2022 TBR Cleanup Challenge

[Dj]

The Campaign in Norway

This book suffers from one major defect: NO MAPS.

The detail which is used to present the battles that took place in Norway is amazing, but it loses some of its impact, due to no Maps.

One of the better military histories I have read put forward by an official source, I would have given it a four, maybe a five-star rating if it had had any maps.

All in all a really good source for the Norweigan campaign, just remember to bring your own atlas to see where these battles are taking place.

[Petar]

6. Of its time - The Underground Railroad - Colson Whitehead. This was a fantastic read. Alternative history which realises the euphemistic Underground Railroad in antebellum USA. Great characters and a well-crafted story drawing on real events from different time periods.

15/20

[Raucous]

My final two books for this challenge:

✔︎ 4. Head in the clouds: After the Blast: The Ecological Recovery of Mount St. Helens
✔︎ 19. Nein: What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

Volcanos in the PNW often have their heads in the clouds. That's a bit of a challenge now for Mt. Saint Helens but it will likely grow back. After the Blast focuses on the return of life to the blasted areas and on the people studying it. It's surprising how quickly even the most desolate areas have been recolonized.

Many of the physics-based answers in What If? 2 come down to a much more interesting variation on the caution "Things you should not do." See the book for a running list. "Nein" acknowledges contributions from German physicists to this understanding. My favorite answer was "Soupiter," a description of the consequences of filling the solar system with soup out to the orbit of Jupiter. I had no idea.

These two books were replacements for epic fantasy pieces that, it turns out, I don't have the patience for right now. These were both interesting and to the point. I appreciated that.

Progress: 20/20

Challenge statistics:
Books that were in the original challenge list: 7 (one better than last year)
Change in TBR list size by the end of the challenge: +22%

Full list: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Mareike]

Yay, congratulations on finishing!!

[Dj]

Raucous wrote: "My final two books for this challenge:

✔︎ 4. Head in the clouds: After the Blast: The Ecological Recovery of Mount St. Helens
✔︎ 19. Nein: [book:What If? 2: Additional Serious Sci..."

I have started reading What If 2, just finished the first chapter on the soup black hole. I really enjoy this author. The first book was so good and amusing I just had to pick up the second one.

[Petar]

Well done Raucous. Just enough time for another 20?

Recently finished for me;

19. Nein - SS-GB - Len Deighton. The alternate history aspect, in which Germany won WWII and is now occupying Great Britain, interested me but ultimately this was a bit of a let down. The story was only mildly interesting and the characters amounted to little more than stereotypes. Not one I'd recommend.

16/20

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

wow everyone!! you're doing a tremendous job! as usual, i love seeing what you put to the prompts

[Edwin]

Finished! 22/22 (I completed two for the prompts: "Thorns and Roses" and "Why not Both")

[Meredith]

Edwin wrote: "Finished! 22/22 (I completed two for the prompts: "Thorns and Roses" and "Why not Both")"

Congrats, great job!

[Raucous]

Edwin wrote: "Finished! 22/22 (I completed two for the prompts: "Thorns and Roses" and "Why not Both")"

Congratulations! I love the interpretation of those last two prompts.

[Meredith]

Congrats to Raucous too!

[Petar]

Well done Edwin. Above and beyond there.

Another down for me.

14. A little slice of heaven - Kill City Blues - Richard Kadrey. Angels, demons, heaven, hell and Los Angeles. This series got off to such a great start. I enjoyed Sandman Slim a lot, but the rest of the series has been varying degrees of ordinary. So after this, the fifth book in the series, I'm giving up. I can see why some people would enjoy it, I get the appeal, it just hasn't worked for me.

