Mount TBR 2014 Challenge discussion

My bookaholic status remains unchanged. Despite the fact that I will have knocked 100 books off of my 2013 Mount TBR by the end of December, there are still whole mountain ranges waiting to be conquered.

So, once again, I plan to concentrate on reading primarily from my own books this year. And you're invited to join me in knocking out some of those books that have been waiting in the wings for weeks....months...even years. I own over 2000 books and have about 500-600 that need reading.

I'd love it if you'd tell us a bit about yourself and maybe give us an idea what your mountain range looks like. How you acquired it...any little thing you'd like to share about yourself.

My mountain range consists of over 800 books. I plan to start small next year, setting my reading goal at 50 books, and probably setting Mount Blanc (24 books) as my Mount TBR goal for 2014. Most of my books are on my Kindle, which makes it even harder to keep my TBR pile down. I hope to read primarily from my own books in 2014, but at the same time plan on finishing a lot of series I have started, so I will need to purchase some of those. I couldn't read as much as I wanted to in 2013 due to the fact that I got married in September and also was going to school full-time all year (excluding the summer). I'm hoping to do better in 2014, maybe not in terms of reading more books, but certainly in terms of reading more from my own collection instead of burying myself in new books as I have done in 2013. =P I look forward to sharing my reading journey with all of you, and wish you luck with your own reading goals! =)

Lisa wrote: "My mountain range consists of over 800 books. I plan to start small next year, setting my reading goal at 50 books, and probably setting Mount Blanc (24 books) as my Mount TBR goal for 2014. Most o..."

Welcome, Lisa! Wow,you're fast. I barely got the challenge up and you're raring to go. Good luck with your reading in 2014!

Bev wrote: "Lisa wrote: "My mountain range consists of over 800 books. I plan to start small next year, setting my reading goal at 50 books, and probably setting Mount Blanc (24 books) as my Mount TBR goal for..."

Thanks! Lol! I have a huge mountain to climb so I'm ready to get started! I'm feeling overwhelmed by my tbr pile lately. Good luck to you as well!

Grrr. The folders I've added for each level are refusing to show up. (This happens every year...) I'm working on getting them up. Stay tuned.

Thanks Bev - this yearly challenge really does help to shift some of the backlog. At this moment my TBR stands at 1260 and that is physically available to me and not in any way 'I want to own'. There are many I haven't even registered yet. Bragging? Nah! I really am an addict.

There is just one thing that is off-putting and that is GR's present MO. Most of my book-chat activity is on other sites nowadays.

Hello everyone.
:O)

Thanks for the invitation, Bev. I'll surely join you again.
I don't know how many books I own. My shelves are bursting, I even had to store several books in boxes and there are maybe a hundred books in my wardrobe... As you can see, I'm a bookaholic and I definitely need to reduce my TBR pile.
I will probably try the highest level again, I definitely own enough books for it.
We're moving next year which means I won't live as close to the library anymore. Right now, the library is on my way to work, so I stop there almost every second day and borrow something instead of reading the books I already own. For the new library branch I will have to do a detour, so I probably won't stop there as often which should do some good to my TBR pile.

☯Bettie☯ wrote: "Thanks Bev - this yearly challenge really does help to shift some of the backlog. At this moment my TBR stands at 1260 and that is physically available to me and not in any way 'I want to own'. The..."

Sorry about the GR thing....I'm just incredibly reluctant to move to another book/reading platform. GR is my third. I hate change and really don't want to shift things again....I may have to at some point....

Is group 2014 replacing all the conversations going in 2013, or is this the same spot, updated? I heard a little kerfluffle about Amazon owning Goodreads. Is that it, or anything else people dislike? I love Goodreads, use it and Wordpress in fact, instead of Twitter or 'facebook' like many. I wouldn't want to migrate elsewhere. With dial-up internet connectivity, I can't chase communications in more than one or two places. E-mail, Wordpress, Goodreads - that's it. :)

C. wrote: "Is group 2014 replacing all the conversations going in 2013, or is this the same spot, updated? I heard a little kerfluffle about Amazon owning Goodreads. Is that it, or anything else people disl..."

