Mount TBR 2022 discussion
El Toro (75 Books)
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When not in Narnia Karen wants to climb El Toro! Completed August 2022.
have fun climbing! (and what is the wheel of TBR?)
Thank you both.Hilary, I found I was struggling to hit the top of the Mount and also my book buying has spiralled out of control so I have run several different challenges to help. Last year I set up an online wheel to spin that gives me a genre, or a specific bookcase/location etc and I try to read the books it picks for me. The link for the 2021 wheel is here:
https://tools-unite.com/tools/random-...
Karen wrote: "The link for the 2022 wheel:https://tools-unite.com/tools/random-..."
I love this! I have seen people talk about using the wheel of tbr for awhile but i had no idea it was this easy to make one. I'll set up one for myself for when I'm not sure what to read.
Thank you for sharing, Karen.
JANUARY SPINS1. Romance - Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti - Beautiful Savage
2. Adult - Elizabeth Chadwick - The Conquest (ie any adult book of any genre)
3. Translated- Émile Zola - His Excellency Eugène Rougon
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.
Charles Freeman - A New History of Early Christianity from March 2021.
The Crusade of Frederick Barbarossa: The History of the Expedition of the Emperor Frederick and Related Texts from April 2021.
Kathleen Winsor - Forever Amber from July 2021.
J.R.Maddicott - Simon de Montfort from November 2021.
Sharon Penman - When Christ and His Saints Slept from December 2021.
Additions to Mount TBR in January 2022.(I will cross them out if I read them this year). Hoping if I have to keep updating this it might put me off buying books...Although they will all count for this challenge...in 2023.
Physical Books Acquired.
1.
Finished November 2022.2. Home by Marilynne Robinson.
3. The Murderous Affair at Stone Manor by Laura Stewart.
4. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde.
5. The Bad Mother by Amanda Brooke.
6. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales.
7. Women Who Run With The Wolves: Contacting the Power of the Wild Woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.
8. Selection of Poems by Dafydd ap Gwilym.
9. Taliesin Poems by Taliesin.
10. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad. Different cover.
11. The Riddle and the Knight: In search of Sir John Mandeville by Giles Milton. Different cover.
12. Desdemona, If Only You Had Spoken by Christine Brückner. No cover picture.
13. Mauprat by George Sand.
14. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
15. The Dust that Falls from Dreams by Louis de Bernières.
16.
17. Eagle of the Vincella by Rebecca Stratton. No cover.
18.
Read January 2021.19. The Shattering of Loneliness: On Christian Remembrance by Erik Varden.
Kindle Books Acquired.
1. The Lobotomist's Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff.
Amazon First.2. Rapture & Ruin: An Enemies to Lovers Mafia Romance by Julia Sykes. Different cover. Kindle freebie.
3. Ruthless King: A Dark Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance by Kiara Morgan.
Kindle freebie.4.
Read January 2022.5. Cruel Lord by Ivy Thorn.
6. Hate You by Logan Fox.
7.
Pre-order for May. Read June.8. Descent by Sam Mariano.
9.
Read January 2022.10.
Read April 2022.11. Game On by S.C. Daiko.
12. Ruthless Saint by S. Massery.
13. Broken Muses of Manderley Academy: complete series by Steffanie Holmes.
14. Disorder by Katie Lowrie.
15.
Pre-order. Read March 2022.16.
Read February 2022.17.
Pre-order. Read March 2022.18.
Pre-order. Read March 2022.19.
Pre-order. Read April 2022.20.
Pre-order. Read April 2022.21. Uppercut Princess by E.M. Moore.
Kindle Freebie.22. Lines by Anna B. Doe.
Kindle Freebie.23. Close Liaisons by Anna Zaires.
Kindle Freebie.24.
Read January 2022.25.
Read in January 2022.26.
Read in January 2022.27.
Pre-order. Read February 2022.28. Hearts of Darkness by Catherine Wiltcher.
29. There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark.
30. There Is No Devil by Sophie Lark.
31.
32.
33. The New Girl: A Pacific High School Bully Romance by Ashley Rose. Different cover. Kindle Freebie.
34. Hush, Hush by E.M. Moore.
Kindle Freebie.35. Heartless by Ivy Fox.
Kindle Freebie.