17/20

[Sha]

20 books in 2 months... should be doable? Maybe not in this time economy, but I have lot of books! #optimistic

1. Book with nine lives: My Disciple Died Yet Again; where the protagonist literally keeps dying and coming back to life in different bodies. (19 Dec 2022)

2. Don't be suspicious: The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes, where both parties are trying to cover up murder, blackmail, kidnapping etc. (28 Oct 2022)

3. Dressed to the nines: Full Moon o Sagashite: Complete Collection. The protagonist is a popstar/singer and the supporting characters are death spirits so everyone gets costumes. (01 Dec 2022)

4. Head in the clouds: Book of a Thousand Days, which is not actually a Rapunzel retelling but definitely felt like one when I started reading it because two girls were bricked up in a tower. So heights => head in the clouds. (30 Oct 2022)

5. One for the clubhouse: ホリミヤ 1 to ホリミヤ 16. Basically a bunch of high-schoolers hanging out and being friends and being adorable. They are (figuratively!) a club! (19 Dec 2022)

6. Of its time: Uncanny Times, set in the 1910s. Also, there are way too many comments about how Rosemary is not like other girls of the time (which I could use less of), and the central plot does touch upon societal restrictions. (04 Nov 2022)

7. "Revolution is in the individual spirit": Fields of Gold. A transmigrator makes national-level changes in agriculture, food manufacturing, and medicine. (19 Dec 2022)

8. Cover with distinct art style: Size 12 and Ready to Rock, which is very chick-lit. (01 Dec 2022)

9. 9 or 22 *

10. Why not both?: Mesmerizing Ghost Doctor, which is both a manhua and a novel. I read both. (19 Dec 2022)

11. Seasonal: Tuyo, which takes place almost entirely in perpetual winter land. (18 Nov 2022)

12. I need a nap!: The Grand Secretary's Pampered Wife, which is so ridiculously long. (01 Dec 2022)

13. Thorns and roses

14. A little slice of heaven

15. Fluffy!: A Little Too Familiar; which is mostly domestic fluff. Large families, unofficial adoptions, and so forth. There is also an evil cult but that just makes the fluff more fluffy. (03 Nov 2022)

16. "Humans are doing the best they can": Sleeping Giants; where people have to work together to assemble a giant alien robot and figure out why it glows. (11 Nov 2022)

17. "Such conduct is the prerogative of the truly wise": Vetaal and Vikram: Riddles of the Undead. The nested stories test the wisdom of the characters and the listener. (19 Dec 2022)

18. 240-270 pages

19. Nein

20. ???

[Petar]

Sha wrote: "20 books in 2 months... should be doable? Maybe not in this time economy, but I have lot of books! #optimistic

1. Book with nine lives
2. Don't be suspicious
3. Dressed to the nines
4. Head in the..."

You can do it Sha!

[DivaDiane]

We’re rooting for ya, Sha!

[Stephen]

7. "Revolution is in the individual spirit" - Lenin's Brother: The Origins of the October Revolution. The formation of a revolutionary.✔️

Now at 14/20, 6 books to go before the end of the year.

[Stephen]

4. Head in the clouds - On Wings of Song. Apparently involves achievement of flight by mental means.✔️

Excellent literary sf.

15/20

[Dj]

Dragon and Soldier

Since this is the second book in a series I will not be writing a review for this book under the book the way I normally do for reads. I will however say here that this book was a fun and short read. Timothy Zhan has not only created a world that seems to hold together well, at least so far but has brought together some interesting characters that are fun to read about. Looking forward to seeing how the third book turns out.

With this book down, I have one left. It is a two-for-one read, The Briar King.

[MauQ]

Hi there, is this prompt list only for fantasy/sci fi books we want to read in a year, or can it be from multiple genres? And is it, choose as many as you wish from the list or should it be exactly 20?

Kind Regards,

[Anna]

Any genre and any number of prompts! :)

[MauQ]

Thanks for clarifying Anna,

This year I only started reading from September! Earlier this year I was distracted with a house move and later, adopting kittens. I decided to focus on finishing some titles left unfinished from a long time by the end of this year and some books I had in my to-read-list on kindle, audible or on my bookshelves from a while. I am including some titles, which I read since this September to track my progress this year and get motivated to continue. I often read multiple books at the same time/ changing between them and I sometimes lose track🤯, so this is helpful. I enjoyed matching the prompts and deciding which TBR's to focus on by the end of 2022!

