Aussie Readers discussion

Tidying up my bookshelves in the study recently, I realised I really wanted to reduce the books that have been sitting there, begging to be read for so long...

"Challenge is to read one from each letter of the alphabet, which means 26 books in 52 weeks, i.e. one per fortnight."

This was the goal I set myself at the beginning of 2018. But I had already committed to both of the Aussie Readers Annual Challenges, i.e. 24 Australian Authors and the Additional A-Z Challenge. Has not left as much time as I would like for my owned TBR challenge. So I have dropped the goal of my own alphabetical reading list of A-Z books. I am happy to take pride in having read a decent number of the books that have been shouting messages to me from my back room... :-)

Personal Challenge: Reduce my own TBR books

✔ 1. At Home With the Templetons by Monica McInerney (AA) 4.5★s (genre: Family)
✔ 2. Beyond the Orchard by Anna Romer (AA) 3★s (genres: Historical Fiction; Mystery; Family)
✔ 3. The Chosen by Kristina Ohlsson 3.5★s (genre: Crime)
✔ 4. Heartstone by C.J. Sansom 4.5★s (Genre: Historical/Crime)
✔ 5. Keeping Up Appearances: Hyacinth Bucket's Book of Etiquette for the Socially Less Fortunate by Jonathan Rice 3.5★s (Genre: Humour)
✔ 6. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes 5★s (Genre: Contemporary /Family)
✔ 7. Nacho Figueras Presents: High Season by Jessica Whitman 4.5★s (genre: Romance)
✔ 8. The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton 4★s (Genre: Suspense)
✔ 9. Revelation by C.J. Sansom 5★s (Genre: Historical Crime)
✔ 10. Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan 3★s (genre: Literary Fiction)
✔ 11. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty (AA) 4★s
✔ 12. The Unbroken Line by Alex Hammond (AA) 2.5★s (Genre: Crime)
✔ 13. xoxo by Kristina Wright 2.5★s (genres: Short Stories; Romance)
✔ 14. Coal Creek by Alex Miller (AA) 4.5★s (Genre: Historical Fiction)
✔ 15.The Railway Dog: The True Story of an Australian Outback Dog by Olwyn M. Parker (AA) 3★s (Genre: Non-fiction)
✔ 16. The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith (AA) 5★s (Genre: Literary Fiction)
✔ 17. The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood (AA) 5★s (Genres: Literary Fiction; Women's Lit)
✔ 18. The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell 4.5★s (Genre: Contemporary; Womens Lit)
✔ 19. Certain Admissions: A Beach, a Body and a Lifetime of Secrets by Gideon Haigh (AA) 3★s (Genre: True Crime)
✔ 20. Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett (AA) 5★s (Genre: Literary Fiction)

With this list I am continuing to mix up the genres, reading as widely as possible:

Women's Lit
Historical Fiction
Crime/Mystery
Sci Fi
Romance
Humour
Contemporary Fiction
Literary Fiction
Classics
Biography/memoir

Great challenge, Mary. Good luck!

Good luck Mary!

Good luck Mary!

Delighted to report progress to date with my personal challenge to reduce my owned TBR stash. Best thing I've done with this list has been to drop the notion of one book per letter of the alphabet.

Twenty books read so far, some saved for later re-reading, many distributed to friends. All of these titles have been on my TBR list for over a year or more.

Plenty of time to add to the list before the end of the year.

Personal Challenge: Reduce my own TBR books
Progress to date: 21

✔ 1. At Home With the Templetons by Monica McInerney (AA) 4.5★s (genre: Family)
✔ 2. Beyond the Orchard by Anna Romer (AA) 3★s (genres: Historical Fiction; Mystery; Family)
✔ 3. The Chosen by Kristina Ohlsson 3.5★s (genre: Crime)
✔ 4. Heartstone by C.J. Sansom 4.5★s (Genre: Historical/Crime)
✔ 5. Keeping Up Appearances: Hyacinth Bucket's Book of Etiquette for the Socially Less Fortunate by Jonathan Rice 3.5★s (Genre: Humour)
✔ 6. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes 5★s (Genre: Contemporary /Family)
✔ 7. Nacho Figueras Presents: High Season by Jessica Whitman 4.5★s (genre: Romance)
✔ 8. The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton 4★s (Genre: Suspense)
✔ 9. Revelation by C.J. Sansom 5★s (Genre: Historical Crime)
✔ 10. Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan 3★s (genre: Literary Fiction)
✔ 11. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty (AA) 4★s
✔ 12. The Unbroken Line by Alex Hammond (AA) 2.5★s (Genre: Crime)
✔ 13. xoxo by Kristina Wright 2.5★s (genres: Short Stories; Romance)
✔ 14. Coal Creek by Alex Miller (AA) 4.5★s (Genre: Historical Fiction)
✔ 15.The Railway Dog: The True Story of an Australian Outback Dog by Olwyn M. Parker (AA) 3★s (Genre: Non-fiction)
✔ 16. The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith (AA) 5★s (Genre: Literary Fiction)
✔ 17. The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood (AA) 5★s (Genres: Literary Fiction; Women's Lit)
✔ 18. The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell 4.5★s (Genre: Contemporary; Womens Lit)
✔ 19. Certain Admissions: A Beach, a Body and a Lifetime of Secrets by Gideon Haigh (AA) 3★s (Genre: True Crime)
✔ 20. Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett (AA) 5★s (Genre: Literary Fiction)
✔ 21. The Pagoda Tree by Claire Scobie (AA) 2.5★s (Genre: Historical Fiction)

