Pick-a-Shelf discussion

They don't link for me on my computer. I think they just pulled up blue when Tien copied them into the spreadsheet?

Lyn (Readinghearts) wrote: "Tien - when we go to the spreadsheet, are we supposed to be able to click on the link to get to the shelves here? If so, it doesn't work for me."

The links don't seem to work if you view them on drive but if you download then view with office excel, they work

Lyn (Readinghearts) wrote: "I think we are supposed to use the shelves that Tien has listed on the spreadsheet that is linked in the first post. It is a Google Doc spreadsheet that she has done that breaks down the top shelves by alphabet. Then you go to that shelf on Goodreads and pick a book that was on your TBR before January 1, 2016 "

That is the original plan though I wasn't expecting people to be quite so ambitious so I'm happy for people to incorporate other shelves if they're going to read lots for this challenge.

It's the alphabet for me.
Completed: 21 DNF: 2

A. Adventure - Holes 4/2/16
B. British - Matilda 4/3/16
C. Culture - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan 3/19/16
D. Dark - Dark Places 4/26/16
E. Erotica - Fifty Shades Darker
F. Friendship - The One and Only Ivan 2/25/16
G. Graphic novels - Blankets 5/12/16
H. Horror - We Have Always Lived in the Castle 5/6/16
I. Interesting - The 5th Wave 4/14/16
J. Juvenile - Number the Stars 3/24/16
K. Kids - Pippi Longstocking 3/14/16
L. LGBT - Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic 5/9/16
M. Middle grade - Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures DNF
N. Nook - A Discovery of Witches DNF
O. Overdrive - All the Light We Cannot See
P. Paranormal - Lover Unbound 8/29/16
Q. Sequels - Pandemonium 3/11/16
R. Realistic fiction - Flipped 4/10/16
S. Suspense - The Thirteenth Tale
T. Teen - Fallen 8/17/16
U. Unfinished - The Grapes of Wrath 10/21/16
V. Childhood favorites - A Wrinkle in Time 3/3/16
W. Work - The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way 3/23/16
X. X - It's Kind of a Funny Story 10/6/16
Y. YA fantasy - Graceling 3/31/16
Z. Zombies - The Forest of Hands and Teeth 5/16/16

Had to change my V because I accidentally started Anne of Green Gables early for another challenge.

I'm joining. Will spell my name :)

LOL, I didn't even know there was a spreadhsheet with shelves so I looked for my own. I'm using a lot of the ones in the spreadsheet anyhow.

Right now, I'm going to work on trying to pick new shelves. I'm finding that I have many shelves that really mean the same thing like: abandoned, unfinished, gave up so I want to mix it up.

I'm in will use my full name...below are the letters...everything else to come.

1. A - abandoned - Catch-22 Read 2/3/2016
2. A - academic - Romeo and Juliet Read 1/7/2016
3. C - chick-lit - Can You Keep a Secret? Read 2/23/2016
4. D - drama - Othello Read 2/29/2016
5. E - ebook - The Maze Runner Read 1/6/2016
6. H - health - The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun Read 6/29/2016
7. I - in-english - Fangirl Read 2/13/2016
8. L - literature - Lord of the Flies Read 5/19/2016
9. N - new-adult - Easy Read 5/27/16
10. N - non-fiction - Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything Read 1/12/2016
11. R - realistic fiction - Wonder Read 4/6/2016
12. R - reference - Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation Read 11/5/2016
13. S - science - Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain Read 5/26/2016
14. T - teen - Uglies Read 4/4/2016
15. U - unfinished - One Hundred Years of Solitude Read 7/6/2016
16. Y - ya - Beautiful Creatures Read 1/29/2016
17. Y - ya-books - The Sea of Monsters Read 2/19/2016

Sherri wrote: "It's the alphabet for me. "

Ooh, I see some childhood faves! (Pippi Longstocking & Anne of Green Gables) I hope you love them too!

D.G. wrote: "LOL, I didn't even know there was a spreadhsheet with shelves so I looked for my own. I'm using a lot of the ones in the spreadsheet anyhow.

Right now, I'm going to work on trying to pick new she..."

Oops! Well, it doesn't really matter. The spreadsheet is there to assist in picking as it's ordered alphabetically but... feel free to pick your own shelves.

I agree that a lot of shelves mean the same thing & therefore have similar contents, it all just depends on who's using which :)

Karen wrote: "I'm joining. Will spell my name :)"

yay, Karen. I'll link you up when you post your list :)

Tien - For those of us who are reading A LOT for this challenge (my phrase has 92 letters) would you consider allowing DNFs as long as we completely remove them from our TBRs and not just leave them to read later?

One of the things I expect to do with this challenge is to give a chance to some books from my TBR that have been there a while and if I think they are not for me, just letting them go.

I've gotten better at DNFing over the years but I still have lots of trouble removing books from my TBR without giving them a try. That's why I don't add many and just keep my TBR at ~400 books. :)

D.G. wrote: "Tien - For those of us who are reading A LOT for this challenge (my phrase has 92 letters) would you consider allowing DNFs as long as we completely remove them from our TBRs and not just leave the..."

Yes, I'm happy for you to do that.

For anyone who's reading less than 20 however, still happy for you to DNF but i hope you'd replace it with another book.

Awesome, Tien!

