FREE TOOL · TBR LIST · PRINTABLE TEMPLATE

Reading list maker: build, sort and print your TBR list

Make a reading list or TBR list: add books, sort by priority or length, see how long each one takes at your pace, then print it, copy it or save a CSV.

5 books to read · 1,760 pages · about 33 h 54 min of reading

At 20 pages a day you'll finish your list by Friday, January 1, 2027 (88 days).

  1. The Great Gatsby

    F. Scott Fitzgerald

    Classic fiction180 pagesAbout 3 h 28 min · 9 daysHigh priority

  2. To Kill a Mockingbird

    Harper Lee

    Classic fiction320 pagesAbout 6 h 10 min · 16 daysHigh priority

  3. Nineteen Eighty-Four

    George Orwell

    Classic fiction320 pagesAbout 6 h 10 min · 16 daysMedium priority

  4. Frankenstein

    Mary Shelley

    Classic fiction260 pagesAbout 5 h · 13 daysMedium priority

  5. Pride and Prejudice

    Jane Austen

    Classic fiction380 pagesAbout 7 h 19 min · 19 daysLow priority

  6. Jane Eyre

    Charlotte Brontë

    Classic fiction480 pagesAbout 9 h 15 min · 24 daysLow priority

Tap the status to move a book from Want to read to Reading to Finished. Times assume 238 words a minute and 275 words a page; page counts are approximate and change by edition.

Start from a list

Paste a list of books
Paper and clearing
Paper

Saved on this device as you go. Nothing is sent to us.

A blank list card with tick boxes beside six upright books with cobalt, orange, sage, lavender, cream and navy spines, a wooden book stand and a pencil

The short answer

A reading list is your to be read (TBR) list with a plan: each book with its author, a priority and its length. Add your books, mark the next two or three as high priority, and set the pages you read a day. The list then shows how long each book takes and when you finish the whole list.

How to make a reading list you actually finish

  1. Write down every book you mean to read. Titles from friends, a podcast, a bookstore table. Getting them out of your head is the point of a to be read (TBR) list.
  2. Keep only books you want to read now. Move the rest to a someday pile. A short list you are excited about beats a long one that feels like homework.
  3. Mark three as high priority. Those are your next books, so you never finish one and wonder what to pick.
  4. Add page counts and a pace. At 20 pages a day, a 300-page book takes about 15 days. The list shows each book and the whole list in days and hours.
  5. Mix lengths and moods. Put a short or light book after a long one. Sort by Shortest first when you need a quick win.
  6. Review it once a month. Tick off what you finished, drop what no longer appeals and move the next three up.

TBR list tips that keep you reading

What should a reading list template include?

ColumnWhy it helps
Title and authorFinds the right book, and the right edition, at the library or store
StatusWant to read, reading or finished: what to start next at a glance
PriorityKeeps your next two or three books at the top of a long TBR pile
Pages and reading timeShows how long a book really takes at your daily pace
GenreHelps you mix heavy and light books and spot a list that is all one kind

The printable has all five columns, a box to tick each finished book and empty lines for books you add later. It prints on one Letter or A4 page. For a place to log pages and dates as you read, use the reading log.

How long will my reading list take?

Add the pages of every book you have not finished and divide by the pages you read a day. Six 300-page books are 1,800 pages: 90 days at 20 pages a day, or 60 days at 30. In hours, a 300-page book is about 5 hours 47 minutes at the adult average of 238 words a minute. The reading time calculator does the same sum for one book with your own reading speed, and the reading speed test measures it.

Set a number of books under Yearly goal to see how many pages a day reach that goal by December 31, using the books in your list order (books without a page count count as 300 pages). For a yearly target with prompts, try the reading challenge or the 52 reading challenge prompts for 2027. When a book is done, colour its spine on the book tracker bookshelf.

Book lists to start from

The starter lists are short and easy to check: six well-known classics, six classics under 200 pages, and the 22 books from our guide to the best productivity books, grouped by habits, focus, time, planning and motivation. Page counts are rounded and approximate; your edition may be longer or shorter. Add a starter to your own list, then delete what you have read or do not want.

Your list stays in this browser on this device. Copy it as text to send to a friend or a book club, or download a CSV to open in Google Sheets or Excel.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create a reading list?

Type the title and author of each book you want to read, add the page count if you know it, and mark your next two or three books as high priority. Set the pages you usually read a day, and the list shows how long each book and the whole list will take. Print it or copy it as text.

What is a TBR list?

TBR stands for to be read. A TBR list is the books you own or plan to read but have not started. Keeping it in one place, with a few books marked as next, makes it easy to pick up a new book as soon as you finish one.

How many books should be on a reading list?

There is no set number. Many readers keep 5 to 15 books on an active list and the rest on a someday list. A short list of books you are excited about is easier to finish than a long one that feels like homework.

How long will my reading list take?

Add the pages of every book you have not finished and divide by the pages you read a day. Six 300-page books at 20 pages a day take 90 days. The list does this for you, and shows each book in hours at an average adult speed of 238 words a minute.

Can I print my reading list?

Yes. Print puts the list on one Letter or A4 page with a box to tick each finished book, the pages and reading time of each book, and empty lines for books you add later. You can also save it as an image for your phone.

Can I move my reading list to Goodreads, Google Sheets or Excel?

Download CSV saves your list with title, author, genre, pages, priority and status, which opens in Google Sheets, Numbers or Excel. Copy as text gives a numbered list for a message, a note or a book club chat.

Is my reading list saved?

Yes, in this browser on this device, as you type. Nothing is sent to our server and there is no sign-up. Copy it, download the CSV or print it to keep a copy somewhere else.

Sources and evidence

  1. Brysbaert (2019): How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate — Across 190 studies with 18,573 participants, adults read non-fiction silently at about 238 words per minute. The reading times on the list use this average.
  2. The Novelry: How many words in a novel? — Most typeset, printed novels have 250 to 350 words per page. The list assumes 275 words a page.
  3. Harkin et al. (2016): Does monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? — Across 138 studies, interventions that increased progress monitoring improved goal attainment, more so when progress was physically recorded. Ticking off finished books is a simple record of progress.

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