Mount TBR Checkpoint #2

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Bev has posted the second checkpoint for the Mount TBR Challenge.  She always gives some jobs, so here goes:

 1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain (# of books read).
I'm quite proud to say that I have read 21.5 titles out of a goal of 24.  This is much better than I usually do!
  1.  Early Christian Writings (a collection)
  2. The Age of Bede 
  3. The Ginger Star, by Leigh Brackett
  4. The Hounds of Skaith, by Leigh Brackett
  5. The Reavers of Skaith, by Leigh Brackett
  6. Crashing Suns
  7. Danubia, by Simon Winder
  8. The Story of Science, by Susan Wise Bauer (my guru!)
  9. Rasselas, by Samuel Johnson 
  10. Pan Tadeusz, by Adam Mickiewicz
  11. Fire in the Bones, by S. Michael Wilcox
  12.  Towers in the Mist, by Elizabeth Goudge
  13. Libraries in the Ancient World, by Lionel Casson
  14. Home and Exile, by Chinua Achebe
  15. Over the Gate, by Miss Read
  16. The Market Square, by Miss Read
  17. The Sea and Poison, by Shusaku Endo
  18. The Pocket Enquire Within
  19. Justinian's Flea, by William Rosen
  20. Miss MacKenzie, by Anthony Trollope
  21. Lectures on Russian Literature, by Vladimir Nabokov
  22. 800 Years of Women's Letters, ed. Olga Kenyon

2. Complete ONE (or more if you like) of the following:

  A. Choose two titles from the books you've read so far that have a common link. You decide what the link is--both have strong female lead characters? Each focuses on a diabolical plot to take over the world? Blue covers? About weddings? Find your link and tell us what it is.
 Danubia, by Simon Winder, taught me a good deal about the origins and dangers of European nationalism.   Then Pan Tadeusz, by Adam Mickiewicz  showed me an early example of it.

(In less interesting links, Leigh Brackett wrote 3 of these books and her husband, Edmond Hamilton, wrote another one.)

 B. Tell us about a book on the list that was new to you in some way--new author, about a place you've never been, a genre you don't usually read...etc.
While I'm very fond of Samuel Johnson, I've never been able to wade through his essays.  Rasselas was the first thing of his that I enjoyed reading.

 C. 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?

  My oldest TBR title was 800 Years of Women's Letters, ed. Olga Kenyon, and I could have tossed it off the edge.  It was OK, but it turns out I don't like letters much.  (I still have another collection on the shelf; should I toss it?  I paid real money for it...a long time ago...)

MOST of these books were worth the wait, though, and I enjoyed them.  Not Justinian's Flea so much. 


Comments

  1. TracyKJuly 26, 2018 at 9:05 PM

    You are doing quite well with this. I think I have been reading a lot from my TBR shelves, but haven't been keeping track.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lisbeth July 28, 2018 at 10:54 AM

    Well done, not long to go. I opted for 48 and am on 34 (you find my challenges here: https://thecontentreader.blogspot.com/p/challenges-2018.html)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jenny @ Reading the EndJuly 28, 2018 at 3:11 PM

    Holy crow, you're doing amazing!! Maybe I'll do this next year -- I haven't been very effective at reading down my TBR pile, and in fact I have bought many new books too this year. So I really need to follow your admirable example.

    ReplyDelete
  4. JeanJuly 28, 2018 at 7:20 PM

    Thanks Lisbeth! I am super impressed by anybody who can read that many TBR titles.

    Jenny, I feel so proud. And I've actually added not very many books to the pile this year (that is, if you don't count the books from the donation table, which are in a *different* pile, or the truly massive library pile....). OK, I just haven't BOUGHT very many books this year....

    ReplyDelete

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