my TBR pile is my friend

I reorganized my bookshelves this week.

The cats helped.

Wanting a fresh view from my favorite spot on the couch, where I do much of my reading, I switched the black ladder bookshelf that had been there for several years with a tall white bookshelf in our bedroom.

(Let me be more accurate: Loui removed the books, framed photos, and Taylor Swift friendship bracelets, then he moved the bookshelves.)

For context, my eight (yes, eight) bookshelves are designated Kentucky, fantasy, general fiction, or general nonfiction. I also have or have had shelves dedicated to Little Women (nine copies and counting), journalism, and comparable titles to my Alice Dunnigan book.

Once the bookshelves were in their new places, I had to choose how to fill them. I decided to put to-be-read books on the shelf closest to my most frequent reading spot — not all my TBR, because that wouldn’t fit on just one shelf, but the ones I am interested in reading relatively soon. I love the library with all my heart, but one of my goals is to focus on reading more books I own rather than being distracted by a library book like a dog who has heard “Squirrel!”

Speaking of, I also put my current library check-outs on the bookshelf (current count: seven, plus two digital). And on the very top shelf, I put the nine books I own that are top contenders for my top 10 reads of the year (more on that in the last newsletter of 2025, as per tradition).

I told Loui the other day that once we’re in November — once we pass my birthday, I think — it feels a little like we’re already at the end of the year, or at least just waiting for the end. Compiling my top 10 and related book data is one of my favorite things to do, but it’s not time to tie the bow just yet. I love to look back, but I want to excitedly look forward, too.

So in that spirit, here are some of the highly anticipated titles on my newly organized bookshelf— and yes, I’m squinting at the books’ spines from my spot on the couch, while Loui sleeps beside me.

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

Yesterday I hosted Bailey’s Third Annual Book Swap, one of my favorite traditions. It’s Dirty Santa, but all the gifts are books. My friend Shayla brought this book; I may or may not have stolen it from my dear friends Anthony and Maggie during the course of the game. I’m really looking forward to reading it and to Bailey’s Fourth Annual Book Swap.

North Woods by Daniel Mason

I’m not too proud to admit that I still haven’t read the book I excitedly got from Bailey’s Second Annual Book Swap. It was brought to the game by my friend Rick, who featured in last week’s newsletter as “groom.”

Loved One by Aisha Muharrar

I know of this author because she was a guest on the Gilmore Guys podcast. I trust that this is an amazing novel, and I already know it has a great cover — it reminds me of the cover of Writers & Lovers by Lily King, one of my favorite books ever.

In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art and Public Space by Irvin Weathersby Jr.

This is one of the first books I purchased in 2025, and I WILL read it before the year ends. I expect it to be hugely informative for my writing about Alice’s sculpture.

How About Now by Kate Baer

I love this poet and am excited to read her newest collection. An excerpt from a favorite poem: “You may be a woman of / commotion and quiet. Magic and brain.”

And many, many more. Happy reading!