Mount TBR Challenge 2023 discussion

My personal challenge this year is to use the collections I have on my Kindle to make up some Bingo-style cards, and to see how many cards I can fill by reading books from different collections. My collections are mostly genre-based, but there are some other categories like non-fiction, Christian fiction and non-fiction, YA, and books related to bookstores, libraries, reading lists, reading memoirs, etc. So some books are in more than one collection, and I will count them as such when marking off spaces on the cards. When I read physical books, I will include them in the collections I would have placed them in were they on the Kindle. All this is to explain why I am choosing a relatively low mountain to start on--one of my collections (and one of my Amazon wish lists) is dedicated to Kindle Unlimited books, so I am going to choose an even smaller mountain in the Virtual challenge so they can count for something, too! I also want to give myself space to read some new books, although I have spoken to myself severely about cutting way back on book purchasing....

I love this idea of separating books into collections and reading from them. I usually do that only with genre as I have a hard time reading several books from the same genre back to back. This will probably make choosing a book much easier. Good luck!

Great idea for a challenge within the challenge! Good luck!

1. Merry and Bright Erynn Mangum I don't watch Hallmark movies, but it seems that over Christmas/New Year's break each year I gravitate towards a light clean holiday-themed romance book...
2. The Return of the Pharaoh: From the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D. Nicholas Meyer I didn't realize Meyer had done more than one or two Sherlock Holmes books until I ran across this one. I have yet to read any of the others, but I enjoyed this one enough that I will, even if it was a little predictable at the end.
3. The Puritan Pleasures of the Detective Story: A Personal Monograph Erik Routley This book is narrower in focus, both in subject matter and in time frame, than other books I have read/courses I have listened to about the history of the detective story. But it does make an interesting addition to them.
4. St. Ronan's Well: The Works of Sir Walter Scott Walter Scott This is not considered to be one of Scott's best works, but it kept me turning the pages. It is not historical fiction, but contemporary to his times. Evidently he changed one of the plot points, and there are a few vestiges of the original that he forgot to modify. Even the changed ending is not a happy one. But he is still a great writer, and I am glad to have read this.
5. Prince Caspian C.S. Lewis A re-read with a book club. Always good, although I like the next in the series (original publication order) better.

6. Project Hail Mary Andy Weir This may end up being my favorite for the year! I connected with the main character, and felt the author made an improbable story seem completely real, despite the almost McGyveresque abilities of both Ryland Grace and Rocky. There was a plot twist I did not see coming, and another little twist at the end turned a semi-melancholic ending into something that made me close the book with a smile.
7. Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution Michelle Moran From Tau Ceti in outer space to the thick of the French Revolution! I picked this book up on a whim at a used book store last year. Since the main museum is in London, I had never really associated Madame Tussaud with France and certainly not with the Revolution. The book was well written, with a strong sense of place. I skipped abut two paragraphs that weren't quite closed door, but I don't think they were particularly graphic nor particularly gratuitous, and they were easy enough to skip.
8. Artifact Gigi Pandian The writing was pretty good, and reminded me of a lesser Elizabeth Peters. I will probably read further in this series.
9. Rose Petals and Snowflakes: Snow White and Rose Red meets Sense and SensibilityKendra E. Ardnek It had to happen sooner or later. This book was ok, but it just didn't click with me, neither in writing style nor in plot. The idea was clever, and the author did show originality and did not just blindly copy elements from either story. And the discussion leader (I read it with a book club, but it was already on my TBR) seems to really like it. So maybe it's just me.
10. Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life W. David O. Taylor A commentary/devotional on the Psalms--good overall.
11. Beloved Toni Morrison I'm glad I read it, but I don't know that I could use the word "enjoy" to describe the reading experience. There are elements of horror, there is relentless, depressing cruelty, there are some positive and kind things but caring too much about anything is never a good idea. But it is well written.
12. David CopperfieldCharles Dickens A re-read. This time through, I found myself getting quite irritated with David for falling in love with Dora although they obviously weren't suited. But putting that aside, I enjoyed it. Miss Betsey Trotwood was my favorite character.

13. The Bark of the Bog Owl Jonathan Rogers A lose retelling of the story of David, in a fantasy setting although there really aren't fantastical elements. Excellent storytelling, nontheless.
14. In the Presence of the Enemy Elizabeth George So much tragedy that could have been avoided! I have a love-hate relationship with this series. There is a lot of darkness in her books. In Louise Penney's books, we see a lot of the dark side of human nature, but the books themselves are not dark, and there are more themes of redemption. Elizabeth George doesn't give us many bright spots. But her characterizations and her excellent writing made it so that I never felt the weight of the 623 pp. There were short segments I skipped/skimmed over because people were expressing themselves too nastily. Like I said, a love-hate relationship, haha.
15. The Puzzler A.J. Jacobs This was an interesting exploration of different types of puzzles, and interactive to boot. Whenever I read A.J. Jacobs, I find him just a tad bit full of himself (probably just me, for example I love Star Trek TOS but find Captain Kirk irritatingly overconfident and imperious at times, haha) but I still enjoy reading some of his works; this one, for instance.
16. The Secret of the Swamp King Jonathan Rogers
17. My Family and Other Animals Gerald Durrell Not quite what I was expecting, as far as bad language and an extremely irritating (to me) older brother, but very good nonetheless (although his drama-king moments also provided some humor). Besides the aforementioned, the language is beautiful in spots and good throughout. There are fascinating observations about animals, and I laughed out loud more than I have with any book in a long time.
18. We Have Always Lived in the Castle Shirley Jackson Excellent building of suspense, even if some of what unfolds is evident early on. But I am not going back there! Between reading the first third at night and a stomach-ache while sleeping, I had nightmares! I made sure I finished it the next day in daylight--good thing it was short! The ending was a little unsatisfying to me, as justice never seemed to be meted out, and not because it was mitigated by mercy so much as just because.
19. Greater Than You Think: A Theologian Answers the Atheists about God His analysis and arguements are good in general, but not very deep. I think, though, that that may be because it is meant not as a final answer but to show where New Atheist arguments can be challenged. For the most part the author seems to present his arguments fairly and without insulting his opponents, although his tone does perhaps get a little warmer towards the end of the book.

20.A Baby Sister for Frances Russell Hoban A re-read to decide if I wanted to order it for my granddaughter who is becoming a big sister. I ordered it.
21. War in Heaven Charles WilliamsI A re-read but a needed one, as I only remembered the opening line and one scene (in all fairness, it's been about 30 years). A bit esoteric at times, but I enjoyed it.
22. The Way of the WilderkingJonathan Rogers The end of the series; our "David" becomes king. There were some unexpected elements to explain the origins of the Feechiefolk, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole series.

23. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep H.G. Parry I really liked this book! I re-read David Copperfield earlier this year, and by pure serendipity I listened to a podcast that touched upon literary criticism. It may not be perfect--the heroes were more developed than the principle villain, I felt--but even that is partially explained in the book. I'll be looking for more from this author.

24. Honey for a Child's Heart Gladys M. Hunt Goodreads does not show the new edition, but the one I read came out in 2021 and has two chapters at least that the older edition did not contain. So it's a semi-re-read? Whatever it is, it has allowed me to reach the top of this mountain, so I am now moving onward!