Let’s be honest: I read a lot. Between advanced reader copies (ARCs), books I’ve bought, and the ones that somehow sneak into my life without warning (looking at you, library holds), it can be a lot to manage.

Over the years, I’ve figured out a system that helps me stay on top of everything without taking the joy out of reading. It’s part structure, part chaos—and 100% mine. Here’s how I keep my reading life organized.

My Primary Reading Tracker

At the center of my system is a massive spreadsheet that tracks everything I read, plan to read, and acquire throughout the year. I’ve refined it over time to match my habits.

And yes, it’s colour-coded, formula-filled, and beautifully overwhelming.

Some of the key tabs in my tracker include:

📖 Read: Every book I finish is logged with dates, ratings, author identity tags, format, genre, where I got it from, and more.

📥 ARCs: I keep a running list of every ARC I’ve received, whether I’ve read/reviewed it, and what platform it came through.

🗂 TBR: This helps me track what’s still waiting on my shelves and what I’ve recently acquired. (No, I don’t want to talk about how long that list is.)

📊 Yearly Stats: Automatically pulls data from the rest of the sheet so I can track metrics like total pages, reading time, average ratings, author demographics, and more.

In 2025 so far, I’ve read 53 books, totaling 6,460 pages and over 432 hours of reading—across multiple genres, age categories, and formats.

This spreadsheet is how I make sense of it all. It helps me set goals, spot patterns, and keep myself accountable—especially when I want to spotlight underrepresented voices or focus on Canadian SFF.

Digital Tools I Use Every Day

In addition to the spreadsheet, I use:

The StoryGraph: I track my reading progress here and love that it shows content warnings, mood, pace, and rep tags. I mostly use it to monitor what I feel like reading next and to build recommendations.

Be my friend on StoryGraph!

Google Calendar (lightly): If there’s a book with a firm review date, blog tour, or ARC deadline, it’s in here. I like to visually see my “review due” weeks so I can spread them out.

My Book Journal

While my spreadsheet holds the hard data, my book journal is for the feelings. I use it to:

• Jot down quotes I love
• Record my emotional reactions in real time
• Keep lists of tropes, vibes, and aesthetic details I want to remember
• Brainstorm review points (especially if I’m reading more than one book at once)

It’s messier than my spreadsheet—but way more personal.

How I Manage My Reading Time

People often ask how I read so much, and the answer is: I make time for it, but I also track it.

I log my reading time daily (to the minute) in my tracker.

I often read in “transition moments” like before bed, during lunch, or while waiting for a meeting to start.

Audiobooks help me read while doing things like dishes, driving, or walking, so a lot of that 430+ hours is multitasked.

But I’m also really intentional. If I’m tired, I don’t force it. If I’m not into a book, I DNF. If I’m overwhelmed, I pause all reading commitments. My spreadsheet tracks the goals, but it doesn’t rule me.

The Chaos: My TBR

Yes, I have a TBR list. No, I’m not following it exactly.

I use it more like a “books I could reach for” pile than a strict schedule. Some I’ve bought. Some are from publishers. Some have been on the list since 2021 and just keep vibing there. But having it all listed in one place helps me rotate between genres, formats, and priority reads—without forgetting about the ones I was excited for months ago.

Tips for Organizing Your Own Reading Life

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, here’s what I recommend:

• Start simple. Track only what matters to you: pages, ratings, authors, or whatever you want to know at the end of the year.
• Keep a low-pressure TBR list. Think of it as “books I’m interested in,” not “books I must read now.”
• Use categories (genre, format, rep) to diversify what you’re picking up.
• Make time, but don’t make it a chore. Reading is supposed to add to your life not feel like another productivity metric.

There’s a certain irony to feeling overwhelmed by books when you love them so much.

Reading is my safe space. My escape. My favourite form of connection, discovery, and challenge. But over time, that joy started to feel like a checklist. A deadline. A pressure. And I know I’m not alone in that.

This post is about what it’s like to hit reading burnout, especially as a book reviewer, and how I slowly, gently found my way back to loving reading again.

When Reading Stops Feeling Fun

As a book blogger, I’ve been lucky to receive advance copies, work with publishers, and have a platform to share what I love. But with that comes a constant pull to keep up. There’s always a new release to highlight. A review to write. A post to draft.

There was a point (and maybe you're in it now) where I realized:

• I hadn’t picked a book just because I wanted to in weeks
• I was reading books I wasn’t excited about, just to check a box
• I felt guilty when I wasn’t reading
• I was dreading writing reviews, even for books I enjoyed
• I was overwhelmed with choice and deadlines, feeling like I had no agency over my reading life.

Reading had become a chore, and even though I was surrounded by incredible stories, I felt… disconnected. That was my reading burnout.

How I Started Rebuilding My Reading Life

Coming out of burnout wasn’t about reading more. It was about reading differently. Here are some of the small but powerful changes I made.

1. I Gave Myself Permission to Read Whatever

I stopped reaching for ARCs or buzzy titles and picked up books I’d owned for years or comfort rereads. No pressure, no deadline—just something that felt easy.

This year, that book was Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega.

I picked it up on a whim after weeks of feeling stuck—half-reading books I wasn’t connecting with, abandoning ARCs that felt like work, and staring at my shelves feeling nothing. But the moment I started Witchlings, I remembered what it felt like to be swept away.

The world was whimsical but grounded, full of warmth and danger in equal measure. Seven Salazar’s journey as a Spare trying to prove her worth in a system that underestimated her echoed something I didn’t know I needed. There’s something profoundly comforting about reading a story where friendship, bravery, and magic are enough to fight back against unfair systems.

It wasn’t just a book I enjoyed. It was a reminder: that reading can still feel like wonder. That stories still have the power to reach through the fog of burnout and say, “Hey. You’re still a reader. And you still love this.”

2. I Let Myself Read Slowly (or Not at All)

3. I Switched Up Formats

4. I Stopped Forcing Reviews

Book Reviewing and Burnout

Reviewing books adds a whole other layer. If you’re like me, it’s not just about reading for fun—it’s also about content. That can start to shape how you experience books.

You might start asking:

• “Is this quote review-worthy?”
• “How can I talk about this on Instagram?”
• “Will this appeal to my audience?”

And while all of that is part of the gig, it can also take you out of the story. That’s when I knew I had to recalibrate. Not every book needed to be “content.” Some just needed to be mine.

I used to think I had to review everything I read, especially if it was an ARC or a “big” title getting a lot of buzz. I felt pressure to stay ahead, to be useful, to be relevant. But trying to keep that pace meant I was always behind, and instead of feeling inspired, I felt drained.

What helped me shift was narrowing my focus. I started prioritizing reviews for books that aligned with what I actually care about: inclusive, diverse stories, especially from Canadian and  marginalized authors in the science fiction and fantasy space. That focus became an anchor. I wasn’t trying to review everything, just the stories that added something meaningful to the conversation.

I still take on ARCs, but now I ask myself: Does this book reflect the kind of reading life I want to have? Will this review help someone find a book they feel seen by? And sometimes the answer is no and that’s okay. I don’t owe anyone a reading pace that burns me out.

Letting go of that expectation helped me reconnect with why I review in the first place. And now, when I do sit down to write, it’s with purpose, not pressure.

How I Prioritize Reading Now