One Month to Year-End: Encouragement for Reading Enthusiasts to Conquer Their TBR Pile

    

As the calendar quietly turns to its final page and we step into the last month of the year, many reading enthusiasts feel a familiar tug of anxiety — the unfinished TBR list. What began in January as a hopeful, ambitious plan to read widely and consistently has now become a mixed bag of half-read novels, untouched non-fiction, bookmarked essays, and titles that have been waiting patiently since summer.

But this final stretch of the year doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In fact, it can be the most exciting, energising, and satisfying part of a reader’s journey. With the right mindset and a practical approach, you can complete your personal reading goals and close the year with a sense of accomplishment.

 

Why It’s Challenging for Readers at Year-End

The last month is often packed with celebrations, deadlines, travel, family time, and reflections. Amid all this:

Reading pace slows down

Energy levels dip after a long year

New distractions pop up

Reading guilt grows, making it even harder to start

But remember — reading should never feel like pressure. It’s a companion, not a competition.

 

Practical Ways to Support Yourself and Finish Your TBR

1. Reassess Your TBR — With Kindness

Not all books that you planned in January still excite you in December.
Put aside the titles that feel heavy for now. Choose books that match your current mood and energy.

Reading is easier when the book pulls you forward.

 

2. Choose Shorter or Lighter Reads

Novellas, short stories, essays, thin non-fiction, or poetry collections are perfect for this season.
They give you momentum, and momentum is everything.

 

3. Try the 20-Minute Rule

Set aside just 20 minutes a day — morning, bedtime, or tea-time reading.
Once the habit clicks again, you may even surprise yourself and continue beyond 20 minutes.

Consistency > speed.

 

4. Listen While You Move

Audiobooks are a wonderful way to read when you’re cooking, walking, commuting, or cleaning.
It counts as reading, and it helps you clear titles faster in a relaxed way.

 

5. Join a December Reading Sprint

Even a small group of online friends or a WhatsApp family circle can help build fun accountability.
Share updates, pages read, quotes, or thoughts — encouragement works wonders.

 

6. Celebrate Every Book Finished

Complete one? Give yourself a small reward.
A new bookmark. A cup of hot chocolate. A cosy evening.
This boosts motivation beautifully.

 

7. Remember the Purpose: Joy, Not Pressure

Your TBR is not a burden — it’s a collection of choices, interests, moods, and dreams.
Even finishing one meaningful book is a victory worth celebrating.

 

A Gentle Push for the Last Month

To every reader who feels behind, delayed, distracted, or guilty —
you’re not alone.

Reading is a journey, and journeys are never linear. Pick up a book you truly love, open the page, and take the first step. You still have time — not to rush, but to enjoy the quiet company of words.

Let this final month be about:

 Rediscovering your love for reading
 Completing what truly matters
 Entering the new year with a light, happy reading heart

You’ve got this. One page at a time. One book at a time.
The year can still end beautifully — with you turning the last page of a story that stayed with you.