May Challenge - Reduce your TBR list!

[Trina]

Thanks!

[Davina]

I was hoping to get through 5 books on my TBR list and I just finished Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts which was number 5. Very pleased with myself. And now I have 1 day to get the house work done before I start the winter challenge.
My other books were City of Lost Souls
2. Deadlocked
3. Arrival
4. The Forest of Hands and Teeth

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Davina wrote: "I was hoping to get through 5 books on my TBR list and I just finished Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts which was number 5. Very pleased with myself. And now I have 1 day to get the house work don..."

Congratulations Davina! Great result:)

[Davina]

Sharon wrote: "Have just finished by Dodie Smith. I really enjoyed this book. It's weird to think that the author also wrote , but then b..."

Way to go Sharon. I read the review and I think it's great.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Here are my May reads...

1. Frantic by Katherine Howell
2. The Darkest Hour by Katherine Howell
3. Final Crossing: A Novel of Suspense by Carter Wilson
4. Dead Heat by Bronwyn Parry
5. Dead Scared by S.J. Bolton
6. Burning Lies by Helene Young
7. Cold Justice by Katherine Howell
8. BoomBust by Lisa Chappel
9. Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes
10. Violent Exposure by Katherine Howell
11. Silent Fear by Katherine Howell
12. Freaks by Tess Gerritsen
13. Faint Echoes Of Laughter by Stacey Danson

Just as an aside...I read all 5 of Katherine Howell's books this month:)

[Michael]

That's a lot of books Brenda

[Nikki]

Brenda wrote: "Here are my May reads so far...

1. Frantic by Katherine Howell
2. The Darkest Hour by Katherine Howell
3. Final Crossing: A Novel of Suspense by Carter Wilson
4. Dead Heat by Bronwyn Parry
5. Dea..."

Congrats Brenda 13 books is huge! Not to mention the amazing reviews for each of them that you do :)

[Gerald]

Well, I made it during May. I just finished reading a long book from my TBR list, i.e., Captains and the Kings by Taylor Caldwell. I had been intending to read it for a long time and picked it to read with this challenge specifically in mind. I do not plan to stop that effort on my TBR with the end of May. Thnaks so much for the push.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Michael wrote: "That's a lot of books Brenda"

Nikki wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Here are my May reads so far...

1. Frantic by Katherine Howell
2. The Darkest Hour by Katherine Howell
3. Final Crossing: A Novel of Suspense by Carter Wilson
4. Dead Heat by Bronw..."

Thanks Michael and Nikki! I have thoroughly enjoyed it:)

[Gerald]

My other May reads from my TBR include:
The Snare of the Hunter by MacInnes
Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
Patton by Ira Peck and
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Gerald wrote: "Well, I made it during May. I just finished reading a long book from my TBR list, i.e., Captains and the Kings by Taylor Caldwell. ..."

Glad it encouraged you to read your book Gerald! Hope you enjoyed it:)

[Michael]

Ok here is my list

1. For The Win
2. Beat the Reaper
3. The Redbreast
4. Talulla Rising
5. A Brewing Storm
6. Drive
7. Problems With a Girl & a Unicorn
8. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
9. The Woman in Black
10. The Red House: A Novel
11. Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops
12. The Fix
13. Crime and Punishment
14. Half Blood Blues
15. The Mountain
16. We
17. The Deep Blue Good-by
18. Final Crossing: A Novel of Suspense

most were from my TBR

[Shelleyrae]

Here is what I have read for the challenge between May 1st and today

1. The Merzetti Effect
2. Honeycomb Kids
3. Heart of the Valley
4. Mary Bennet
5. Love and Hunger
6. Ridiculous: The Mindful Nonsense of Ricky's Brain
7. Dinner at Rose's
8. Lucinda's Whirlwind
9. On Haunted Ground: The Green Ghost and Other Spirits of Cemetery Road
10. The Shell Keeper
11. The Cottage At Glass Beach
12.The Betrayal
13. Bare-Naked Lola
14. A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis
15. Jacaranda
16. Water's Edge
17.Once Upon A List
18. Wife 22: A Novel
19. Blackwattle Creek
20. Eleven Seasons
21. The Proper Care & Maintenance of Friendship
22. Come Out Tonight
23. Force of Nature. C.J. Box
24. Leftovers: A Novel
25. The Boy Under the Table
26. A Stranger in My Street

[[deleted user]]

My last read book, for May: The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones: And the Less Amazing Adventures of Some Other Real-Life Superheroes

Very, very funny. 4 stars.

[Lynxie]

Hoping to have Quest tonight :D That'll be 5!

