Mount TBR 2013 Reading Challenge discussion

Alysha DeShaé wrote: "Aiming for Mt. Everest! http://alyshadeshae.com/2013/01/03/en..."

Welcome Alysha! I'll meet you at the top of Everest!

Hello all. I'm looking to reduce my TBR pile of about 250 books...actually it may be a bit more since I've been adding constantly to my eReader list (daily freebie books, can't resist'em). I'm hoping that I meet my goal this year; last year I really didn't get a chance to read much at all. Looking forward to discovering new reads to add to the pile as this old dwindles down.

Hi all! Thank you Bev for sponsoring this challenge. I have 745 books in my room that I have NOT read yet. Oh dear, that sounds like a lot. Well, this is the first time I've joined the Mount TBR Challenge. I'm starting out slow, with an attempt at Pike's Peak. You see, there are so many other books calling to me out there in the wilds of the bookstores! I cannot resist!

Hi, I'm Tim. I had a few friends who participated in the 2012 Mount TBR, so I thought I'd try the 2013 version. Just counting the ones I've added to Goodreads, I have over 400 books on my TBR shelf (although some I've read before I started Goodreads). Between physical books (roughly 850 books), and audiobooks, and e-books, I have well over 1000 books.

I'll start at the lowest level, because I'm sure I'll add a lot of new books to the pile, but I'll see as things go.

Good luck, Tim! It will feel good to get through a few of those books, waiting patiently on the shelf.

Tim wrote: "Hi, I'm Tim. I had a few friends who participated in the 2012 Mount TBR, so I thought I'd try the 2013 version. Just counting the ones I've added to Goodreads, I have over 400 books on my TBR shelf..."

Nice to have you with us, Tim. Good luck.

Bev wrote: "Freda wrote: "Hi all.
I'm Freda from Freda's Voice! A Canadian Lifestyle blogger who LOVES books and always has my nose in one. I tried sticking my nose to the Kindle, with little effect.... (^_^..."

Thanks Bev! I hope no one has to save me again this year!

Welcome Rakisha, Stephanie, and Tim! So glad to have you along this year!

Hi, I'm Christine. I am trying to decide which level I should pick. I love this idea!

Hi!
I'm new to the TBR Challenge this year. While I plan on reading at least 50 books this year, some of them will be re-reads or new books for my book clubs, so I will be adding my TBR list to the Mont Blanc level.

Hello, Bev and everyone. I'm Cynthia from Brantford, Ontario, Canada. I am aiming for Mt Ararat, and that would put me about 1/4 through my personal TBR. Brantford is host to one of the largest annual charity booksales in Ontario. Last year I bought twelve books for $8. But in 2008, I bought 75 books for $40. I still have more than half of them unread. Yep. Guess why I still have a leaning TBR!

I am also a member over at Bookcrossing, which results in an enlarged book collection as well. At least it helps me whenI need to find new homes for the books I have read.

I don't currently have my TBR listed on goodreads, as I have always maintained that it is way too much work to enter it all at once.

As a secondary challenge to myself, I have put myself on a book purchase restriction for at least 6 months. I can accept gifts or trades, but I cannot purchase any new books. Which means I must forgo this year's booksale. Probably not a bad thing.

Thanks for organizing such an interesting (and adaptable) challenge. I look forward to everyone's achievements, including my own! :o)

Welcome to all the new climbers and the returning members. Deep breaths people, it'll go fine. You'll be surprised how quickly you make it up the mountain.

Welcomes Christine, Kat, and Cynthia! We're so glad to have you all along!

Hi - I'm Tracey, and I need this challenge! I'm in two minds about the fact that friends-of-the-library sales have become fewer in the area - it's awful because I love them so much, but it's great because I love them so much I always come home with a couple of bags full of books. The books have taken over. I have books that have been kicking around my house for years, and I need to start either reading them or shifting them - and this will make me do it. I hope.

I believe I'll aim low to start with - my Netgalley duties have stacked up, so out of my goal of 150 books this year I will make 36 from by TBR mountain: Mt. Vancouver, here I come. (And hopefully in addition to the 36 I actually read, I can weed out at least as many more which I finally admit I will never read.)

Hi Tracey :-).

Jemidar wrote: "Hi Tracey :-)."

Hi! I stalked you (and it seems like half my friend list) over here. :D

This is the place to be!

Hi everyone!!

Hi CynthiaA... another BookCrosser! Yay!

I'm Hayes and I can't remember if I introduced myself or not, so I will do it again! I participated in the 2012 TBR challenge and (just barely) managed to get to the top of Mt. Ararat. I'm scaling (down to) Pike's Peak this year, and I too have pledged not to buy any books this year. I will Mooch or Cross, but that's it. I do wish paperbackswap was available here in Europe. BookMooch is pretty good, but limited.