2022 Prompts Completed: 13/18

Read earlier this year ✔

Fantasy/Sci-fi:

1. Dressed to the nines - I Shall Wear Midnight, Terry Pratchett (paperback) November

3/5

2. A little slice of heaven - A Song of Shadow
(The Bard from Barliona #2) by Vasily Mahanenko (audiobook) November

3/5

Other genres:

3. ??? Living the Hero's Journey: Exploring Your Role in the Action-Adventure of a Lifetime, Will Craig (audiobook) September

2/5

4. Thorns and roses - Getting the Love You Want : A Guide for Couples, Harville Hendrix (paperback) October
3/5

5. Of its time - Good Morning, Good Life: 5 Simple Habits to Master Your Mornings and Upgrade Your Life, Amy Schmittauer Landino (audiobook) October

2/5

6. "Humans are doing the best they can"
The Second Mountain, David Brooks (audiobook) October

2/5

7. "Revolution is in the individual spirit"- The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks (audiobook) October

2/5

To read 2022:

8. Fluffy! - Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World (Dewey Readmore), Vicki Myron (paperback)



9. Head in the clouds - Ten Things About Writing: Build Your Story, One Word at a Time, Joanne Harris (audiobook, started)


10. I need a nap! - Life Time: The New Science of the Body Clock, and How It Can Revolutionise Your Sleep and Health
by Russell Foster (audiobook)



11. Cover with distinct art style - Grace, Christine Friel McGrory (e-book, started)



12. Seasonal - Peaches for Monsieur le Curé
(Chocolat #3), Joanne Harris (paperback)



13. Nein - Our House, Louise Candlish (audiobook)


14. Don't be suspicious - Search For Hidden Sacred Knowledge, Dolores Cannon (e-book)



15. 9 or 22 * - Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, Gretchen Rubin (audiobook)



16. Why not both? - The Flatshare
by Beth O'Leary



17. Book with nine lives - The Midnight Library, Matt Haig (audiobook)



18. One for the clubhouse - How to Break Up with Your Friends: Finding Meaning, Connection, and Boundaries in Modern Friendships by Erin Falconer.

How to Break Up with Your Friends: Finding Meaning, Connection, and Boundaries in Modern Friendships

Reasons for choosing the books and my thoughts on finished reads:
(Copied the idea from your earlier post Anna, a great thought to include that info in the spoiler link)

(view spoiler)[

1. Dressed to the nines - Book title.
So far it was my least favourite Terry Pratchett's novel, I struggled with reading dialogue with a Scottish (ish) dialect, and, more importantly, the plot seemed disorganised, not just the usual Discworld novel joyfully disorganised, it didn't click for me, with the exception for a good beginning and a very enjoyable ending, which made me just about give the book 3/5.

2. A little slice of heaven - The main character was able to visit, let's say, a type of heaven :)
This sequel disappointed me. The original story of Barliona, which is a fantasy world of a virtual reality MMO RPG, was initially introduced in a great series called 'The Way of The Shaman'. A series which made me fall in love with litRPG genre. I really enjoyed getting back into this world with a new set of characters in a spin off series about 'A Bard from Barliona', the first book was very enjoyable and I was looking forwards to seeing the plant bard character evolve. Sadly, the sequel seemed to have omitted the parts I really looked forwards to learning more about and drawn out parts which didn't add as much to the overall story, in my opinion, a mixed bag.

3. ??? A book, which didn't fit any prompts.
I enjoy metaphors and books on personal development, but lately, I noticed that I might have run out of new things I can learn from books in this genre. There is much waffling going on and repeating of a main concept, which could be explained in half the time. In this book, too much focus was placed on comparisons of the hero's journey to movies. It could have been much deeper but sadly, wasn't. In a similar theme, I enjoyed The Map: Finding the Magic and Meaning in the Story of Your Life by Colette Baron-Reid much, much more, as it really dwelled into the fantasy metaphor and applied it to our individual life stages.

