Mount TBR 2020 discussion

The year is half-way over....how does that happen so quickly? I must lose track of time just concentrating on the mountain trail ahead of me. But--it's that time again. Your mountaineering guide is calling for a second quarterly check-in post. Let us know how your climb has been so far. Seen any mountain goats? Any particularly pretty wildflowers? How about the abominable snowman? For those who would like to participate in this checkpoint post, I'd like you to do two things:

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.

I've finished 52 books, so I'm a little over half-way up Mount Everest and right on target.

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.
4 Feet in the Grave by Amelia Reynolds Long and Thirteen Guests by J. Jefferson Farjeon. Both are vintage [pre-1960] mysteries with numbers in the title.

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.
Foul Deeds by Susan James: This was a new-to-me author that I picked up because it was an academic mystery. I have a soft spot for mysteries with an academic connection (set at a school, teacher/professor as amateur sleuth, etc.). This, unfortunately, wasn't my best find ever. It was an okay mystery, but not one that I'd recommend if you wanted to give academic mysteries a try.

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?
Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre: It's been on my book mountains since the mid-1980s when I was deep in my science fiction binge. Definitely worth the read--or reread as the case may be. I read this in the 1980s, long before I ever started blogging or keeping any kind of review record. I've wanted to reread this for quite a while--just to see how it holds up. I still think it's a pretty fantastic book.

D. 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 some Ragtime
before having [a drink from] The Gimmel Flask
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw [a] Regency Buck
and walked by The Clocks
to avoid [a] Big Bad Bear
but I made sure to stop at The Murder at the Waterfront.

In the office, my boss asked me how to use [the] Information Received
and sent me to research The Clue in Blue

At lunch with The Thirteen Guests
I noticed The Crying Sisters
playing a game of Dreamsnake


When I got home that night,
I imagined myself [under] The Dreadful Lemon Sky
and wondered [how] Deep Lay the Dead
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about The Man Who Loved Books Too Much


Please post your answers as a comment below.

I have read 19 of the 36 books for Mt. Vancouver, so right on track.

The Coast of Utopia and Something Happened share a link in that they both reminded me of high school literature class.

The Explorer's Guild was the first graphic novel/prose combination that I have read.

Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions may have been on my pile the longest, which is a real shame because I really enjoyed it.

My Day in Books

I began the day with some Quiet
before having Breakfast of Champions
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw Doors of Perception
and walked by The Tortilla Curtain
to avoid Neuromancer
but I made sure to stop at The Coast of Utopia.

In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Storyteller's Secret
and sent me to research The Natural History of Unicorns

At lunch with The Explorer's Guild
I noticed The Hangman's Daughter
playing a game of Puck of Pook's Hill


When I got home that night,
I imagined myself Star-begotten
and wondered [if] Something Happened
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about The Imperial Earth

Holland wrote: "I have read 19 of the 36 books for Mt. Vancouver, so right on track.

The Coast of Utopia and Something Happened share a link in that they both reminded me of high school literature class.

The E..." Very nice Day in Books! Thanks for checking in and good luck with the second half of 2020.

1. I have read 29 books and am 7 away from reaching the top of Mount Vancouver
2A. The Starless Sea (my favourite book I've read so far) and Rivers of London both have a body of the water in the title
2B. Station Eleven was by a new-to-me author. I think I picked the wrong time to be reading this because it's about the aftermath of a pandemic and it felt a little bit close to reality. I did enjoy it and will probably read it again when the world is calmer.
2C. The book that has been on my TBR pile the longest is Frankenstein. I added it to my shelves here when I first became really active on this site (March 2014) but I think I owned it before then. It was worth the wait.
2D. My Day in Books - I began the day with some Witchsign before having The Long Call [with] Hamlet at breakfast. On my way to work I saw The Stone Circle and walked by The Starless Sea to avoid The High Lord but I made sure to stop at Station Eleven. In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Well of Ascension and sent me to research The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. At lunch with The Hero of Ages I noticed [the] Fairest Son playing a game of Fire Above, Fire Below. When I got home that night, I imagined myself [in] Paradise Lost and wondered [about] The Gospel of Loki. Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about An Ember in the Ashes

