Mt TBR report: December 2012

[calissa]

One of my resolutions for this year was to finish the year with less books on Mt TBR than I started. It is now the morning of 31 December and while it's possibly a little early, I'm calling it in. After all, I'm unlikely to finish any more books today due to my schedule.

Mt TBR Status
Mt TBR at 1 January: 146 books
Mt TBR @ 30 November: 135 books
Mt TBR @ 31 December: 135 books

Overall it has been a success, though not a wild one. It has been a remarkably slow year for reading and I am at a loss as to exactly why. Nevertheless I'm fairly pleased, even while hoping to do better next year.

Speaking of which, I am updating my MT TBR count in preparation for next year. There are some rereads I want to include and some books in Sahaquiel's collection (and my sister's) that I really should make space for. (Along those lines, if there's a book sidheblessed or darakat thinks I should borrow please let me know, guys!)


Books read
51. Power of Three by Diana Wynne Jones
52. A Field Guide to the Birds of the ACT by McComas Taylor & Nicholas Day
53. Dancing in Moonlight: Understanding Artemis through Celebration by Thista Minai

Comments

[sweet_sparrow]

Congratulations! <3

Ooooh, what did you think of The Power of Three?

[calissa]

I loved it. It deals with the subject of difference and racism with such grace, while still being a story of sheer fun. Probably one of my best reads for this year.

[sweet_sparrow]

Yay! I remember really liking it, but it's been a while since I read it. Maybe I should reread some of DWJ's works next year... Have you read a lot of DWJ's books before this one?

(After posting I had a thought to ponder, do you think your goal to reduce your Mt TBR might have aided in making your reading year slow?)

[calissa]

Only Howl's Moving Castle and its sequel. I found the HMC book so different from the movie (which I adore) that I found it difficult to appreciate it for its own merit. I'd very much like to go back to it, however, because I remember it having some pretty awesome parts and I think I'd do a better job of appreciating it.

I don't think that the goal made the year slow. To be quite honest, I'm surprised that I have fared as well as I have, considering this was my first year with a Kindle. So a (small) part of it was probably the electronic books. Another part was that I've been reading some pretty big books--The Count of Monte Cristo, The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection. There was also poetry this year and I find I can't read more than one poem a night if I want to properly appreciate them. And then there was my total lack of will power :D

I should also add that if there are any free ebooks around that you'd recommend, let me know and I shall add them to the pile.

[sweet_sparrow]

*nods* It was extremely different. I had the opposite issue since I came into the movie from the book. I needed a rewatch to really appreciate the movie for its own sake too. I hope you'll get a chance to go back to it! I didn't like Castle in the Air quite as much, though. That could do with a reread as well. ^-^

Ooooooh. That's going to slow the reading down, yes.

Let me see what I've got that I haven't mentioned to you before. ^-^ I don't have too many free ebooks, so it won't add a lot of titles to your Mt TBR, at least.

[calissa]

I hope to get a chance to come back to it, but it was a loan from someone I'm no longer really acquainted with. I'll either have to track down a copy for myself or hope the library has one. At any rate, I think I've established that Diana Wynne Jones is definitely an author I want to read more of.

I suspect that my reading is going to remain slow, as I have more poetry and more chunksters--the remnants of Sherlock Holmes as well as Vanity Fair and Johnathon Strange and Mr Norrel. I can't say I mind all that much, though :D

Thanks again for the recommendation email. It's always good to try out some new things and there looked to be some good ones you mentioned. I've downloaded them all.

[sweet_sparrow]

I'd be quite surprised if the library didn't have it at all. It's one of her best-known books.

Oooooh. Sounds lovely! I hope you'll enjoy Jonathan Strange!

May they be good recommendations for you. ^-^

[sidheblessed]

Oh dear, I have a good deal of books I could recommend and make your current reading pile exponentially bigger than it already is.As always, if you see anything you like I'm happy to lend it.

[calissa]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

I'm actually feeling in a bit of a reading slump at the moment. It's certainly not because of a shortage of good books to read!