2019 TBR Cleanup Challenge

[Hank]

Thanks DJ!

[Petar]

Down to the business end of the year. Lots of people completing their challenges; well done to all, even if you've not completed your challenge, as long as you've had fun trying.

I've still got about 500 pages to go. Perdido Street Station is quite a hefty tome. Not sure if I'll finish (I'm not a particularly fast reader) but I've enjoyed doing it nonetheless.

[Pandora]

𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗘❗ ✌

● Oldest book: We Are the Ants
● Work of art: Dashed
● Novella or short story collection: Ghosts of the Shadow Market
⌀ T̷i̷t̷l̷e̷ ̷i̷s̷ ̷a̷ ̷q̷u̷e̷s̷t̷i̷o̷n̷ (nothing even resembling a question in my tbr ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
● Ugly cover: Amaranth & Ash
● Has inspired other art forms: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
● Your initials are in the title: Nightjar
● A book recommended to you: Lord of the White Hell, Book 1
● A book that intimidates you: Trilogía El Señor de los Anillos → The Lord of the Rings
● Reminds you of a song: Dream For Me
● Buddy read: Machine Metal Magic
● Book with a luck symbol: The Floodgates
● The 6th book: Clockwork Prince
● Last in a series: Sword and Star
● One Hit Wonder: Freedom
● Hidden Gem: A Hymn in the Silence
● Someplace you want to go: Song of the Navigator
● Get On the Bandwagon: Frankenstein o el moderno Prometeo → Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
● Words in title in alphabetical order: Escape Velocity
● Graphic or illustrated novel: Starfighter Chapter 1 (webcomic) Mooncakes (graphic novel)

[Gabi]

Yeah! Pandora!

[Mareike]

I didn't even come close to finishing this, but I still wanted to post one last update:

1. Oldest book Die Leiden des jungen Werther - Band I (The Sorrows of Young Werther)
2. Work of art Harry Potter: A History of Magic
3. Novella or short story collection The Secret Loves of Geeks
4. Title is a question - How Long 'til Black Future Month?
5. Ugly cover (and please share it!) Red Mars (This cover: https://images.app.goo.gl/Za3uXF87MJ1... Maybe not necessarily ugly, but also nit a cover that would lead me to reach for the book.
6.Has inspired other art forms Les rois maudits - L'intégrale
7. Your initials are in the title Death in Ten Minutes: Kitty Marion: Activist. Arsonist. Suffragette.
8. A book recommended to you Margot & Me
9. A book that intimidates you Future Home of the Living God
10. Reminds you of a song Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theatre
11. Buddy read (do not need to participate) Parable of the Talents
12. Book with a luck symbol
13. The 6th book Middlesex
14. Last in a series
15. One Hit Wonder The House of Impossible Beauties
16. Hidden Gem The Girl in the Road
17. Someplace you want to go Passing Strange
18. Get On the Bandwagon The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
19. Words in Title in Alphabetical Order Perfume River
20. Graphic or illustrated novel - Bloom

[Dj]

I finished one more book off my TBR challenge.
It was the last in a series.
The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945

I had put this book off due to it being on a subject that I am generally familiar with, unlike the rest of the trilogy of books in the series. So I was happily surprised at the amount of information presented that I was unfamiliar with.

Probably the last of the 2019 TBR challenge to be finished though.

[Kaa]

I just finished A Killing in the Sun, which was my last book! Here's the final list:

1. Oldest book: Beowulf
2. Work of art: Out Here: Poems and Images from Steens Mountain Country
3. Novella or short story collection: Skin Folk
4. Title is a question: Who Fears Death
5. Ugly cover (and please share it!): The Door Into Fire
6. Has inspired other art forms: Downbelow Station
7. Your initials are in the title: Karen Memory
8. A book recommended to you: Tooth and Claw
9. A book that intimidates you: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
10. Reminds you of a song: A Killing in the Sun
11. Buddy read (do not need to participate): The Mere Wife
12. Book with a luck symbol: Witchmark
13. The 6th book: The Ruin of Angels
14. Last in a series: Revenant Gun
15. One Hit Wonder: Flowers for Algernon
16. Hidden Gem: City of Bones
17. Someplace you want to go: The Edge of Worlds
18. Get On the Bandwagon: All Systems Red
19. Words in title in alphabetical order: Black Leopard, Red Wolf
20. Graphic or illustrated novel: LaGuardia

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Congrats, Kaa!! Great list! Glad you knocked a few off the TBR!

[Mareike]

Yay, Kaa!

[Petar]

Just finished Perdido Street Station and I am done.

Once again, well done everyone who took part, whether you got through your list or not. See you all in the 2020 TBR Challenge.