1) 2nd quarter was better than 1st quarter, but I’m still 5 books behind the half way point for Mt. Ararat (19/48 books). I did make some headway in my mini challenge of getting through the unread books I acquired in 2015. So far I’ve read 4 and removed one from the list, so I’m down to 12 books from 2015 to finish for the second half of the year.

2A) Diary of a Murderer: And Other Stories and Wilderness Tips have a common link in that both are collections of short stories.

2C) I acquired both East of Eden and Wilderness Tips at a used book sale back in May 2015. Wilderness Tips was underwhelming, but I’m still glad I finally read it. East of Eden was very good so definitely worth the wait.

2D) My Day in Books

I began the day with some Wilderness Tips
before having [the] Well-Read Black Girl [over]
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw Still Life with Woodpecker
and walked by Where the Forest Meets the Stars
to avoid The Nakeds
but I made sure to stop at [the] Crescent Dawn.

In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Female Persuasion
and sent me to research The Authenticity Project

At lunch with The Master and Margarita
I noticed Four Friends
playing a game of Illusive

When I got home that night,
I imagined myself Under the Udala Trees
and wondered [about] Everything You Are
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about Blindness

2nd Qtr Checkpoint


1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain.
I'm exactly half way up with 18 out of 36 books read.

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.
Lady Emily Ashton in And Only to Deceive and Lila Maclean in The Semester of Our Discontent: Both characters are scholars with a sarcastic wit. Enjoyed them both.

B. Tell us about a book on the list that was new to you in some way--
Deadly Currents by Beth Groundwater - This mystery is set on the Arkansas River in Colorado and the MC is a river ranger. Tourists flock to the area for white water rafting. The descriptions of rescues, water festivals and rafting were fascinating.

C. Which book (read so far) has been on your TBR mountain the longest?
Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell - It was quite good!

D.
My Day in Books

I began the day ... [in] The Withdrawing Room
before ... [hearing] The Cuckoo's Calling
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw Deadly Currents
and walked by The Secret Garden
to avoid Wrack and Rune
but I made sure to stop at The Family Vault

In the office, my boss asked me how to use Threads of Evidence
and sent me to research Murder on the SS Rosa

At lunch with Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody
I noticed Princess Elizabeth's Spy
playing a game of Toucan Can Keep A Secret

When I got home that night,
I imagined myself [in] The City of Lies, And Only To Deceive
and wondered ... Thus Was Adonis Murdered
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about The Semester of Our Discontent

So I originally thought I might hit Mt. Kilimanjaro sometime around October. Instead I'm floating in space just above Mt. Olympus with 161. Many DNFs. Many, many DNFs.

2C. That's definitely one of the Buffyverse tie-in novels. Trouble is, I didn't start properly cataloging until 2014/15, after I'd already started collecting them, so no telling which one it is!

1. I'm almost to the peak! I've completed 33/36 books. But by the end of the year, I am hoping to make it up the next peak as well.

2C. The oldest book on my TBR that I've read so far this year is probably The Bell Jar, which I was supposed to read in high school (2006). I obviously LOVE reading, but REQUIRED reading makes me want to gag, so I'm finally reading some of the commonly assigned readings from high school. A few years ago, I read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time. I find that I appreciate these books more now than if I would have read them in high school. That is the case with The Bell Jar. So I'm glad I put it off for so long.

I've read 27 so far which means I'm well on my way up Mt. Vancouver and halfway to my total goal for the of 54 (really figured I'd cave and buy new books.) But so far, I've sticking to my OTHER goal of buying no new books, so I think I'll scale Mt. Ararat and beyond easily.
On my mountain the longest by far was John Grisham's "The Client" which links to another Grisham book I read "The Last Juror." Not sure why I'd had it on my stack so long. I've always enjoyed this author!

