2 books x 3 inches x 1,020 pages. B x In. x Pp, are those the standard dimensions for a TBR tower? Mine is so much more than a pile. After discussing my break-up books in yesterday’s post, I took a day trip to a fantastic little books store. My budget didn’t allow for more, but I wound up with two more books to add to my TBR (to be read) tower.
I wasn’t planning it this way, the magic of the universe, (God?) pieces things together in more perfect ways than I can ever imagine. I purchased two “Catholic” books. Fitting during Lent. Rather than lamenting over authors I’ve never read and shaming myself for it, I admit I never read anything by Flannery O’Connor.
I heard she was an incredible writer. Oddly (perfectly) enough, a few years ago during Lent, I watched a video series by Bishop Robert Barron called The Pivotal Players-Fulton J. Sheen & Flannery O’Connor. Fascinated with her life and writing process, I was introduced to A Good Man is Hard to Find, along with an analysis of that work. I put her books in my Amazon cart. It must have been 2020 because I couldn’t get to the library or Half Price Books to poke around the shelves to look through her books. They stayed deep in my virtual cart because I wanted to take a peek first. Are her books those I want to own? Will we break up? Will I read and return them, dust myself off, and move on with my life?
Another find practically leaped off the shelf and straight into my arms. I carried that book around the bookstore like it was a textbook; it weighs about as much. I heard about this one from a guy named Matt Fradd on Instagram, and have listened to some of his Pints with Aquinas podcast episodes. That led me to another Instagram account, drinkingsaints, and here we are.
I like that I can pop in as often as I can with these books. Short stories. Saint stories. Plus mixology recipes. I’ll sip (and read) to that!
Nerds Beget Nerds 
Good readers make plans, yes, and when those plans outstrip the available time, well, the tower grows. I wish you well as your reading adventures continue.
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Hi Brian. Time is definitely my nemesis, but it’s good to have plenty of books to look forward to reading.
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Ahh.. the ever growing TBR tower! I may or may not have one on my dresser. I stumbled upon a quote this morning that fits perfectly with this slice. “Think not of the books you bought as a “to be read” pile. Instead, think of your bookcase as a wine cellar. You collect books to be read at the right time, the right place, and the right mood.”
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Krista, this is perfect! It is a wine cellar of sorts. I will savor the reads as such.
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Only you would find a book with saintly cocktail recipes, I swear! I will be tackling some of my book mountains this Spring Break, trying to wrangle them into some kind of organization. In between reading sessions on the couch and porches, naturally…
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We must try the recipes! I’ll mix and we can sip, chatting over books, of course.
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My TBR tower is in danger of toppling!! I do keep shorter reads next to the bed….short story collections (Ray Carver is my go-to), poetry (Mary Oliver, right now) and some spiritual writing, too. I save my extended prose for the couch, where I am less likely to fall asleep!
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Hi Amy. I have to find the sweet spot for reading. I’ve been saving it for the end of the day and that’s too late. I wind up falling asleep so I need to change my location. With the weather getting warmer, I can enjoy some backyard reading again.
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