Mount TBR 2021 discussion
Mt. Kilimanjaro (60 books)
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When not in Narnia Karen wants to climb Kilimanjaro! COMPLETED 31/05/2021
LOVE the wheel idea! I started using a "Hunger Games" simulator this year so I can have my books competing for the chance of being read...it's been entertaining and with good results so far.
I love the idea of a Hunger Games simulator! I just need an incentive as books get lost...Elyse and Bev- thanks for your comments and I wish you both good fortune with your TBRs.
This is just a random list of unread books on my shelves that I think I am more likely than other unread books to get rid of once I have read them - I urgently need some space! I would love to read half of them next year but we will see.1. Juliette Benzoni – One Love is Enough
2. Owen Jones – The Establishment and How they Get Away With It
3.
4. Morgan Matson – Since You’ve Been Gone
5. Park Honan – Christopher Marlowe: Poet and Spy
6.
7. David R. Smock – Interfaith Dialogue and Peace Building
8.
9.
10. Jacqueline Rose – Woman in Dark Times
11. Clare Clark – Savage Lands
12. Dave Robinson – Introducing Political Philosophy
13. Dave Robinson – Introducing Philosophy
14. Robert Appignanesi – Postmodernism for Beginners
15.
16. Harper Lee – Go Set a Watchman
17. Elizabeth Jane Howard – The Beautiful Visit
18. Rafik Schami – The Dark Side of Love
19. Helen Kirkman – Embers
20. Polly Samson – Out of the Picture
21.
22. Mary Webb – Gone to Earth
23. Kate Williams – The Edge of the Fall
24. C.J. Sansom – Dissolution
25. Peter Frankopan – The Silk Roads
26. Philip Ziegler – Olivier
27. Melanie M. Jeschke – Inklings
28.
29. Gerald Durrell – Rosy is My Relative
30. Susan Shwartz – Byzantium’s Crown
31.
32. Margaret Campbell Barnes – The King’s Bed
33. Deborah Alun-Jones – The Wry Romance of the Literary Rectory
34. Julia O’Faolain – Women in the Wall
35. Tobias Jones – The Dark Heart of Italy
36. M.M. Postan – Mediaeval Trade and Finance
37.
38.
39.
40. Dan Brophy – Catherine of Siena: A Passionate Life
41. Erik Roth – With Bended Bow
42. Don Hannah – The Wise and Foolish Virgins
43.
44. Kate Muir – Arms and the Woman
45. Margaret Drabble – The Millstone
46. Carlo Lucarelli – Carte Blanche
47. Jennie Melamed – Gather the Daughters
48. Lesley Allen – The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir
49.
50.
51. Lorna Gibb – West’s World
52. Isobel Allen – Teenage Mothers’ Decisions and Outcomes
53.
54. David Arnold – Mosquitoland
55.
56. Lucy Christopher – Stolen
57.
58. Sandra Scoppettone – Everything You Have is Mine
59. Sandra Scoppettone – I’ll Be Leaving You Always
60. Azar Nafisi – Reading Lolita in Tehran
61. Jane Aiken Hodge – Strangers in Company
62. Lucinda Riley – The Angel Tree
63. Meg Rosoff – How I Live Now
64. Jenn Bennett – Kindling the Moon
65. Karen Swan – The Rome Affair
66.
67. Junior R. Campbell – The Bible: Beauty and Terror Reconciled
68. Laura Steven – The Exact Opposite of Okay
69. Peter Woods – Gender and Ethnicity in Schools
70. Nathalie Abi-Ezzi – A Girl Made from Dust
71.
72.
73.
74.
75. Jennifer Crusie – Crazy for You
76. Catherine Coulter – Warrior’s Song
77. Eva Figes – The Tree of Knowledge
78.
79. Naomi Alderman – The Power
80.
81.
82.