This site will be the new place to go once 2013 is over. For now--all books read until Dec 30th should be logged on the 2013 Mount TBR site. I know there's a kefuffle about GR and Amazon and how they're running things. I like it here...but that may be because so far the whole Amazon/GR thing hasn't affected me much. I don't really want to move out of GR unless I have to.

Is there anything people dislike, other than a large company buying this website? I'm sorry Goodreads isn't independent and I hear some don't care for Amazon itself. When companies are as large as Walmart, it *is* unsettling to see an environment with employees shuffling around like cattle, everything over-computerized, and not necessarily receiving health beneifts.

Separately from what it might be like to work for mammoth businesses, I appreciate getting used novels through Amazon Canada because I live an hour from both of my province's cities. Even when I was a city girl I shopped on-line. ALL of our families birthdays are near Jesus's, including mine 3 weeks hence. :) An easy way to honour loved-ones is a must. Amazon (.ca, not .com) certificates are a superb gift for me!

Aishie wrote: "Hi all, I'm new to this one, but this sounds like a great challenge. I'm going to go for Mt. Everest. Need to purchase a few more to match up with the number but I'll have my list good to go on the..."

Welcome, Aishie! Glad to have you along. I'll see you at the top of Everest!

Hi everyone! This is my first year doing the Challenge and I am very excited to be hitting the slopes with you.

I actually have never counted how many books I have on my bookshelves. In my mind, at least, if I don't actually put a number to it, no one can tell me I have "too many." I would say that I have in the neighborhood of 800 books in my apartment (who needs room to sleep?). I am a grad student, however, and I probably have that many books from my childhood back home with my parents. I also have a Kindle and I sometimes download free books (Young Adult, mostly) and some end up being really good. That ratchets up my TBR numbers.

I am a grad student in English literature, so my reading is divided into two camps. I have academic reading which I pore over and read with a fine-tooth comb. Then I have my cotton-candy reading which is my guilty pleasure. I have always loved young adult fantasy and science fiction and I just decided I never wanted to grow out of the genre. If I have nothing better to do during the day, I can read about 3 a day. Thus, the pacing between work and fun reading can allow me to read anywhere from 100 to 200 books a year.

My TBR is currently 700. My goal for 2013 was 200. I am at 157 now (I guess I was a bit ambitious). I am hoping to hit 120 in 2014.

Steph L. wrote: "Hi everyone! This is my first year doing the Challenge and I am very excited to be hitting the slopes with you.

I actually have never counted how many books I have on my bookshelves. In my mind, a..."

Hi Steph!! I'm so glad you're joining me. Get your climbing gear together and I'll see you somewhere between Everest and Olympus. :-)

These are all impressive people, even those who are new! I'm bent on cresting Mount Everest before the stroke of 2014, which is 3 mountains past my commitment! It's peanuts for some of you even heavier-hitters and y'all just might push me into higher gear next year. :-) Some of you also own a grand collection of physical material!!!! I haven't counted mine either. ;)

I'm Carolyn, which I invite you to call me. "C" is for privacy from general public. I'm central Canada geographically but my countrymen call my province western Canada. I love my family of cats, fiancé, grow my food (spring & summer), and write articles at www.CMRiedel.WordPress.com. I do all of this on dial-up! Small town.

A nice thing is there's an outbuilding that used to be a workshop. One corner has been kept for storage and tools but the main room is a dream come true: our own library ENTIRELY of unread books! I need this group and am pleased to have adopted the habit of reviewing everything I read. Meeting all of you is my pleasure as well.

Hi everyone,

I think this year I will make it to 100. My mountain range is 900-ish (maybe a hundred, noy so sure).
This year I'm signing up to climb the Mt. Ararat.

My name is Yuska and I'm an avid reader/writer. I live in the suburb of Jakarta, Indonesia. I read English and Indonesian books, mostly thriller, suspense, horror, romance, a bit of YA and some non fiction.

I'm married and I have a preschooler. My husband was furious because I keep mounting the books until we have (almost) no space for other things. So, I decide to keep reading and hope this challenge helps me to reduce my stack of books.