4. Thorns and roses - A book about marriage and counselling seems like a good fit, the good and the bad in relationships and life in general.
This was recommended to me by a friend, and interested me with it's theory, that we choose our life partners in order to resolve issues from our childhood. So, we might unconsciously choose a partner who is much like our father our mother and the issues with that parent from childhood will arise again, and this time, with a partner, we are hoping to change the old patterns. Definitely an interesting theory and I do find my partner eerily similar to my mother haha but I did not agree with everything in this book. At times the author seemed too sure of his theory, at other times the exercises given by him to couples in counselling (which he recounts) seem a bit silly or limited, but it's still a good book and teaches a lot about relationships, active listening and not being guided by anger when resolving issues in relationships and it gives some practical tips.

5. Of its time - A book about managing time and also something that is a popular topic nowadays.
I really wanted some solid tips and ideas, some research on habits that would help with organising the day better by making the best of the mornings. The book was limited though, as the author often spoke about things she admitted, she knew little about (like having kids or having health issues), it was also very limited to the author's experience and preferences, without looking at other people, let alone looking at more research on things that could work (or not), on a larger scale.

6. "Humans are doing the best they can" - It's a book about making the best of the second half of life.
Or at least, that's what it promises to do. The premise about how our first mountain in life is gaining success and our second mountain is after we realise, that success is not actually the most important thing to focus on, is quite interesting to me and something I can identify with. Sadly, only about two chapters in the book actually are about that. The other chapters are full of tips on relationships, marriage mostly, community and there is a lot about religion. It's not necessarily a bad book, but it seems like the author didn't know how to market it, it comes across as a confused volume, a bit of everything. I found myself irritated that the author didn't talk more about what was promised in the blurb. I later noticed, later editions have an addition to the title ':how to live a moral life' (or something to that effect), now, that fits the actual contents better. A good book for someone who would like some relationship or spiritual advice.

7. "Revolution is in the individual spirit" - The concept of this book is that we can achieve anything in life if we do not sabotage ourselves with limiting beliefs.
It aims to motivate to let go of the 'upper limit', a point at which, we have deeply rooted, unconscious beliefs that we can not gain any more success. A good concept but the author lost me when he started stating that illnesses and any misfortune are our fault as well, as we bring on those things due to the 'upper limit theory'. Hm. A bit like a twisted version of 'the secret' sort of ideology. I liked the concept, but not how far the author went to explain anything in life by it, even if sometimes true, there was no room for other explanations as the book went on. There was a lot of repeating.

8. Fluffy! - A book about a fluffy cat 😸
A very touching story, currently reading.

9. Head in the clouds - A book about writing, and therefore, imagination.

10. I need a nap! - A book about sleep.
Very informative so far.

11. Cover with distinct art style -



12. Seasonal - Fruit.

13. Nein - This book begins with the main character coming home, to find strangers moving in! She is obviously very alarmed, can't wait to read it.

14. Don't be suspicious - Hidden knowledge, a bit of pseudo-science, but how amazing (and scary!) would it be if it were true and even if not, the stories are great for me.
Dolores Cannon bases her stories on what her patients said whilst under hypnosis. She goes into the scope of aliens, ancient times, different planets. I think you don't have to believe her claims to be able to enjoy the fantasy/sci-fi themed rich stories. It would make a great movie.

15. 9 or 22 * - This audiobook is 9 hrs long.
(only noticed the Hobbit reference later, duh! :P)

16. Why not both? - The blurb says: they share a bed, but they've never met!
Another book I am looking forwards to. Two people sharing a flat but they work different shifts. I remember seeing a sci-fi movie long ago with this premise, half a colony asleep whilst others worked, forgot the title 🤔.

17. Book with nine lives - A cat is involved and from the intro, it seems he becomes a ghost or something of the sorts.

18. A club of female friendships, or club of lost friendships. I started reading it as I received a new credit on audible (was supposed to be paused but one slipped through)🙈. I was trying to focus on the already started titles, but I do love this topic so couldn't help myself.. 😅


(hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

I love getting a new batch of prompt interpretations later in the year! 😄

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Ahh!! This post made my day! I'm so glad to see folks jumping in again, this is always my favorite part :)

[Dj]

MauQ wrote: "Hi there, is this prompt list only for fantasy/sci fi books we want to read in a year, or can it be from multiple genres? And is it, choose as many as you wish from the list or should it be exactly..."

