Mount TBR 2015 discussion
Mount TBR Checkpoints
>
Mount TBR Checkpoint #2
date
newest »
newest »
I've reached Mt. Blanc in June and went on to the next mountain. I am 25 books in (there were some library books in the way).A. Several of my books were collections of essays, two of them dealing with literature and reading. The first was Wo ist Carlos Montúfar?, a splendid little book by one of my favourite German authors, Daniel Kehlmann. You'd find thoughts about Voltaire next to an hommage to the genius of The Simpsons. The second book was Nimm und lies. Take up and read. Kind of an odd book, published by a automobile enterprise. I got this in a library sale and it looked nice. Two essays were in it, bot in German and English.
B. Morgantina, die Hexe der Königin was a very unusual book in every respect: I hadn't heard neither of the book nor the author. The story is kind of alternative history, fairy tale, fantasy, but at the same time none of the above. A whole new reading experience regarding language, characters and story. Yet, too weird for me.
C. There are two books worth mentioning for my oldest TBR books: The Remains of the Day and Twelve Short Masterpieces. We read Ishiguro in school (2004 or 2005), but as far as I remember only some passages. I hated it. I don't think I understood that book back in my teens and I am glad I finally read it. It was the right time to pick this up again.
The other book is a collection of short stories from various writers. I nicked it from my stepdad over ten years ago to brush up my English (it contains some vocab and summaries of the texts). But it was too hard for me back then. Now, I felt I had to finally read it just to make some sense of it. It was short and most stories were entertaining and/or thought-provoking.
1. I am at 59 books; just short of the peak of Mt. Kilamanjaro. I've had a few screw-ups along the way on this journey, but think I finally have my list correct.2. The Red Circle: My Life in the Navy SEAL Sniper Corps and How I Trained America's Deadliest Marksmen & SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper
Link: Both books are non-fiction military memoirs about SEALs who were also both snipers while in the SEALs.
I am two books shy of the halfway point on Mt. Vancouver - 7,016 feet. My Day in Books
I began the day with [a] Woof at the Door
before breakfasting on Orange Mint and Honey
On my way to work I saw [the] Murder of a Stacked Librarian
and walked by Last Night's Scandal
to avoid Real Murders
but I made sure to stop at Pagan Spring
In the office, my boss asked me how to use [a] Guidebook to Murder
and sent me to research The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
At lunch with Mr. Impossible
I noticed [a] Rebel Without a Cake
playing a game of Heaven Preserve Us
When I got home that night, [riding] A Bicycle Built For Murder
I imagined myself On Folly Beach
and wondered if The Search [found] The Rosie Project Buried in a Book
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about The Magic of Ordinary Days
My Day in BooksI began the day with Practical Magic
before breakfasting on Breakfast at Tiffany's
On my way to work I saw The Ocean at the End of the Lane
and walked by Jamaica Inn
to avoid The Haunting of Hill House
but I made sure to stop at The Bell Jar
In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Calling
and sent me to research The Night Season
At lunch with Sweetheart
I noticed Still Alice
playing a game of Like Water for Chocolate
When I got home that night,
I imagined myself Among Others
and wondered if Their Eyes Were Watching God
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about The Best of Me
I'm 22 books into my climb up Mt. Vancouver. Just 14 more books to the peak!2.C. I should have read All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming when I got it. I ended up reading the series out of order, and the book after this one contained a spoiler for All Mortal Flesh.
1. So far, I've read 26 out of 36 books for Mt. Vancouver.2A. Chasers of the Light: Poems from the Typewriter Series and Going Dark are linked in that the titles contain an antonym (Light/Dark).
2C. A Crown of Swords has been on my TBR the longest. It's book 7 in a series that my husband has been trying to get me to read since at least 2009. He's told me that books 7, 8, and 9 are kinda slow, but as a whole I'm enjoying the series. Almost done with book 8!
