Mount TBR 2019 discussion
Level 4: Mt. Ararat (48 books)
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And I'm off to a good start!1. Second Chances for Trampled Hearts by Shoshanna Gabriel
I bought this ages ago because I was interested to see how NYT Bestselling author Shoshanna Evers wrote. But I put off reading it because I thought it was a historical western, but it's not - it's a contemporary Christian cowboy story. And it's a lot of fun.
2. Fool Me Twice by Phillippa Jane Keyworth
I'd previoulsy started this, then abandoned it. It didn't take long to work out why - the characters didn't engage me, and there were just enough writing and editing quirks to annoy me. So this one is a DNF, but it's off the To Read list so that's a win.
3. Lead Me Home by Amy Sorrells
This is another title I'd started and abandoned. However, this time the somewhat laid-back style maintained my attention and I finished it in a day. It's Christian fiction with a lot of good stuff to say to Christians about our church choices, and a lot of great advice. However, there was a lot of telling (which is what sent me to sleep the first time around), and it took a good while before I cared about either of the main characters. This could be because both main characters were male--I do prefer reading the female point of view.
In case you're wondering how I've polished off three books in two days ... it's currently the summer holidays in New Zealand, so that means reading time!
Bev wrote: "Glad to have you climbing with us again! Good luck!"Thanks, Bev!
4. Sisters by Lisa WingateThis actually turned out to be three novellas. They were good, but probably best read in sequence with the related novels.
5. Know You More by Jan Thompson
Christian romance, and heavy on the Christian. And I never quite got whether she liked him as a friend or as something more.
6. Rose in Three Quarter Time by Rachel McMillan
Another DNF. I made it to 29% before deciding the combination of insufficient editing and no character goals meant I couldn't be bothered.
7. A Christmas to RememberA collection of 8 romance novellas:
Until I Met You by Kimberly Rose Johnson - 5*
The Cowboy's Christmas Reunion by Valerie Comer - 4.5*
Hope for Christmas by Elizabeth Maddrey - 4.5*
Can't Live Without You by Ginger Solomon - DNF
Beautiful Heart of His by Lindi Petersen - 3*
Restoring Christmas by Julie Arduini - DNF
The Cowgirl's Christmas Gift y Deb Kastner - 4*
Falling for Grace by Janet W Ferguson - DNF
The kind of collection I find it difficult to review because the stories are so variable!
But a couple of them were new-to-me authors, so I guess I'll look them up again.
8. Relentless by Janet Elizabeth Henderson
9. Rage by Janet Elizabeth Henderson
Both part of a box set (I'd already read the first book). The box set meant I could read straight through.
10. Returning Home by Toni Shiloh Christian romance set in a Black community. Very good.
11. The Duke's Last Hunt by Rosanne E LortzI did read more books from my TBR in February, but the were review copies so don't count for this challenge :)
12. Something Borrowed by Louisa GeorgeA fun romance with chick-lit vibes (although I did find some of the "humour" more cringey than funny)
13. Meant to Be by Melody Grace
Forgettable. As in, I state reading it, thought it seemed familiar, checked my Kindle notes, and found I'd highlighted something in the final chapter ... so have obviously read it.
14. A Worthy Opponent by Olivia Stocum
DNF at 9% because the writing was strictly average and the plot and characters hadn't engaged me. Also, the cover screams contemporary romance but this is set in 1192.
15. Stealthy Steps by Vikki Kestell
A fascinating premise that I DNF'd at 9% because weak writing meant I had no idea what was happeneing or why I should care. My Mt TBR is more books than most people read in a decade. If the author can't give me a reason to care in the first chapter, why should I keep reading?
Falling behind ...#16. The Virtuoso by Grace Burrowes
17. Here Comes the Groom by Katrina BlissFun to read a story set in my home country of New Zealand.
18. Being Jazmine by Cecily Thew Patterson.Excellent YA about a deaf girl's struggles to fit in.
19. Sunflower Summer by Evangeline KelleyDNF at Chapter Five because of the bad writing and because nothing had happened. Well, not quite nothing. One character drove a car and another cleaned a bathroom. One discovered a secret room in her house, but she didn't seem that excited by it, so it was hard for me to get excited.
Never mind. It's off my to-read pile, so that's a win.
20. If I Loved You by Leigh Ricker21. Legacy of Silence by Flo Fitzpatrick
22. Invisible by Cecily Anne Patterson
It's almost halfway though the year and I'm almost halfway up that mountain :)
23. Written in the Stars by Christina CoryellThe first half was yawn-inducing. The second half was a Thelma and Louise-type road trip, which was better.