[Trina]

Woah Michael and Shelleyrae. That is some serious reading.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Big congratulations to Michael and Shelleyrae! Awesome result! Congratulations to the rest of you happy readers...what a great month of reading, I think we all reduced our TBR at least a little bit:D

[Mish]

That's amazing Shelleyrae & Michael - Good on you :)

[Sandra]

AR Reduce that TBR Pile May Challenge 2012
Re-reads not included in list

1. I HEAR VOICES 1/5/12 ★★★★
2. Grave Witch 2/5/12 ★★★★
3. Lawe's Justice 3/5/12 ★★★★
4. Avenge 5/5/12 ★★★★
5. Alpha's Mate 6/5/12 ★★★★
6. Kindling the Moon 9/5/12 ★★★★1/2
7. A Brush of Darkness 11/5/12 ★★★★
8. Kitty's House of Horrors 14/5/12 ★★★★★
9. Oracle's Moon 15/5/12 ★★★★★
10. Avert 16/5/12 ★★★★
11. Sins of the Demon 17/5/12 ★★★★★
12. A Hunter's Dream 18/5/12 ★★★★
13. Bound By Law 18/5/12 ★★★★
14. Sheala 19/5/12 ★★★★★
15. Elemental 21/5/12 ★★★★
16. Wolf Tracker 21/5/12 ★★★★★
17. Chayton's Twins 21/5/12 ★★★★
18. Dancing for the Skylord 22/5/12 ★★★★
19. Crystal Gardens 26/5/12 ★★★★
20. Because Your Vampire Said So 27/5/12 ★★★
21. Kiss of Frost 28/5/12 ★★★★
22. Her Laird Her Lover 30/5/12 ★★★
23. Something Secret This Way Comes 31/5/12 ★★★★★

[Sandra]

Congrats to all the other readers :)

[Janine]

Just finished my 11th The Long Road Home by Danielle Steel. Now waiting for tomorrow to start new challenges.

[Mish]

Sandra wrote: "Congrats to all the other readers :)"

Congrats to you too Sandra. that is quite a number of books there...simply amazing :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Sandra wrote: "AR Reduce that TBR Pile May Challenge 2012
Re-reads not included in list

1. I HEAR VOICES 1/5/12 ★★★★
2. Grave Witch 2/5/12 ★★★★
3. Lawe's Justice 3/5/12 ★★★★
4. Avenge 5/5/12 ★★★★
5. Alpha's Ma..."

Well done Sandra! Fantastic effort!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Janine wrote: "Just finished my 11th The Long Road Home by Danielle Steel. Now waiting for tomorrow to start new challenges."

Well done Janine:)

[Christy]

Ok, for the last day in the challenge, I am thrilled to report that I've read 5, yes, 5 books, which is a true accomplishment for me. But then when I see the others, you know who you are :) with 25 books, I feel like a slacker, but like I said, I'm quite happy with my 5 books.
Now, like everyone else, I'm patiently waiting for tomorrow to start to I can dive in to my new list!!
Thanks for the motivation!!!

1. The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy

2. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

3. Love Letters from Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball

4. Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

5. Christmas on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball

[Sandra]

Thanks Mish & Brenda ;)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Christy wrote: "Ok, for the last day in the challenge, I am thrilled to report that I've read 5, yes, 5 books, which is a true accomplishment for me. But then when I see the others, you know who you are :) with 2..."

Congratulations Christy! That's a great result! Everyone is different in what they can read, so definitely be proud of yourself:)

[Sharon]

Davina wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Have just finished by Dodie Smith. I really enjoyed this book. It's weird to think that the author also wrote [bookcover:The Hundred and One Dalmatia..."

Thanks for the encouragement Davina, much appreciated.

[Sharon]

I have managed to sneak one more book in before time ran out. by Anne Bronte. It was well written but a bit preachy. I have heard Anne's other book is much better so I'm going to try and fit that in somewhere.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Sharon wrote: "I have managed to sneak one more book in before time ran out. by Anne Bronte. It was well written but a bit preachy. I have heard Anne's other book [bookcover:The Tenant of ..."

Good for you:) We still have a few more hours;)

[Christy]

Brenda wrote: "Christy wrote: "Ok, for the last day in the challenge, I am thrilled to report that I've read 5, yes, 5 books, which is a true accomplishment for me. But then when I see the others, you know who y..."

I would LOVE to read that much but with 2 little ones, it's nearly impossible. But I admire those who do!
Thanks Brenda and great reading all!!

[Lynxie]

Woo! Book #5 done!

Review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Monica Lamperd]

Hooray! Didn't think I'd manage it, but I read 5 books this month!

1. The Hobbit
2. The Lovely Bones
3. The Memory Keeper's Daughter
4. Mugglenet.com's Harry Potter Should Have Died: Controversial Views from the #1 Fan Site
5. The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go was an incredible book. Can't stop thinking about it! I need the sequel immediately :)

[[deleted user]]

Monica wrote: "Hooray! Didn't think I'd manage it, but I read 5 books this month!

1. The Hobbit
2. The Lovely Bones
3. The Memory Keeper's Daughter
4. Mugglenet.com's Harry Potter Should Have Died: Controversia..."

What did you think of The Hobbit?

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Congratulations one and all:) Fantastic effort!!