Here are my January spins:1: Highest rated book (highest rated book with at least 25 ratings) - Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon. (4.58 - 20,343 ratings)
2. Lowest rated Book (like highest, needs to have at least 25 ratings) - The Tower by Alessandro Gallenzi (2.42 - 31 ratings)
3. Living Room 2 - The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant.
4. History - Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia: Brother and Sister of History's Most Vilified Family by Samantha Morris
I had already planned to read the Samantha Morris book in January so I am glad I could fit that in. I have read The Birth of Venus before (but not since joining GR which is why it is eligible to be on this list) and I know I enjoyed it previously. I am actually quite excited by The Tower even though it is on my potential to go list above. BUT I JUST KNEW STYX WAS GOING TO TURN UP. BUT AS MY FIRST SPIN? I am expecting to love this book but I have heard it "retells" a lot of the story of Acheron's book and that is my favourite paranormal book of all time. So, I might get hurt here. I bought it when it first came out in paperback and have been unable to nerve myself to read it. I suppose the good news is that I can carry on with the rest of the Dark Hunter books when I have finished it...Pain. Lots of pain potentially coming my way.
Additions to Mount TBR in January 2020. (I will cross them out if I read them). Hoping if I have to keep updating this it might put me off buying books...Although they will all count for this challenge...in 2022.
Physical Books Acquired
1. Indigo Or Mapping The Waters by Marina Warner.
2.
Preordered. 3.
Read March 2021.Physical Book Freebies
1. Sue Barton, Neighborhood Nurse by Helen Dore Boylston. No picture on GR. Acquired from a book crossing hub.
Kindle Freebies
1. Gerta: A Novel by Kateřina Tučková.
Amazon First Read.2. West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge.
Amazon First Read.3. Lost Boys by Eva Ashwood.
Free on Amazon.4. Dirty Lie by K. Walker.
. Free on Amazon.5.
6. Iberian World Empires and the Globalization of Europe 1415–1668 by Bartolomé Yun Casalilla.
7. Dark King by C.N. Crawford.
8. Like A Memory by Abbi Glines.
Kindle Purchases
1. Pretty Reckless by L.J. Shen.
Quite a few of her books are 99p today. I bought three.2. Scandalous by L.J. Shen.
3. Bane by L.J. Shen.
4. Riot Rules by Callie Hart.
I enjoyed the first book in this series.5.
6.
Pre-ordered. Read March.7.
8. Stroke of Midnight by K. Webster.
Darn, I cannot resist books for 99p.9.
Read September 2021.10. Women Without Mercy by Camilla Lackberg.
. Pre-order.11.
Read February 2021.12.
13.
Pre-order. Read September 2021.
1. The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer.
5 stars. I used to read a Georgette Heyer as my first book of the year, then after I read them all (apart from her suppressed contemporaries) I read books I had read before and rated 5 stars. This year I combined the two traditions. This is one of my favourites by this author. There are faults; the dialogue could often be improved and the balance between her main characters is not quite right - we spend more time with Richard and Lavinia than we do with the hero Jack and heroine Diana - but her portrayal of the Duke of Andover is fascinating and the story is a fun romp. Just the thing to start the year. The ultimate comfort read.
On TBR since... not sure. My edition is from 2004 and I had definitely read it before I joined GR in 2010 as I already had this marked as a re-read. I don't think I owned it before 2006 at the earliest.
2. The Divine Comedy, Vol. 1: Inferno by Dante.
5 stars. I studied The Inferno at university and this is my first reread since. I love this. It is so interesting and thought provoking. Onwards to Purgatory which I never read.
On TBR since I read it in Winter 2003 for a course. Purchased on 22/10/2003. I still have a faded receipt inside.
3. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant. Cover image does not match my edition.4 stars. I bought this book new, got rid of it when I moved and then rebought it as I couldn't believe I had got rid of it. Sigh. This often happens. This is the first Sarah Dunant book I ever read and it is still one of my favourite Renaissance-Italy-set novels. I don't usually like art-based stories, so this is quite an unusual book for me to like.
On TBR since see above.
4. Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia: Brother and Sister of History's Most Vilified Family by Samantha Morris.
4 stars. A good introduction to the two most famous of the Borgia siblings. This is easy-to-read and enjoyable. I think it could have been better edited and the author should have stressed more of the black legend as it affected Lucrezia.
On TBR since I pre-ordered it on 06/03/2020 and it came out towards the end of last year.
5. The Tower by Alessandro Gallenzi.
3 stars. So this is my lowest rated physically owned book with at least 25 ratings. I can see why it has been rated so low as for a book in The Da Vinci Code style it is quite unadventurous and not a lot happens. However, I quite liked the author's style of writing and the idea behind the book. It just did not quite work.
On TBR since 07/01/2018.
6. The Hurlyburly's Husband by Jean Teulé.
3 stars. This was an interestingly written book about the Marquis de Montespan. A bit strange and the characters become increasingly unlikeable - the atmosphere of the court at Versailles poisons even from a distance!
On TBR since 07/01/2018.
7. Murder In Midwinter by Fleur Hitchcock.
4 stars. A highly enjoyable "middle grade" crime novel which was much better than I thought it would be. Also, partly set in Wales which was a bonus.
On TBR since 26/12/2020.
8. Oroonoko, The Rover, and Other Works by Aphra Behn.
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. My favourite text was The Rover.
On TBR since 23/11/2017.
9. An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn.
5 stars. Continuing on with my Bridgerton re-read. I loved this one. I am a sucker for a Cinderella plot and I loved Sophie. The Dowager shines in this one.
On Kindle TBR since 07/12/2019 although I binged these one Christmas somewhere between 2005 and 2009.
10. Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden.
5 stars. I did not expect to like this so much but I really clicked with Rumer Godden's prose. It was beautiful; descriptive but not over-the-top. The storyline was great and I want to re-read this book already!
On TBR since 24/12/2020.
11. Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
4 stars. This was the book I was so worried about. It is true the author has re-written much of "Acheron" and she kind of rips many people off their pedestals, but it could have been worse. She has basically upped the torture count from Acheron's book in order to make us feel more sorry for Styxx than Acheron. In doing so she makes Acheron a bit of a douche. I guess this was kind of inevitable due to the plots she had already developed. (Ignoring his brother for over 11,000 years because he believes Artemis...hmm). I think it was good to see both sides to the story but not quite enough was done to balance out the two characters. It is fine to take Ash down off his pedestal but not to present him so negatively, after we have spent 20-odd books viewing him as the hero.
Also, I cried during Acheron (including re-reads) but not during this book. Too much of it was a rehash from a different perspective of the events of previous books. And the ending is tied up too quickly.
The next few books in the series had better be relevant to the main story arc because one thing I was getting sick of in the series was books about irrelevant characters.
I reserve the right to change my rating if the next time I read Acheron, I don't cry.
On TBR since 23/03/2014.
12. Sworn to the Shadow God by Ruby Dixon.
4 stars. The last book I read in 2020 was the first book in this series. Fantasy romance is not usually my thing but I loved the first book. They are both a little too long, and I don't think that this one was quite as good. But I am very keen on reading the third book when it is released.
On TBR since 31/12/2020.
I have climbed Pike's Peak.
13. An Intelligent Person's Guide To Catholicism by Alban McCoy. Not my cover.3 stars. I found the section on the seven deadly sins the most useful.
On TBR since approx 25/07/2017.
JANUARYTotal number of Books read: 27
Total number qualifying for this challenge: 13
JANUARY CHALLENGE
I read all 4 books.
FEBRUARY SPINS
1. Bully/Mafia - Unmasked Heart by Veronica Eden.
2. Historical Romance - Romancing Mr Bridgerton by Julia Quinn.
3. Classic - Tom Jones by Henry Fielding.
4. Re-read a book - These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer.
The wheel has given me nice categories that I can fit books I want to read next month into. Unmasked Heart was a freebie from December that I really want to get to and Romancing Mr Bridgerton allows me to continue my re-read of the Bridgerton books. More Heyer is also appreciated and I need to read Tom Jones for another group anyway.