Good luck everyone.

Hi, I'm Malin. I have books enough on my TBR list to do a Mount Olympus, but I also know myself well enough that that's not going to happen any time soon. There are so many other shiny books out there distracting me constantly.

Even before discovering this challenge, I'd decided that I had to read at least 2 books from my TBR-list a month, though, so the Mt. Blanc seems like a perfect starting point. I may upgrade as the year progresses, we'll see.

Malin wrote: "Hi, I'm Malin. I have books enough on my TBR list to do a Mount Olympus, but I also know myself well enough that that's not going to happen any time soon. There are so many other shiny books out th..."

Lol, we all feel your pain. Glad you've joined us.

Tracey wrote: "Hi - I'm Tracey, and I need this challenge! I'm in two minds about the fact that friends-of-the-library sales have become fewer in the area - it's awful because I love them so much, but it's great ..."

Hi from me too, Tracey. *waves*

CeeAnne wrote: "Hi, I'm Christine. I am trying to decide which level I should pick. I love this idea!"

Hi there Christine! *waves some more*

Welcome Tracey and Malin! Those other books (and library book sales) do make it hard to scale the TBR mountains.

Hello! I'm la_mariane, both on LJ and goodreads. I love the idea to reduce the number of un-read books I own. Too bad I can't bring myself to give them or sell them once I've read them...

La_mariane wrote: "Hello! I'm la_mariane, both on LJ and goodreads. I love the idea to reduce the number of un-read books I own. Too bad I can't bring myself to give them or sell them once I've read them..."

Hi! Glad you're here. I have a hard time getting rid of books too. I'm getting a little better...but my husband still wants to take my temperature every time I'm willing to give some up.

I signed up on your blog the other day but figured I might as well join the Goodreads group, too. I'm attempting Mt Vancouver. I have way more books than that and even have two separate mounts of books (the ones in my bedroom are on deck, and the rest are benchwarmers that have accumulated over the years) - would like both piles to get smaller or at least tackle the first category and move some from the second to the first as a result.

Jennifer wrote: "I signed up on your blog the other day but figured I might as well join the Goodreads group, too. I'm attempting Mt Vancouver. I have way more books than that and even have two separate mounts of..."

Hi, Jennifer! Glad to have you join wherever works. We've got a lively bunch here at GoodReads. All kinds of buddy-reads and conversations going on. I can't keep up with everybody. But a great group that takes care of themselves pretty well. :-)

Hello, I just found your group and love this! I too am guilty of owning way more books than I've read, a mountain is very good description. Since I got an e-reader, that has been filling up with unread books. Each purchase has always been made with the intention of reading the book, and this group will (I hope)provide the extra motivation to head back to my bookshelves, which I guess means staying out of the library....and maybe buying less books this year. Thinking of starting at the Mount Blanc level to really challenge myself, but tempted to be more modest with the Pike’s Peak level.

Good luck, Pamela! This is my first trek and I'm starting with Pike's Peak too. We can always keep climbing on another mountain if we make it to the top!

Stephanie wrote: "Good luck, Pamela! This is my first trek and I'm starting with Pike's Peak too. We can always keep climbing on another mountain if we make it to the top!"

Hi Suzanne! And welcome to you too! Actually I will try for the Mount Blanc. 24 books is about half of what I have read the past few years, so it should be a good challenge. Staying on task to what I already own really is going to be the hard part. Good luck on your climb and happy reading!

Welcome Pamela & Stephanie! Glad you're here. Good luck with those mountains.

Hi I'm Ellinor and this group was just what I needed! My main reading goal is to immensely reduce the books I've got at home and on my kindle (which is starting to slow down because I've downloaded way too much stuff...)
My tbr-mount is so high that I could do the Mt Olympus challenge several times over. Well, I only signed up once ;)

Hi, Ellinor! Good luck with Mt. Olympus! We expect to get messages regularly from Mars.

Hi, I'm Lesley and I'm so excited to find this group.

I've always loved to read, but ever since I got my Kindle (in May 2011) I have only read maybe 10 real books, but hundreds of e-books, mostly free ones, courtesy of Pixel of Ink and ereaderiq and a few other sites. It's just so much easier for me to use the kindle - it's so much easier for me to put one thing in my purse with hundreds of books vs one or two paperbacks for those times where you can squeeze in a little bit of reading.

With all that being said, my real-life TBR pile is almost non-existent, but my electronic TBR pile is staggering - there's over 1000 unread books on the kindle, yet I'm obsessed with downloading more as I stumble across any that sound like they'd be enjoyable.