[Lynxie]

So do we have a total number of books read by entrants in May?! That'd be an awesome figure to know :D

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Lynxie wrote: "So do we have a total number of books read by entrants in May?! That'd be an awesome figure to know :D"

Oh my Lynxie, that is a challenge to work out!!! I'm not sure we could, as I feel the edited lists, plus the people who haven't commented would muck it up, but I'll have a go at calculating it for you;D

[Lynxie]

aww thanks Brenda... it'd be a crazy amount I'm sure, but don't worry yourself too much about my random comment. If it's too much work, don't worry about it :D

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Lynxie wrote: "aww thanks Brenda... it'd be a crazy amount I'm sure, but don't worry yourself too much about my random comment. If it's too much work, don't worry about it :D"

Haha! That's ok Lynxie! I went through and counted 160 books read, so that of course will be approximate, and if we count the ones who didn't put it here in the thread, I'm sure it'd be many, many more! But that's a LOT of books read in one month!!!

[Lynxie]

It sure is :S

I am absolutely amazed at the amounts of books people can read. I'm taking part in the GoodReads yearly challenge. 110 this year, currently reading #44.

The total number of books pledged by GR members is staggering!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Lynxie wrote: "It sure is :S

I am absolutely amazed at the amounts of books people can read. I'm taking part in the GoodReads yearly challenge. 110 this year, currently reading #44.

The total number of books pl..."

Yes with the amount of members, it'd be huge!!! I have set myself 120 for this year, and have just started #74.

[Lynxie]

Well I think we all did our bit to add to that total :D

Well done everyone!

[Monica Lamperd]

Mickey wrote:
"What did you think of The Hobbit? "

Hmm.. I was underwhelmed honestly! I really tried to enjoy the story but I found it difficult to consume. Ended up giving it 3 stars though because I found the last 100 pages or so much more exciting. My review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... :)

[Lesley]

I managed to reduce my TBR by 11;
#1 The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories 3 stars
#2 Mauretania 3 stars
#3 Alentejo Blue 2 stars
#4 This Is How
#5 Purple Hibiscus 4 stars
#6 Are You Somebody?: The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman 4 stars
#7 Fine Just the Way it Is 3 stars
#8 Brick Lane 3 stars
#9 The Bride Stripped Bare 2 stars
#10 The Reluctant Fundamentalist 2 stars
#11 Allah Is Not Obliged 4 stars

Some of these titles have been on my physical bookshelf for ages, so was good to have a tidy up.

[Mish]

Lesley wrote: "I managed to reduce my TBR by 11;
#1 The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories 3 stars
#2 Mauretania 3 stars
#3 Alentejo Blue 2 stars
#4 This Is How
#5 Purple Hibiscus 4 stars
#6 Are You Somebody..."

Good going Lesley :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Fabulous Lesley! You've just added the total monthly reads to 171!!

[[deleted user]]

Monica wrote: "Mickey wrote:
"What did you think of The Hobbit? "

Hmm.. I was underwhelmed honestly! I really tried to enjoy the story but I found it difficult to consume. Ended up giving it 3 stars though beca..."

Thanks. I thought the same and I also had to read it for school. Thinking of re-reading when I'm older though. Think you'll be seeing the movie?

[Monica Lamperd]

Mickey wrote: "Thanks. I thought the same and I also had to read it for school. Thinking of re-reading when I'm older though. Think you'll be seeing the movie?"

I tried reading it when I was in school, around Year 8 I think, and I couldn't finish it. It was definitely easier to read at 21, but I think I would have enjoyed it more as a primary-aged child than an adult!

The movie does look pretty awesome so I do think I'll see it, probably mostly out of curiosity - I'm fascinated by book-to-movie translation!! How about you?

[[deleted user]]

Monica wrote: "Mickey wrote: "Thanks. I thought the same and I also had to read it for school. Thinking of re-reading when I'm older though. Think you'll be seeing the movie?"

I tried reading it when I was in sc..."

I saw the trailer last year some time (a year after I'd read the book) and thought it looked pretty good. My mum and I are actually going to see it when it comes out. Also one of my favourite actors is in it and I've always loved Lord of the Rings (the movies). I was going to read the books soon, maybe in another challenge.

[Maggie]

Had quite a purge of books and caught up on lots of reading in May, so here is my list, at last, of the 11 books I finished in May:
I Hate You, Don't Leave Me: Understanding the Borderline Personality
The Essential Family Guide to Borderline Personality Disorder: New Tools and Techniques to Stop Walking on Eggshells
Stop walking on eggshells : coping when someone you care about has borderline personality disorder
Gardening with the Goddess: Creating Gardens of Spirit and Magick
Flashback
The Brides of Rollrock Island
The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living
My Place
The Lively Ghosts of Ireland
Forget me not: The Story of One Family's Voyage on the Titanic
Diamond Eyes
Unpolished Gem

WOW! Admittedly some of these were commenced in April but finished in May. If only I could read that many books every month!