Wishlist and to-read pile: two things not to mix
· 3 min read
The to-read pile is what you own and haven't opened. The wishlist is what you don't own. The two blur quickly, and you end up believing you bought what you had only noted.
Two statuses, not two tools
No need for two lists. One is enough if each record carries a status: wanted, owned, reading, read. A book changes status without changing record, and its history stays intact.
Wanting cools off
Let wishes rest a few weeks. Half won't survive, and those were the ones cluttering the pile. The ones that keep coming back have earned the purchase.
Before you buy
Check that the book isn't already at home, on paper or as a file. Ten seconds of searching the catalogue prevents the duplicate, and it's also the moment to see whether something in the pile already answers the urge.