24. Taming the Brooding Cattleman by Marion LennoxAnother book Goodreads now tells me I've acutally read, but I have no memory of. So it's off my to-read pile and into the donate pile.
And I'm halfway up the mountain with a week to spare :)
25. How to Trap a Parent by Joan KilbyPossibly an Australian reworking of The Parent Trap (which I've never seen). This has the dubious honour of being the first book I've DNF'd because of a TSTL hero.
It's been a busy couple of months so I haven't made much progress ... and what progress I have made hasn't been books I've enjoyed. Such is (reading) life.26. The Moral Compass by K A Servian
I was on the fence because of the factual errors, but the cliffhanger ending was the one which tipped me over the edge.
27. Rescue Net by Patricia Snelling
I managed three chapters before I realised I didn't know what it was about ... and didn't care.
28. Missing on Kawau by Patricia Snelling
DNF after one chapter.
29. Purple Moon by Tessa Emily Hall
I was obviously supposed to feel sympathy for the main character, but gave up because I didn't.
30. High Country Dilemma by Dana N Netherton.
Yes! I finished it! It had a lot of small editing errors, but a solid (if predictable) plot.
31. The Secret Sanchez Heir by Cathy WilliamsDNF at page 60 because Mr Sanchez has no redeeming personality characteristics. Everything I don't like about billionaire and virgin tropes, although the writing was solid.
32. Veils of Silk by Mary Jo Putney
First published in 1992, and the writing style is dated. But I enjoyed the historical setting and the romance.
33. The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham.Excellent.
33. The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham.Excellent.
34. The Earl of Windemere takes a Wife by Jen Yates Something I was given that isn’t to my taste.
35. The Husband She Never Knew by Kate Hewitt
So apparently I don’t always dislike billionaire and virgin books ... this one was pretty good, mostly because the billionaire had a backstory that explained his misbehaviour.
36. The Parisian Playboy by Helen Brooks
Another billionaire and virgin story. Also pretty good, even though there were a few too many character cliches.
37. Reunited ... in Paris by Sue MacKay
A well researched medical romance.
I had a look at my physical TBR pile last night, and I estimate I own around 100 unread paperbacks. I think I will have to up my TBR game next year!For now ...
38. Wedding at Sunday Creek by Leah Martyn
DNF because the plot was predictable (and given away in the title), and the characters didn't engage me enough to wait around for the inevitable (given the title killed any possible would-they-wouldn't-they suspense).
Also, this book was an object lesson in how not to write dialogue tags:
he enlightened her
she apologised
she deadpanned
she queried
she said cryptically
she promised cheerfully
she muttered
she apportioned fairly (what does that even mean?)
she asserted
And that's just from the first 7 pages. It's tiring.
39. The Secret Wedding Dress by Ally BlakeDNF. Great hook, but it lost me in Chapter Two.
40. Candy Cane Wishes by Leah Atwood
A fun clean Christmas romance.
41. The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser
Excellent
42. I Really Do Miss Your Smile by Susan May Warren
A fun prequel novella.
And now I'm back on track to hit that target of 48 :)
43. Just Once by Jill Marie LandisDNF because the heroine is so stupid she deserves all the bad things that inevitably won't happen to her.
44. Storm Warning by Dinah McCall
Six people die after receiving mysterious telephone calls. So all that #7 on the list has to do is not answer the phone, and we don't need a book. Also, if you want us to care about #7, don't introduce us to the first 6. It inspires me to not care.
Yeah, yeah. I haven't read them. But they're off my to-read pile and into the to-donate pile. And that's the point.
45. Suspicious by Heather Graham.Interesting plot but so-so writing.
46. In the Dark by Heather GrahamAlmost there! There were times I didn't think I'd make it, so getting this close with a month to spare is great.
I've signed up for Mt Kilimanjaro (60 books) for next year - let's see if I can keep going and improve on this year's total.
47. Falling for the Cowgirl by Tina Radcliffe
48. Author Media Kit Essentials by June Stevens Westerfield And one more for good measure:
49. Just This Once by Rosalind James
So I've now completed 1 out of my 4 challenges for the year, and am well on track to complete 150 books read. So I'll be concentrating on my other two challenges - 50 books from debut or new-to-me authors (I'm up to 43), and 50 books from indie authors (I'm up to 42). Of course, some of those might also count here.
See you in 2020 :)
Thank you :)And thank you for hosting the group again in 2019 and 2020. I'll be back next year, and aiming higher.
Leslie wrote: "Congrats on reaching your goal!"Thank you :)
How are you going on your goal?
I tend to read mostly Kindle books, and have around 200 unread ebooks, plus several dozen unread paperbacks. So here's to trying to read more books than I buy!