I have read 6 books so far which is exactly half way up my climb to Pike's Peak; right on target. Both "Ingrid Bergman" and "Having It All" were each about a strong woman and, surprisingly, both women exhibited a sense of humor.

Loving everyone's day in book! And it looks like we're all on track or better.

Alanna--Beyond Mt. Olympus. Wow, how awesome is that!

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.

I've finished 20 out of 36 books.

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.
Caressed by Ice, Mine to Possess and Hostage to Pleasure are all part of the same series (Psy-Changeling #3-5). I received the first 8 books from a friend when she moved about three years ago.

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.
The Cardigans is the beginning of a new mystery series that I'm currently obsessed with (I read the first 7 books in June).

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?
Sex, Lies, and Online Dating -- I think I've owned it about 11 years now. It was very "meh". There was nothing wrong with it. The story reminded me a lot of another book which I liked better.

D. 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 [in] The Hazel Wood
before having [an] Unbelievable breakfast

On my way to work I saw [some of] The Cardigans
and walked by [the] First Grave on the Right
to avoid The Ten Thousand Doors of January [as they would make me late]
but I made sure to stop at The Flatshare.

In the office, my boss asked me how to use [the] Emergency Contact [form]
and sent me to research Sex, Lies, and Online Dating.

At lunch with The Child Finder
I noticed The Wedding Party
playing a game of Storm Cursed

When I got home that night,
I imagined myself [in the] Aftermath
and wondered If We Were Villains
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about A Darkness Absolute

1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain (# of books read).
76! I topped my original goal mountain El Toro in June! I have made a new goal of Mount Everest!

2. Complete ONE (or more if you like) of the following:
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?
Station Eleven was purchased on Kindle in 2015. It was...not worth the wait... :/ It wasn't terrible but it was not as good as the hype I've heard over the years.

1. I've finished 35 books, so I am 58% up Mount Kilimanjaro. I am trying to hurry a bit now because I am thinking the air will be thinner near the top (when classes start back up and my boarder comes back).


2. Complete ONE (or more if you like) of the following:
A. I've mentioned it elsewhere, but both State of Fear and The Lacuna touch upon exaggerated fear and how it manipulates people. In both books, I would say the themes used to inspire fear do merit a healthy concern, but were taken way beyond healthy. Strangely enough, they came to mind today when I stumbled across the number "Ya Got Trouble (Here in River City)" on YouTube and watched Robert Preston whip up the crowd.

B. Tell us about a book on the list that was new to you in some way--

A Circle of Quiet I don't read many contemplative memoir/essay. I did like it, very much so, but I can only read it in small bites so that I have time to digest. Even so, I hope to make it through all the Crosswick Journals on my way up this mountain.

C. Which book (read so far) has been on your TBR mountain the longest? I don't keep careful track of when I acquire a book (except that since I buy mostly on Kindle nowadays, I can look it up), but I would guess the five Vesper Holly books that I read. I'm glad I read them, and they are good enough that I did not get rid of them, but they aren't my absolute favorites so far this year.

D. 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 some Deadly Deception
before having The Woman on the Orient Express (show up)
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw [a] Twisted Root
and walked by A Circle of Quiet
to avoid [being] In the Presence of Mine Enemies
but I made sure to stop at The Final Curtain.

In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Card Catalog
and sent me to research (the) Missing Joseph

At lunch with The Mysterious Mr. Quinn
I noticed Big Mike
playing a game of Amish Werewolves of Space

When I got home that night,
I imagined myself [at] Station Eleven
and wondered [about] Saving Leonardo
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about The Magician's Elephant

Sheri wrote: "1. I've finished 35 books, so I am 58% up Mount Kilimanjaro. I am trying to hurry a bit now because I am thinking the air will be thinner near the top (when classes start back up and my boarder com..."