I use multiple genres and none of the moderators have beaten me with a stick yet. So I would say that you are safe if you choose outside Sci-Fi/Fantasy, just not out of your TBR list.

[Edwin]

Allison wrote: "Ahh!! This post made my day! I'm so glad to see folks jumping in again, this is always my favorite part :)"

Anna wrote: "I love getting a new batch of prompt interpretations later in the year! 😄"

Hey mods. I am getting excited about next year's prompts and I hope you are working on them with all of your usual creative vim and vigor. And guess what? My TBR shelf has actually gotten BIGGER over the past 12 months. What the heck?!?

[Anna]

I guess we failed if TBRs are getting bigger :P

[Dj]

So I have finished this challenge and because of the last book being on this list and read all the club books I am only five behind on my bid of 25 for the club bookshelf read. I am going to put up all the reads for this challenge even though the review for the Briar King will have to wait a bit.

1. Nine Lives
Gideon the Ninth
I gave this book four stars and it was good enough that I have already moved on to the second book in the series.

2. Don't be Suspicious
The Gospel of Loki
I gave this book two stars. It had a great start but seemed to mire down in endless whining.

3. Dressed to the Nines
Where They Stand: The American Presidents in the Eyes of Voters and Historians
I admit that this was one of the few Five Star rated books it is one of the best books on how to rank presidents I have ever read.

4. Head in the Clouds
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book
I gave this book a solid three stars. I am sure that those how enjoy poetry more than I do will most likely enjoy it more than I do.

5. One for the Clubhouse
Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future
I gave this book four stars. It was refreshing in the fact that it didn't lay the blame solely on the general public. A very good book.

6. Of its time
The Aeneid
I rated this book two stars. It may be of its time and for myself I am happy to leave it there.

7. Revolution is in the Individual Spirit
Zodiac
I gave this book four stars and I have to say that it is a very different book that what I have read by the author previously

8. Cover with a distinctive art style.
Ametsapolis Rising
Amazingly enough, this is the second five-star book. It was a very good read.

9. 9 or 22
The Campaign in Norway
I gave this book 3 stars, it would have been four if I had gotten an edition with the maps that go with it.

10. Why not both
The Wars of the Roses: A Captivating Guide to the English Civil Wars That Brought down the Plantagenet Dynasty and Put the Tudors on the Throne
I gave this book a solid three stars due to the fact it was a very good introduction to this piece of history

11. Seasonal
A Christmas Carol
It must be a banner year since this makes the third five-star book for this challenge. And it is Dickens an author I normally do not enjoy.

12. I need a nap
The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy
I gave this book four stars. This is a look at the economic reasons for Hitler's Germany to act the way it did.

13. Thorns and Roses
The Briar King
I gave this book four stars. The beginning sometimes left me a bit under whelmed, but the ending came on with good pacing and was well done. Still not all that sure I am going to read the second book.

14. A Little Slice of Heaven
A Vindication of the Rights of Women
A book that I gave four stars. It shows how far we have come and how far we have left to go.

15. Fluffy
Circle of Heroes
This is the second book of the series and I gave it three stars. It is enjoyable but not of any great depth.

16. Humans are doing the best they can.
The Humans
I gave this book four stars. It was an enjoyable read and was a different view of an alien culture.

17. "Such conduct is the prerogative of the truly wise"
The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld
I gave this book three stars due to the fact that I didn't dislike it enough to give it a two. It lacked a tight grouping of humor so sometimes it would put in long passages that lost steam as you read them.

18. 240-270 pages
Dragon and Soldier
I gave this book three stars. It is a pretty good young adult adventure.

19. Nein
Operation Drumbeat: Germany's U-Boat Attacks Along the American Coast in World War II
I gave this book four stars. A damning account of the opening of the war on the east coast of the United States soon after Pearl Harbor.

20. ???
The Algebraist
I gave this book three stars. Well Written but somewhat confusing. It might be my lack of mathematical knowledge that made it so.

[CBRetriever]

Anna wrote: "I guess we failed if TBRs are getting bigger :P"

mine definitely is. Maybe I need 100 prompts?

