Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2012 discussion

I haven't had a good start to this challenge yet, with the distractions of having a Kindle for the first time.

1. Jane and the Wandering Eye by Stephanie Barron, book #3 in the series.
2. The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson. For niece's book club. Here is our review
3. The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas. my review
4. Regeneration by Pat Barker my review
5. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen finished May 1st, Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance: A Mystery by Gyles Brandreth - buddy read with Jeannette, Laura and Marialyce. my review. You can check out our thoughts here.
7. Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep book number two in the series, read for my niece's bookclub. Here's my review.
8. A Tale of Two Cities June buddy read, Discussion thread. Here is my review.
9. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
10. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood, finished July 22nd




It's official Ron's now throwing his hat into the TBR challenge. He's getting a late start after finishing up a heavy work schedule that ended in March

1. George M. Cohan: The Man Who Owned Broadway by John McCabe I'm working on my review, they are something new for me

2.The Familiars finished April 24th Here is our review

3.Magic Bites finished May 10th, thanks to waiting so long at Dawn's doctor's visit.

4.A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray finished May 14th, for Anna's ABC&D bookclub.

5. The Death of an Irish Politician by Bartholomew Gill - finished May 29th

6. Ravenmocker by Jean Hager finished June 25th here is my review

7. Winters' Tales: Stories and Observations for the Unusual by the classic funny man Jonathan Winters finished July 14th

8. The Story Teller by Margaret Coel, #4 in her Arapaho Indian mystery series. Finished July 29th

9. Ratcatcher by James McGee, book #1 in the Matthew Hawkwood Bowrunner series. A two-fer read (Dawn read it December 2009). Finished August 27th.

I had a hard time coming up with my next TBR challenge read. i was stuck between David Liss's The Whiskey Rebels, Michelle Moran's Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution but The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas became my current read because of all the favorable things I have heard from friends.

Did you get my PM, Dawn?

Yes, Jeannette, I tried to write back last night but it got too late and I got too sore. I shouldn't even be on here, GR, now. I should be taking care of some stocks and some tax stuff, I'm being bad. I plan on writing you back today, give me a slap tomorrow if I don't.

I need to confess, due to my recent injuries to my hands from an accident, I borrowed a Kindle version of The Second Duchess from the library. But I do have an actual tradeback copy, which qualifies since we picked it up last year at a Borders closing sale, and I am using it for the map and genealogy chart. There's no problem with me doing that? It still keeps everything within the rules?

I'll post this on an introduction thread which will get more traffic than this one just so I can get that peace of mind.

No responses on either post so I assume it is okay to read an e-book version versus the original TBR version. I didn't think it was a problem but just wanted verification.

Just finished my 3rd book and looking for #4 and with finishing The Second Duchess I am at least on pace for my TBR challenge.

Sounds fair to me! You have the book listed. Who cares what version you read.

Rio, thanks for the vote of support. I just wanted to be honest and not feel like I was sneaking around the rules. This is my first challenge after all.

I didn't have the book listed but it certainly was in my pre 1/1/12 TBR pile.

Yep, seems totally logical to me, too.

Good as long as there is no problem I will do this again especially for those heavier books. There was no e-book library editions of my newest read Regeneration. I have to say this one has already drawn me in.

I got my review up for The Second Duchess. Yay, first review for TBR challenge done!

Well done!

Will read the review later this afternoon.

I actually sent a link to the review in a note to the author and she really liked it, so that made my day!

Elizabeth Loupas is super cool.

I agree, she's a great person.

Yep, I agree already and not just because of what she said about my review. We are talking about our dogs so how can I not like her?

Great review, Dawn. It's not my kind of book, so I will pass, but it does look interesting.

Thank you Hayes, I appreciate the feedback.

BTW, to those who said it was okay to substitute a new edition of a book for one previously purchased, as I did above, I officially found out you were right. Misfit asked a similar question and Bev said it was no problem as long as you owned a copy of the same book prior to 1/1/12.