I just finished The Mysterious Mr. Quin!

41 books - finished my first mountain, almost up the next one

Alex & Me and Ripple - both books about smart animals

The Hunt for Atlantis - new author/series - I've already read the second and look forward to more

Warbreaker (TBR since 2009) - Should have read it earlier as this is an author I love

My Day in Books

I began the day with some Hot Ink
before having [a taste of] Watermelon Snow
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw [a] Mummy Case
and walked by The Battle Of Jericho
to avoid The Vampire with the Dragon Tattoo
but I made sure to stop at [the] Cascade.

In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Merging
and sent me to research Death Hampton.

At lunch with [the] Easy Bake Coven
I noticed [a] Dark Horse
playing a game of Chasing Shadows.

When I got home that night,
I imagined myself [on] Forbidden Island
and wondered [about] Alex & Me.

Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about What Tomorrow Brings.

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.

39 books finished, so a little over halfway up El Toro and right on track!
Intricate math:
39 of 75 books is 52 %.
Real-life El Toro is 6,380 meters high.

52 % of 6,380 m is 3,317.6 m.

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.

Every now and then (not too often, and not in too close succession) I enjoy reading Karen Rose's romantic suspense thrillers. I love her method of making supporting characters from earlier novels the stars in their own, also because despite all their romance-novel physical perfection, they are genuinely likeable, strong characters, and I always find myself rooting for them; plus, Rose really knows how to rack up the suspense, and the romance plot never takes precedence over the thriller plot.
This year I read several Rose books but also another book, Cold Light of Day, which I got for free on a Kindle promo last year or so. It wasn't until well into the book that I realized that the author of that book uses exactly the same method, and writes in exactly the same genre. I had no idea when I first got the book.

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.

That would be The Fifth Season. Got it for Christmas last year, and although I do enjoy the occasional fantasy or science fiction book, I can't remember ever having read anything that is such a unique blend of both while at the same time being of higher literary value than genre fiction usually is. The author, N.K. Jemisin, is a WOC, and she is such a terrific writer, I regret I didn't discover her earlier!
Another really unique book was The Ten Thousand Doors of January. What a wonderfully intricate, beautifully written story!

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?

That would be Das Teufelsloch. It's been sitting on my Kindle for ages. I used to inhale this author's books when I was a teenager, and this one I got mainly for reasons of nostalgia. It's not bad, but it's also not one of his best ones. Still it's nice I've finally gotten to read that one, too.

D. 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.

I'm going to try and use only English titles here (I read a mix of German and English and sometimes Spanish):

My Day in Books

I began the day with some Deep Storm
before having [tea at the] Dollhouse
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw Ruth's First Christmas Tree
and walked by Abaddon's Gate
to avoid [the] Cold Light of Day
but I made sure to stop at Ninth and Nowhere.

In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Ten Thousand Doors of January
and sent me to research What Alice Forgot.

At lunch with The Silent Patient
I noticed The Last Survivor
playing a game of He Said/She Said.

When I got home that night,
I imagined myself [at] The Agatha Christie Book Club
and wondered [whether] Two Can Keep a Secret.

Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about Where We Land.

I just finished my 60th TBR book, putting me 60% of the way up Mount Everest. That's 5308.8 metres up!

I've read quite a few NK Jemison books this year too, still need to finish that Trilogy Conny!

I found Checkpoint #2 a lot sooner than I found the first one. I've reached the top of Mt. Vancouver and at 46/48 on the way to the top of Mt. Ararat, so will probably be somewhere up on Mt. Kilimanjaro for checkpoint #3.

The book that has been on my shelf the longest was The Ex-Factor which I got at a book sale in 2012. It was just okay and there was probably a reason it didn't get read any sooner.