From previous challenges:
Victor Hugo - Les Misérables from March 2020.
James M. Powell (ed.) - The Deeds of Innocent III from October 2020.
Alan Savage - Ottoman from December 2020.
Additions to Mount TBR in February 2021.(I will cross them out if I read them). Hoping if I have to keep updating this it might put me off buying books...Although they will all count for this challenge...in 2022.
Physical Books Acquired
Physical Book Freebies
1. The Five and the knights' treasure by Claude Voilier.
The first continuation of the Famous Five I have found secondhand. I loved these as a child. I found quite a haul at the book crossings I visit - see books 1-8 below.2. My Secret Admirer by Carol Ellis.
One of my favourite Point Horrors as a young teen.3. Beach House by R.L. Stine.
Not one of my favourite PHs but I am keen to re-read it..4. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Incorrect cover.
5.
Read October-November 2021.6. Another Part of the Wood by Beryl Bainbridge.
7. At Mrs. Lippincote's by Elizabeth Taylor. Incorrect cover.
8.
9.
Read October-November 2021.10. Theodora Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy.
11. The Purple Shroud by Stella Duffy.
Kindle Freebies
1. Wings of Fury by Emily R. King.
Amazon First Read.2. Taunt Her by Caitlyn Dare.
3. The Silver Swan by Amo Jones.
Kindle Purchases
1. The Jeeves Omnibus Vol. 2: Right Ho, Jeeves / Joy in the Morning / Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse.
99p books again.2.
3. Fake It 'Til You Break It by Meaghan Brandy.
14. And the Weak Suffer What They Must?: Europe, Austerity and the Threat to Global Stability by Yanis Varoufakis.
3 stars. I went through a stage a few years ago of buying political related books. This was interesting but I am never going to reread it.
On TBR since approx. 25/07/2017.
15. Unmasked Heart by Veronica Eden.
3 stars. This novella could have done with being a little longer. I really enjoyed the beginning but felt it lost steam and tried to cram too much into the epilogues.
On Kindle TBR since 31/12/2020. Literally the last thing I bought last year.
16. Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn. Not my cover.5 stars. Still my favourite of the Bridgerton books. Unless any of the remaining 4 surprise me on a re-read.
On Kindle TBR since 29/01/2015 although I have read it previously.
17. The Lion's World: A Journey Into the Heart of Narnia by Rowan Williams.
4 stars. I love, love, love this book but I won't give it 5 stars because I want MORE! A brief but meaningful look at the Christian themes of the Narnia series.
On TBR since 2012? I have read it at least 3 times.
18. These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer.
5 stars. One of my all-time favourite Georgette Heyer novels. Perfect for the Valentine's weekend.
On TBR since somewhere between 2006 and 2010 because I had read it several times before I joined GR.
19. The Medieval Art Of Love: Objects And Subjects Of Desire by Michael Camille.
4 stars. A look at the portrayal of love in the Middle Ages as portrayed in art and via artefacts. It has changed alot!
On TBR since 14/04/2020.
20. An Honourable Estate by Elizabeth Ashworth.
3 stars (Just). I thought I would love this book. I really enjoyed the only other book I have read by this author, The de lacy Inheritance, but this book just fell flat. The characterisation was poor and there was not enough description for my taste.
On Kindle TBR since 29/08/2014.
21. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding.
3 stars. Took me half the month to get through the first 300 pages. After Tom Jones is disowned then the story picks up, but overall it is quite uneven.
On TBR for years. I bought it from Borders! Previously abandoned at about page 230.
22. Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani.
4 stars. I always enjoy Adriana Trigiani's books but I want to love them so much more than I do. This one features a woman who basically gets nothing she wanted from life. The descriptions are very good and Trigiani is great at creating atmosphere.
On TBR since 11/08/2018.