1. The Conquest by Elizabeth Chadwick.
5 stars. I am slowly re-reading all my Elizabeth Chadwick books. I think this might still emerge as my favourite. I love it and it is one of my favourite books of all time.
On TBR since ? I read it when it first came out in hardback and have owned the paperback for years.
2. The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien.
4 stars. I love coming of age stories and this one was very well written. I loved most of the book but I became slightly less interested in the story after Cait and Baba moved to Dublin which does not bode well for the sequels.
On TBR since approx. July 2017.
3. Waterland by Graham Swift.
5 stars. I read this when I was about 15 or 16 and remembered it primarily as not being particularly complimentary about people from Norfolk, and also for a great sense of place.
On a re-read I think it has one of the best senses of place I have ever read. The water, the fight against water, and how vital changes to waterways are to history is a key theme of this work, which is the story of a school teacher on the brink of forced retirement, telling us the history of his childhood and the local town and its leading family the Atkinsons.
There is a chapter about eels about it and if a book can get me interested in reading about them (urgh, horrible things) then it deserves 5 stars.
On TBR since 25/07/2021.
4. Beautiful Savage by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti.
4 stars. So much better than the first in the series. A mafia romance with a bit of mountain man romance thrown in (not normally my thing, but it worked). Hoping the authors decide to write the last 2 books in this series.
On Kindle TBR since 23/08/2021.
5. The Middle Ages Unlocked: A Guide to Life in Medieval England, 1050–1300 by Gillian Polack and Katrin Kania.
3 stars. A handy guide to the Medieval period in Western Europe. I felt it could have done with more illustrations but overall I liked the fact that it dealt with a slightly earlier time period than similar books and made an effort to cover England's largest minority of the time; the Jews.
On TBR since approx Christmas 2016.
Karen wrote: "Thank you both.Hilary, I found I was struggling to hit the top of the Mount and also my book buying has spiralled out of control so I have run several different challenges to help. Last year I se..."
This is a very cool way to choose! I have a tbr jar where I place slips of paper with titles on each, and pick one a month. I'm too much a mood reader to do more than that.
Happy reading!
6. Strange Things by Margaret Atwood.
4 stars. I found this very interesting as I don't know much about Canadian literature.
On TBR since 05/07/2021.
Hi Meghan. I love your idea of a TBR jar... good luck with it.
7. Bound by C.R. Jane and Mila Young.
3 stars. Fantastic plot idea but the authors tried to cram a little too much in to too few pages. Compelling enough that I promptly read book 2 in the series (which does not count for this challenge).
On Kindle TBR since 11/06/2020.
8. Teenage Mothers' Decisions and Outcomes by Isobel Allen and Shirley Bourke Dowling. No cover.3 stars. Not really sure why I decided to pick this up in a charity shop one day as it is not really my thing. Written at a time that the tabloids were being particularly nasty towards teenage mothers (circa 1996), this is a review of how teenage mothers make decisions about becoming pregnant and their housing arrangements.
On TBR since 24/02/2019.
9. His Excellency Eugène Rougon by Émile Zola.
3 stars. I like Zola but don't love him. This is book 6 (publication order) and it was about politics so it is one of the volumes in the series that I was not particularly looking forward to. It is very relevant though. You know that the people here would totally switch from being Remainers to Brexiters at the drop of a hat, and would totally go to parties in lockdown. Chapter 13, where Rougon realises his resignation has been accepted and his bluff has failed, happens at a bazaar hosted by upperclass women, and is a great bit of writing.
On TBR since 14/07/2021.
10. The History and Topography of Ireland by Gerald of Wales.
Oh, Gerald of Wales. I love his storytelling much more than he liked the Irish.
On TBR since 23/11/2004 although I have read it before, for university.
11. Lords of Pain by Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue.
4 stars. I was expecting this to be a 5 star read as I was getting Sam Mariano Untouchable vibes from the premise/early reviews. I really enjoyed it but it did not quite gel together for me. Looking forward to the sequel which I hope will be darker.
On Kindle TBR since 17/03/2021.
JANUARYTotal books read in January: 21
Total qualifying for this challenge: 11.
JANUARY CHALLENGE
I read all 3 books. Good start.