My Day in Books

I began the day with some Wedding Cake Crumble
before having Toxic Toffee
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw A Killer Collection
and walked by [the] Odessa Sea
to avoid [the] Secret Agent Girl
but I made sure to stop at A Dangerous Place.

In the office, my boss asked me how to use French Silk
and sent me to research [the] Dogs and Goddesses

At lunch with [the] Apprentice Father
I noticed [the] Twenties Girl
playing a game of Sucker Punch


When I got home that night,
I imagined myself Read to Death
and wondered [about] The Face of a Stranger
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about Any Man of Mine

I have finished my climb of El Toro and am 96/100 of the way to the peak of Mt. Everest :-)

I have read 29 of the 48 books for Mt. Ararat, so am doing well. I have read 30 books, but one was a new release, so it doesn't count toward my climb.

Mrs. Bixby's Last Day and A Man Called Ove share a link in that they both have main characters who experience a life changing event/events.

Never Let Me Go took place in a country which I have never been to. The story line was also different than anything I have ever read before.

A Man Called Ove has been on my pile the longest. It didn't look as exciting as other books so I kept putting it off. I ended up really enjoying it!

My Day in Books

I began the day with some Turtles All the Way Down
before having The Best School Year Ever
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw Coraline
and walked by The Book of M
to avoid A Man Called Ove
but I made sure to stop at The Institute.

In the office, my boss asked me how to use Little Fires Everywhere
and sent me to research The Hunger Games.

At lunch with 13
I noticed 1
playing a game of Never Let Me Go.


When I got home that night,
I imagined myself Sold on a Monday
and wondered [about] An Anonymous Girl.
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about Defending Jacob.

1. I'm 31 books in, so I'm halfway to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro! Right on track, it seems.

2. A. Both "Sorcery of Thorns" by Margaret Rogerson and "Stepsister" by Jennifer Donnelly were surprising books that I didn't expect to love as much as I did and to get hooked and fly through so quickly! Also, they both feature strong female protagonists who are more than they seem and will go through a journey to save themselves and their world against all odds.

B. "Every Heart a Doorway" by Seanan McGuire - my first contact with this author's writing and I loved it. I enjoyed the feel of this book, the magic, the mystery, and how diverse the characters are. The concept of the story is really interesting and had me reflecting on growing up, parental expectations, and what it means to be 'different' from what society expects.

C. "Never Never part 1." by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher has been on my TBR since 2014...well, it was an ok book and I'm still reading through the other two parts, but what I read so far was enjoyable and intriguing, all the drama aside. I can't exactly say it was worth the wait and I should definitely have read it sooner because I feel it would be very 2015 me, but I'm liking it.

D. My Day in Books

I began the day with some Persuasion
before having [to take] The Pledge
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw Strange The Dreamer
and walked by Elantris
to avoid American Gods
but I made sure to stop at The Scorpio Races

In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Price Guide to the Occult
and sent me to research The Wicked King

At lunch with [my]Stepsister
I noticed Jackaby
playing a game of One Dark Throne


When I got home that night,
I imagined myself [in] The Secret City
and wondered [if] Every Heart a Doorway
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about The Distance Between Us

Kudos to everyone for their Day in Books. They are so creative and fun to read! 😀

I am doing well with my (upgraded) climb. I have finished 22 of 24 and am wondering about moving up again...

I agree with Nell, it's fun reading everyone's Day in Books! Here's mine:

I began the day with some Poison in Paddington
before having Croissants & Corruption
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw [a] Still Life with Murder
and walked by The End of the Lane
to avoid The Haunted House Ghost
but I made sure to stop at The Cracked Spine.

In the office, my boss asked me how to use [the] Unbreakable Bond
and sent me to research The Case of the Flashing Fashion Queen

At lunch with [the] Glad One
I noticed One Deadly Sister
playing a game of Just Deserts


When I got home that night,
I imagined myself Dead in the Water
and wondered [about] The Maine Event
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about The Deep End

1. I'm at 34 out of 36 books on Mt. Vancouver. When I finish this one, I'll probably go on to Mt. Ararat (48 books).

2. Tombstone Tea by Joanne Dahme has been on my list for about ten years. I got an ARC copy during a library reading challenge a long time ago. I don't know why I didn't read it sooner. It's a good book.

