Mount TBR Challenge 2023 discussion
Mt. Ararat (48 books)
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Lianne Tries to Read More Than They Buy
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Detailed starting stats:Total TBR: 990
Number of books over a certain length (cumulative):
>1000: 2
>900: 3
>800: 9
>700: 23
>600: 44
>500: 88
>400: 198
>300: 376
which leaves 614 books that are under 300 pages.
When books were added to my TBR shelf:
2009: 321 (the year I joined Goodreads and added my existing collection)
2010: 96
2011: 41
2012: 115
2013: 39
2014: 45
2015: 86
2016: 37
2017: 49
2018: 53
2019: 39
2020: 29
2021: 16
2022: 24
These are the 23 books on my TBR that are over 700 pages:
1) Shōgun (1152 pages)
2) Under the Dome (1074 pages)
3) The Golden Book of Faerie (946 pages)
4) Necronomicon: The Best Weird Tales (880 pages)
5) The Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (878 pages)
6) Inheritance (849 pages)*
7) 11/22/63 (849 pages)
8) The War of the Flowers (828 pages)
9) Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings (819 pages)
10) The Light Bearer (788 pages)
11) The Triumph of the Dwarves (784 pages)*
12) City of Golden Shadow (780 pages)
13) The Machine Crusade (779 pages)*
14) Brisingr (748 pages)*
15) The Collected Short Fiction of C.J. Cherryh (736 pages)
16) House Harkonnen (733 pages)*
17) The Sword of Shannara (726 pages)
18) Weaveworld (721 pages)
19) The Morgaine Saga (707 pages)
20) Lirael (705 pages)*
21) The Book of the Dead: The Hieroglyphic Transcript and Translation into English of the Ancient Egyptian Papyrus of Ani (704 pages)
22) Eldest (704 pages)*
23) House Atreides (704 pages)*
* = There is prerequisite reading for this, e.g. earlier books in the series.
Awesome welcome back! I love the organization!
1.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (bought in February 2021)I get a quick start thanks to a book that was supposed to be a 2022 book. I underestimated how much I had left to read and it actually took me all of New Year's Day to finish.
This is gonna be my year for this challenge! I can feel it!
2.
German Pioneers of Toronto and Markham Township: The Story of William Moll Berczy (bought in September 2014)This was a short little book about the group of German settlers who founded Markham Township, Ontario. I bought it because my genealogical research led me to an ancestor of mine who was one of those settlers.
A combination of lack of reading time and a large library stack has gotten me off to a poor start on this challenge, so I decided this weekend was a good time to squeeze in a couple of short TBR books. I want to try to get on track for my goal at the end of each month (4 per month).
3.
The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (Goosebumps #5) by R.L. Stine (owned since childhood, reread)I have a vague memory that this was the Goosebumps book that really scared me when I first read it in elementary school! It is probably among the more violent ones. And wow, so different from the episode of the show! I've been watching the episodes after reading the books to do comparisons, and most of them change a lot of little things, but this one they changed the whole plot! So I had no idea what was going to happen.
4.
Genies Don't Ride Bicycles (The Bailey School Kids #8) by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (owned since childhood, reread)OK, got my 4 TBR books in for January, so back to my big library stack! Gotta start thinking about my first quarter long book, too.
Inspired by Elyse, I'm gonna start tracking my book acquisitions here, too!Books Acquired in January
Paperback
Dracula Doesn't Drink Lemonade $2.00
Martians Don't Take Temperatures $2.00
Gargoyles Don't Drive School Buses $2.00
Dracula Doesn't Rock and Roll free
Help! I'm Trapped in Obedience School $2.00
Help! I'm Trapped in Santa's Body $2.25
Help! I'm Trapped in an Alien's Body $2.00
The Substitute Creature $2.00
The Road to Oz $2.25
As Old as Time $2.25
The Stranger $2.00
The Day They Invaded New York $2.25
TBR books read in January: 4 (actually removed from shelf: 1)
Books acquired in January: 12
Difference: +11
Total spent in January: $23.00
Not an ideal start, buying enough books to push my TBR stack back over 1000, but it was a big sale at a closing used book store! The free book was in a pile of stuff someone at school was getting rid of.
5.
The Hitchhiker by R.L. Stine (bought in September 2009)Still not caught up on my library stack, even though I haven't been getting more! And I still have Harrow the Ninth on my cart, which is not a quick read.