FEBRUARY SPINS
1. Historical - Kings of Albion by Julian Rathbone
2. Hall Large - The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller (ie a specific bookcase in my hall)
3. Lowest Rated Kindle - (at least 25 ratings) - A Date With a Bollywood Star by Riya Lakhani
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.
Charles Freeman - A New History of Early Christianity from March 2021.
The Crusade of Frederick Barbarossa: The History of the Expedition of the Emperor Frederick and Related Texts from April 2021.
Kathleen Winsor - Forever Amber from July 2021.
J.R.Maddicott - Simon de Montfort from November 2021.
Sharon Penman - When Christ and His Saints Slept from December 2021.
Additions to Mount TBR in February 2022.(I will cross them out if I read them this year). Hoping if I have to keep updating this it might put me off buying books...Although they will all count for this challenge...in 2023.
Physical Books Acquired.
1. English Rural Society, 1200 1350 by J.Z. Titow.
2. England and Its Rulers: 1066-1307 by M.T. Clanchy.
3. Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood.
4. Teaching Rape in the Medieval Literature Classroom: Approaches to Difficult Texts Edited by Alison Gulley.
5.
Read February 2022.6. Revelations by Mary Sharratt.
Pre-order7. A Love Story by Émile Zola.
8. The Whole Woman by Germaine Greer.
9. A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy by Laurence Sterne.
10. The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia by Samuel Johnson.
11. Artemisia by Alexandra Lapierre.
12. On Christian Theology by Rowan Williams.
Kindle Books Acquired.
1.
Amazon First Read. Read February 2022.2. Karitas Untitled by Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir.
Amazon First Read3. Dear Heart, I Miss You by Eliah Greenwood. Pre-order.
4. Unholy Terrors by C.M. Stunich.
5. Vile Bastards by C.M. Stunich.
Pre-order.6. Legacy and Lovers by Heather Long. Pre-order.
7. Toxic by Nicole Blanchard.
Kindle Freebie.8. Bully Me by Selena.
Kindle Freebie.9. Cocky Jock Wolf: A Curvy Girl and Wolf Shifter College Sports Romance by Aidy Award.
Kindle Freebie.10. In Too Deep by Izzy Williams.
Kindle Freebie.11. Desecrated Essence by C.A. Rene.
12. Heartbreak Prince by C.R. Jane.
13. Wicked Rich: A Dark College Bully Romance by C. Morgan.
14.
Read March 2022.15. The Awakening as Told by the Boys by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti.
16. Dukes of Madness: Royals of Forsyth U by Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue.
12. The Bridges Of Madison County by Robert James Waller.
3 stars. On the fence about this one. I don't dislike the characters or the plot per se, but something about the writing style really, really annoyed me. Maybe I will watch the film as I might enjoy it better. Maybe I should give it 2 stars.
On TBR since 10/06/2021.
I climbed Pike's Peak
13. A Date with a Bollywood Star by Riya Lakhani.
4 stars. Well, apparently this is the lowest-rated book on my Kindle with 25 or more ratings. I really enjoyed it. I am very fond of the Indian author collection by Mills and Boon and this was a nice story, set in England, with a lot of Indian flavour. There were a few annoying time jumps but there was also an elephant which makes up for everything.
On Kindle TBR since 09/04/2016.
14. Lords of Wrath by Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue.
5 stars. This was darker than book 1, and I really enjoyed it. The heroine becomes much stronger (and I felt sorry for Dimitri... even though he is still an arse). Not perfect... Ted was forgotten for much of it and I am still a little confused about how the points system works between the houses. Think this might be addressed in book 3.
On Kindle TBR since 23/08/2021.
15. Nasty Women edited by Laura Jones.
3 stars. The stronger essays tended to be at the beginning of the book. I found the ones by Jen McGregor on contraception, and Becca Inglis on Courtney Love and role models, the most helpful, but most of the essays were good.
On TBR since 13/06/2018.
16. Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren.
3 stars. Hmm... So I only picked this one up because Christina Lauren seems to be on every must-read romance list going, and this is the only one I have ever seen in a charity shop. I was expecting a romance but not erotica. Cardboard cut-out characters, lack of plot and a truly horrifying number of panties who were cruelly sacrificed to further the love between our leads Chloe and Bennett. But it was strangely interesting too...
On TBR since 25/11/2021.
17. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
5 stars. I was pleasantly surprised regarding the poetic language, the use of African-American dialect and the utter compelling storyline as we follow Janie and her search for independence and her sense of self through three marriages.
I was not aware of the existence of a black-only town in Florida (where the author had lived as a girl), and I loved the complexity of the black relationships portrayed in this book; not every character is nice or alternatively, a victim. The novel felt real, dynamic and I am eager to re-read it one day to continue to learn from it.
On TBR since 21/07/2021.
18. Cockfight by María Fernanda Ampuero.
3 stars. Very powerful writing and some of these stories are brutal and really hit home and deserve more than 3 stars. Some just don't have the same impact and the weaker ones tended to be near the end. Home is not always safe, especially if you are a woman. These stories are not for the faint hearted.
On TBR since 02/10/2021.
19. Lords of Mercy by Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue.
4 stars. I really enjoyed this and found it hard to put down but I don't feel it fully lived up to the potential of the second book. I was expecting more development about the wider world of the "game" and the stalker plot was badly integrated. But I am definitely continuing with the next book.
On Kindle TBR since I pre-ordered it on 23/08/2021 and it was released in October 2021.
20. The House by the Medlar Treeby Giovanni Verga.
4 stars. This is one of the sadest books I have ever read. A family tried to remain honest through death, debt and other issues.
On TBR since 30/12/2021.
21. Embers by Sándor Márai.
4 stars. A beautifully written novel. A 75 year old reclusive aristocrat hears from his former best friend who he has not spoken to in 41 years. A reflection on love, friendship, loyalty and duty.
On TBR since 03/07/2021.
FEBRUARYTotal books read in January: 18
Total qualifying for this challenge: 10.
FEBRUARY CHALLENGE
I read 2 books but ran out of time for Kings of Albion. I had quite a few books I needed to read for other challenges.
MARCH SPINS
1. Mood Read. I can pick anything for this in the month of March.
2. YA - Laurie Halse Anderson - Twisted
3. Lowest Rated Kindle (AGAIN!) - Juliet Landon - Mistress Masquerade. (Another M and B, but I have really enjoyed this author in the past).
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.
Charles Freeman - A New History of Early Christianity from March 2021.
The Crusade of Frederick Barbarossa: The History of the Expedition of the Emperor Frederick and Related Texts from April 2021.
Kathleen Winsor - Forever Amber from July 2021.
J.R.Maddicott - Simon de Montfort from November 2021.
Sharon Penman - When Christ and His Saints Slept from December 2021.
Julian Rathbone - Kings of Albion from February 2022.
Additions to Mount TBR in March 2022.(I will cross them out if I read them this year). Hoping if I have to keep updating this it might put me off buying books...Although they will all count for this challenge...in 2023.
Physical Books Acquired.
1. Cassandra by Christa Wolf.
2. Civil to Strangers by Barbara Pym.
3. Alone of all Her Sex: The Myth and Cult of the Virgin Mary by Marina Warner.
4. The Town House by Norah Lofts.
5.
Finished April 2022.6.
Read July.7. Be Awesome: Modern Life for Modern Ladies by Hadley Freeman.
8. Besieged by Charlotte Lamb.
9. The Bone People by Keri Hulme.
10. From the Diary of a Snail by Günter Grass.
11. The Root of Evil: An Inspector Barbarotti Novel 2 by Håkan Nesser.
12. The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup. Different cover.
13. The Wildings by Nilanjana Roy.
14. Pulp Fiction The Complete Screenplay by Quentin Tarantino.
15. C.S. Lewis and the Catholic Church by Joseph Pearce.
16. Walking On The Water: Women Talk About Spirituality edited by Jo Garcia and Sara Maitland. No cover.
17. Desire, Love and the Rule of Saint Benedict by Andrew Clitherow.
18. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald. Not exact cover.
19. English Passengers by Matthew Kneale.
20. Together by Julie Cohen.
21. The Pendragon Banner by Sylvian Hamilton.
22. Medieval Economy and Society: An Economic History of Britain in the Middle Ages by M.M. Postan.
23. The Penguin History of Latin America by Edwin Williamson.
24. The Hunter by LJ Smith.
25. The Chase by LJ Smith.
26. The Kill by LJ Smith.
27. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai.
