Mount TBR Challenge 2024 discussion

It's been a couple years since I joined this challenge, but decided it's time again! I've been doing fairly well with reading the books in my TBR pile in a somewhat "timely" (heh) manner, but there are a few I should aim to get to this year. I'm also including some I've already gotten to this year, that were in my TBR pile for the last year or so. I aim to avoid adding any that were bought to close to the end of 2023.

1. Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock (actually an omnibus of 4 books, but will count it as 1 - Owned since earlier in 2023)

2. The Spirit Lens by Carol Berg
(Collegia Magica series Book 1 - I've owned this series since 2022)

2. The Soul Mirror by Carol Berg (Collegia Magica series Book 2)

3. The Daemon Prism by Carol Berg (Collegia Magica series Book 3)

4. The Ghost King by R.A. Salvatore (Drizzt series Book 22 - I've owned this book since 2021)

5. The Primarchs edited by Christian Dunn (Horus Heresy Book 20 - I've owned this since 2022)

6. The History of Iceland by Gunnar Karlsson (I've owned this since 2020 or 2021 and wanted to read it for ages, but never felt like the time. I started reading it late in December 2023 and got about 25% of the way through before pausing it. Great book that I want to finish this year, but just going to take me a bit more time).

7. A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe (Owned since 2021 or 2022 - only reason haven't read yet is that I consider it a "spring/summer read" and the last two years I had other "spring/summer classics" I read instead.)

8. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes Book 4 - owned since 2021, I read Adventures of Sherlock in 2022 then didn't read any Sherlock in 2023 so need to get back on track with that series)

9. EDIT: Instead of Reave the Just I'm going to swap in another book that I've had for quite a few years and just read recently: Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories by various authors I had been meaning to read this for a few Halloweens now.

10. Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson (owned since 2022 - I've started the first couple chapters a few times and every time something about it turns me off. I love Scandinavian crime fiction and horror though, so I do want to actually read it. Kind of a "waiting for the right time" book).

11. EDIT: Swapping out A Gallery For the Barbarian for another book I've had a couple years and am currently reading, instead: The Monk by Matthew Lewis .

12. EDIT: I won't be reading Black Company this December, so adding Starlight by Richard Wagamese instead. I've had it since sometime in 2023.

Of this list, I've finished the Elric of Melniboné omnibus by Moorcock, and am currently reading and around half way through The Spirit Lens by Berg.

I finished a 2nd book on my Pike's Peak journey, The Spirit Lens It was a great read! Now reading The Soul Mirror

Tonight I finished The Soul Mirror by Carol Berg, book 2 of the Collegia Magica series. At least as good as The Spirit Lens if not even better! Great series so far. Also my 3rd book completed on this 2024 TBR list.

I'm now moving on to the 3rd and final book in the series The Daemon Prism

Since the last post, I finished book 3 of Collegia Magica, The Daemon Prism which was good but not as great as the first two.

I also just finished Snowblind, which I had much better luck with this time. I had trouble getting into it on the past but this time got hooked in.

This morning I finished The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, it's book 4 of the Sherlock series and is a collection of short stories. It was a very good and fun read that I rated 3.5/5 starts. I've owned it since 2021 and had aimed to read it last year but never got to it. My experience of the Sherlock stories and novels definitely makes them ones I'd rec to others who like lighthearted old school mysteries full of adventure.

I've swapped in two different books based on my reading this year. Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories by various authors instead of Reave the Just and Other Tales by Stephen Donaldson, and The Monk by Matthew Lewis instead of A Gallery For the Barbarian by Taylor Hartley. I've had both for 2 or 3 years.

I recently finished Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories by various artists. It was a pretty awesome collection of gothic/ghost stories! Some highlights were getting to read more A.M. Burrage who I am now quite a fan of, and finally getting to read an Edith Wharton story which did not disappoint! I also found a number of other great authors and stories. My rating of the full collection was 3.75/5 stars. Definitely recommend it.

Finished The Monk earlier this week and rated 3.75/5. An interesting read for anyone interested in the history of horror and gothic fiction.

Finished The Ghost King by R.A. Salvatore, book 22 of Drizzt series. I rated it 3.5/5 stars. A good book though not as good as the 2 books that came before (Pirate King and Orc King).

I've finished Starlight by Richard Wagamese today. I rated it 4/5 stars. Wagamese passed away before finishing it, so it's technically an unfinished draft but I still enjoyed it a lot.

This is probably the last book on this list that I'll finish this year. That 10/13 of the books I marked for this challenge, all of which I purchased between 2021-2023. See you all back at Pike's Peak 2025! 😁