Hola book people.
Let me introduce you to the two people who live in my head: the Planner and the Reader.
The Planner is the sane, organised, voice, that attempts (valiantly) to bring order to my reading life.
Then there’s the Reader: capricious, flirty, moody.
The Planner lays out a reading plan.
The Reader promptly upsets it.
The Planner re-plans, reroutes.
The Reader promises to comply and rescinds rightaway.
Join me as I try to explain how these two work together to shape (and repeatedly dismantle) my TBR list.
December 2025.
A favourite time of the year for both of them. 2026 stretches tantalisingly ahead.
Hand in hand, they hop over to Goodreads to set the annual reading target.
Planner: Three books a month should be good. One from the books we already own, one book-club pick, and one to accommodate spontaneity.
That’s 36 books in the year. If we squeeze in a few more, we get a nice round 40!
Reader (nodding earnestly): Absolutely. This year, I shall be a person of restraint.
Planner: Let’s focus on January. Here’s the plan: The Dictionary of Lost Words and Mother Mary Comes to Me—both gifts, so morally non-negotiable. And The Island of Missing Trees, also a gift, and it’s been sitting on top of our TBR pile for months. Look—three perfect candidates.
Reader (assuming Zen Mode): I agree. Totally achievable. I feel calm. This is going to be fun.
Then we went to the annual book fair at Fergusson College.
Planner (suspicious): We are just browsing, right? We’re not buying. Remember we vowed to finish the books we already have? The unread pile? We really have to make a dent in it.
Reader (innocent): Of course. We don’t like book hauls. Such a capitalistic idea! No buying. Just looking. I’ve got this.
We come back with six books.
Planner (counting nervously): Two plays, two Hindi books, a classic, a non-fiction essay collection.
Reader (sheepishly): We did say we wanted to diversify our reading. We decided that together, remember?
Planner (trying to regain control): Fine. Let’s put away The Island of Missing Trees and add the Pygmalion. It’s a play. It’s short. It’s sensible.
So: Mother Mary, Dictionary of Lost Words and Pygmalion.
Reader (opening the book): Yes. Right. Sensible is our thing.
Phone rings.
Friend (enthusiastic): I just read The Correspondent and absolutely LOVED it.
Reader (already typing): Added to current TBR list, moving it to top of the pile.
Planner (panicking): WHAT? WHY? But this wasn’t the plan.
Reader (Explaining patiently): One, it sounds great. Two, I’ve seen it on too many lists already. Three, we need a common book to discuss so this friend doesn’t fall back into a reading slump. This is friendship, actually. She needs us to read it.
Planner: So it’s Mother Mary, The Dictionary of Lost Words and The Correspondent.
Reader: Noted!
Then comes another call.
Friend #2: Listen, remember that book club we’ve been meaning to check out? Well, they’re meeting this weekend and they’re reading A Psalm for the Wild Built. Barely a hundred pages. You want to read it and come along?
Reader (dropping everything): Yes yes, yes. Let’s go let’s go. Getting it on my kindle now.
Planner (looking around wildly): What? Another one?
A Psalm jumps to the top of the TBR pile and is immediately begun. It turns out to be excellent.
Reader: What a book! It ended too soon. Oh my — there’s a sequel, just as short. I can finish it in two days and complete the experience. I’ll quickly get through it.
Planner (defeated whisper): Of course you will.
The book club is a riot. Laughter. Insights. And inevitably, more book recommendations.
Planner (days later, struggling to keep up her spirits): Let’s get back to the plan now. How about Mother Mary Comes to Me?
Reader: Yes, definitely. I’ve been dying to get to it.
Half way through —
Reader: Hello, Planner?
Planner: What now?
Reader: I need to re-read The God of Small Things. Right after this one.
Planner (closing eyes): I knew this day would come.
Narrator:
So, for now, the TBR stands at:
The Correspondent
Pygmalion
The God of Small Things
Planner (tentatively): That’s manageable.
Reader (cheerful, ominous): As long as nothing else comes up.
That was how we started our year.
In case you’re wondering, despite the chaos Mother Mary has been read as has Pygmalion along with A Psalm For the Wild Built and it’s sequel. You see, we do make progress, despite the madness.
End Note: The Planner is alive. Floundering, but alive.
PS: Based on hundred percent true events. Friend #1 And Friend #2 may be contacted for confirmation.