28. From Apocalypse To Genesis: Ecology, Feminism And Christianity by Anne Primavesi.
29. War And Society In Renaissance Europe, 1450 1620 by J.R. Hale. No cover.
30. A Very Short History of Portugal by A.H. de Oliveira Marques.
31. The Age of Scandal by T.H. White.
32.
Read October.33. The Bad Mother's Handbook by Kate Long.
34. A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve.
35. The Winter Folly by Lulu Taylor.
36. Women in Christianity by Hans Küng.
37.
Read April 2022.38. Queenship and Political Power in Medieval and Early Modern Spain by Theresa Earenfight.
39. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.
40. It’s a Wonderful Night by Jaimie Admans.
41. Regeneration by Pat Barker.
42. Faith of Our Fathers: Reflections on Catholic Tradition by Eamon Duffy. No cover.
Kindle Books Acquired.
1. The Homecoming by Anna Enquist.
Amazon First Read.2. Seduced by a Selkie by Lauren Connolly.
Kindle Freebie.3. Finley's Claim by Atlas Rose.
Kindle Freebie.4.
Kindle Freebie. Read March 2022.5. Epsilon Mate by Katie Douglas.
Kindle Freebie.6. Through My Window by Ariana Godoy.
7. Blood Libel: The Ritual Murder Accusation at the Limit of Jewish History by Hannah R. Johnson.
Kindle Freebie.8. Tempt Me, Bully by C.C. Piper.
Kindle Freebie.9. Down and Dirty: A College Football Sport Romance Collection, 5 Books in One by Lizzie Brown.
22. Girl with Green Eyes by Edna O'Brien. No cover.4 stars. Sequel to book 2 above.
Welcome to a world dominated by warped cultural distortions of religion in which drunken abusive men's behaviour can be classed as normal, but a 20 year old girl living with a man the world believes is divorced (he is actually still married! Even worse!) can be dragged back home by male relatives and friends and one can even state that she could be institutionalised because of her behaviour.
This book was a surprise because it was much better than I was expecting. It seemed less uneven than its predecessor, and there was less Baba, who I find annoying.
On TBR since approx July 2017. This is my mood-read book for my March challenge.
23. Contracted as His Cinderella Bride by Heidi Rice. No cover.
3 stars. An okay story but it was missing something.
On TBR since 14/08/2021.
24. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson.
3 stars. I wanted to read this book because I loved Speak by the same author so much. But this did not really connect with me in the same way. A YA that is for the teenagers.
On TBR since 06/03/2020.
I have climbed Mount Blanc.
25. Dying Bites by D.D. Barant.
3 stars. I loved the concept (human FBI agent gets pulled into another dimension where vampires and weres predominate, in order to detect a serial killer). But there was not enough world building. There were some intriguing character developments and I liked the use of golems as characters. But it was a bit uneven.
On TBR since 11/07/2021.
26. Hope and the Nearness of God: The 2022 Lent Book by Teresa White FCJ.
4 stars. I really liked this. It is not the most original book on the topic I have ever read but she grounds her thoughts with the poetry and philosophy of others. The book I needed to read at the moment.
On TBR since 27/12/2021.
27. What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam & Modernity in the Middle East by Bernard Lewis.
3 stars. An intriguing look at what could have happened to cause the political eclipse of the Ottoman Empire after the sixteenth century, allowing Western penetration and influence.
On TBR since approx 28/05/2016.
28. Mistress Masquerade by Juliet Landon.
2 stars. I discovered that I have read this before and forgotten it. The plot did not grab me and neither did the characters. Juliet Landon has written better.
On Kindle TBR since 14/03/2015.
29. Kings of Albion by Julian Rathbone.
2 stars. This should have been a better book than it was. Visitors from more "sophisticated" countries visit fifteenth century England. It should have been a interesting reversal of literature where English characters find themselves surrounded by umm.. less civilised peoples. (In the authors opinions anyway). Lets be honest, England was not the powerful force it later became and was definitely not top dog on the world stage. It should have been hilarious.
But it does not quite work.
On Mount TBR since ? I read it when it first came out, got rid of it, rebought the book when I found a cheap copy a few years ago and I am now getting rid of it again. I think I picked it up 2016-2018 but I didn't record it as I had read the book before.