Books Acquired in FebruaryPaperback
The Invasion: A Graphic Novel $16.99
TBR books read in February: 1
Books acquired in February: 1
Difference: 0
Total spent in February: $16.99
TBR books read in 2023: 5 (actually removed from shelf: 2)
Books acquired in 2023: 13
Difference: +11
Total spent in 2023: $39.99
6.
Broken Hearts (Fear Street Super Chiller #4) by R.L. Stine (bought in October 2009)
Books Acquired in MarchPaperback
Green Grass, Running Water free (from a free books shelf)
TBR books read in March: 1
Books acquired in March: 1
Difference: 0
Total spent in March: $0
TBR books read in 2023: 6 (actually removed from shelf: 3)
Books acquired in 2023: 14
Difference: +11
Total spent in 2023: $39.99
Forgot to do this earlier and wanted to make sure I did before adding all my April purchases (uh oh, book sale) and doing the read-a-thon.
haha yeah I had a book-buying-heavy April too because I went to Goodwill!
During Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon, I actually read a couple of books I bought this year. You'd think this would be a common occurrence but nope. XD Actually quite rare for me. So even though they don't count for this challenge I'm gonna list them here because they do count in terms of the impact on my TBR shelf and this is where I track that.
Help! I'm Trapped in an Alien's Body by Todd Strasser (new book - purchased in January 2023)
Pirates Don't Wear Pink Sunglasses (Bailey School Kids #9) by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (new book - purchased in April 2023)7.
Come Closer by Sara Gran (bought in October 2019)8.
The Resistance (Animorphs #47) by K.A. Applegate (bought in July 2009)9.
Witches Don't Do Backflips (Bailey School Kids #10) by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (owned since childhood, reread)10.
Let's Get Invisible! (Goosebumps #6) by R.L. Stine (owned since childhood)
The Substitute Creature (Spinetinglers #1) by M.T. Coffin (new book - bought in January 2023)
Books Acquired in AprilPaperback
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark $1.50
Pirates Don't Wear Pink Sunglasses $1.50
Elves Don't Wear Hard Hats $1.50
Wizards Don't Need Computers $1.50
Mummies Don't Coach Softball $1.50
Cyclops Doesn't Roller-Skate $1.50
Unicorns Don't Give Sleigh Rides $1.50
Star Trek Puzzle Manual: Puzzles, Mazes and Trivia to Baffle, Enlighten and Amuse Star Trek Fans Everywhere $1.50
The House on the Borderland $2.00
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms $3.75
The Rover $3.00
Trail of Lightning $5.00
TBR books read in April: 4 (actually removed from shelf: 6)
Books acquired in April: 12
Difference: +6
Total spent in April: $25.75
TBR books read in 2023: 10 (actually removed from shelf: 9)
Books acquired in 2023: 26
Difference: +17
Total spent in 2023: $65.74
Lianne (The Towering Pile) wrote: "Books Acquired in AprilPaperback
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark $1.50
Pirates Don't Wear Pink Sunglasses $1.50
Elves Don't Wear Hard Hats $1.50..."
Someone let me loose in Goodwill in April and I came home with 38 books...! lol
Elyse wrote: "Someone let me loose in Goodwill in April and I came home with 38 books...! lol"This was a pretty tame trip to the Children's Hospital Book Market for me! Sometimes I've had a way bigger stack. They didn't have any R.L. Stine books I needed. :(
Lianne (The Towering Pile) wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Someone let me loose in Goodwill in April and I came home with 38 books...! lol"This was a pretty tame trip to the Children's Hospital Book Market for me! Sometimes I've had a way b..."
Bummer!
Books Acquired in MayNone!
TBR books read in May: 0
Books acquired in April: 0
Difference: 0
Total spent in April: $0
TBR books read in 2023: 10 (actually removed from shelf: 9)
Books acquired in 2023: 26
Difference: +17
Total spent in 2023: $65.74
Well that was an easy one. XD
Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "Books Acquired in MayNone!
TBR books read in May: 0
Books acquired in April: 0
Difference: 0
Total spent in April: $0
TBR books read in 2023: 10 (actually removed from shelf: 9)
Books acquired ..."
Zeroes are good! Except if they come after numbers...🤣
Read in June:11.
The Cheater (Fear Street #18) by R.L. Stine (bought in September 2009)Books Acquired in June
None!