Yuska wrote: "Hi everyone,

I think this year I will make it to 100. My mountain range is 900-ish (maybe a hundred, noy so sure).
This year I'm signing up to climb the Mt. Ararat.

My name is Yuska and I'm an ..."

Hello, Yuska! Welcome to the climbing crew and good luck with Mt. Ararat!

Thanks, Bev. And thank you for hosting this wonderful challenge.

My mountain range is probably in the foothills, with maybe 60-70 physical books on my shelves and another hundred or so in the Kindle black hole. Dare I count the 30 or so books acquired for research in the writing of my next novel? I would be very pleased if I could just slim down the bloat by 30 or 40 books.

I have been thinking a lot about the subject of excess, especially after I did my 2012 taxes and totted up how much I'd spent on publications that year. I'm always saying I'd like to live more simply, but unfortunately it's way too "simple" to buy a book in a couple of clicks. My word for 2014 needs to be "simplify", and cutting Mount TBR down to size would definitely fit in.

Yep, some folks sure have gadgets and gizmos. Coming from one-income parents, I couldn't fathom two cars and more than one purse per season. ;) But if it is something you use often, or with great joy; if there's constant gratefulness that you have it.... At our place there are books all over. They are part of who we are and blend into our aura & décor. I feel happy, falling asleep looking at the ones in our room. :)

I waited until my 30s to have my first house recently, we grow our own food, and it must be 3 years before we buy 1 pack of computer paper. Heck, I re-use anything that has a blank back, even adverts in the mail! If books are one thing I buy, as cheaply as possible: then excess has nothing to do with their quantity in my home. The synonym is "needless". That doesn't match how much books are appreciated around here. :-) http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2012/01...

I agree that if you must buy to excess in one area, let it be books...but my TBR pile is just too big for my personal comfort. I don't want to keep buying/acquiring books without reading some of the excellent gems I know are buried in the pile.

My message is: it isn't excess for me. It's something I need/use. A regular source of joy. Let me try it another way more clearly identifiable with "need". I hear you, about having a great enough quantity that it takes a while to read through but stockpiling doesn't mean excess.

We are only two humans here. We might keep two jumbo packs of toilet paper in a closet, ahead of the pack we have open presently. If I saw 20 packs piled at somebody else's house, I might think "a bit overboard, where's the war?" But if they have children, their 'need' is at a different pace.

Because books can be entertainment or art, they are automatically labelled "luxury". But they are part of what I do with my life. If it takes a while to get through what I have; it only means I'm shopping in my own home instead of out in public. ;) I'm that family who goes through more toilet paper in a lifetime. LOL To put it another way, I save money buying in bulk because the deals I find are worth grabbing: free at garage sales, 25c at thrift stores....

On your part, it's about your home not being able to accommodate that number. That's perfectly valid. It doesn't automatically equal excess in my home. That's what I wish to convey. :) They aren't a pointless purchase (aka 'excess') and we made places for them.

Jane wrote: "My mountain range is probably in the foothills, with maybe 60-70 physical books on my shelves and another hundred or so in the Kindle black hole. Dare I count the 30 or so books acquired for resear..."

Welcome to the 2014 climb, Jane!

I'm back for my third time at the challenge.

I live a mile from the library, and my borrowing definitely eats into my inability to make a big enough dent in my owned stacks. I track the stats and it's 2 to 1 in the library's favor. I probably have around 500 books on my TBR, including the Kindle. I'll try for Mt. Blanc again. I seem to be able to get 24 in per year, even though it's a stretch sometimes.

I found some GR friends through this challenge, which has made it even more fun for me.

Sera wrote: "I'm back for my third time at the challenge.

I live a mile from the library, and my borrowing definitely eats into my inability to make a big enough dent in my owned stacks. I track the stats and..."

Welcome back, Sera! Mt. Blanc is a big mountain--so you've got all kinds of routes to the top. :-)

Thanks, Bev!

Hello everyone, I'm Cath and this is my first attempt at this challenge. The reason I'm doing it is because I realised recently that I have a 'mountain range' of somewhere between 300 to 400 books - plus about 200 on my Kindle - but all I do all year is read library books. Well, not quite all, I do read some of my own, but not enough, so next year I want to change all that and am going for Mount Ararat.