MARCHTotal books read in March: 22
Total qualifying for this challenge: 8
MARCH CHALLENGE
I chose Girl with Green Eyes as my mood read. Hoping to finish off the trilogy soon. I also read the other 2 books picked and finished Kings of Albion which I had leftover from February.
APRIL SPINS
1. Translated - Émile Zola - L'Assommoir
2. Over 500 pages - Simone de Beauvoir - The Second Sex
3. Living Room 1 - Diana Gabaldon - Lord John and the Private Matter (ie a certain bookcase in my living room. I have read this book before but not since I joined GR).
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.
Charles Freeman - A New History of Early Christianity from March 2021.
The Crusade of Frederick Barbarossa: The History of the Expedition of the Emperor Frederick and Related Texts from April 2021.
Kathleen Winsor - Forever Amber from July 2021.
J.R.Maddicott - Simon de Montfort from November 2021.
Sharon Penman - When Christ and His Saints Slept from December 2021.
Additions to Mount TBR in April 2022.(I will cross them out if I read them this year). Hoping if I have to keep updating this it might put me off buying books...Although they will all count for this challenge...in 2023.
Physical Books Acquired.
1. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.
Re-purchased one of my childhood books.2. Literary Women by Ellen Moers.
3. A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond.
4. The Boyfriend by R.L. Stine.
5. Who Is Lucinda? by Hermina Black.
6.
7. How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez.
8. In God's Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire by Robert G. Hoyland.
9. Christendom at the Crossroads: The Medieval Era by J.A. Sheppard.
10. Christian Theology by Gareth Jones.
11. The Swerve: How The Renaissance Began by Stephen Greenblatt.
12. Lopes: The English in Portugal 1383-1387 by Fernão Lopes.
13.
Read October.14. The Apothecary's Shop: Venice 1118 A.D. by Roberto Tiraboschi.
15. When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas.
16. Feminism, Interrupted: Disrupting Power by Lola Olufemi.
17. Come Back For Me by Heidi Perks.
18. Innocence by Penelope Fitzgerald.
19. The Spies by Luis Fernando Verissimo.
20. Celestine by Gillian Tindall.
21. The Sweet Dove Died by Barbara Pym.
22.
Read May 2022.23. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.
24. Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson. No cover.
25. Shadows on the mirror by Frances Fyfield.
26. Mother Can You Hear Me? by Margaret Forster. Different cover.
27. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. Different cover.
28. Collected Stories for Children by Walter de la Mare. Different cover.
29. A Man Lay Dead / Enter a Murderer / The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh.
30. Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt.
31. Thorn in My Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs.
32. Henry the Young King, 1155-1183 by Matthew Strickland.
33. Mary and Maria by Mary Wollstonecraft & Matilda by Mary Shelley by Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley.
34. Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett.
35. Soulmates by Holly Bourne.
36. Desperate in Dubai, #1 by Ameera Al Hakawati.
37. The Jury In My Mind by Elspeth Rushbrook.
38. Room by Emma Donoghue.
39. A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville. Cover not uploaded.
40. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.
41. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty.
42. The Thirst by Jo Nesbø.
43. Chamber Music by Tom Benn.
44. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.
45. The X-Files: Book of the Unexplained, Volume 1 by Jane Goldman.
46. The Grim Reaper by Bernard Knight.
47. The Law of Angels by Cassandra Clark.
48. Master of War: Defiant Unto Death by David Gilman.
49. A Passionate Balance by Alan Bartlett.
50. The Historical Character of Jesus by David M. Allen.
51. God and the Transgender Debate: What Does the Bible Actually Say about Gender Identity? by Andrew T. Walker.
52. The Measure of a Man: A Novel about Leonardo da Vinci by Marco Malvaldi.
53. The Cat That Lived on Park Avenue by Tracy Sinclair.
54. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
Kindle Books Acquired.
1. The Vanishing Triangle by Claire McGowan.
Amazon First read.2. Claimed by Wolves: Complete Series by Callie Rose.
Kindle Freebie.3. Necessary Cruelty by Ashley Gee.
Kindle Freebie.4. Dirty Kingdom by Amelia Winters.
Kindle Freebie.5. Striker by Rachel Leigh.
Kindle Freebie.6. My Darling Arrow by Saffron A. Kent.
Kindle Freebie.7. Cursed Fates by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti.
8. Fated Throne by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti.
9. Heartless Sky by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti.
10.