[MauQ]

@Anna, Couldn't get much later in the year than this haha, I really enjoyed reading others' interpretations too, after I posted mine!

@Allison, thank you :) I really enjoyed it and looking forwards to a new batch of prompts already, won't have long to wait this late in the year :P Hopefully I can make a good dent in my chosen TBR's before then.

@Dj, thanks. I am glad that I can include all genres in this challenge as I do tend to read across genres a lot, despite fantasy/sci-fi being my favourite. And I have a lot of catching up to do in all of them.
What do you mean about not choosing out of my TBR list? Have I done it wrong? Or do you mean, as long as it's not new reads and as long as the focus is on things currently lurking on the shelves be in physical or virtual? And wishlist too I would assume 🤔 But then again, isn't every book that catches our attention in some way or another, be it on our shelf from a couple years or something that we just noticed in a bookstore and cannot help ourselves, aren't they all essentially TBR's :P ?

@DJ, enjoyed reading your book reactions, my favourite being your comment on 'The Aeneid' 😝

Also, in response to what Edwin and Anna said, I also keep increasing my TBR list! I don't see it as a negative thing though, it's great to know that there is so many stories still out there, we will never run out! With time, I like to go over my wishlists and delete a few books that I might no longer find interesting, maybe after reading more reviews or after getting my hands on a sample etc. But largely, I don't mind. What bothers me, are my actual shelves of already bought books, which haven't gotten read yet.

Regarding prompts, do you have a thread on here on prompt ideas? After yesterday's session of putting the list together, today I had prompts on my mind all day haha.

Looking over other members' lists on this thread, my TBR list on here is going to get much larger again haha!

Kind regards to all of you 📚📚📚🤺

[Dj]

What do you mean about not choosing out of my TBR list?

I am not sure what the Mod(s) would say about your case in particular but generally, you pull them out of your To Be Read list. When you look at someone's profile it will have a section that says Want to Read. Mine is sitting at 1823 so for me it is fairly easy to pull a book off the list for this challenge.

Looking at your profile you have 200+ so you just pull books from that list for the challenge. You can add more to the list, but for the challenge, the ones you choose should be on the list before Jan one of that year. For some people that challenge is easier than others since it is meant to clear the TBR mountain that can occur as you put books in wanting to read. For me, it hasn't slowed down the growth any but it is a fun way to clear some out that I might not get to otherwise.

[Anna]

If you want to read it, it's on your TBR! It doesn't matter when you put it on there. And mods definitely don't police anyone's TBR or TBR cleanup challenge list :D

But you can also take it to strictly mean books that were on your GR TBR on Dec 31st before the challenge starts! It's up to everyone how you want to use any challenges in the group, unless otherwise specified :)

[CBRetriever]

I try to use it to clear the oldest books on my TBR (525 books).

[Stephen]

I have a number of shelves devoted to physical “tbr” books, as well as others scattered around, and also unread ebooks on the kindle. The challenge is a good way to tackle some of these.

[DivaDiane]

I go a step further and use this challenge to read books I already own. I have 1000+ in various formats and don’t seem to be able to actually reduce that number!!

[MauQ]

Thanks for your replies. That's good that everyone can take it to mean what motivates them the most and makes the most sense to them at the time. This way we can tweak the challenge for ourselves, depending on what needs attention first :D.
For me, I was excited to use this challenge as means of writing up a list in one place, as my TBR lists are all over the place. I haven't attempted to put all of my books into GR yet, I am trying bit by bit. I only started to really use GR earlier this year though. Remembering the older read books etc was not easy :P and it does take time to input, I tried to input some of them. I have books all over my house that are on my list (not written anywhere), I have a list on amazon, audible and on kindle (samples). Over the years I've been using different methods to manage my TBR lists and now I have a few places for them. For this cleanout I decided to focus on some of the books, which I already own and are on one of my bookshelf at home or in my digital libraries, they seem the most pressing to me. I purchase many books at once and later forget what is what and on which platform 😲. Thanks to this challenge I went over all of my libraries and chose something from each. I have no idea what the combined number is for my wishlists and in my already owned TBR's, would be interesting, but also likely overwhelming to find out!