I finished Regeneration a couple days ago and it's my favorite book this so far this year. Here is
my review for anyone else interested.

Now I am on to a lighter read, I need a break and decided to go with a break from reality with Frostbite, the only problem is I thought I had a copy in my TBR but can't find it so reading a library Kindle edition. Watch me find the book after I finish, or whoever I leant it to returns it, but for now I'm not including it as part of my TBR challenge :(

It's official Ron's now throwing his hat into the TBR challenge.

His first entry -

1. George M. Cohan: The Man Who Owned Broadway by John McCabe I'm working on my review, they are something new for me

Good work Ron... Welcome to the fray!

Looking forward to your review, Ron! Jimmy Cagney instantly springs to mind here. :)

Yay Ron!

Hurrah for Ron - another bloke on the Mount TBR range (not that you ladies are nothing but friendly, erudite and humorous) :)

Yes, I've arrived to climb the mountain. Thanks for the welcome.

Jeannette, yes, keep Cagney in your mind for this review.

Geevee, blokes rule!

I'm guessing this comment is all Ron! :D Nice to know you can stop bu, even without your glasses....

Geevee wrote: "Hurrah for Ron - another bloke on the Mount TBR range (not that you ladies are nothing but friendly, erudite and humorous) :)"

Thanks, Geevee. I'm sure we all hold the same opinion of you. :)

Jeannette, didn't get the notifications about your comments. Yes, that was all Ron but with me acting as his secretary and failing to put that it was Ron's post. I read the comments to him and then he let me know what he wanted to say.

I finished Richelle Mead's Frostbite but am not including it since I can't find the physical copy.

My new read is Anna Godbersen's The Luxe. This one definitely counts towards the challenge. I'm reading a library Kindle edition to avoid having to hold the hardback, this makes me feel like I'm cheating a little bit, ha-ha.

Dawn (& Ron) wrote: "Jeannette, didn't get the notifications about your comments. Yes, that was all Ron but with me acting as his secretary and failing to put that it was Ron's post. I read the comments to him and then..."

"Blokes rule!" sort of gave Ron away! :D

As Jeannette says there was a certain trade mark stamped on it that gave it away :)

There is a different tone to our posts but we will try to make it clear when it is Ron's post, just to avoid any confusion.

Ron has finished The Familiars finished April 24th. This was a read from my niece's book club and this will be going to her for her birthday next month.

He did read Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost, which I will try to read sometime this year. We both like the Charles Laughton, Margaret O'Brien movie from the 40's so seeing how much of the story remained for the film is something we will both look at.

Ron's new read Ilona Andrews Magic Bites currently reading on Kindle since he still doesn't have his glasses yet.

Finished The Luxe yesterday, May 1st
and have started Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance: A Mystery as a buddy read with Jeannette, Laura and Marialyce which you can follow here

Here is the list of upcoming buddy reads, here in the TBR challenge, that Ron or I, or both, have agreed to.

July, The Hunger Games with Hayes

Possibly set for July/August, Thomas Costain's Napoleonic historical fiction, Ride With Me, with Dawn, Laura, Misfit and Sandi.

Also coming soon The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, with Margaret and not sure about Jeannette.

Moved to SeptemberIn August, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, with Marialyce, Laura, Geevee and Ron.

In September, A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry, with Chrissie and Barbara. Non TBR challenge read.

In November, Vanity Fair, with Chris, Marialyce, Hayes, Sera, Kate, Jeannette, and Dawn.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell aiming for January, 2013 with Kate, Chris, Catie, Hayes, Jeannette, Geevee, Ron and Dawn.

CURRENT BUDDY READ
The Hunger Games with Hayes

Completed buddy reads:
Read in May, Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance: A Mystery, book #1 in Gyles Brandreth's series. This was read with Jeannette, Laura, Marialyce and myself. Here is our comment thread http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8... and here is my review

Read in June, A Tale of Two Cities with Hayes, Geevee, Kim, Marialyce, Laura, MichelleCH, Jemidar, Margaret, Jeannette, Dawn and Sylvia. We had a lot fun and interesting discussion, you can check it out here.

