It’s time for the first quarterly check-in post for Mount TBR. Last year I read 34 of my TBR books and I’m determined to read more than that this year. I’ve made a good start, mainly down to taking part in the TBR Triple Dog Dare, which requires you to read only the books you’ve owned before 1 January 2014, until 31 March (I’ll do a separate post for the Triple Dog Dare.)
Bev asks participants in her Challenge to do two things:
1. Tell us how many miles you’ve made it up your mountain (# of books read). If you’re really ambitious, you can do some intricate math and figure out how the number of books you’ve read correlates to actual miles up Pike’s Peak, Mt. Ararat, etc. And feel free to tell us about any particularly exciting adventures you’ve had along the way.
As today is the last day of March and I still have nearly 200 pages of one book and over 400 pages of another book to read before I finish them (which I won’t do today) here are my answers.
I’m very nearly at the top of Mont Blanc (15, 781 ft) with just half a book to finish. I’ve climbed Pikes Peak (14, 115 ft), which means I’ve climbed 29, 896 ft, or just over 5.6 miles, or 23.5 books. This is a vast improvement on this time last year when I’d read just 4 TBRs.
and my answers to two more questions are:
C. Have any of the books you read surprised you–if so, in what way (not as good as anticipated? unexpected ending? Best thing you’ve read ever? etc.)
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell surprised me in a good way. I’d tried to read it several times before and had given up. It was watching the movie that gave me the incentive to try it again and I’m so glad I did as I was surprised at how good it is.
D. Which book (read so far) has been on your TBR mountain the longest? Was it worth the wait? Or is it possible you should have tackled it back when you first put it on the pile? Or tossed it off the edge without reading it all?
The book that has been on my TBR Mountain the longest is The Uncertain Midnight by Edmund Cooper. I’m not sure exactly how long I’ve had it but it our copy is a 1971 edition, so we’ve probably had it since the early 70s – an amazing 40+ years! It was worth the wait as I enjoyed this 1950s sci-fi book.
BooksPlease 
Well done on climbing Mont Blanc – any mountain of books sounds good to me. That was my resolution too this year, and I have read a lot of my existing books but… the problem is… I keep adding to the pile…
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Thanks, Marina – that’s my problem too, as fast as I read my existing books, more just seem to appear …
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I’m not sure which mountain you’re ultimately climbing but whichever, it sounds like you’re doing really well and that you’re pleased with your progress. Enjoyed reading your answers.
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I’m not sure either which mountain I’ll eventually climb this year – I hope it’s at least to Mount Ararat – that is 48 books 🙂
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Margaret – Well done! I wish I could move through my own Mt. TBR like that. I’m impressed.
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you’ve done well. I didn’t partake in this one, I’m just not that committed to reducing my books, which I should be doing. My kids will have one heck of a yard sale when I “no longer need them”.
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Haha! It cheers me up considerably to think that you’ve finally read a forty-year-old TBR book – there’s hope for us all!
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I also liked the fact that you read a book from Mt. TBR that you had had for so long. It certainly gives me hope. I didn’t do the challenge and it’s a good thing since I’ve been inundated with new books from publishers and book tours this year. I’d have to stop those to read old ones and that’s something I’m not ready to do yet.
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That’s an amazing amount of Mount TBR books you’ve read so far this year, Margaret! I thought I had joined this challenge, but I think I forgot to sign up….I’ll check later. I’m thrilled for you, that is quite an achievement. It feels good to get them read from your shelves, doesn’t it? I did quite good with the Triple Dog Dare last year, but this year because we were all sick for over two months, I decided that I was going to buy and read any shiny new books I saw to cheer myself up,and didn’t go into the challenge. I enjoy seeing how everyone else is doing with it, however.
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Really making good progress! I’m familiar with the name Edmund Cooper–but even with all the vintage SF books I’ve read, I’ve not tried him yet. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
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