FEBRUARYTotal number of Books read: 20
Total number qualifying for this challenge: 9
FEBRUARY CHALLENGE
I read all 4 books.
MARCH SPINS
1. TBR Veteran - Warwick the Kingmaker - Michael Hicks
2. Religion - The Historical Figure of Jesus - E.P. Sanders
3. Religion - A New History of Early Christianity - Charles Freeman
4. Religion - Kinship and Marriage in Genesis - Naomi Steinberg
Excuse me when I pick my jaw up from the floor. Religion turning up 3 times!!! I always try to read more religious-themed books during Lent and Holy Week so it is well timed...but three times! And Warwick the Kingmaker is a long standing joke on my annual wrap up...looks like I will be reading this year. I have owned it since the last century! (Technically I have not read all of my copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare...although I have read most of it...or the Riverside Chaucer either...but I never count complete works for these things and these are the only things from pre-2000 that I own and have not read 100% of... I believe).
From previous challenges:
Victor Hugo - Les Misérables from March 2020.
James M. Powell (ed.) - The Deeds of Innocent III from October 2020.
Alan Savage - Ottoman from December 2020.
Additions to Mount TBR in March 2021.(I will cross them out if I read them). Hoping if I have to keep updating this it might put me off buying books...Although they will all count for this challenge...in 2022.
Physical Books Acquired
1. The Restless Kings: Henry II, His Sons and the Wars for the Plantagenet Crown by Nick Barrett.
2. Seeking the Absolute Love: The Founders of Christian Monasticism by Mayeul De Dreuille. No cover.
3.
4.
Physical Book Freebies
1. Gothic Art by Michael Camille.
Present from my boyfriend.2. The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser.
Book crossing.3. The Europeans by Henry James. No cover. Book crossing. UNHAULED AS I DISCOVERED MY PARTNER HAS IT.
4. The Girl at the Lion d'Or by Sebastian Faulks. Wrong cover. Book crossing.
5. The Sandcastle by Iris Murdoch.
Gift from boyfriend.Kindle Freebies
1. The Light Through the Leaves by Glendy Vanderah.
Amazon First Reads pick.2. Hating You by JL Beck and C Hallman.
Kindle freebie.3. Dear Ava by Isa Madden-Mills.
4. Slateview High: The Complete Box Set by Eva Ashwood.
5. Sweet Obsession by Callie Rose.
6. Wicked Liars by Laura Lee.
7. Hidden Lies by Lydia Reeves.
8. Hidden River Academy by KT Strange.
Kindle Purchases
1.
One of my favourite authors. Been waiting for this one!2.
Pre-order.3. Lords of Pain by Angel Lawson.
4. Twisted Cravings by Cora Reilly.
Hmm...still need to read book 5.5. Sagittarius by Gemma James.
Pre-order.6. Ruthless Knight by Ashley Jade.
Bought after I finished the first book in the series.7. The Death Club by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti.
Spin-off of a series I loved by them.8.
9. Wreak Havoc by Eva Ashwood.
10. Love Hard by Eva Ashwood.
I was determined not to start this series until all the books had been published...looking forward to reading it.11. Married to a Mistress by Lynne Graham.
23. Kinship and Marriage in Genesis by Naomi Steinberg.
4 stars. An intriguing look at the changing economic patterns shown by the marriages in Genesis.
On TBR since 13/06/2018.
24. Is This Your Life?: Images Of Women In The Media ed Josephine King and Mary Stott. No cover.
3 stars. An intriguing look at women in the media in the 1970s when there was only one female newsreader on the BBC etc. Many changes, many for the better. Not sure there has been much progress in music with the increased pornification of female musicians.
On TBR since 26/05/2019.
I have climbed Mount Blanc.
25. Bad Blood: A Memoir by Lorna Sage. Not my cover.4 stars. I first came across this at university. I loved it but it got "temporarily put down" and then unhauled due to work pressures. I have finally finished it. Gorgeous prose and very interesting.
On TBR since I picked this copy up in 2017.