First time for me with ATo2C. I tried and stopped Vanity Fair so many moons ago that I don't remember a thing.

First read for me, too. And, ditto on Vanity Fair, except that I've seen the film a couple of times, so I know the general story.

Count me in for Vanity Fair and Jonathan Strange. I could aways do with a re-read.

I've added you to my list, and Dawn, could you add her to yours? Then we're sure someone catches everybody. :)

Will do, Jeannette! I'm familiar with the storylines for both AToTC and Vanity Fair too and feel like I read Two Cities when my brother read it way back in highschool. I hope it holds up to my memories of it. More importantly will I be able to get Ronald Coleman's wonderful voice out of my head while reading it? ;~)

Chris, glad to have you on those two chunkster reads.

Hayes, I hope the buddy read helps you to make it through Vanity Fair this time. I think someone else on here had a hard time with it.

I'm a first timer for ATOTC. I have tried Dickens before but never finished (hands head in shame) so I am hoping a buddy read will help me to start and finish one.

Geevee, I think the buddy read will help keep you with the read. I just wish I could read as fast as others, in the current buddy read, I am woefully behind.

Geevee wrote: "I'm a first timer for ATOTC. I have tried Dickens before but never finished (hands head in shame) so I am hoping a buddy read will help me to start and finish one."

Same here Geevee :-).

I think that makes most of us first timers, that is really neat that so many of us will be approaching this for the first time, yet strangely enough most of us can quote the opening and closing lines of the book. This should be a fun buddy read, we may need a fast reader and slow reader lane, LOL.

Geevee,

You shouldn't be ashamed about not finishing Dickens. Yes, Dickens is one of the greatest writers in the English language; yes, he is important. But Dickens, despite his focus on the poor and the ills of society lacks a sympathy to certain aspects of that same society. I really don't think he writes many, if any, real women. His female characters are largely types. And in some ways, that is just as damning as disregarding the poor houses. I find Trollope to be more interesting than Dickens, especially in his use of female characters. It might have something to do with both men and thier mothers. What Dickens did you try BTW?

Thanks Chris - I've tried David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and the Old Curiosity Shop. What frustrates me with myself is that I have read lots on Victorian Britain including the poor, crime and how people lived in towns and especially areas of London, yet I just haven't so far clicked with the great man - the buddy read here I hope will change that.

I've not read any Trollope either - stoops even lower in embarrasment :) - or other classics as much of my reading non-fiction.

If you have an interest in Victorian poverty do try this
by Sarah Wise

It's hard to read fiction, Geevee, when you have non-fiction like this. So don't feel bad about not reading Dickens or Trollope. I haven't, and I certainly can't match your level of non-fictional historical reads.

Geevee stop stooping. You're hardly the first not to read Trollope.

The Italian Boy: Murder and Grave-Robbery in 1830s London is a book by Wise that I do have. It's on my TBR read list.

I too, haven't read Trollope, if you need to stoop in embarrassment so would many more of us here. Like Chris says, stop stooping. And Jeannette makes a good point regarding the level of non-fiction you read, but I don't think you want the lot of us to be hanging our heads. Instead pat yourself on the back and get ready for a fun buddy read next month.

Maybe Trollope can be added next year. Barchester Towersand The Eustace Diamonds come to mind but Chris may have a better suggestion for a starting point.

Barchester is always a good starting point.

We all haven't read at least one (usually more) classic(s) that we should've read.

I haven't read the Old Man and the Sea, and I have an English degree!

Old Man and the Sea "I wish the boy were here." We still tease my husband, because I assigned this book for my daughter's lit class, and she thinks it's one of the most boring books on the planet.

And, I haven't read Trollope, but have watched several wonderful BBC adaptations. Maybe next year, if I we survive Dickens and Thackeray!