1. I have read 44 out of the 48 books for Mount Ararat (91.7%), which means I have climbed 15,450 feet and only have 1404 feet to go until I am standing atop the summit! :)2. A) As I have read several books from series, this is an easy one! All of these were space opera sci fi adventure stories: Brothers in Arms, Mirror Dance, Memory and Komarr (from Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series). They are also related to another series I have been reading - the d'Artagnan series (The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, Vicomte de Bragelonne and Ten Years Later) - in that they are both swashbuckling adventure stories; just one is set in 1600s France & the other is set at an indefinite time in the future on other planets!
My Day in Books
I began the day with Awakening
before breakfasting on Yesterday's Body.
On my way to work I saw The Two Gentlemen of Verona
and walked by [the] Borders of Infinity
to avoid A Bobwhite Killing
but I made sure to stop at [the] Room with a Clue.
In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Weight Of The Evidence
and sent me to research The Riddle of the Sands.
At lunch with Ruth and Uncle Vanya
I noticed The Duchess of Malfi
playing a game of Deadly Valentine.
When I got home that night,
I imagined myself Ten Years Later
and wondered if The Vicomte de Bragelonne [and] The Vicar of Wakefield [are] Brothers in Arms.
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about Life on the Mississippi [in a] Nightmare in Pink.
1. I am way behind with my target of reaching Mt Ararat (that is 48 books) as I’ve read 17, which is nearly halfway up Mont Blanc (24 books). I’ll have to concentrate on reading more from my own shelves if I’m going to reach my target.2 C. Which book (read so far) has been on your TBR mountain the longest? Was it worth the wait? Or is it possible you should have tackled it back when you first put it on the pile? Or tossed it off the edge without reading it all?
An Autobiography by Anthony Trollope has been on my mountain the longest – I’ve had this book for over 20 years. The reason it had sat unread on my shelves is that when I bought it I hadn’t read any of Trollope’s books and I thought it would be better if I knew a bit about his work before reading about his life. It was definitely worth the wait – a fascinating account of his life and also about how he went about his writing; he criticises his own books and writes about his fellow writers.
And:
My Day in Books
I began the day with [a] Three Act Tragedy
before breakfasting on Gem Squash Tokoloshie
On my way to work I saw The Secret Keeper
and walked by The Dead Secret
to avoid The Betrayal of Trust
but I made sure to stop at Barchester Towers
In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Book of Lost and Found
and sent me to research [the]Turn of the Tide
At lunch with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
I noticed The Dreamwalker
playing a game of Spilling the Beans
When I got home that night,
I imagined myself [in] Green Darkness
and wondered if [I’m]The Last Girl
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about The Burning
Goodness, halfway through the year already and time for the second checkpoint! I'm answering one of Bev's questions and then doing the 'My day in Books' thing (always love doing those).1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain (# of books read).
I'm doing Mont Blanc this year, which is to read 24 books. So far I've read 15 books which is 3 more than I should have read at this stage. So I'm over halfway up the mountain and quite pleased with that. *Maybe* I might even make it to Mount Vancouver (36 books) but I'm not planning to bust a gut trying, especially as at the moment I seem to be in less of a reading mood than I was earlier in the year. We'll just have to see.
OK. So. My Day in Books using the titles of books we've read. Bev says that: If you haven't read enough books to give you good choices, then feel free to use any books yet to be read from your piles. With only 15 books read it wasn't quite enough to fill all the answers sensibly so I have used a few titles on the tbr mountain. I have tried to use books that I really do plan to read this year though.
I began the day with: Our Mutual Friend
before breakfasting on: The Seeds of Time
On my way to work I saw: Clear Waters Rising
and walked by: Untrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys
to avoid: Wildwood
but I made sure to stop at: A View from the Foothills
In the office, my boss asked me how to use: Foucault's Pendulum
and sent me to research: The Name of the Wind
At lunch with: Ahab's Wife
I noticed: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
playing a game of: A Fire upon the Deep
When I got home that night, I imagined myself: A Tiny Bit Marvellous
and wondered if: [I'll have a] Gaudy Night
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about: The Dark Horse
#1I've read 14/24 (Mount Blanc) and I'm pretty proud of that, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it this far. 10 more to go!