1. Oldest book – Dune – Frank Herbert.

2. Work of art – Lords of Destruction – James Silke.

3. Novella or short story collection – The Vital Abyss – James SA Corey.

4. Title is a question – Who Fears Death – Nnedi Okorafor.

5. Ugly cover (and please share it!) –Hereticus – Dan Abnett.

6. Has inspired other art forms – The War of the Worlds – HG Wells.

7. Your initials are in the title – Perdido Street Station – China Mieville.

8. A book recommended to you -Xenos - Dan Abnett.

9. A book that intimidates you – All Systems Red – Martha Wells.

10. Reminds you of a song – Babel-17/Empire Star – Samuel R. Delany.

11. Buddy read -Borne - Jeff Vandermeer.

12. Book with a luck symbol – I Am Number Four – Pittacus Lore.

13. The 6th book – Babylon's Ashes – James S.A. Corey.

14. Last in a series - The Magos - Dan Abnett.

15. One Hit Wonder – The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde.

16. Hidden Gem - The Devil's Diadem - Sara Douglass.

17. Someplace you want to go - A Princess of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs.

18. Get On the Bandwagon – Ready Player One – Ernest Cline.

19. Words in title in alphabetical order - Altered Carbon - Richard K Morgan.

20. Graphic or illustrated novel - Kick-Ass - Mark Millar.

[Jemppu]

Whee! Congrats, Kaa, Petar, Pandora \o/ (and all the rest, who've gotten books read due to this challenge). This has been great. Juuust about to finish mine...

[Jemppu]

Aaand, with Ship of Destiny I am finally finished. With a whole day to spare even *hah* And I just realized, that this is also the first of any of the group's reading challenges I've completed (or participated in?), iirc. So, yay.

✓ 1. Oldest book - Anna Karenina
✓ 2. Work of art - Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera
✓ 3. Novella or short story collection - The Unreal and the Real: The Selected Short Stories of Ursula K. Le Guin
✓ 4. Title is a question - How Long 'til Black Future Month?
✓ 5. Ugly cover - The Quiet American
✓ 6. Has inspired other art forms - The Grapes of Wrath
✓ 7. Your initials are in the title - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
✓ 8. A book recommended to you - The Three-Body Problem
✓ 9. A book that intimidates you - Dhalgren
✓ 10. Reminds you of a song - All the Birds in the Sky
✓ 11. Buddy read - Luck in the Shadows
✓ 12. Book with a luck symbol - Ship of Magic
✓ 13. The 6th book - Sanctuary, Vol. 6
✓ 14. Last in a series - Ship of Destiny
✓ 15. One Hit Wonder - Fair Play
✓ 16. Hidden Gem - The Shadow of the Torturer
✓ 17. Someplace you want to go - A Home at the End of the World
✓ 18. Get On the Bandwagon - The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
✓ 19. Words in Title in Alphabetical Order - A Canticle for Leibowitz
✓ 20. Graphic or illustrated novel - The Incal

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

YAY!! Well done!

[Monica]

Congrats Jemppu!! I read a lot (for me) of books this year, but they didn't fit neatly into the challenge tasks of the other challenges. This is the only challenge I finished this year too!!

[John]

John wrote: "3 to go after some swap outs. might make it. This and The 6th Sense (2 to go for the 100) have been driving most of my reading for the last few months..."

Uncle, not going to make it. Even with a swap out have 1.5 books to go and 1 day. Was fun though and will take a look at next year's as helps to winnow out the TBR pile.

[Helena]

I didn't finish this year - not even close - BUT I'm off to the new year's challenge to see which unread books will fit . . .

[Lost Planet Airman]

Submitted, for your approval, one person who has completed 19⅓ books in this challenge. I should finish in early 2020! Sacrificed this pawn to get my queen into position (finished 42 books on the Read All The Books challenge!)

[Raucous]

Mike wrote: "Submitted, for your approval, one person who has completed 19⅓ books in this challenge. I should finish in early 2020! ..."

Wait... Didn't you just finish the 2018 TBR cleanup challenge? Having part of a book left on this one is certainly understandable.

[Dj]

Mike wrote: "Submitted, for your approval, one person who has completed 19⅓ books in this challenge. I should finish in early 2020! Sacrificed this pawn to get my queen into position (finished 42 books on the R..."

Very nice indeed. Kudos all around.

[Raysa]

Only made it about halfway through this challenge after focusing on completing the Seven Kingdom's one. BUT I think a few on my list will roll into the 2020 themes, so looking forward to the new challenge!

[~ Giulia ~]

Congratulations to all who finished! And well done to everybody regardless of your completion :)

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Yes!! Good work to everyone who joined in any challenges and who got books off their TBR!

[Rachel]

Let’s see ... at about halfway through the year I had only 3 left to go. And now....I have the same 3. Better luck next year!
(In my defense I moved (with 5 year olds!) in July so there seems a clear culprit....(I know - correlation does not equal causation but it’s a good excuse anyway!))

[Anna]

Rachel, that is a very good excuse!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I believe that children are built in excuses for at least 18 years. That's one of their benefits haha

[Lost Planet Airman]

Mike wrote: "Submitted, for your approval, one person who has completed 19⅓ books in this challenge. I should finish in early 2020! Sacrificed this pawn to get my queen into position (finished 42 books on the R..."

Finally finished that last half a book: Flashman on the March

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

huzzah!