Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2012 discussion

OK, here I am. Here's my read list so far:
30. The Borgias: Two Novels in One Volume
29. The Rossetti Letter
28. Signora Da Vinci
27. A Good Indian Wife
26. Daughter of York
25.A Secret Alchemy: A Novel
24. Daughters of the Grail
23. By Royal Decree
22. The Russian Concubine
21. The Reckoning
20. Sidney Sheldon's Mistress of The Game
19. Mariana
18.The Queen's Vow: A Novel Of Isabella Of Castile(bought 12/15)
17.The Flower Reader (bought 12/15)
16.I, Mona Lisa
15. Rivals in the Tudor Court
14. Falls the Shadow
13. The Botticelli Secret
12. Mistress Shakespeare
11. The Birth of Venus
10. Pilate's Wife
9. The Queen and the Courtesan
8. Sex with Kings
7.The Ruby Ring: A Novel
6.The Boleyn Wife
5.A Place Beyond Courage
4.The Royals
3.Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill
2.The September Queen
1.His Last Duchess

Nice going. I'm reading plenty, but not from the right stacks :/

I had a few library books "of course didn't count" and Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 FeetI bought, but besides that I've been good!

Congrats! Your doing much better than I am. Getting my first e-reader hasn't helped, I've finally started my second book from my TBR pile (hangs head in shame) and that's a kid's book for my reading club with my almost 11 year old niece. But at least I can start my challenge thread now.

It helps 2 of them were "couldn't bring myself to finish" so the pile is moving!

Do DNFs count for the challenge?

Good question. At the very least they help to accomplish thinning out the TBR pile.

They count! They moved out of the pile and got reviewed. LOL. Works for me!

Another one bites the dust! With all these "new" books coming out, my TBR challenge pile has been neglected.

Another reader who needs to get back on the "path of righteousness"! lol!

Well done, Rio.

Thanks Hayes. It's hard with all these new distractions!

Where is your avatar picture? Looks like it might be a London mews.

Hayes wrote: "Where is your avatar picture? Looks like it might be a London mews."

Hayes, sorry I just saw this. The picture is from my visit at Hampton Court. It was amzing!

I'm not doing well in my challenge. I've read 37 books to date and only 16 were from my TR Challenge. With all the new adds, the pile is the same.

I was close! I went to Hampton Court a million years ago, in a previous life as it were. But I don't remember seeing the things in your pictures. Thanks fo rsharing!

This was the old Tudor section. Can't you just see them walking here? I loved it!

Rio (Lynne) wrote: "I'm not doing well in my challenge. I've read 37 books to date and only 16 were from my TR Challenge. With all the new adds, the pile is the same."

Despite my having read 17 off my TBR pile, it's gained 40 :-O.

uh-oh...

Jemidar, what can I say we like new shiny books!

Yep, there's definitely a weakness for shiny new books hereabouts. At least this year I've managed to read some of the older ones which is more than I usually do!

I remember mentioning on someone's challenge thread that it would be interesting to see which would end up with the most changes, subtractions from the TBR pile or additions to the TBR wishlist. Or the net change, as in Jemidar's example +23. Jemidar, are all those 40 books from the people in the TBR challenge, or just overall?

The worrying part is that the gross increase is +57 as I'm 40 ahead despite having read 17! The increase is mostly a general overall increase consisting of books I could no longer live without or books I've bought in preparation for buddy reads. Thankfully, A Tale of Two Cities will qualify for this challenge :-).

Too many new books.

Definitely! I quite shocked myself when I added up the total I've acquired this year. It's over ten a month!!

All those new kindle freebies didn't help, but I really don't count them, since 50% of them I would have probably never bought.

I don't think I've picked up many Kindle freebies this year as I promised myself I wouldn't until I've worked my way through some of the backlog from last year. Besides, I think I'm pretty much done torturing myself with them as very few turn out to be books I like.

Jemidar wrote: "I don't think I've picked up many Kindle freebies this year as I promised myself I wouldn't until I've worked my way through some of the backlog from last year. Besides, I think I'm pretty much do..."

I also have the bad habit of acquiring more books than I read. Remember the old joke about all the houses sinking into the ground from the weight of saved National Geographics? That's gonna be me with my TBR mountain range. So I have restricted myself to just getting wish list books that become available on the sites I trade on. Even so, it's a losing battle. But I'm hopeful that eventually attrition will win out!

The problem I have is that I read about a certain time period, then I become interested in other people from that time, so I buy more books about the era.

Rio (Lynne) wrote: "The problem I have is that I read about a certain time period, then I become interested in other people from that time, so I buy more books about the era."

My wish list is 1,700! I'm interested in so many different genres, both fiction & non-fiction. But if I restrict myself to what comes in from the online trade sites, it doesn't pile up all at once. I'm so proud of myself -- this month (so far at least), I have sent off as many as I've received, so there's no net gain. and of course I'm reading as fast as I can! Some days I feel like Indiana Jones running from that ball!

Jemidar wrote: "The worrying part is that the gross increase is +57 as I'm 40 ahead despite having read 17! The increase is mostly a general overall increase consisting of books I could no longer live without or books I've bought in preparation for buddy reads. Thankfully, A Tale of Two Cities will qualify for this challenge :-). "

At least most of us here can understand the condition, but more importantly the need that drives that condition.

Do I have to count Kindle books since it's still new to me? Well, at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Physical books obtained this year, for both Ron and me, combined are 8, with 13 traded away. That has to be a record. I'm reading my 8th and Ron is on his 6th TBR challenge book. How many have been added to our TBR wishlist, I'm afraid to look.

Kate wrote: "I'm reading as fast as I can! Some days I feel like Indiana Jones running from that ball!" Kate, this is my favorite quote of the day, easily beating out Dickens.

Hahaha! Great image... run, Kate, run!

Dawn (& Ron) wrote: "Kate wrote: "I'm reading as fast as I can! Some days I feel like Indiana Jones running from that ball!" Kate, this is my favorite quote of the day, easily beating out Dickens.
"

LOL -- sure makes reading more fun when you visualize Indy running for his life through the jungle, doesn't it!

Do pre-ordered books count, that I actually paid for last year? They were listed with a 2011 date. LOL

I've got that trouble with one of my books, I bought and paid for it online in mid December but it didn't arrive on my shelves until early Jan. Hmmmm...what to do?

The rules say you must own. I guess I paid for it, but don't actaully own it yet. That can be debated.

I owned mine, it was just in transit. It clearly had my name on the padded bag ;-D.

Very true!

I'd be willing to stretch a point for books that were "owned" (paid for) by you in December. It's not your fault if Amazon (or whoever) couldn't ship it to you by January 1. ;-) Let's say no new purchases in 2012 may count.

You rock Bev! Thanks!

Thanks Bev! :-).

Why O Why did I pick Mt. Kilimanjaro? Because I honestly believed I would read just from my pile. Too many new books!

Yep. My challenge is falling apart as well because I'm getting way too distracted by new books and rereads. Luckily I aimed low so I'll still make it, but I totally understand where you're coming from.

Well, I have 4 1/2 months to read 26.

Good luck!