TBR books read in June: 1
Books acquired in June: 0
Difference: -1
Total spent in June: $0
TBR books read in 2023: 11 (actually removed from shelf: 10)
Books acquired in 2023: 26
Difference: +16
Total spent in 2023: $65.74
Unfortunately, I only read one TBR book all summer! I started a couple more but they're still in progress.12.
Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps #7) by R.L. Stine (owned since childhood)July and August summaries coming soon! I did buy some books but not a crazy amount. September will be worse; I'm volunteering at the Children's Hospital Book Market this evening. :D
OK, time to catch up on those monthly summaries!Books Acquired in July
Paperback
My Volcano $23.95
TBR books read in July: 0
Books acquired in July: 1
Difference: +1
Total spent in July: $23.95
TBR books read in 2023: 11 (actually removed from shelf: 10)
Books acquired in 2023: 27
Difference: +17
Total spent in 2023: $89.69
July included a rare purchase of a new book! I was on vacation in Fort Frances, Ontario, and they had really nice displays of queer and indigenous books. I couldn't walk away empty-handed lol.
Books Acquired in AugustPaperback
Song in the Silence $1.00
Help! I'm Trapped in a Movie Star's Body $0.50
The Real-Town Murders free
Big Damn Hero free
Glue free
Camp Damascus $25.19
TBR books read in August: 1
Books acquired in August: 6
Difference: +5
Total spent in August: $26.69
TBR books read in 2023: 12 (actually removed from shelf: 11)
Books acquired in 2023: 33
Difference: +22
Total spent in 2023: $116.38
The first two books were from a thrift shop. The free ones were from a book exchange. And then there was another new book purchase! Because I love Chuck Tingle and decided I wanted to show that by buying his new book.
13.
Sunburn (Fear Street #19) by R.L. Stine (bought in September 2009)Books Acquired in September
Paperback
Lord of Light $0.75
Vengeance of Dragons $3.00
The Pride of Chanur $1.00
Star Trek: The Further Adventures of the Starship Enterprise $1.50
Star Trek: Phaser Fight $1.00
The Sorrows of Empire $1.50
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me $1.50
The Pike River Phantom $1.50
His Last Bow: Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes $3.00
Hardcover
Ten Billion Days and One Hundred Billion Nights $3.00
Another Faust $2.50
TBR books read in September: 1
Books acquired in September: 11
Difference: +10
Total spent in September: $20.25
TBR books read in 2023: 13 (actually removed from shelf: 12)
Books acquired in 2023: 44
Difference: +32
Total spent in 2023: $136.63
14.
Of Violence and Cliché by M.C. Joudrey (bought in October 2022)I actually managed to read one of my Comic Con purchases before the next Comic Con! Gonna try to fit in another one or two this month.
15.
Haunted Canada 9: Scary True Stories by Joel A. Sutherland (got as a gift in December 2020)This one took longer than it had any right to. Just couldn't get into it.
Read during Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon:
The Stranger by Caroline B. Cooney (new book - purchased in January 2023)Mildly annoyed when I noticed that I got this book two days into the current year so it doesn't count lol
16.
The Return (Animorphs #48) by K.A. Applegate (bought in July 2009)17.
The Girl Who Cried Monster (Goosebumps #8) by R.L. Stine (owned since childhood)18.
Skeletons Don't Play Tubas (Bailey School Kids #11) by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones (owned since childhood, reread)
Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "Read during Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon: The Stranger by Caroline B. Cooney (new book - purchased in January 2023)Mildly annoyed when I noticed that I got this book two days into the current year so it doesn't count lol"
So close! At least it's off your pile of books to read. :)
Books Acquired in OctoberPaperback
Rock 'N' Roll Nightmare $15.00
Nightbitch $21.00
TBR books read in October: 5 (actually removed from shelf: 5)
Books acquired in October: 2
Difference: -3
Total spent in October: $36.00
TBR books read in 2023: 18 (actually removed from shelf: 17)
Books acquired in 2023: 46
Difference: +29
Total spent in 2023: $172.63
Prices are approximate this month because my only book shopping was at Comic Con and I didn't get receipts. Rock 'N' Roll Nightmare is the new book from a local author I regularly buy from at Comic Con, and Nightbitch is an adventurous purchase made because it looked cool and I wanted to support my friend's new horror book store.
