Mount TBR 2019 discussion

I joined last year in October and finished 60 books (it was something I was already working on). 75 is hopefully a reachable climb for me.

My current owned TBR total is about 550 books (combination of physical, ebook, and audio). I want to eventually get it down to fewer than 100, so I know I'm going to be climbing for at least a few years. :)

I'm also hoping to keep my purchases to a minimum. It does no good to read from my TBR if I'm also adding to my TBR! I'm hoping to stick to a one in, one out policy, where I have to unhaul an unread book in order to buy one.

Looking forward to 2019!

Jessika wrote: "If you're anything like me, you'll keep adding and never seem to get down under 100... But still I try!

Best wishes to you!"

LOL I had a book buying ban this year that lasted until April. Then I went absolutely nuts!

I thought it was just me with this huge, wonderful syndrome [LOL!] Glad I'm not the only one -- thanks so much for sharing.........

Glad you're joining us again! I've just admitted to myself that it's impossible for me to not buy more books....I just try to use the Mount TBR Challenge to help me keep the levels on an even keel....

I made a list of the 50 books I've owned the longest, and I'm hoping to read as many as I can this year. If I read half of them, I'll consider myself successful. :) This still gives me plenty of leeway to read more recent additions as well. (I thought about making these into links, but I'm lazy. If you have questions about any of them, just ask.)

Note: Obviously I changed my mind about the links.

Progress: 35/50 (includes read, DNF'd, and unhauled)

Love Letters - unhauled in April
Frankenstein - read in October
The Iliad - unhauled in January - found out it was abridged
Les Misérables
Howl's Moving Castle - read in October
Broken Harbor - read in March
The Way of Kings
Angelfall - read in August
World After - read in December
Kindred
Mortal Coil - read in May
Death Bringer - read in May
Kingdom of the Wicked - read in May
Last Stand of Dead Men - read in June
The Dying of the Light - read in July
The Birth of Britain - unhauled
Near To The Heart Of God - finished in December
Moby-Dick or, The Whale - unhauled
My Bondage and My Freedom - unhauled
Common Sense and Other Writings - unhauled
Dracula
The Princess Bride
Grave Mercy - read in August
Revolutionary Road - unhauled in June
The Other Boleyn Girl - unhauled in February
Fool's Errand
Columbine - read in April
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
I Capture the Castle - unhauled
Nobody's Fool - unhauled
The Keepers of the House - unhauled
The White Queen - unhauled in February
Sabriel
The Magicians - unhauled
Retribution Falls
Ship Breaker - read in July
The Last Time We Say Goodbye - read
Peace Like a River
Daughter of the Forest
Under Different Stars - DNF'd in January - too much eye rolling on my part
Emmy & Oliver - read in December
Air Awakens - unhauled
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption
Just One Of The Guys
The Greatest Generation - unhauled
The Gauguin Connection - DNF
Great Expectations
Wuthering Heights
The Remains of the Day - read in July
Death Comes for the Archbishop - DNF'd in April

I think I'm going to do an update twice a month. Since we're halfway through January, I'm making my first entry.

1. Glory in Death
2. Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson: Hopcross Jilly
3. Gilgamesh
4. Circe
5. Under Different Stars - DNF at 37%

Feeling good about my first steps up the mountain!

I'm pretty sure I won't finish anymore owned books before the end of this month, so here are the rest of my January Mount TBR books.

6. The Weight of Glory
7. Elantris
8. Zero G
9. The Cruel Prince

In other TBR reduction news...

purchased/was gifted : 8 books
TBR books unhauled: 5
2019 purchases read: 1

So, -9 + 8 - 6 = -7 for the year. Not bad. I hope I can continue to control my purchases of books. :)

Good job!

Mid-February Update:

10. The Lady of the Rivers
11. Magic Bleeds
12. Scythe
13. What Alice Forgot
14. The Nightingale

End of February Update:

15. I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life
16. Ink and Bone

I added 7 books to my climb, but was very distracted by new purchases and library books. I'm still on track, so that's okay.

Other TBR reduction news:

As of Jan 31, I was -7 for the year.

February purchases: 12
TBR Books unhauled: 7
2019 purchases read: 5

For February: -7 + 12 - 12 = -7 for the month
Yearly TBR Reduction: -7 -7 = -14

Very proud of myself so far, but I do wish I wasn't purchasing so many books. Restraint is so hard!

Mid-March Update:

17. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
18. A Discovery of Witches - DNF
19. Immortal in Death
20. Skyward

I need to step up my game. I have a few more books from my TBR planned for the rest of the month, but I keep getting distracted by other books. The struggle is real, people.

