Mount TBR 2020 discussion

I have 50 books on my TBR shelf (after a KonMari spree led to some very careful purging). A goal of 36 books seems completely doable. Best of luck to everyone on their climb!

Oops. I forgot a stash of 32 additional books at work.

1.

This one was swapped out at a Little Free Library for If a Pirate I Must Be...

Good luck with your climb Holland!

2.

Love love love Kurt Vonnegut. This copy of the book was swapped out at a LFL for Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

3.

I forgot how much I love Arthur C. Clarke. I read this book about 15 years ago and it is more awesome on the second read. This one definitely stays on the permanent shelves.

4.

Another great story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This copy of the book will be donated to the Friends of the Library.

5.

I've listened to an audiobook version of this from the library before I purchased a physical copy. So, this is a re-read that has not been used for a challenge before.

This was the choice for the Palo Verde Young Generation in Nuclear professional development book club. It was great discussing introversion with my coworkers and this copy of the book is heavily annotated because of that. The copy will remain at my desk at work, with other professional development favorites.

6.

This was Louisa May Alcott's first novel, which was a super exciting find! It will be donated to the library for the next lucky reader to take home.

7.

I picked this up at some point expecting a beautifully written sci-fi novel. It is actually an essay on the author's experience taking mescalin. While still very well written, it is not to my liking and I only read the first book, The Doors of Perception. It will also be donated to the Friends of the Library.

8.

A classic sci-fi novel, but it wasn't really for me. It will be donated to the Friends of the Library.

9.

This was barely on the edge of sci-fi and I loved it. This particular edition has a lot of typos (it is a mass-market paperback) but it will go on my permanent shelves until I find a nicer edition.

10.

So much of Rudyard Kipling's work is a joy to read. Fauns, and knights, and pirates, oh my!

Also, I definitely thought I would be binging on my to-be-read shelves during this time of social distancing. However, the digital holds list at the library has been crazy! I have two eagerly awaited books on my Kindle to read before I return to my shelves.

11.

This is surprisingly light for serious non-fiction. The story of the unicorn spreads to some really strange animals. This book will stay on my non-fiction bookcase for reference.

12.

The plot is compelling and I adore Snowman's obscure vocabulary, but I really was not captivated by the characters or the 'before' world setting. This book will probably be traded at the Little Free Library (after things return to semi-normal).

13.

This is one of the professional development books I grabbed from my shelf at work before leaving the office last month. There are a few moments when reading this book that reminded me of AP English Language, discussing anaphora, metaphors, etc. I'll be recommending this read to my coworkers.

14.

This book is gorgeous-- with its blue and gold cover, browned paper, color illustrations, and beautiful end papers. As visually appealing as it is, the story is not so captivating. It will be donated to the Friends of the Library (when that is allowed again).

15.

This landed on my TBR list as a result of World Book Day last year. It reminds me of the Witcher in a way-- a man with a gruff profession that is skilled in potions and healing with a heart of gold. It reflects the darkness of the historical time period, but also takes too many liberties to ensure a happy ending.

16.

This book came from the clearance shelves of Half Price Books a few years ago. Tom Stoppard is so amazingly witty. Reading this took me back to the days of AP Literature when we were reading Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are dead. It definitely deserves the upgrade to my bookshelves.

It has also inspired me to read another favorite author from high school: Joseph Heller.

17.

In my senior year of high school, we had to complete a research paper for literature class that involved reading three novels by the same author. I chose Joseph Heller for my paper and focused on how he is a master of using structure to support the story. Fortunately, Something Happened was not one of the three books I read at that time. I can definitely say that I would not have appreciated the office politics, insecurities, or family life (not) dramas as a teenager. This novel is brilliant, but not enjoyable. When reading this, I felt conflicted as I loved how effectively Joseph Heller puts the reader inside Bob Slocum's head, while hating the thoughts found there.

This copy will snuggling up next to Catch-22 on my bookshelf.

18.

I've expressed my love for the words of Arthur C. Clarke before, but I'll say it again, I love reading the works of Arthur C. Clarke. Imperial Earth is a new favorite in my collection of sci fi works.

19.

I really wanted to love this book as there is something special about airports and similar places that seem to exist in another plane. However, this book is outdated and heavy-handed with trivial details. It was the second DNF of the year.

In other news, in a decluttering spree, I have parted ways with 4 other books from my TBR shelf unread.

20.

I love this glimpse into the life of a female aviator in the 1930s, but am also conflicted about the Lindberghs later political views (i.e. endorsing Nazism). Is it possible to forgive Anne for her later publications, but perhaps not her husband? Or should I refrain from reading (and keeping) books by any Lindberghs?

It is on my shelf for now. This copy was actually published in 1935 and is not a reprint. It has the cutest little plane on the cover.

21.

This book also landed on my TBR from last year's World Book Day. While some of the books in the batch were excellent, I hated this one. The relationship of Lila and Elias is presented as an ultimate love story but it reads more like infatuation and ruined lives. The characters are weak and setting is not nearly developed enough.

22,

This book just wasn't for me. It read too much like religious parables.

This particular edition is from the Little Leather Library collection and was passed down in my family as part of a set. It will return to the shelf to be with the other little red covers.

23.

This short work was an interesting viewpoint on World War II, as it is written by a Japanese POW. While it is a very good book and quite fascinating, it is a bit too dark for a re-read. It was traded out at the local Little Free Library for City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert.

I am quite behind on the TBR challenge as I have large stacks of books to read from the library. I have found myself drawn to research on nutrition, as well as wildlife conservation. Both are topics of little depth on my personal bookshelves. I've also found that I have completed most of the shorter, lighter works of fiction. The remaining books are quite daunting.

24.

It's always delightful to enter the wholesome world of Louisa May Alcott's stories of children (even if this one is unrelated to the world of Little Women).

This particular copy is part of a set including Little Women, Little Men, and Jo's Boys. The green covers look quite cheery on the shelf.

25.

I was really excited to read this, but slowly disliked it more and more as I progressed through it. I did finish it, but it will go straight to a Little Free Library.

26.

I love twisted fairy tales, but this was terrible. After the 'Barbidol' story, I just gave up on the book. It definitely does not earn a place on my bookshelves.

27.

If you haven't guessed already from my reviews of previous books on this mountain, I love old sci-fi stories. There are a few problematic aspects to the stories as expected from the author's times, but overall, very thought-provoking. This copy will remain on the bookshelves.

28. Navajo Bird Tales Told by Hosteen Clah Chee

This book had no ratings and no reviews in Goodreads. I love folk tales and picked this up at a used book sale at some point. It's not clear how accepted the author was in the Navajo community and it is a little disappointing for it to not be an own voices book, but it was a good children's book.

29.

A little old-fashioned, but a lovely fanciful tale for kids.

30.

I loved this meditation of the Himalayas. I might have to revisit this again in the future.