Mount TBR 2022 discussion

Hey folks! I just realized that I have not posted at all about what I've read for this challenge. *hangs head* I did sign up at the Mt. Blanc level, but I've already read past that to 37 books and the year's not over yet. However, I don't think I've reviewed a single book!! It's been kind of a crazy year. So I'm going to jump in here and list them in batches of 5 or 10. Hopefully that's good enough. I will try to read your threads as I have time and feel free to comment to ask me more about what I read.

First batch!

This was a book club pick, but I still took MONTHS to finish it. It was on audio, and while I loved the reader, it made it a very slow way to finish the book. I would recommend it. Count Rostov is a great character and the writing was amazing.

Wow, poor Roosevelt. Poor everyone who went on this cursed trip. It was such a good read, but a definite reminder of why I am staying out of the jungle.

I read this for another challenge, fiction over 500 pages, but it went pretty fast for such a long book. Multi-generational epic about women in slavery. Very compelling read despite the tough topic.

This was a birthday present last year and I'm glad I got it. Great story about women and the different choices they make. I wish I had read it with a buddy because there's so much to discuss in this one.

Eleanor is my new favorite character. This book started out so simply and delivered a gut punch. All about resilience and friendship. Simply amazing.

There's my first 5. I will get to more later. (I hope. I haven't been very reliable this year.)

The Templar's Penance

A murder on pilgrimage leads our main characters into an investigation. Interesting setting, but mediocre mystery.

Starfish

Another book club read. Wow, pretty serious for middle grade. I loved the dad in here, but the mom was horrible.

5 more! (12 total) Again, I've read these months ago, but forgot to add them to the list.







I love this series so much! Percy is a great character and I love to watch him grow and develop. This was a reread but one I had been looking forward to for a while. Glad to get them all in this year.

13.

Another reread by Agatha Christie. Glad to work it in.

14. One of my favorite Brother Cadfael books.

15. Love the Guards series in Discworld and this one was really good.

16. another reread that I was very excited for. Still love it. Retelling of Rumplestiltskin.

17. One of my all-time favorite books. Maybe at the very top.

18. quick but sweet read

19. another former favorite that I wanted to reread. Still good, not quite as good as the first time around, but still great.

20. This was so good! Probably the one on my TBR list for the longest. Surprising and exciting. Also highly recommended.

21. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo, Grisha duology #2
22. The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud, Bartimaeus series #1

Both were really good. I loved the characters and the action in the first book and the sly humor in the second book. Planning to continue with that series. I was hoping for more of the F/F romance with the Grisha, but it didn’t really get as much time as it deserved. But Zoya is still my queen!

23. The Winter World: The Ingenuity of of Animal Survival by Bernd Heinrich.

TW: animal experiments. I did enjoy this and the little drawing were charming, but I felt like sometimes it got a little dry. And sometimes gross. But I wouldn’t mind giving this author another try.

24. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers.

really good. I love her style and her characters 5 stars.

25. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia

Wow, what a messed up book! Loved it! I want more in this style.

26. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osmun. Lots of fun, but a little farfetched. Still, you have to just go with it.

27. The Last Judgement #4 by Iain Pears - rather disappointing.

28. The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow #1 by Katherine Woodfine - definitely reads as YA. Fun mystery, but I won't continue the series.

29. A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark* - Absolutely great. Another 5 star read.

30. His Hideous Heart, edit by Dahlia Adler. A collection of stories inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. Great for spooky season.

31. Your Republic is Calling You by Kim Young-ha. Print. DNF, but it still counts because I got it off my TBR. Depressing and confusing.

32. A Day Like This by Kelley McNeil. E-book. Not what I expected – sort of an alternate reality story where the character gets to choose what to believe.


33. The Water Memory by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Audio. A little magical realism in this one about slavery and the Underground Railroad.

34. At the Water's Edge: Fish with Fingers, Whales with Legs, and How Life Came Ashore But then Went Back to Sea by Carl Zimmer. I love to read a good science book, and this delivered. Fascinating look at early animal evolution with lots of information I'd never read before.

35, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater. Goofy but heartwarming, the author at his best. Now I need to find the sequel. Chicken need love too!

36. The Bad Seed

Very cute story with fun illustrations. My grandson likes it too.

37,Scythe
38,The Toll
39.Thunderhead

Reread the whole series this year (and I'm working on Gleanings right now) and it's just as good this time around. I love Citra and Rowan and all the other characters too. Shusterman is very, very good.