11. Life Of Christ by Giovanni Papini.
12. Beautiful Nightmares by K.J. Sutton.
30. Embracing Justice: The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2022 by Isabelle Hamley.
5 stars. I started reading these Lent books in 2013 with Ben Quash's Abiding and this is the best of them since then. Well-written, timely, and a reminder to myself that I cannot allow myself to get stuck in a rut.
On TBR since 27/12/2021.
31. Out of the Picture by Polly Samson.
4 stars. Whenever I think of books that I might unhaul, this book always tops the list. I don't really know why I bought it and if it wasn't for the fact I hate unhauling books unread, it might have left already. I finally picked it up. And it was really good. Parts of it were really obvious (the reason Lizzie left home which does not get confirmed until quite late in the book), but the ending was brilliant and I loved the character of the magician.
On TBR since approx 11/06/2016.
32. Thirst by Amélie Nothomb.
3 stars. Jesus is portrayed as a more-than-human son of God and Nothomb takes her inspiration from the words of Jesus on the cross according to John. His thirst is a sign of his satisfaction about having a bodily experience. The soul is not everything. I was really intrigued by this concept, but ultimately this book was not fully satisfying.
On TBR since 08/08/2021.
33. Way of the Cross: A Norwich Pilgrimage by Michael Kitchener. No cover.4 stars. A nice opportunity to take part in the Stations in book format, using locations within Norwich Cathedral, one of my favourite places and one of the most beautiful buildings ever built.
On TBR since ? I think I bought it about 2015-2016.
34. Interfaith Dialogue and Peacebuilding by David R. Smock.
2 stars. Honestly, a little dull and turned into a bit of an advertisement for some of the groups involved in the field. The Muslim contributor mentioned the Crusades but failed to mention the almost 1000 years that "Christendom" felt terrified by the forces of Islam.
On TBR since 15/06/2015.
35. A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole.
4 stars. I think this might be my first romance novel written by a black woman and featuring 2 black main characters. And the plot totally sold it to me. Instead of the "Nigerian prince" spam email we have an email from the assistant of the prince of Thesolo, which turns out not to be spam after all...
On Kindle TBR since 14/09/2021.
36. Tragedy at Piddleton Hotel by Emily Organ.
4 stars. Light and fluffy fun. Death by buttered teacake.
On TBR since 10/12/2021.
I have climbed Mt. Vancouver!
37. Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed.
2 stars. Not sure I can put my finger on why I did not like this overly much. The style was good, and I liked the change of narrators. But, the ending was disappointing, and I don't think the world building was everything it could have been.
On TBR since 02/08/2018.
38.The Qur'an translated by Muhammad A.S. Abdel Haleem.
I have not given this a rating because I think it is inappropriate to rate the Holy Book of a faith group I am not a member of. I am glad I have read it in full at last.
On TBR since 21/03/2007.
39. Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon.
5 stars. When I first read this book when it first came out some of the scenes shed new light on the period for me ("molly houses" and an entire homosexual subculture- in the eighteenth century?) and as ever Gabaldon's characterisation and writing are top notch.
I just want to give Lord John a giant cuddle. He has to hide so much of himself.
On TBR since it first came out in paperback but I have read it several times since then.
40. L'Assommoir by Émile Zola.
5 stars. A grim, miserable novel by one of the best writers of place and crowds. I really missed the characters when I had finished the book.
On TBR since 14/07/2022.
41. Persuasion by Jane Austen.
5 stars. This is my favourite Austen novel and I am happy to have re-read it this year.
I love how real it feels. Because you see everything through Anne's eyes you really come to know her. I enjoy the descriptions of life at Uppercross, in particular, and comparing the different relationships in the novel. I value the author's insights into the class and gender structures of her time. The daughter of a baronet, Anne is happiest in the company of the self-made and those in troubled circumstances. I love the affection between Admiral and Mrs Croft, which is a forerunner (we hope) of how things are going to be between Captain Wentworth and Anne. I also loved the admiral's reaction to the amount of mirrors in her father's dressing room!
The romance is beautifully written and more open to our eyes than in any of Austen's other novels. The letter scene and its aftermath is one of my favourite scenes in all of literature. Both characters are hurt by their experiences of 8 years ago and the second chance almost passes them by.