Also, I get that you'd ideally join in January.
I am glad it was ok to join late though and it is very helpful for tracking my progress for the year. I will be able to join normally as of the next year's challenge :))

Edit: I gave in and checked the numbers on my other wishlists, I don't know how that happened but they are 469 on kindle and 469 on audible! haha whaaat! 😝 I am not going to attempt to count the other ones, I will input one by one as I finish reading instead (few hundred in bookshelves, some in boxes still, ones that didn't fit lol). I love being surrounded by books, and wishlists, yes, they can get addictive!

Happy reading 📚📚📚🤺

[MauQ]

DivaDiane wrote: "I go a step further and use this challenge to read books I already own. I have 1000+ in various formats and don’t seem to be able to actually reduce that number!!"

Same!

[CBRetriever]

thank you'all for making me not feel bad about my 525 books in my TBR pile

[Michelle]

I was ashamed of myself since I perpetually hover around 200 books in my TBR. I also want to thank you all 😂

[MauQ]

Haha, well, wanting to read many books is nothing to be ashamed of! The opposite sounds a bit more sad, if anything.

I guess many of us wish we read more or faster but the moods change, books are bought in bulk, or we simply go after the new thrill. It's a nice reminder to go over lonely books around the house though and give them some love, re-discover what we own digitally (I often forget) and to go over the older wishlists and find hidden gems there 💖.

[CBRetriever]

it's the bundles that get me - one Humble Bundle (Drizzt) was almost 40 books and I haven't started on that series yet.

The Short Story Challenge has helped quite a bit too as I've read 38 short story anthologies/compilations and novellas

[Michelle]

My mood reading is what gets me. I buy books, and then I'm not in the mood to read them. I usually re-read favorites at that point.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

You all are so cute, I just adore ya.

[Raucous]

CBRetriever wrote: "thank you'all for making me not feel bad about my 525 books in my TBR pile"

That's the same size as my spouse's canine-themed mystery collection! Oh. Wait. That was last week. Never mind.

My TBR is a little weird. Some of it is books that I really want to read - and often even own. Some is stuff that I might have considered reading once but wasn't sure so I put it on a TBR to defer the decision. I'm not sure how to come up with a number given that. I've been going with "uncountably large." Regardless it's enough that I'm in no position to comment negatively on yours (not that I would).

[Edwin]

I love you all!

My own TBR shelf never seems to get below 200 (currently 240). I have come to realize I have two main problems.

First, I am too impulsive in adding books I think I want to read. They come from so many sources, from reviews I see online on television or read about in a magazine or newspaper article. And there are books that friends recommend, on GR or in person. Not infrequently, I look over my TBR shelf and wonder just how all of those books got there.

The real problem for me however is my almost uncontrollable problem with acquisition. There are just too many sales, at our local used book store, at Costco, at our library's semi-annual book sale, and especially all of those darned daily and monthly deals on Amazon. And then there are the books that get passed on to me, and the freebies from TOR. The list goes on. It seems, as the saying goes, that my eyes are just too big for my stomach.

Every once in a while, I start doing some math and wonder if I will ever get through all of the books I own before I die. I then vow to read more, acquire less and get my shelf back under control. Well nope, I now realize that I am incapable of this. Resistance is futile.

So yeah, every year I look forward to this challenge, feeling comforted by the act of chipping away at my ever burgeoning shelf. Kind of like laundry, or the dishes, only so much more enjoyable.

[DivaDiane]

Don’t be discouraged! There used to be a website that would calculate how long to read your TBR pile based on how many books you read last year. It’s now defunct. But it figured 13.5 years to finish my 1000+. Of course that’s assuming I never by another book until I’m finished. Haha! At any rate, I figure, if I at least *try* to read the books I own in favor of new ones, I might actually make a dent. But no. I don’t seem to make much headway year to year. Never mind. I guess I must resign myself to perpetual Tsundoku (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsundoku).

Oh, and I have a separate shelf with only unread books I own in it. My Want to Read shelf has almost 3k books in it. But I really do want to read them all. If a book comes up repeatedly that’s on that shelf, I might actually consider buying it.