26. In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware.
3 stars. Kind of Meh. This is my second Ruth Ware book and I enjoyed it but it was not as good as I hoped it would be.
On TBR since 2020 but I forgot to add it to GR.
27. The Murder of Harriet Monckton by Elizabeth Haynes.
4 stars. A fictionalised account of a real-life Victorian-era murder that was never solved. This was very well written and interesting.
On TBR since 13/09/2020.
28. Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer.
5 stars. One of my all time favourite Georgette Heyer novels; which means it is one of my favourite novels of all time. Totally absorbing with fantastic dialogue. The Sequel to These Old Shades (above).
On TBR since somewhere between 2006 and 2010 because I had read it several times before I joined GR.
29. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.
4 stars. This is a really innovative book. It is an intriguing take on a traditional country house murder plot. Possibly a little too long?
On TBR since 13/07/2020.
30. Cruel Prince by Ashley Jade.
4 stars. (Just). Just talk to each other! Also slightly irritating female main character - sometimes she was strong and great to read about and sometimes (basically anytime Jace was in the room) her brain might as well have melted and created puddles around her feet. But I liked the secondary characters and the writing and the first half of the book in particular was gripping. The second book should be even better.
On Kindle TBR since 19/05/2020.
31. The Historical Figure of Jesus by EP Sanders.
4 stars. I really valued the chapters setting the context for Jesus's world; describing the Herodian dynasties and the probable limits of Roman influence in the varying areas around the Dead Sea. The only chapter I did not really like was the epilogue on the resurrected Christ. He seems to include it because he feels he ought to but feels it is out of scope to actually discuss it in great detail. It read a little awkward.
On TBR since somewhere between July 2015 and May 2016.
32. Slavery Now And Then edited by Danny Smith.
4 stars. A thought provoking volume mixing modern accounts of slavery with a description of the Middle Passage and how Britain came to ban the slave trade and then slavery in all its lands.
On TBR since 07/03/2020.
33. La Reine Margot by Alexandre Dumas.
4 stars. Well-paced adventure story, marred by paper-thin characters. Lots of poisonings, murders, attempted murders, affairs (and the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre) and a great villainess in the form of Catherine de Medici (there is no challenging of her Black Legend here). I found the character of Charles IX the most interesting.
Even though I like the book the movie is amazing and I highly recommend it.
On TBR since I bought this copy on 27/11/2017 but I used to own the previous Oxford World Classics edition and I think I read it 2005 - 2008ish.
34. Blow Your House Down by Pat Barker. I have the older cover.
4 stars. Like Union Street by her, Pat Barker focuses on multiple work-class narrators in this book, this time the majority are prostitutes working at a time when a serial killer is on the lose, killing prostitutes. Instead of focusing on the police catching the murderer the author focuses on his potential victims, highlighting the sense of community and strength these women have. There is a horrifying point where the women realise that the police care nothing for them at all and are merely using them as bait.
On TBR since 22/09/2018.
35. To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn.
4 stars. The last time I read the Bridgerton series was over Christmas many years ago and I binge-read the books over 2 or 3 days. I remember being very disappointed in this book when I first read it. We go from the best Bridgerton book (book 4 Penelope and Colin) to a mediocre one. it is still better than the first in the series though. And the amount of Americanisms in these books are really starting to annoy me.
On Kindle TBR since 11/12/2020 although I have read it before.
36. The Divine Comedy, Vol. 2: Purgatory by Dante. Edited by Mark Musa. Wrong cover.5 stars. Less accessible than the Inferno, but (obviously) has a more optimistic tone as everyone will (eventually) get to Heaven. Sad to see Virgil leave off his guide duties and Beatrice...was not what I was expecting.
On TBR since Winter 2003. I purchased it separately to the Inferno but did not actually end up needing to read it for my studies...and somehow never picked it up.
I have now reached the top of Mount Vancouver.
