It depends on the topic (especially if it can be helpful for work in the near future), but the best approach I have found so far is to put everything at least mildly interesting in a single place, and to process every item one by one whenever I have some free time. That way you always have something to read when on a plane etc.

It is also easier to get rid of the urge of reading every paper in the world when you're no longer on HN but with a folder full of files you're supposed to process, so when you realize you're not really interested in one of the items you just throw it away.