With the new downloads being added, I can't work at getting the total number of ebooks down, but I can at least work on getting the ones that I've had for months down, so my goal is to reach the peak of Mount Everest and read 100 of the older books on my kindle.

So far this year, I've read 15 books total, but only 3 of them were downloaded after 12/31/2012. The oldest one I've read has been on the Kindle since 6/21/11 - about time I read that one! lol But my question - would the older downloads that I've already read qualify for the challenge or would only those I read from today on count since I'm signing up today?

Hi, Lesley! Welcome to the Challenge. Any books that you've read since the beginning of the year that were downloaded pre-1/1/13 count.

Hi guys! I'm Michelle a sophomore college student :) I am double majoring in psych and fine arts. Because of that, I'm going to stay safe and do the Pike's Peak challenge. Good luck everyone!

Michelle wrote: "Hi guys! I'm Michelle a sophomore college student :) I am double majoring in psych and fine arts. Because of that, I'm going to stay safe and do the Pike's Peak challenge. Good luck everyone!"

Hi, Michelle! Good luck with Pike's Peak--and fitting the climb in with that double major!

Lesley wrote: "my electronic TBR pile is staggering - there's over 1000 unread books on the kindle..."

It is terribly addictive to find new freebies and deals, isn't it? I keep saying I need to clean out my Kindle, but the actual stacks of actual books threatening to fall on me need tending to more. :) Maybe next year I'll do an all-Kindle Mount TBR ascent...

Bev wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Hi guys! I'm Michelle a sophomore college student :) I am double majoring in psych and fine arts. Because of that, I'm going to stay safe and do the Pike's Peak challenge. Good luc..."

Thanks Bev :) Breaks will help a lot in many many ways lol

Hello, DigiReader! All the important people will believe you when you talk about Olympus. Glad to have you trekking along with us.

DigiReader wrote: "Bev wrote: "Hello, DigiReader! All the important people will believe you when you talk about Olympus. Glad to have you trekking along with us."

Hahahaha ! Good timing . I'm one minute behind you..."

DigiReader wrote: "Bev wrote: "Hello, DigiReader! All the important people will believe you when you talk about Olympus. Glad to have you trekking along with us."

Hahahaha ! Good timing . I'm one minute behind you..."

That's so cool that you can respond before I send the message. Have you got a time machine? :-)

Hi, I am eager to start climbing the first mountain.
Now I understand why so few go into space. Perhaps my dream will come true here - working toward Mars

@DigiReader: Well...when your post first showed up, I read it as you having somehow posted before me (LOL) my mistake! If I had a time machine, not only would I like to drop by different eras, but I'd be scooping up first editions of some of the hard-to-find vintage mysteries that I love.

Retha wrote: "Hi, I am eager to start climbing the first mountain.
Now I understand why so few go into space. Perhaps my dream will come true here - working toward Mars"

Hi, Retha! Be sure and send lots of Mars pictures! We want to know all about your journey.

Hi everyone, I am starting at Pike's Peak and am slowly going to climb my way to the top. Not sure where the top will be - maybe Mars

True, true - rephrase:
I shall start at Pike's Peak and work my way into outer space where I shall take a breather on Mount Olympus.
For now Pikes Peak is my goal LOL

Retha wrote: "True, true - rephrase:
I shall start at Pike's Peak and work my way into outer space where I shall take a breather on Mount Olympus.
For now Pikes Peak is my goal LOL"

Aw, Retha. And here I thought you had your extreme climbing gear on and were headed straight to Mars. :-) Go get Pikes' Peak!

Need to walk in/climb in the fancy gear before I can go for Mars. Step by step - mountain by mountain - want to enjoy the view on the way. (Secret: my reading list of books I would like to read can easily take me twice to Mars and back)

Retha wrote: "Need to walk in/climb in the fancy gear before I can go for Mars. Step by step - mountain by mountain - want to enjoy the view on the way. (Secret: my reading list of books I would like to read can..."

:-) I know what you mean about the TBR list....I think mine could do the same (probably way more).

So glad I am not the only one

Bev wrote: "Hi! I'm Bev from Indiana. As the Challenge Rules tell you...I have an incredible mountain range of TBR piles. Still. Even after the 2012 Mount TBR Challenge. I have this little problem...it's call..."

Hi everyone! I definitely have a book buying addiction, especially since acquiring not one, but two Kindles! I have a Kindle Keyboard that I bought for myself two years ago and a Kindle Fire that my fiance bought for me on Black Friday of 2011. I own about 200 physical books, at least a third of which I have not read. I have many, many more books on my Kindle-about 500 I think, most of which I have not read. I will be climbing towards level 4 this year. Since I plan to read at least 100 books this year, I think that 48 books is a good, solid, yet still realistic goal for me to work towards. Hopefully we can all help each other reach our tbr goals this year!