Mood Reading vs. Planned Reading: Finding Your Perfect Reading Style
Organized or Spontaneous: Which reader are you?
I’ll never forget falling into a month-and-a-half-long reading slump because of a planned reading schedule I had set for myself. It was a rough go, but of course, I had to bounce back because books and I can never be apart for too long. Let’s talk about my experience with planned reading and mood reading and how trying both has led me to 100% preferring one over the other. This is for all of my new readers who may be constantly hearing the words and wondering what the heck they mean and for all of my seasoned readers who have only been on one side of the fence but want to explore the other.
What Are These Reading Styles Anyway?
Me as a Mood Reader
To me, mood reading means choosing my next read simply based on what I feel like reading. Sometimes, I’m in the mood for a swoon-worthy romance that will have me giggling and kicking my feet. Other times, I’m in the mood for a psychological thriller that will keep me up at night and have me looking over my shoulder every five seconds. I just never know what I'll be in the mood for until it's time to pick up my next read.
Me as a Planned Reader
Now let's jump on over to planned reading. This is when I specifically plan and choose my next 3 to 5 reads in order. So if I’m currently in book one, I plan out the second read, the third read, and so on and I read the books in that order. Even if I don’t feel like reading the next book in the lineup, I still read it.
Let’s Talk About It!
As a long-time reader, I've both "planned read" and "mood read" plenty of times and it always goes the same way but for this article, we'll focus on my most recent reading experience with these.
My Journey with Planned Reading
Like most readers, I have a never-ending TBR, so when it comes to planned reading, I choose the books that are highest on my TBR that I purchased the most recently.
This was my lineup:
I started with reading the fifth book in the NYPD Red series (which disappointed me honestly as the first four books were incredible) and continued with the crime-thriller vibes (if you can’t already tell from book images in my other posts, this is one of my favorite genres.) Next, I read Killers of a Certain Age which I think is definitely worth a read. It's like Golden Girls meets James Bond! Quite unbelievable at times but also quite funny. I finished the book in three days!
It took a little while before I started my next read which was The Coffin Dancer... and all I can say is MIND BLOWN. I absolutely loved this book and it easily became my top read in 2024. I finished this book in one week but only because I was trying to savor every single moment of it. I didn't want it to end. The writing, the wit and intelligence, the attention to detail, the thrill, the TWIST. Ugh, I just loved everything about it.
My top read of 2024 - every page is worth your time!
I jumped right into my next read Bring Me Back. And this is where things got tough. Even though it's one of my favorite genres, at this point, I was over the crime-thriller vibes and wanted to read something different. My reading comprehension of this book was much lower and it took me a lot longer than it usually would have to finish a 304-page novel.
“It was like taking a mental trudge through very thick mud.”
At the halfway point of the book, I simply wasn’t enjoying reading anymore, and I found myself trying to rush through it to get to the end. My heart just wasn’t in it. However, I am glad that I made it through because I did not see the ending coming at all! Though not fun in the moment, the trudge through the mud was so worth it for that shocking twist of an ending! But I did fall into a bit of a reading slump after this book and it took me a while to get to my fourth book.
Adventures in Mood Reading:
When it comes to mood reading, I choose books based on what I feel like reading. Unlike with planned reading, I do not choose books only out of my TBR or that I purchased just recently. I also choose books that I just so happen to see while scrolling on my Kindle or one that my favorite BookTubers recommend that I don’t even have on my shelf.
This time I had just finished reading The Ascent and while it was so good, it was also so dark and it put a damper on my mood for the next couple of days after reading so I knew that I wanted something fluffy and lighthearted for my next read. I would typically choose a romance in this case but I actually wasn’t in the mood for a love story either so I decided to try some literary fiction.
I picked up Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi from the book section in Target and finished it in a day. I really enjoyed the concept of this hidden café that could take you back in time. Now I'm jumping right into The Holly Dates by Brittainy Cherry because it's December and I'm in the mood for a Christmas love story. Plus, I’ve heard really good things about this one. I’ll be finished with this one soon and I guess we’ll just have to see what read my mood leads me to next.
I don’t know, this literary fiction genre just might be my new thing. Who knew?
Reading Stats At a Glance
Both planned reading and mood reading are great approaches to reading and are sure to help you check off books from your TBR. Both methods give me books I enjoy, with planned reading making the books a bit less enjoyable about halfway through. But I do love the satisfaction of being able to efficiently check off books with planned reading. With mood reading I noticed that I tend to read books a lot faster and therefore, complete a lot more books in less time.
Plus, I do love the freedom and spontaneity that comes with it. It's always a very enjoyable experience, even though it means sometimes not getting books off my TBR. Previously, I would usually read about 2 to 3 books per month, but with planned reading, it’s usually only 2-2.5 books/month whereas with mood reading, I’ve reached up to 4 books/month.
Finding Your Perfect Reading Style:
I think planned reading is great for professionals, students, readers who are focused on achieving personal development goals, and in general readers who want to gain deeper knowledge of specific topics. Mood reading is perfect for people who enjoy experiencing a range of emotions in the books that they read and in general who use reading as a way to connect with their emotions and potentially regulate their emotions through the books they choose.
Create a Flexible Reading List!
For those of you who want to experiment with both planned reading and mood reading, here’s a very simple way to give it a try: start with a small list of books you’d like to read (your “plan”), but leave room to swap in books that fit your mood when the moment strikes. Think of it as a mix-and-match approach: you have a guide, but it’s not set in stone. This way, you can enjoy the structure of planned reading without losing the freedom to follow your feelings.
At the end of the day, what’s most important is that you choose the method that speaks most to you, your reading style, and your reading journey. Don’t be afraid to experiment with both and see which one works best for you. As long as the method you choose keeps you excited to pick up another book then that’s the winner. That’s all that truly matters anyway.
So, Which One Are You?
After experiencing both planned reading and mood reading, mood reading takes the cake for me. Why? Because I am and always have been a very emotionally driven person. I often read books to make me feel something, whether it be excitement or happiness, thrill, and adrenaline pumping, or love or laughter. I think that one of the beauties of this method is being able to pick a story that matches how I currently feel or gives me the exact feeling that I’m looking for at that moment. And it never makes me tired of reading.
So, have you tried mood reading or planned reading? I'd love to hear which style you like best! And if you're ready to level up your reading journey, I've created some tools to help:
For my Mood Readers:
Don't you just love it when books give you all the feels? My FREE Reading Mood Tracker helps you capture your emotional reading journey - from heart-racing thrillers to tear-jerking romances. Track how each story moves you and find more books that match your emotional vibe.
For my Planners:
Don't you just love checking off those reading goals? My 2025 Reading Goal Planner is your perfect companion - structured, systematic, and satisfying. Easily turn your TBR into "Done!"
Drop a comment and tell me which one you're grabbing!
Always here to empower & inspire,
Nadashia N.