Why is the genre important? I'm not a writer, but I imagine it would limit me in my creativity if I had a specific genre in the back of my mind the whole time. You are already limiting yourself by thinking that Fantasy requires magic or supernatural elements.

What do you get from reading books? People seriously ask this? Well, what do they get from watching movies or sports or playing games or listening to music or doing social media stuff? We all have our favorite entertainments, shouldn't this be obvious?

How about bringing one of your unread books to a nice café and do some reading there? If you like to read in public with a coffee, this has the same vibe.

I do almost all of my book shopping online, because Germany, but general rule for my TBR - one out, one in. Unless its free books from public bookshelves. I take a lot of these because you can't expect a book to still be there a week later. But I declutter my TBR regularly and bring a lot of books back.

I have to say it always makes me suspicious when I see a set-up with bookshelves. It doesn't feel natural or practical to me to place a desk with a bookshelf directly behind you (but then again, I like to look at my books). And virtual backgrounds are a thing.

Do you have a problem with reading or a problem with understanding or a problem with attention span? Like, if you listen to an audiobook, can you follow the plot? Can you sit down and watch a movie without feeling distracted by random other things going on around you or in your mind?

The recommendations seem to be based on what's currently popular with the people who have the same books you have on their shelves ... not the best way to discover hidden gens.

I have come across a few books that are trying to be artsy and "more than just a book" and if you take away the pictures and fancy typography and and all that ... well, you just end up with a mediocre story.

Nowadays, whenever I see a book doing something different with the layout I'm wondering if its just trying to make itself look much more interesting than it actually is.

I have saved a challenge from the German sub which looks like a lot of fun. It doesn't focus an numbers but asks you to pick books based on the cover, release date, home country of the author, setting, genre that is new to me, re-read ...

I'm using this as a guideline to work through my TBR. Doesn't make sense to buy a new one just because it has a purple cover of course.