Play Book Tag discussion

The random number for the Trim the TBR Challenge in December is...

2

Head to your list that you posted in your personal challenge tracking thread, find your 2nd book, and get your hands on it! Reading cannot start until December 1, but this gives you a few days to get it physically in your possession.

Feel free to post here what your 2nd book is if you want to see if anyone else is reading it, but this is absolutely not required!

Once December 1st hits, then you can post your reviews here when you complete your book. Reviews must be at least 4 sentences long. Other things to include if it fits:

• Fits the December tag of 2005.
• Page length of the book.

Still working on your previous books? You can post your review here when you finish, but please label it clearly as your, e.g., #19-January book!

A note on page lengths:
To keep this fair, the official page count will be the hardcover edition OR, if there was no hardcover version, the format that the book was first published in. You can find these numbers on the book details page here on GR or you can also find them on Amazon.

This means your page length you are reporting only for this challenge may not EXACTLY match the edition you read, but it is the best way we can keep things even in the age where mass market paperback editions can have many more pages than other versions. This page length applies to audiobooks as well.

A reminder of the scoring:
• Read your book - 3 points
• Your completed book happens to fit the tag (must be tagged as such on GR) - 2 points (plus you'll get an additional 2 for posting your review in the Monthly Tag folder)
• Read the longest book among all people who completed their randomly assigned book in any given month - 5 points
• Read the most pages in any quarter (up to 3 books total and quarters are Jan-Mar, April-June, Jul-Sept, and Oct-Dec) - 25 points
• Read the most pages for the whole year (up to 12 books total) - 100 points
• Read the most books that fit a tag for the year - 25 points (totally random luck, but still fun!)

A note for people who start the challenge after January 1:

Whenever you join, if you want to participate in the current month, then Anita or I will randomize your list as described above, locking in the book for that month as well as the books for all previous months (exact number depending on when you join). Then, you can have the random number for the next month is announced to rearrange the order of the remaining books to align with any buddy reads or just going with your gut instincts!

Once the random number for the next month is announced, your list is locked and you cannot change it until our mid-year shake-up!

This seems like the best way for people to jump in at any point while still keeping things as fair as possible.

Reminder of numbers:
January: 19
February: 17
March: 34
April: 12
May: 24
June: 30
July: 23
August: 16
September: 3
October: 32
November: 28
December: 2

Your first paragraph says 3 (which we did in Sept) but the list says 2. I assume 2 is correct.

OMG, if it is 2 then I get The Haunting of Hill House which is ghosts! :) Thrilled!

Barbara wrote: "Your first paragraph says 3 (which we did in Sept) but the list says 2. I assume 2 is correct."

Oops! Yes, just a typo. The number is 2 as it is throughout the rest of the post and I just fixed the first one.

My #2 is MirrorMask. And it was published in 2005!

The Angel of Darkness for me!

A Piece of the World for Me... already ordered from the library!

22 Britannia Road and I have it marked as Buddy Read-who else has it?

Sue wrote: "My #2 is MirrorMask. And it was published in 2005!"

Now THAT is lucky! What are the chances?!?

My #2 is The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Stephen Brusatte. The reviews are so-so but I still want to read it.

Olivermagnus wrote: "My #2 is The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Stephen Brusatte. The reviews are so-so but I still want to read it."

Looking forward to your review of this one. I had it on my TBR but ultimately removed it because of the lukewarm reviews.

My #2 is The Silence of the Library published in 2014 which means I've had one book for trim that also fit the monthly tag :-)

My #2 is the second Outlander book, Dragonfly in Amber. I like trying to finish that this year since I think it was one of last year's Christmas Eve presents (erm, if not the one before).

ETA: 11 people tagged it 2005, so it counts.

Yay Hebah!

My #2 is A Wizard of Earthsea - published in September of 2004 - just misses this month's tag!

And it is short! Given what my work schedule looks like (December always bad because it is a short work month since I take holidays from Christmas through New Years usually), that's a good thing.

I still haven't read my Novmeber Trim -- Shadow of Night. It's my reading while visiting friends next week for a few days.

Um... Dragonfly in Amber is on my TBR too. Thats the third book that qualifies.....

Theresa, funny my trim is also a wizard of earthsea. But it's the 50 year illustrated anniversary edition with all the books so 900+ pages... not going to be able to read that in december.

Johanne wrote: "Theresa, funny my trim is also a wizard of earthsea. But it's the 50 year illustrated anniversary edition with all the books so 900+ pages... not going to be able to read that in december."

Ha! Mine is just the first one -- and in ebook. 183 pages I think. Practically a short story.

My number 2 is Before the Fall.

Theresa, glad this came up now anyway since it's reminded me to make it a Christmas wish: I really want to own that edition. I read the original 3-4 books multiple times in my teens and early twenties (20+ years ago), they're favourites of mine.