Doing well Mary 😊

Brenda wrote: "Doing well Mary 😊"

Thanks Brenda. It is always good to tick off a book from the ever-increasing TBR lists!

I'm really pleased to be moving stuff out of my TBR. One sad thing though:
- when you've owned a book for ages, and
- you've wanted to get around to it for ages, but
- other reading demands your attention first, and
- when you finally get to it, it turns out to be a bit of a dud

Unfortunately it happens too often Mary! Never mind - at least it's gone :)

I've snuck one final book into this challenge on the last day of the current year. Makes my efforts to reduce the TBR stack on my bookshelves look respectable. Another thing I have enjoyed with this challenge is the lovely book covers on many of my selections.

2018 Personal Challenge: Reduce my own TBR books
Final Tally: 22

✔ 1. At Home With the Templetons by Monica McInerney (AA) 4.5★s (genre: Family)
✔ 2. Beyond the Orchard by Anna Romer (AA) 3★s (genres: Historical Fiction; Mystery; Family)
✔ 3. The Chosen by Kristina Ohlsson 3.5★s (genre: Crime)
✔ 4. Heartstone by C.J. Sansom 4.5★s (Genre: Historical/Crime)
✔ 5. Keeping Up Appearances: Hyacinth Bucket's Book of Etiquette for the Socially Less Fortunate by Jonathan Rice 3.5★s (Genre: Humour)
✔ 6. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes 5★s (Genre: Contemporary /Family)
✔ 7. Nacho Figueras Presents: High Season by Jessica Whitman 4.5★s (genre: Romance)
✔ 8. The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton 4★s (Genre: Suspense)
✔ 9. Revelation by C.J. Sansom 5★s (Genre: Historical Crime)
✔ 10. Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan 3★s (genre: Literary Fiction)
✔ 11. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty (AA) 4★s
✔ 12. The Unbroken Line by Alex Hammond (AA) 2.5★s (Genre: Crime)
✔ 13. xoxo by Kristina Wright 2.5★s (genres: Short Stories; Romance)
✔ 14. Coal Creek by Alex Miller (AA) 4.5★s (Genre: Historical Fiction)
✔ 15.The Railway Dog: The True Story of an Australian Outback Dog by Olwyn M. Parker (AA) 3★s (Genre: Non-fiction)
✔ 16. The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith (AA) 5★s (Genre: Literary Fiction)
✔ 17. The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood (AA) 5★s (Genres: Literary Fiction; Women's Lit)
✔ 18. The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell 4.5★s (Genre: Contemporary; Womens Lit)
✔ 19. Certain Admissions: A Beach, a Body and a Lifetime of Secrets by Gideon Haigh (AA) 3★s (Genre: True Crime)
✔ 20. Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett (AA) 5★s (Genre: Literary Fiction)
✔ 21. The Pagoda Tree by Claire Scobie (AA) 2.5★s (Genre: Historical Fiction)
✔ 22. Purple Cane Road by James Lee Burke 3.5★s (Genre: Crime)

Well done. Looks like you did really well with this reading year.

Well done Mary!!!

Great work Mary! 22 books off the TBR is a fabulous result! And it looks like most were above 3 stars too! :)

Well done, Mary!

Deborah wrote: "Well done. Looks like you did really well with this reading year."

Thanks Deborah.

Brenda wrote: "Well done Mary!!!"

Thanks Brenda.

Kylie wrote: "Great work Mary! 22 books off the TBR is a fabulous result! And it looks like most were above 3 stars too! :)"

Thanks Kylie.