[Dj]

Edwin wrote: "I love you all!

My own TBR shelf never seems to get below 200 (currently 240). I have come to realize I have two main problems.

First, I am too impulsive in adding books I think I want to read. T..."

My working theory is that as long as I have books on my TBR list I will continue to live. It is a working theory so at the present time I have no way to verify it's accuracy.

[CBRetriever]

I could theoretically make it through my 525 books in 2.5 years as I've already read over 200 this year so far

[MauQ]

DivaDiane wrote: "Don’t be discouraged! There used to be a website that would calculate how long to read your TBR pile based on how many books you read last year. It’s now defunct. But it figured 13.5 years to finis..."

Oh wow, 13 years really isn't too bad at all! I assumed that I will not be able to finish my lists in video games, movies, courses, books. Either due to time, changing priorities or change in interests over time, but that gives me more hope that I might actually finish my lists in terms of time! 😊🙏 Or at least the most important parts of my lists, I think I am going to go over all I own in books and other media, like movies and games, and, from now on, be more selective in buying or keeping items in my wishlists. Try and spot quality better, as I'm a bit tired of reading 2 or 3 star books or watching ok'ish movies etc. It's not always easy to spot what will be 4 or 5 stars, but I'm starting to get an idea and... hm, i think I will just go for things in the next few years, that really spark my interest and leave out the 'maybe' pile 🤔 I have been way too hopeful and forgiving but keep getting a 'meh' experience.

CBRetriever wrote: "it's the bundles that get me - one Humble Bundle (Drizzt) was almost 40 books and I haven't started on that series yet.

The Short Story Challenge has helped quite a bit too as I've read 38 short story anthologies/compilations and novellas"

I would like to read the Drizzt series too, didn't know it has 40 books though! 😂

Bundles and sales got me in trouble too! So difficult to stop yourself from passing on a good deal, but I have reached the stage when I do mostly walk away, with much discomfort mind, but I just don't want any more of any media at the moment, unless I really want to consume it immediately and I cannot stop thinking about it even after a day or two.
That's a lot of stories! Congrats! :))

Michelle wrote: "My mood reading is what gets me. I buy books, and then I'm not in the mood to read them. I usually re-read favourites at that point."

I'm the same with the moods! 😵


I add books on my lists that caught my attention, but I haven't yet made up my mind if I really want to read them. Sort of, storage of possibilities. After reading some of your comments in this thread, I think that I should separate the possible, impulsively added titles that I am not sure about, from the TBR's which I don't yet own but am drawn into the story within the first sentence of the blurb, or things I otherwise have been looking forward to reading from ages. I don't think it makes sense to have them bunched together, but... I wonder how long will this task take ... 😂

Edwin wrote: "So yeah, every year I look forward to this challenge, feeling comforted by the act of chipping away at my ever burgeoning shelf. Kind of like laundry, or the dishes, only so much more enjoyable."

I also feel that way, and often pair the laundry and dishes with 'reading' by listening to audiobooks. But I don't think I want it to feel like a task anymore, I will give my owned books benefit of the doubt but anything new, I'm only buying if I'm really interested in it from now on. Let's see if I manage, so far I did, over the past year or two. 📚📚📚📚📚📦📦📦📦📦🤦‍♀️

DivaDiane wrote: "Oh, and I have a separate shelf with only unread books I own in it."

I would really benefit from doing that too but it is too big of a task at this point for me to start, I think. I will likely do so once I chip away at my owned books more, hm, so, maybe in 2-5 years?! 😨

[Stephen]

18. 240-270 pages. Star Maker. My copy has 256 pages.✔️

16/20

[DivaDiane]

Since I last checked in, I have completed the books for three of my remaining prompts:

4. Head in the clouds - Cloud Cuckoo Land
7. "Revolution is in the individual spirit" - A Song for a New Day
9. 9 or 22 * - A Stitch in Time (Star Trek DS9)

I loved all of these choices.

I have 7 more prompts to go, but there’s really only one that I realistically will get to.