Meli wrote: "OMG, if it is 2 then I get The Haunting of Hill House which is ghosts! :) Thrilled!"

Congrats! So you get three points for a ghost book!

Joanne wrote: "22 Britannia Road and I have it marked as Buddy Read-who else has it?"

Joanne, I have the buddy read listed as you and Nicole, but I don’t know which one.

Booknblues wrote: "My number 2 is Before the Fall."

Buddy read! You, Anita, Joi, and kimber are on the original list.

A Wizard of Earthsea was published in the 60s...it is an old book. Not sure where the 2004 comes from...

Probably a new edition. Just checked when Miyasaki's Tales from Earthsea (loosely based on le Guin's books) was out, but that was in 2006. Though I highly doubt that would have moved the book to the bestseller list...

Amy wrote: "A Piece of the World for Me... already ordered from the library!"

Yeah! My buddy list shows you, me and Diana.

I just ordered the book, plus some art books about Andrew Wyeth from the downtown branch of the library. The painting of Christina’s World is hauntingly beautiful, and I hope at least one of the books has a good sized color print.

Johanne wrote: "Theresa, funny my trim is also a wizard of earthsea. But it's the 50 year illustrated anniversary edition with all the books so 900+ pages... not going to be able to read that in december."

Johanne-you can just read the first-I think we discussed this before the challenge started-it will still count

Booknblues wrote: "My number 2 is Before the Fall."

Good one BnB! Look forward to your thoughts

I might do that Joanne! If it is gifted to me for Christmas it will be the perfect read for the last week of the year. If not I'll just have to buy it myself (what a chore. not. :) )

I did not remember that I have a body read! That’s a nice thing to discover. I look forward to reading this with you Nancy, and you too Diane.

Johanne wrote: "Theresa, glad this came up now anyway since it's reminded me to make it a Christmas wish: I really want to own that edition. I read the original 3-4 books multiple times in my teens and early twent..."

If I like this (not my typical genre), I might indulge in that edition. I am a sucker for special editions like that.

Johanne wrote: "Probably a new edition. Just checked when Miyasaki's Tales from Earthsea (loosely based on le Guin's books) was out, but that was in 2006. Though I highly doubt that would have moved the book to th..."

Nicole R wrote: "A Wizard of Earthsea was published in the 60s...it is an old book. Not sure where the 2004 comes from..."

Thanks to Wikipedia, I believe I can explain why A Wizard of Earthsea was on the 2005 bestseller lost: there was a cable tv series based on it in 2005.

NancyJ wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "My number 2 is Before the Fall."

Buddy read! You, Anita, Joi, and kimber are on the original list."

Yes, Before the Fall is still No. 2 on my Trim list :)

My number 2: Iced in: Ten Days Trapped on the Edge of Antarctica / Chris Turney

This one is more recent. Published in 2017.

Kimber wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "My number 2 is Before the Fall."

Buddy read! You, Anita, Joi, and kimber are on the original list."

Yes, Before the Fall is still No. 2 on my Tri..."

Good to know, I have some friends to read this with. Let me know when you think you will get to it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns Is my number 2. Doubt it will fit the tag as none of my books have matched up yet......oh well just means I trim more.

Jen wrote: "A Thousand Splendid Suns Is my number 2. Doubt it will fit the tag as none of my books have matched up yet......oh well just means I trim more."

I can’t tell you how much I loved this book. I will never forget these two women and their lives. It left me deeply grateful for the freedoms I have. I hope you love it too.

Theresa, I was just thinking that older books tagged 2005 may be because there was a TV show or movie adaptation that renewed interest!

NancyJ wrote: "Jen wrote: "A Thousand Splendid Suns Is my number 2. Doubt it will fit the tag as none of my books have matched up yet......oh well just means I trim more."

I can’t tell you how mu..."

Great news! I loved the Kite Runner but it did gut punch me so I won't be reading this one in public since I suspect there may be tears.

I get to read The Thorn Birds

My # 2 is The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar

Mine is The Woman in the Window - I’m into thrillers and mysteries at the moment so hopefully I’ll actually get to it!

Mine is The Cherry Orchard by Checkov
It's about 100 years off target for the monthly tag though

KateNZ wrote: "Mine is The Woman in the Window - I’m into thrillers and mysteries at the moment so hopefully I’ll actually get to it!"

This one is next up on audio for me .... my F2F book club is discussing it in December.

2. The Mysterious Island-Jules Verne

My number 2 is There There.

Number 2 is Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama

453 Pages
Does not fit Dec TAG

My #2 is Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts

I have been making big inroads on my Nora Roberts books this year; seem to be fitting in my challenges a lot.

I missed the last 2 months, but almost got book number 2 from audible yesterday so I am excited to finally get to The House of Tomorrow no idea why this got on my list years ago, but now it will finally be attempted.

My #2 is It's Not My Mountain Anymore.
Looking forward to this one plus it is only 195 pages. I need a few short books this month so great timing.