I wish we could go further and find out what happened next! It is the type of novel Austen would never write but I wonder what happened to Anne travelling the world on board ship, leaving the world of titles and estates behind. I think she may be the Austen heroine I would most like to be.
On TBR since about 1996 but it is one of my re-read books. This didn't count for this group last time I re-read it because at the time the rules did not allow re-reads.
APRILTotal books read in April: 19
Total qualifying for this challenge: 12
MARCH CHALLENGE
I am still reading The Second Sex (it's a big book!) but have finished the other two. And they both earned 5 stars from me.
MAY SPINS
1. Hall Small - Emily M. Danforth - Plain Bad Heroines
2. Over 500 pages - The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Penman
3. Highest Rated Book (with at least 25 ratings) - Sarah Bryson - La Reine Blanche
All pretty hefty books!
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.
Charles Freeman - A New History of Early Christianity from March 2021.
The Crusade of Frederick Barbarossa: The History of the Expedition of the Emperor Frederick and Related Texts from April 2021.
Kathleen Winsor - Forever Amber from July 2021.
J.R.Maddicott - Simon de Montfort from November 2021.
Sharon Penman - When Christ and His Saints Slept from December 2021.
Simone de Beauvoir - The Second Sex from April 2022.
Additions to Mount TBR in May 2022.(I will cross them out if I read them this year). Hoping if I have to keep updating this it might put me off buying books...Although they will all count for this challenge...in 2023.
Physical Books Acquired.
1. Don't Look Behind You by Lois Duncan.
2. Babysitters' Summer Holiday by Ann M. Martin. No cover.
3. Babysitters' Winter Holiday by Ann M. Martin.
4. Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson by Camille Paglia.
5. Les songes drolatiques de Pantagruel by François Rabelais. No cover.
6. Queens of the Crusades: Eleanor of Aquitaine and her Successors by Alison Weir.
7. The Elephants of Norwich by Edward Marston.
8. Medieval Pets by Kathleen Walker-Meikle.
9. Beginning Old English by Carole Hough.
10. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.
11. La Chamade by Françoise Sagan.
12. The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope.
13-40. I acquired all 28 books in the Making Out series by Katherine Applegate. Teen dream accomplished but there is no way I am adding these all to GR.
41. Babysitters on Board! by Ann M. Martin.
Teenage nostalgia relived.42. Lion Dormant by Carol Wensby-Scott.
Cough. I don't really own 3 copies of this book (2 in paperback and this one). It is OOP though.43. The Land Beyond the Sea by Sharon Penman.
Last book from the wonderful Sharon Penman. RIP. 44. Somehow the paperback edition of A Marriage of Lions by Elizabeth Chadwick has not been added to GR yet. One of the best books I read (in hardback) last year. Too lazy to add it myself.
45. Through the Keyhole: Sex, Scandal and the Secret Life of the Country House by Susan C. Law.
46. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.
47. Against Her Nature by Elizabeth Buchan.
48. Joni by Joni Eareckson Tada.
49. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. No cover available.
50. Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson.
51. Animal Heaven by Alastair Scobie. No cover.
52. Adventures in the Screen Trade: A Personal View of Hollywood and Screenwriting by William Goldman.
53. We'll to the Woods No More: Novel by Édouard Dujardin.
54.
Read June 2022.55. Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje.
56. The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer.
57. A Sense of Guilt by Andrea Newman.
58. China Room by Sunjeev Sahota.
59. Battles In Britain And Their Political Background by William Seymour.
Kindle Books Acquired.
1. West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras.
Amazon First Read.2. Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah. No cover yet. Technically a pre-order for tomorrow.
3. Resisting the Enemy by M.E. Clayton.
Kindle Freebie.4.
Read September.
42. By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart.
4 stars. A story of a relationship told in poetic prose. Beautifully written, not always clear, and I think she seems to be as much in love with the idea of him as the reality of him.
On TBR since 25/11/2021.
Mount TBR 2022
Books mentioned in this topic
Wicked Dreams (other topics)Requiem (other topics)
Waking Up Wed (other topics)
Traveller in Time (other topics)
The Mercies (other topics)
More...
I will probably continue the wheel of TBR (idea borrowed from Codie's Book Corner on Booktube).
Good luck to everyone participating in Mount TBR 2022.