read-from-your-tbr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=694","title":{"rendered":"Fun Ways to Pick Your Next Read (From Your TBR!)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Building your TBR (to-be-read) is one thing \u2013 but actually <em>choosing <\/em>your next book? That\u2019s a whole different challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever stared at your stack wondering &#8220;<em>What am I even in the mood for<\/em>?&#8221;, you\u2019re not alone. This post is all about fun, creative ways to choose your next book from your TBR \u2014 perfect for when decision fatigue kicks in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(\ud83d\udca1Looking for fun ideas to build your TBR? Check out <a href=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/?p=92\">this post<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wheel-final-FB-1024x768.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-717\" srcset=\"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wheel-final-FB-1024x768.png 1024w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wheel-final-FB-300x225.png 300w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wheel-final-FB-768x576.png 768w, http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wheel-final-FB.png 1448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Creative Ways To Choose Your Next Book<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are so many ways to pick your next read \u2013 from simple methods to more interactive (and slightly over-the-top) ideas. Here are some of the best ones to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Spin a Wheel with Titles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turn your TBR into a game! Write book titles on a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4tdUYke\">dry-erase spinner wheel<\/a> and give it a spin whenever you\u2019re ready to start something new. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gumball Machine Method<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This one takes a little effort and money, but it\u2019s just so fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Write your book titles on slips of paper, place them inside capsules, and load them into a gumball machine. Every time you\u2019re ready for a new read, just twist and see what you get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It turns your reading life into a year-long surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4dkTwYj\">gumball machines<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4tuTEtr\">capsules<\/a> on Amazon to set this up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pick a Number (Jar Method)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Assign each book on your TBR a number. Write those numbers on slips of paper, toss them in a jar, and draw one when it\u2019s time to choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to make it visual? Put matching numbered sticky notes on your books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Alternate Genres<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you read across genres, this is a great way to keep things fresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try a pattern like<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mystery \u2192 Romance \u2192 Historical Fiction \u2192 Repeat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This keeps your reading balanced and helps avoid burnout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Roll a Die<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choose the six books you\u2019re most excited about and assign each one a number (1-6). Roll a dice and let chance decide your next read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Playing Card Shuffle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Print out mini versions of your book covers, turn them into \u201ccards\u201d and shuffle them together. Draw one at random when you\u2019re ready to start your next book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Simple, No-Prep Ways to Choose Your Next Book<\/strong> <strong>from Your TBR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not feeling crafty, these quick options work just as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pick the book that\u2019s been on your TBR the longest<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose the longest book to tackle your backlog<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go with the shortest book for a quick win<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Post a few options on social media and let your friends decide<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no <em>wrong<\/em> way to choose your next book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some days, the right pick is obvious. Other times, you might need a little help (or a lot of creativity) to make the decision easier \u2013 and more fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If nothing else, these ideas turn choosing your next read into part of the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How do you usually pick your next read\u2014mood, method, or pure chaos?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83c\udf1f Come hang out with me for daily bookish chats on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61571135243421\">Facebook <\/a>or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/readersgottaread.blog\/\">Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Building your TBR (to-be-read) is one thing \u2013 but actually choosing your next book? That\u2019s a whole different challenge. If you\u2019ve ever stared at your stack wondering &#8220;What am I even in the mood for?&#8221;, you\u2019re not alone. This post is all about fun, creative ways to choose your next book from your TBR \u2014 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,451,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bookstack","category-tbr","category-to-be-read"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=694"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":719,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694\/revisions\/719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}