My TBR Was Out of Control, So I Put It in a Bag
My TBR got so out of control that I put every book title into a bag and let fate choose what I read next. Here’s how my very unofficial Bag of Fate works—and why I actually love it.
THE READING NOOK
Between my overloaded Amazon cart, my Nook wishlist, and a growing stack of Book of the Month books, I had plenty to read.
I just could not decide what I actually wanted to read next.
I would spend forever looking through my options, thinking about what mood I was in, changing my mind, and somehow making the whole thing much more complicated than it needed to be.
I am also a Libra, so deciding has never exactly been my strongest skill.
Eventually, I got tired of trying.
So I wrote down every book I wanted to read, folded up the pieces of paper, and put them in a bag.
That was it.
No spreadsheet. No color-coding. No organized system.
Just notebook paper, messy handwriting, and an old bag that is now responsible for choosing what I read next.
The Bag of Fate
At some point, I started calling it the Bag of Fate.
That name makes it sound much more impressive than it looks.
The paper slips are all different sizes because I tore them by hand. Some are written neatly. Some look like I wrote them while half asleep.
It is not pretty, but it works.
Maybe one day I will upgrade to a cute jar.
For now, the bag is doing the job.
There are around 100 titles in it. Maybe more. Which is probably more than enough.
Some are books everyone seems to love. Some are recommendations from TikTok or people I know. Some came from lists of the best books of all time.
And plenty are in there because I liked the cover or thought the description sounded good.
Most are books I do not own yet, but I also added a few books I already have and some rereads.
Basically, if I genuinely want to read it, it can go in the bag.
How It Works
Whenever I finish a book, I reach in and pull out the next one.
Then I look it up on my Nook and read the sample before buying it.
The bag picks the book, but I still get final approval.
If the sample is truly not interesting, I throw the slip away.
If I think I am just distracted or not in the right mood for it, I put it back in the bag.
Sometimes a book is a no, and sometimes it is just a not right now.
Once I finish a book, I throw the slip away for good.
In theory, this should make the bag smaller.
In reality, I keep finding more books I want to add.
I have started writing new titles down and waiting until the next pull before putting them in. I am trying to make a decent dent before I add too many more.
We will see how long that lasts.
I Do Break the Rules
The bag is not in complete control.
If there is a new release I am really excited about, I will skip it.
The next Fourth Wing book is not waiting in line behind 100 folded pieces of paper.
I also let rereads go back if I am not in the mood for them yet.
I once pulled Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and immediately put it back because I was not ready to reread it.
I have also tried pulling a second title after not liking the first choice.
Then I felt guilty and went back to the original.
I am not sure why I felt bad about disappointing a bag, but here we are.
The First Pull
The first book I ever pulled was The Wedding People by Alison Espach.
I was dealing with some family stuff at the time, and the book ended up finding me at exactly the right moment.
That was the moment I started joking that the bag somehow knows what I need.
Obviously, it does not.
It is folded paper in a bag.
But it was a very good first pull, and now every time I reach in, it feels a little like opening a present.
I know everything inside is something I wanted to read at some point.
I just have no idea what I am getting.
Why I Keep Doing It
I was already a consistent reader before I started this, so it has not made me read more.
It has just taken away the pressure of choosing.
That is honestly the best part.
I do not have to stare at my shelves or compare ten different books. This is especially nice after an office day, when my brain is already done making decisions. I pull one title, read the sample, and go from there.
It also keeps me from buying books just because they look good in the moment.
We are trying to save money, so now I can write down a title instead of immediately buying it.
If the bag eventually picks it and I still want it after reading the sample, then I buy it.
That has made spontaneous bookstore trips a little less exciting, but it has also stopped me from bringing home books that would probably sit untouched for months.
I still have my Book of the Month stack, so sometimes I skip the bag and grab one of those just to make the pile smaller.
I bend the rules when I need to, otherwise I would probably stop using it altogether.
Would This Work for Everyone?
Probably not.
Some people love choosing their next book based on their mood.
I understand that.
I just have too many moods and too many options.
This works for me because I like the surprise, and I like not having to make the decision myself.
I also only add books I actually want to read.
If a book does not sound interesting or it is a genre I already know I do not enjoy, it does not go in.
The bag should narrow down good choices, not force me to read something I never wanted in the first place.
For now, I am sticking with it.
It is messy, slightly ridiculous, and way too full.
But it works.
Maybe one day I’ll finally upgrade it to a jar.
Want to make your own Bag of Fate? Go old-school with the printable slips or let the digital version do the picking for you.
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