MARCHTotal number of Books read: 26
Total number qualifying for this challenge: 14
MARCH CHALLENGE
I failed. I read Kinship and Marriage in Genesis and The Historical Figure of Jesus and have started A New History of Early Christianity but have not yet begun Warwick the Kingmaker.
APRIL SPINS
1. Random Phyiscal: The Crusade of Frederick Barbarossa: The History of the Expedition of the Emperor Frederick and Related Texts
2. Over 500 Pages: Phantom by Susan Kay.
3. Romance: Twisted Hearts by Cora Reilly.
4. Month 2019: 1 of Maya Angelou - I Know Why the Caged Bird sings, Sheila Hocken -Emma and I or Emma VIP, David Arnold - Mosquitoland, Dulce Maria Cardoso- The Return, Beth Revis - Across the Universe, Lavinia Byrne - Women at the Altar or Stephen Greenblatt - The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve.
From previous challenges:
Victor Hugo - Les Misérables from March 2020.
James M. Powell (ed.) - The Deeds of Innocent III from October 2020.
Alan Savage - Ottoman from December 2020.
Michael Hicks - Warwick the Kingmaker from March 2021.
Charles Freeman - A New History of Early Christianity from March 2021.
I made it part of my Lent challenge to read as many books as I could that I thought I might get rid off...and library books. I am very satisfied with the number of books read even if I did not complete the challenge.
Additions to Mount TBR in April 2021.(I will cross them out if I read them). Hoping if I have to keep updating this it might put me off buying books...Although they will all count for this challenge...in 2022.
Physical Books Acquired
1.
Read May 2021.2. Corinne, or Italy by Germaine de Staël.
3. The King Amaz'd by Gonzalo Torrente Ballester.
4. Celebrating Diversity by Atul K. Shah.
5. What's Right with Feminism by Elaine Storkey.
6. The Sovereignty of Good by Iris Murdoch.
7. Introducing Redemption in Christian Feminism by Rosemary R. Ruether.
8. Women in the Ministry of Jesus: A Study of Jesus' Attitudes to Women and Their Roles as Reflected in His Earthly Life by Ben Witherington III.
9. The Gospel Beyond the Gospels byTrevor Dennis.
10. Anne Bronte by Betty Jay.
Next three from PS Books.11. Shakespeare's Strangest Tales by Iain Spragg.
12. The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost.
Physical Book Freebies
1. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
2. Finding Colin Firth by Mia March.
3. The World According To Garp by John Irving. Wrong cover.
4. The Crucible by Arthur Miller.
5. The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley.
6. Devil's Day by Andrew Michael Hurley.
7.
. Read May 2021.8. The Silver Pigs by Lindsay Davis.
9. The Dark Crystal by ACH Smith.
10.
Read June 2021.11.
Read May 2021.12. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.
13. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Benett.
13-18 are gifts from my partner.14. The Beach at Falesa by Dylan Thomas. No cover.
15. That Uncertain Feeling by Kingsley Amis. No cover.
16. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by PD James. No cover.
17. Devices and Desires by PD James.
18. The Serious Game by Hjalmar Söderberg.
Kindle Freebies
1. Only the Pretty Lies by Rebekah Crane.
Amazon First Read.Kindle Purchases
1. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn.
2.
3. Campfire Chaos by K. Webster.
4. Hood River Zero by K. Webster.
5.
6.
Read July 2021.7. The Heir by Sophie Lark.
8. Badly Behaved by Meaghan Brandy.
9. Brutal King by Nikita.
10. The Devil Wears Black by L.J. Shen.
11.
12. This Is Shakespeare by Emma Smith.
13.
Read May 2021.14. Across the Universe by Beth Revis.
Yes, I owned the paperback. But I am trying to cut down on the physical fiction books I own that are not absolute favourites. And I could not source the 2 follow ups through a library so bought them on Kindle...no point having the 2nd and 3rd volumes without the 1st.