#2
A. Choose two titles from the books you've read so far that have a common link.
Both TEASE and OVER YOU have a pink title.
C. Which book (read so far) has been on your TBR mountain the longest? Was it worth the wait? Or is it possible you should have tackled it back when you first put it on the pile? Or tossed it off the edge without reading it all?
From what I've read so far the one that has been on my TBR pile the longest is AMELIA ANNE IS DEAD AND GONE, I've had it since July 2013. I'm glad I read it because I was curious about it, but I'm a bit sad that I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped I would. I'm curious about what past!Nadia would have thought about it if I had read it when I first bought it, mhmm...
Mod
Thanks again to all of you who checked in. I enjoyed reading your answers...and to all who are busy climbing with us! See you at the next checkpoint!
Jessika wrote: "Woo hoo awesome! Thanks Bev!"Congrats Jessika!
Mount TBR 2015
Books mentioned in this topic
The Magic of Ordinary Days (other topics)Buried in a Book (other topics)
Heaven Preserve Us (other topics)
Rebel Without a Cake (other topics)
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Lois McMaster Bujold (other topics)Daniel Kehlmann (other topics)
1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain (# of books read). If you're really ambitious, you can do some intricate math and figure out how the number of books you've read correlates to actual miles up Pike's Peak, Mt. Ararat, etc. And feel free to tell us about any particularly exciting adventures you've had along the way.
2. Complete ONE (or more if you like) of the following:
A. Choose two titles from the books you've read so far that have a common link. You decide what the link is--both have strong female lead characters? Each focuses on a diabolical plot to take over the world? Blue covers? About weddings? Find your link and tell us what it is.
B. Tell us about a book on the list that was new to you in some way--new author, about a place you've never been, a genre you don't usually read...etc.
C. Which book (read so far) has been on your TBR mountain the longest? Was it worth the wait? Or is it possible you should have tackled it back when you first put it on the pile? Or tossed it off the edge without reading it all?
OR (Counts as both part 1 and 2)
Use titles from your list to complete as many of the following sentences below as you can. If you haven't read enough books to give you good choices, then feel free to use any books yet to be read from your piles. I've given my answers (in bold) as examples. Feel free to add words (such as "a" or "the" or others that clarify) as needed.
My Day in Books
I began the day with A Stitch in Time
before breakfasting on Strange Wine
On my way to work I saw Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever
and walked by Brighton Rock
to avoid [the] Playground of Death
but I made sure to stop at The Eye in the Museum
In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Diamond-Studded Typewriter
and sent me to research The Riddle of the Traveling Skull
At lunch with The Cavalier in White
I noticed The Smiler with the Knife
playing a game of Ride the Pink Horse
When I got home that night,
I imagined myself Ten Thousand Light-Years from Home
and wondered if The Stars, [are] Like Dust
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about Gods of Gold
Please post your answers in comments below. And what do you get for all that hard work (and distraction from the actual climb)? The link will close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, July 5. On Monday, July 6, I will crank up the Custom Random Number Generator and pick a winning climber based on comment number. He or she will have the chance to add to their TBR stack via my gently-used book vault (prize list will be sent). Just think, if you win a book you can start up a pile for next year's Mount TBR Challenge.
Even if you're not in the mood for a prize or if you've only got one leg of the journey under your belt, I'd love to have you check in and tell us how your climb is going!
***Please note--This thread is for Checkpoint comments only. Comments that are not Checkpoint-specific will be removed--to make it easier for me to track a winner. If you would like to cheer a fellow-climber, please stop in at their climb thread. Thanks!