I live in Devon in the UK, I've been married for 40 years and have two grown-up daughters and two grandchildren. My life revolves around family, our productive garden and reading books. I like crime books, science fiction, fantasy, YA, travel writing and history.

Look forward to being part of this group in 2014 and thanks to Bev for hosting Mount TBR.

Welcome, Cath! Glad you'll be joining us in our climbing.

Welcome Cath! I love mystery without crime. But I read a good deal of it because the ultimate "clues to decipher" or "secret passageway" ones are scarce.

Despite living in zone 3 Canada, we too are blessed with productive gardens. Flowers as well. I just *turned* 40.... well, there's another birthday 9 days hence! :) I like that you use real books.

My sweetest memory of a recent England visit is Devon. My first scone with real cream, delectable tea, and a cow I could see beside the house.... It showed me that North America does something terrible in the production of its food. It was clear I hadn't tasted real food until that moment! I grew my own the moment we bought our first house shortly thereafter.

I tried to sign up for Mount TBR 2013 last year, but---because of some problems with the link submission---I missed the sign-up deadline. Decided to try to scale Mount Blanc anyway, so joined the Goodreads group. Read 60+ books, but only 6 of them were from my Mount TBR list, a failure of discipline (see http://www.katnagel.com/2013/sigh/). Going to try again this year, and will aim for Mt. Vancouver. Wish me luck!

Bev wrote: "Welcome, Cath! Glad you'll be joining us in our climbing."

Thanks, Bev. I'm so looking forward to the start.

C. wrote: "Welcome Cath! I love mystery without crime. But I read a good deal of it because the ultimate "clues to decipher" or "secret passageway" ones are scarce.

Hello, C. To tell the truth I sometimes find it a little difficult to differentiate between crime and mystery books and tend to think of them as one and the same. Which of course is nonsense! LOL. I love both anyway. Have you read Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris? I think of that as a 'mystery' and one of the best I've ever read - set in a private school.

I like my Kindle very much but if push came to shove I would always choose real books. I recently read The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins. It's free on Kindle, if memory serves, but I fell in love with the cover of the real book (a painting by John Atkinson Grimshaw) and just had to have it. 'Lost cause' would describe me. (It's a fantastic mystery, by the way, no dead bodies other than a natural death at the beginning and loads of clues and secrets. Loved it.)

Which part of Devon did you visit?

Hi! Those recommendations sound about as good as it gets without the parnormal. Secrets and stuff create a suspenseful ambiance that is just as exciting. Thank you for mentioning them!

Due to three friends living as far away as anyone could get, we drove all three corners of England and made sure we saw Loch Ness in Scotland too! Devon was a lovely stop at a country teahouse, on the way from Essex to Cornwall. NOW I find out it's the home of Agatha Christie. So much more to see. :)

Decided to join TBR here at Goodreads instead of your blog, Bev, to try something new! I'm going for Mt. Vancouver/36. Starting small, I have an enormous 'pile' but since I am addicted to buying books realistically I will never get it all read! Looking forward to meeting everyone and seeing what you are reading!

Hey Peggy, if we're snatching discounts, it's worth the volume! You know how I think of it? Each time I select the next material in queue, I consider it shopping within my home! :) Seriously, a snow storm could hit and since my type has nothing to do with power/software, I'm good for a while!

C. wrote: "Hey Peggy, if we're snatching discounts, it's worth the volume! You know how I think of it? Each time I select the next material in queue, I consider it shopping within my home! :) Seriously, a..."

Discounts, that's what gets me every time, C. I always buy used books. and mostly 'vintage'. The search is half the fun of it. Finding a hard to find book is so delicious!

Yes!!!! I just wrote an article about that, as a guest feature for the Canadian theme. I would be pleased to share the link when it's ready. I go in depth about what it is about tangible books for me. :-) Many have trouble explaining and I hope my putting it into words, helps.

