What's the difference between a TBR and a wishlist?

A wishlist holds books you want but don't own yet. A physical TBR holds books you own and haven't read. Mixing them blurs both: the wishlist looks shorter than it is and the pile starts to look like a plan. Librisync has one central wishlist for wanted books, while the unread count covers the books in your catalog.

What does tsundoku mean?

Tsundoku is a Japanese word for buying books and letting them pile up without reading them. We see it with affection rather than shame: an unread pile is a shelf of options. It only becomes a problem when you lose track of it and start buying the same books twice.

How accurate is the unread count?

It's exact for what you've marked. Librisync counts every book marked unread in your catalog, so the count is only as accurate as the reading status you keep. A finished book that is still marked unread will still be counted. A short check once a month, filtering by status, keeps the count close to the truth.

Is a TBR tracker app free?

Librisync is free up to 100 books, with no credit card needed. If your unread pile alone is bigger than that, you can still start with a shelf or two and see whether counting changes the way you buy. Your data can be exported at any time.

tbr tracker app

A TBR tracker app for the unread books you already own

A good TBR tracker app starts with one honest number: the unread books already on your shelves. Librisync counts every book marked unread in your catalog, down to the exact number. This page is about getting that number right and putting it to use.

how many unread books do I ownreaders whose pile of bought-but-unread books has grown past what they can pictureAn exact count of your physical TBR, and a calmer way to decide what to buy and what to read next.

Start free See the app feature

Streak23

Yearly goal

42/ 60 books

Pages read+18%

Currently reading

Atomic Habits

James Clear

How Librisync helps

We think the first step is smaller than reading faster: find out how many unread books you actually own. Once you have that number, buying, choosing and even the guilt get easier to handle.

how many unread books do I own

You keep buying new books while you have no idea how many unread ones are already waiting at home.

An exact count of your physical TBR, and a calmer way to decide what to buy and what to read next.

Your physical TBR is already on the shelf

Online, a TBR often means every book you'd like to read someday, including the ones you haven't bought. The physical TBR is different: it's the books you paid for, carried home and haven't opened yet. Japanese even has a word for the habit, tsundoku, buying books and letting them pile up unread. It usually starts quietly. A paperback from an airport newsstand, a bag from the library book sale, then the Lonesome Dove box set you were saving for a long winter. A wish list can be cleared in a second. Owned books take up space and cost money, which is why this pile is the one worth counting.

How many unread books do I own, exactly?

We find guesses easy to get wrong, because the books you forget are the ones hiding behind other books. A real count needs two things: a list of what you own and an honest reading status for each book. Librisync counts every book marked unread in your catalog, down to the exact number. That also sets its limit: the count covers the books in your catalog that are marked unread, so it is only as accurate as the reading status you keep. A novel you abandoned halfway and marked unread counts. You can build your own shelves by reading status and filter by status, which makes it quick to find the books whose status no longer fits. Then the answer to "how many unread books do I own?" is a number you can trust, because you set it.

Spreadsheet, Notion template or a TBR tracker app

A TBR spreadsheet is a fair choice, and plenty of readers use one happily. It's free, you decide the columns, and a Notion template can look lovely. The cost shows up later. Every book is a row you type, and every finished book is a cell you have to remember to change. Entering lists by hand takes hours. In Librisync you photograph a shelf, the AI identifies the visible books with title, author, cover and ISBN, and you review the matches before you import them. Data export is available anytime.

From counting to buying more consciously

A number on its own changes little. It starts to matter at the moment you're about to buy. Before you pay for a book, you can check whether it's already in your collection. Knowing that 63 unread novels are waiting at home doesn't forbid the 64th, but it turns an impulse into a decision. The same count helps when you can't choose what to read next. Filter by shelf, genre, status or tag, or start from recommendations that match your existing library. We like a simple house rule for the pile: one in, one read.

What to look for

You rebuy books you never read

Finding a second copy of an unread book on your shelf is the clearest sign. The pile has grown past what you can picture, and a count would have saved you the money.

Books stand two rows deep

Once paperbacks hide behind paperbacks, the back row drops out of memory. Unread books vanish there first, because nothing reminds you they exist.

The pile lives in several places

A nightstand stack, a box from the last move, a shelf in the hallway. Each part feels small. Only added together do they show the real size of your TBR.

New always beats owned

If you'd rather buy something than pick from your own shelves, the problem is rarely taste. Often you simply don't remember what's already waiting there.

One evening: from a guess to an exact count

Before you start, write down your guess on a sticky note. Then pick the shelf with the most unread books and photograph it; you can scan your first shelf in under two minutes. Review the matches, import them, and mark every book you haven't read as unread. Be strict: a book you started three years ago and never finished belongs on the pile. Work through the rest shelf by shelf, including the boxes in the closet. When you're done, put the count next to your guess and keep it in mind on your next bookstore visit. If you've ever typed "how many unread books do I own" into a search bar, this evening answers it, and up to 100 books it costs nothing.

1
Write down your guess first
2
Scan a shelf, mark what's unread
3
Compare the count with your guess

Related guides

Features · Book Tracker

Features

StoryGraph alternative

Keep StoryGraph for stats and mood picks, and track books you own in a catalog with shelves, loan notes and series gaps. Free up to 100 books.

Librisync vs Hardcover

Hardcover is a free social reading tracker. Librisync catalogs the physical books you own: shelf photos, loans, series gaps. Free up to 100 books.

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Reading progress tracker

Track reading progress by page or chapter with automatic percentage calculation. Set annual reading goals, monitor streaks, and log stats for books you own.

Goodreads alternative

Keep a private catalog of the books on your shelves instead of a public reading profile. Capture shelves by photo. Free up to 100 books, no credit card.

book tracker app

Book tracker app

Track reading progress by page, set a yearly book goal, and see your unread pile. Free up to 100 books.

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LibriSync vs BookBuddy: Home Library & Book Tracker Comparison

Compare LibriSync and BookBuddy for personal libraries: AI multi-book shelf scanning, cross-platform web access, reading progress, and privacy.

Questions people ask

What's the difference between a TBR and a wishlist?: A wishlist holds books you want but don't own yet. A physical TBR holds books you own and haven't read. Mixing them blurs both: the wishlist looks shorter than it is and the pile starts to look like a plan. Librisync has one central wishlist for wanted books, while the unread count covers the books in your catalog.
What does tsundoku mean?: Tsundoku is a Japanese word for buying books and letting them pile up without reading them. We see it with affection rather than shame: an unread pile is a shelf of options. It only becomes a problem when you lose track of it and start buying the same books twice.
How accurate is the unread count?: It's exact for what you've marked. Librisync counts every book marked unread in your catalog, so the count is only as accurate as the reading status you keep. A finished book that is still marked unread will still be counted. A short check once a month, filtering by status, keeps the count close to the truth.
Is a TBR tracker app free?: Librisync is free up to 100 books, with no credit card needed. If your unread pile alone is bigger than that, you can still start with a shelf or two and see whether counting changes the way you buy. Your data can be exported at any time.

Build the book system around your real shelves

Start with a few books or scan a whole shelf. Librisync keeps the structure useful after the first import.