End of March Update:

21. Wishtree
22. Crocodile on the Sandbank
23. Broken Harbor
24. Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
25. A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea
26. Burn for Me

Total for March: 10 books

Other TBR news...

As of Feb 28, I was -14 for the year.

March purchases: 9
TBR Books unhauled: 13
2019 purchases read: 0

For March: -10 +9 -13 = -14 for the month of March
Yearly TBR reduction: -14 -14 = -28

Fewer books purchased, so I'm happy with this. :)

Mid-April Update:

27. Grey Sister
28. A Reaper at the Gates
29. Hotshot Doc
30. Death Comes for the Archbishop - DNF
31. The Last Battle

End of April Update:

32. White Hot
33. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
34. Thunderhead
35. Columbine
36. Our Dark Duet

Total for April: 10 books - a bit ahead of schedule :)

Other TBR news:

End of March: -28 for the year

April purchases: 38 (mostly used bookstore sale - my Achilles heel)
TBR Books unhauled: 41 (go me!)
2019 purchases read: 2

April total: -10 + 38 - 41 - 2 = -15

Year TBR reduction: -28 - 15 = -43

Mid-May Update

37. Mortal Coil
38. The Names They Gave Us
39. Death Bringer

I'm no longer including my purchases vs. unhauls here. I'm still tracking them and will probably update at the end of the year.

End of May Update:

40. I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
41. Storm Cursed (pre-order)
42. Kingdom of the Wicked
43. What to Say Next

Mid-June Update:

44. Last Stand of Dead Men
45. The Wicked King

I feel like my reading has really slowed down this month.

July Update:

46. The Year We Fell Down (reread as audiobook)
47.The Dying of the Light
48. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming
49. The Assassins of Altis
50. Ship Breaker
51. The Remains of the Day
52. The Queen of Attolia

August Update:

53. Finding Cinderella - DNF
54. Rapture in Death
55. Duncan's Bride
56. Wildfire
57. The Summoning
58. Second Chance Summer
59. Grave Mercy
60. Maybe Not
61. A Rule Against Murder
62. Angelfall
63. Murder at the Vicarage
64. Uprooted
65. Feeding the Dragon
66. Resurrection

September Update:

67. The Last Time We Say Goodbye
68. The Witness
69. Halfway to the Grave
70. The Year We Hid Away
71. Blonde Date
72. The Shameless Hour
73. The Desperate Game
74. Deadly Summer
75. Midnight

I have conquered El Toro! I'm going to see if I can manage Mt. Everest by the end of the year.

Here I go towards the top of Mt Everest. (I would like to point out that I've always thought only the insane try to climb Everest. :) )

76. A Week to Be Wicked
77. Clean Sweep
78. Frankenstein
79. Howl's Moving Castle
80. Magic Slays
81. The Wicked Deep
82. Never Let Me Go
83. The Murder on the Links
84. Young Jane Young
85. The Two Towers
86. Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff
87. Obsidio
88. A Faint Cold Fear - DNF
89. The Gauguin Connection - DNF
90. Hostage to Pleasure
91. The Thing About Jellyfish
92. The Maltese Falcon
93. Unwind
94. World After
95. Ceremony in Death
96. Near To The Heart Of God
97. Christmas Eve, 1914
98. Pax
99. Emmy & Oliver

Rhonda wrote: "I have conquered El Toro! I'm going to see if I can manage Mt. Everest by the end of the year."
Great job on reaching your goal!!

Yay, congrats Rhonda! You can do it, there' s still plenty of time to reach Everest, keep going!

Almost there!

100. The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories

I did it! I climbed Mt. Everest, with one week to spare. :)

Congratulations! Enjoy the view up there—must be spectacular so high up!

Terrific job, Rhonda! And you cut so many books off your longest owned list!

Susan wrote: "Congratulations! Enjoy the view up there—must be spectacular so high up!"

Thank you! It does feel good. :) This group really helped. I've never been this successful at reading my own books.

Linda wrote: "Terrific job, Rhonda! And you cut so many books off your longest owned list!"

Yes! Only 15 to go. I should definitely be able to finish next year.

Rhonda wrote: "100. The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories

I did it! I climbed Mt. Everest, with one week to spare. :)"
Congratulations!

Congrats Rhonda!

Leslie wrote: "Congrats Rhonda!"

Bev wrote: "Rhonda wrote: "100. The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories

I did it! I climbed Mt. Everest, with one week to spare. :)"
Congratulations!

"

Thank you!