Bev of My Reader’s Block has called for the third check in of the 2012 Mount TBR (To Be Read) Reading Challenge and I’m quite pleased with my progress this quarter! With the recent completion of Kafka on the Shore I have read 22 of 25 books—an astounding 88%!
In addition to our basic check in – Bev has asked us to do a couple of things. The first is determine how far we’ve made it up the mountain (that’s above) and if possible convert it into actual distance. As of the last check in, I was 10,735ft or 3,272m up Mount Vancouver (Mount Vancouver is 15,787 ft/4,812m tall according to Google). This check in I am 13,893ft or 4,235m up Mount Vancouver! I’m defintiely entering that final stretch and am very excited as I’ve already completed one challenge for 2012.
The second thing she asked us, is to do one of the following 1) compose a poem (with extra words if needed), 2) Make a suggestion for a new level of Mount TBR (with a corresponding mountain suggestion) or 3) Share a book which has surprised us.
I feel bad, but I’m going to have to cop-out and go for number three this post as my brain is entirely too wrung out for option one (although I really enjoyed my last one) and number two is something I’m trying NOT to think about, even though I’m well aware of the books on my TBR shelf.
Last time I wrote about Anna Karenina and A Tree Grows in Brookyln, but I didn’t mention my new-found love of Anne Brontë. After reading Agnes Grey I realized I really enjoyed her writing, much more than the phantasmagorical writing of her sisters’ more famous works. Anne’s writing is so much more straight forward and to the point, I feel. She provides stories which are both intriguing and emotional, while at the same time challenging social conventions of the time and pushing the boundaries of what a young woman could (and should) be writing about at the time. Both Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall made my year and encouraged me to learn more about her and her family.
Hopefully I can wrap this challenge up by the end of November! I’m taking a bit more time out in October to participate in The Literary Others LGBT reading event. I did manage to get one Mount TBR book into that list from this year’s list so I will at least make one books progress in October! I hope everyone else is making awesome progress!
I’m amazed by your progress this year! And I found out this year that I enjoy Anne Bronte’s writing . You were one of the bloggers who let me in on the secret, if you can call it a secret.
Thanks! I’m a little concerned though that the challenges forced me to rush through some of the books rather than relaxing and enjoying them. I think I’ll limit myself to a certain number next year in hopes that it’ll let me slow down. I think my original goal of 60 books in the year was plenty and I’m going to go well above and beyond that.
And Anne Brontë is definitely the best kept secret of literature that I’ve discovered so far!
You’re doing great, Geoff! I’ve no doubt that you’ll reach the top by sometime in November. Thanks for checking in!
Thanks for making such a great challenge and making us all feel involved! I’m hoping to finish in November, but who knows what’ll happen. Thankfully I’ve got a bit of a cushion because I did too much to the grind stone early on.