37. Conclave by Robert Harris. Different cover.4 stars. This was a highly enjoyable read. I loved the claustrophobic setting, the OTT personalities and the comparison between the ideal religious leader and the naked campaigning and jostling for power. Good ending.
On TBR since 01/09/2018.
38. Hood River Rat by K. Webster.
4 stars. I had read a sample of this in an anthology but this was better than I was expecting. I don't really read MM so this was a little different for me. I really liked the character of Hollis and the setting although I downloaded the next book and it starts getting a little OTT.
On Kindle TBR since 15/04/2020.
39. The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer.
5 stars. Another of my favourite Georgette Heyer's re-read. I was planning on reading Regency Buck but inexplicably it is round my parents' and I cannot access it because of lockdown. So... more Georgian OTT adventures. I love these. I wish she had written more of them. And Sir Anthony Fanshawe is one of my favourite Heyer heroes.
On TBR since 2006ish plus. Re-read several times but inexplicably not since 2011!
40. Foxlowe by Eleanor Wasserberg.
2 stars. Picked up because of the beautiful cover and it did not pay off. It didn't quite work for me. Ultimately, this is a sad book. Green wants desperately to be loved, but most of her relationships are one-sided. And she is the last believer in a cult which it is obvious to the reader has seriously damaged her. Her life has been a horror but she is unable to perceive this.
On TBR since 26/12/2020.
41. Twisted Hearts by Cora Reilly.
3 stars. I think the Camorra Chronicles are my favourite series by Cora Reilly, despite the fact that I disliked Remo's story arc and I especially disliked that book 4 was mainly a replay of that same darn storyline from a different perspective. But books 1 and 2 were really good.
On the plus side, this book does not retell Remo's storyline again. A huge plus. On the other hand, there is too much of Gemma's childhood crush and not enough of their marital life together. I don't think Gemma could possibly have been as naïve as she was and wanted more of a kick-ass style to match her fighting skills. However, I enjoyed the book after their marriage; she seemed to get stronger and more likeable as a character. I like the idea of her teaching the next generation of Camorra babies their martial arts.
On Kindle TBR since 4 October 2020.
42. Fragile Longing by Cora Reilly.
4 stars. In many ways this was similar in plot to book 43 with many of the same faults; too much focus on a childhood crush and not enough on the marriage. But it was better written and I liked Sofia more than I did Gemma.
On Kindle TBR since 1 October 2020.
Mount TBR 2021
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lady of Shalott (other topics)In Your Hands (other topics)
Captains of the Sands (other topics)
Death Hall (other topics)
Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future (other topics)
More...
I usually do a challenge to help me hit target and this time I have created a wheel of TBR. It has multiple entries on it. I may change them but currently it has:
Random physical book (randomise my GR TBR)
Re-read a book
Random Kindle TBR book
YA
Adult
Historical
Romance
TBR Veteran
Over 500 pages
Classic
Month 2019 (something I bought in the month I roll it, 2 years before)
Under 250 pages
Translated
Nobody has read (0 reviews or ratings on GR)
Highest rated book (highest rated book with at least 25 ratings)
Highest rated kindle book
History
Borgia (obsessed, so many unread Borgia/ Renaissance Italy books).
Pile (like my current challenge)
Living Room 1 (the next three relate to specific bookcases going from top to bottom)
Living Room 2
Bedroom
Lowest rated Book (like highest, needs to have at least 25 ratings)
Lowest rated Kindle book
Historical Romance (I don't think I am really into these anymore but I have tons on my Kindle)
Sequel
Mystery
Religion
Oldest Amazon book (I joined in 2000 so it is going back a way - I am not declaring anything that is in my parents' attic and I think many of my early purchases are).
Bully/Mafia
I am thinking I might spin 4 times instead of the 3 categories I currently do. Absolutely no more than 2 Kindle books allowed to count in the same month.
And the link for the wheel is here:
https://tools-unite.com/tools/random-...
Happy reading everyone.
PS: Borrowed the wheel idea from Codie's Book Corner on Booktube except she does hers with a physical wheel.