I'm still at 7/12 books. Conquering the TBR has become harder than ever: My boyfriend is no help at all, showing me new books all the time and taking me to book shops ... it seems I will be part of this little challenge for some years to come :D

The longest book I picked up yet has been Doomsday Book. It was a real Schmöker, absolutely worth every page.

Thanks everyone for checking in! You're doing great and I love reading your Days in Books.

1. I am nearly a third of the way up Pike's Peak, with 3.5 of 12 books read.

The pandemic has been tough on my reading generally. I veer between reading a lot and being unable to stay focused. I have done quite a bit of rereading old favorites, because I find it comforting to revisit a familiar story. As a blogger, I've also got a lot of current review copies to get through, which hasn't left me as much time for reading all the unread books that have been on my shelves for a year or more.

2. A) Two books I have read that feel related to me are Winterwood by Jacey Bedford and An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole. (I'm actually about 2/3 of the way through the latter.) Although they seem very different on the surface, both books feature strong women who have stepped outside their traditional role, and who are initially mistrustful and suspicious of the men with whom they eventually fall in love. Both books also take place in the historical past (Winterwood is historical fantasy), and both deal with the issue of slavery (although in Winterwood, the enslaved are a form of Fae, rather than human beings.) Incidentally, thank you for this question, because I'm not sure I would have noticed the similarities otherwise!

C) Of the books I have read so far, Winterwood has been on the TBR the longest... and I very much wish I had read it earlier. If you ask me which book I haven't read that has been languishing on the TBR shelves the longest, I honestly have no idea.

I don't know how I missed this post! I'm going to answer at the point of July 1st for me. I read 33 of the 48 books for my goal. I'm on track, but slowing down drastically.


The book on my TBR mountain longest for this checkpoint is The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem that I bought in May 2004. Was it worth the wait, nope! At least it's no longer on my bookshelf though, happy about that.


My Day in Books:

I began the day with some The End of the Affair
before having Men Explain Things to Me
at breakfast.

On my way to work I saw Why David Sometimes Wins
and walked by Deep Creek
to avoid The Turner House
but I made sure to stop at The Wildlands

In the office, my boss asked me how to use The Fortress of Solitude
and sent me to research The Death of the Banker

At lunch with [my] Cuz
I noticed What Kind of Girl
playing a game of Feminine Mystique

When I got home that night,
I imagined myself [at] Such a Fun Age
and wondered [about] All The Wild That Remains
Finally, I went to bed and dreamed about The Book that Matters Most

I've finished 23 out of 24 books for my Mount Blanc goal. I was hoping to start with Mt. Blanc and climb up during the year, but because of Covid-19, I wasn't able to read much during the last few months.

I'm hoping to climb one step higher and update my goal to 36 books as soon as I finish that 24th book.

I've read several books from 2017. My oldest books (which I remember purchasing in a specific year) are from 2015 but no progress was made there.

I could've definitely read them in 2017 but back then I was buying more than I could read, so they were tossed to the pile and then forgotten.

Ezgi wrote: "I was buying more than I could read, so they were tossed to the pile and then forgotten..."

Story of my life!!! lol.

Just realised that this post was up so I'm a bit late to it.

By June 30th, I'd read 24 books - so halfway up Mount Ararat.

A book on the list that was by a new to me author - and in a genre I don't normally read - was The Secret Diary of Hendrick Groen. I really enjoyed it, it lifted my spirits and made me feel so much better about lockdown!

The book that has been on my TBR the longest that I've read now would be No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay. I couldn't even tell you how long I've had it - but it's been many years!