The stories, in any format, I love sharing with people who know the same ones. Before Goodreads / Wordpress, I didn't know anyone who read the same; except Dad and the few "Hardy Boys" he gave me as a kid. I keep thinking now that my parents are reaching 70, even though they see and move fine; would they like being read to? I read a Maeve Binchy short story for Christmas and it went over very well. Carolyn.

Due to three friends living as far away as anyone could get, we drove all three corners of England and made sure we saw Loch Ness in Scotland too! Devon was a lovely stop at a country teahouse, on the way from Essex to Cornwall. NOW I find out it's the home of Agatha Christie. So much more to see. :)

That's right she lived at Greenway near Brixham. It's now owned by the National Trust and you can go around it. I haven't done it yet but plan to at some stage. Funnily enough I am actually Cornish, from Penzance, like the pirates. :-) I hope you enjoyed Cornwall.

Peggy wrote: "Decided to join TBR here at Goodreads instead of your blog, Bev, to try something new! I'm going for Mt. Vancouver/36. Starting small, I have an enormous 'pile' but since I am addicted to buying bo..."

Great to see you here, Peggy! I think that book buying disease afflicts us all. LOL

Well, Peggy and Cath, you're my kind of dames. :) So! Whichever country teahouse is on the highway, that was the Devon town.

Cornwall did nothing but rain in a way I've never seen. I don't know how they keep a piece of paper in a house. But it was lovely for numerous reasons! The fort and lighthouse at Portscatho, the Lizard Point lighthouse, the Seal sanctuary. I've defended animal rights since I was born but had never seen a seal. I know Cornwall (and now Devon) offered a good deal more than one could see in 2-3 days.

Peggy wrote: "Decided to join TBR here at Goodreads instead of your blog, Bev, to try something new! I'm going for Mt. Vancouver/36. Starting small, I have an enormous 'pile' but since I am addicted to buying bo..."

Peggy, glad to have you joining in--no matter where you do it. I know about that book-buying craze. I can't get away from it either.

I don't want to get away from finding what's on my list and it being a colossal discount! But I skipped the last few sales and those attended didn't have much. I'm hoping for Amazon Canada gift certificates for gleaning used books. Hehehe. I grow a new age in T minus 7 days! :)

Whatever our wonderful home storehouses, I love these circles. They get me drinking from my collection more than ever before. Bev darling, let us know when "Colour Coded" is up. Everyone here would laugh that I'm REFRAINING from colour titles until next year!

The Color Coded Challenge for 2014 is up: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/20... (I haven't added it to my sidebar yet).

This year I'm determined to be #1 and close to it! {No conceit, I merely tired of being #100, joining August - December). LOL!

What can you and other hostesses tell me about 'linkies'? If groups I love aren't being formed next year, I just might try my hand at providing them. I have a basic 'linky' membership but haven't gone further. I want to ensure 'linkies' for joining and reviewing don't cost money.

Here's the link for the one I used on my Scotland Challenge I just set up and it was very easy and free. This was the first time I did it. http://www.inlinkz.com/new/index.php?...

You were hostess before Sharon ("Faith Hope Tea") or a different Scotland theme? I have oodles of material! And thank you for the information. Heads-up, I doubt Sharon can host next year. Are you going for it? I'm already thinking of fulfilling "ghosts", general "paranormal", or general "mystery", which Amy Yingling has no time for.

I just set up a Scotland challenge myself this last weekend. I don't know Sharon. Here's the link to my group here at Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... or my blog http://peggyannspost.blogspot.com/201...

You mean you're doing one for 2014? I can't wait to see what you ask!!!! :-)
Update: I read it. Carolyn is in, like a big glass of gin! (My name doesn't rhyme with 'wine').

Bev, for 'white' will you accept "snow"? That sounds like just as much a staple as "navy" or "sky".
I'm in on your racket too! http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2013/11...

yep. A simple one as its my first

C. wrote: "This year I'm determined to be #1 and close to it! {No conceit, I merely tired of being #100, joining August - December). LOL!

What can you and other hostesses tell me about 'linkies'? If group..."

Carolyn...I use inlinkz for my "linkies" as well--all self-taught, so you know it's pretty easy.