tbr pile challenge 2013


it's that time of the year... when i find myself wandering about what i've been through the year, where i've been, what i've done, seen, experienced, taken photos of, and read. it's that time of the year... when i find myself compiling lists of the best books i read, films i saw or songs i listened to the most. and finally: it's that time of the year, when i find myself thinking of the new year's resolutions i might make, the changes i would like to make, and the challenges i might take.


not so accidentally i came across a few reading-related challenges, and being a devoted bookworm with at least two hundred books (half of which are hard copies whereas the other half are ebooks) in my ever so growing 'to be read' pile, i am way too eager to accept and take part in some of those challenges. just for the sake of reducing that enormous pile. and for my neverending, devoted love of reading. and because i love a challenge just as much as the next girl does.



so, the reading-related challenges i decided to take part in are (as of today. doesn't mean i won't take half a dozen other reading challenges in the coming fortnight.):



let me start off with introducing the to be read pile challenge, created by roofbeamreader. we all know that i have a ton of unread books, some of which have been abandoned and thoughtlessly left behind on my shelves. i have been making an effort to reduce the number of books in the pile this year, but being an incurable book-purchasing-junkie, because i can resist anything except the temptation of books (and bags and shoes), i could not help but buy circa 50 60 books (plus download a whole lot of ebooks) in 2012.    so, in spite of this honest effort of mine, this never-diminishing pile just keeps on growing and growing and growing until it reaches the hightest and bluest of skies. it just won't stop. but my love of reading won't stop either, and the bookworm in me just keeps on gorging on page after page, so i reckon that pile is going to be just fine. 

so, basically the goal of the challenge is to finally read 12 books from your 'to be read' pile within the next 12 months. some specifics (copied from roofbeamreader):

  • each of these 12 books must have been on your bookshelf or “to be read” list for at least one full year. this means the book cannot have a publication date of 1/1/2012 or later.
  •  alternates are allowed, just in case one or two of the books end up in the “can’t get through” pile.
  • must write a proper review of each book read, and must sign-up at  roofbeamreader with a link to list  and add updated links to each book’s review. every listed book must be completed and must be reviewed (doesn’t have to be too fancy) in order to count as completed.
  • crossovers from other challenges are acceptable, as long as you have never read the book before and it was published pre-2012.
  • you can read the books on your list in any order; they do not need to be read in the order you have them listed.

after some deliberate consideration i came up with a list of books (i tried to select volumes that have been sitting on my shelves for years, literally):

  • Holy Fools by Joanne Harris
  • Blue Eyed Boy by Joanne Harris
  • Little Men and Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott
  • The Sweetest Thing by Fiona Shaw
  • Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
  • The Dutchess by Amanda Foreman
  • The Constant Gardener by John le CarrĂ©
  • Jigs and Reels by Joanne Harris
  • Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott
  • The Puffin Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  • Madame Bovary by Flaubert
  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

alternates:
  • White Oleander by Janet Fitch
  • The Collected Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker

2 comments:

  1. Welcome to the challenge! Nice looking list you've got, here. Northanger Abbey is my favorite Austen - so much love! So funny! I also love Sherlock Holmes (I've been reading them in order - I've got The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes on my own challenge list for 2013). Jane Eyre is fantastic and I hear good things about The Constant Gardener (and about Joanne Harris, whom I've never read).

    I've tried to read Madame Bovary, but didn't make it very far... of course, I was much younger. I should give it another go.


    Good luck - looking forward to your thoughts!

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  2. Thank you, and I'll definitely share my thoughts!

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