Hey, look! A month where I slightly decreased my TBR pile! :D
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle (bought in August 2023)Doesn't count for the challenge since it's a new book, but it's one off the TBR pile in any case!
Liander (The Towering Pile) wrote: "Hey, look! A month where I slightly decreased my TBR pile! :D"Awesome! :)
19.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams (bought before May 2009)I read half of this book during the read-a-thon, then afterwards got distracted by other books, and just finally finished it! This is also one of the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.
Books Acquired in NovemberNone!
TBR books read in November: 1 (actually removed from shelf: 2)
Books acquired in November: 0
Difference: -2
Total spent in November: $0
TBR books read in 2023: 19 (actually removed from shelf: 19)
Books acquired in 2023: 46
Difference: +27
Total spent in 2023: $172.63
20.
The Baby-Sitter III by R.L. Stine (bought in September 2009)I'm making a final push to see how many more R.L. Stine books I can squeeze in to the next 20 days! My outrageous goal is 12, because that would get me to the end of the 1993 books and have me finish the year with Silent Night 2. :)
21.
Welcome to Camp Nightmare (Goosebumps #9) by R.L. Stine (owned since childhood)This was the clearest example yet of the effect of my having watched the Goosebumps TV show dozens of times on my experience of the books. First of all, I knew the twist ending going in. But also, sometimes they changed a lot for the show! So all through the book I was going "hey that character is totally different!"
Mod
I didn't get that stack of R.L. Stine books finished, mostly because I had family visiting for a week over the holidays and underestimated how much that would impact my reading time lol! But I did squeeze in one more, plus finish my long book!22.
The Ghost Next Door (Goosebumps #10) by R.L. Stine (owned since childhood)The episode based on this book is one I feel like I've rarely watched. I don't know if the episode changed a tonne from the book, or if I just didn't remember it at all, or both, because aside from knowing the main twist I had no idea what was going to happen in this book!
23.
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay (bought in October 2010)I started this book at the end of July. Spent months reading bits here and there while also reading lots of other books. Crammed the last half of the book into the last two days! Maybe not the ideal way to read this book lol, but I did enjoy it.
Wrap-up post to come tomorrow!
Books Acquired in DecemberPaperback
Carry On $15.99
Freeze Tag free
My Teacher Fried My Brains free
Vikings Don't Wear Wrestling Belts $1.00
TBR books read in December: 4
Books acquired in December: 4
Difference: 0
Total spent in December: $16.99
TBR books read in 2023: 23 (actually removed from shelf: 23)
Books acquired in 2023: 50
Difference: +27
Total spent in 2023: $189.62
Well, my 2023 Mount TBR challenge really can't be called a success in any sense lol. I fell woefully short of my goal, and my TBR pile grew. I read one 500+ page TBR book (goal was 4) and 2 non-fiction TBR books (goal was 4). My 2009 TBR pile went down by 13, which is something? And my book purchasing wasn't totally out of control, so that's good at least.But today begins a new year! A year of hopefully reading the books I own! Will I succeed?? Tune in to Liander Tries to Shrink the Pile in the 2024 group to find out!
Mount TBR Challenge 2023
Books mentioned in this topic
My Teacher Fried My Brains (other topics)Vikings Don't Wear Wrestling Belts (other topics)
Freeze Tag (other topics)
Carry On (other topics)
Under Heaven (other topics)
More...
I have the same sub-goals I've had for a couple of years now:
Sub-goal #1: Try to read one 500+ page book off my TBR each quarter.*
Winter:
Spring:
Summer: Under Heaven (573 pages)
Autumn:
Sub-goal #2: Try to read one non-fiction book off my TBR each quarter.
Winter: German Pioneers of Toronto and Markham Township: The Story of William Moll Berczy
Spring:
Summer:
Autumn: Haunted Canada 9: Scary True Stories
Sub-goal #3: Knock some of the oldest books off my TBR. I've been on Goodreads since 2009, and when I joined I added my whole collection as of that time, so a huge chunk of my TBR list is from that year.
2009 TBR at start of year: 321
2009 TBR at end of year: 308
* I changed the requirement for this goal from 700+ pages to 500+ pages. The goal was not happening with 700+ pages. Also, I haven't been reading my 500 and 600 page books either. So I think by expanding what counts for this goal, I'll actually increase the number of long books I read. I'll still aim for one of them to be a 700+ page book.