My List-

K-Kindle-
A-Adult-
R-
E-Erotica
N

B
O
O
K-Kids
L-Literature
O
V
E-Ebook
R

A: autobiography - Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music - Read 1/29/16
B: biography - You Can't Make This Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television - Read 2/27/16
C: crime - Broken Promise - Read 1/20/16
D: detective - Career of Evil - Read 3/29/16
E: ebook - The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy - Read 4/18/16
F: family - Crossing to Safety - Read 3/11/16
G: general-fiction - The Lost Recipe for Happiness - Read 3/6/16
H: historical-fiction - Saving Sophie - Read 3/30/16
I: inspirational - Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption - Read 1/17/16
J: just-for-fun - The Goldfinch - Read 2/8/16
K: kindle - After You - Read 3/14/16
L: literature - The Trial - Read 1/10/16
M: mystery - Pretty Girls - 1/24/16
N: new-adult - Burying Water - Read 2/26/16
O: own-to-read - The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea
P: philosophy - Eleven Minutes - Read 2/7/16
Q: sequels - Winter - Read 2/29/16
R: realistic-fiction - Vanishing Acts - Read 3/16/16
S: suspense - Playing with Fire - Read 4/25/16
T: thriller - Dangerous Lies - Read 1/2/16
U: unfinished - Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom - Read 2/18/16
V: favorite-series - UnDivided - Read 4/11/16
W: war - Under a War-Torn Sky - Read 1/23/16
X: read-next - Bleed for Me - Read 2/25/16
Y: ya - How I Live Now - Read 2/11/16
Z: zombies - The Enemy

24/26

I'l set my list up this weekend

I confess this is the challenge I'm more excited about. I can't wait for the new year to start, LOL!

As I was preparing for this challenge, I decided to see what % of the books in my TBR were added per year. I was shocked to learn I added 68% of them in the years 2011-2013! It seems I used to add books more willy nilly than I do now.

Anyhow, I'll work on reading books from all sorts of years but I'll try to focus on 2011-2013. For a few years, I've been focusing on age, but I'll try to work on quantity. :)

Name spelled randomly

S
A
U
N
S
D
A
R
A
S
N
S
E
I

I got rid of a bunch of kindle trash in my tbr. I spent a lot of time trying to get organized for next year but now I think it may have been a huge waste of time. Sigh, at least these lists aren't in stone lol. No more planning for me, I think I might try a more month to month approach. Idk.

That's why I didn't pick any books, Julie. I've found that whenever I put books in a list, it's likely I won't get to it.

Nothing like spending the first day of the new year working on book plans and spreadsheets ( which reminds me, must go and transfer Lost to me 2016 spreadsheet).

Going all alphabetical, god help me, because, just like entering a buffet restaurant, my eyes are always bigger than my belly and I think I can do more than I actually achieve!

a abandoned - The Elegance of the Hedgehog
b book series Prince Caspian
c contemporary The Kite Runner
d dystopia The Handmaid's Tale
e europe Suite Française
f feminism A Room of One's Own
g german All Quiet on the Western Front
h horror Frankenstein
i interesting 1984
j just for fun The Memory Keeper's Daughter
k kids Boy: Tales of Childhood
l lgbt The Price of Salt
m modern The White Tiger
n novella A Christmas Carol
o overdrive Americanah
p psychological Brave New World
q queue The Girls of Slender Means
r realistic fiction The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
s short stories Birds of America
t translated My Brilliant Friend
u unfinished Love in the Time of Cholera
v favorite series The Tales of Beedle the Bard
w women The Awakening
x next in series The Blood of Olympus
y youth A Little Princess
z zombies Handling the Undead

You can find the challenge widget, here

Spelling my name, also trying to take books that immediately follow those on my LOST list and/or were on my Moving Mountains list last year and didn't get completed.

✔A archeology: The Moai Murders - finished 3/11
✔C crime: The Cuckoo's Calling - finished 4/22
✔E ebooks: The Neon Rain - finished 3/27
✔H humor: Modern Romance - finished 5/19
✔L literature: The Bean Trees - finished 2/27
✔N non-fiction: Dewey - finished 3/7
✔O own: Death Turns a Trick by Julie Smith - finished 5/28
✔O on-my-bookshelf: Red Queen - finished 6/3
✔R romance: Sapphique - finished 9/1
✔S science-fiction: Crossed - finished 3/20/16
✔S sci-fi-fantasy: Gods Tomorrow - finished 3/5
✔S suspense: Kill Decision - finished 6/7
U urban-fantasy: The City of Lost Souls - finished 2/15/16

COMPLETED
last updated 11/5/16

January's update: 9/92 | Read: 8 - DNF: 1

My most interesting shelves this month were: alligators, organ harvesting and epistolary. :) And I read books from all sorts of years as you can see below. Great start if I say so myself. :)

Books Read per Year Added
2011 - 2
2012 - 1
2013 - 3
2014 - 2
2015 - 1

DG, am loving your statistics! I'm a bit lazy to do that myself but maybe... if I finished my original planned of 11 books, I'm going to follow your example :)

Tien wrote: "DG, am loving your statistics! I'm a bit lazy to do that myself but maybe... if I finished my original planned of 11 books, I'm going to follow your example :)"

Thanks! Keeping track helps me to motivate myself that I'm making progress. I've been trying for a few years to tackle the old books on my TBR and this challenge has been the only one who has finally helped me to get some traction.

Reading the Alphabet...
A: Angels Hades 9/3/16
B: Biography Eat, Pray, Love 12/31/16
C: Classics The Scarlet Letter 2/1/16
D: Dystopia Brave New World
E: Erotica Fifty Shades Freed 12/12/16
F: Fantasy The Night Circus
G: General Fiction The Fault in Our Stars 6/8/16
H: Horns Horns
I: Interesting Unwind 8/10/16
J: Just For Fun Confessions of a Shopaholic
K: Kids Matilda 12/24/16
L: Literature The Catcher in the Rye 8/17/16
M: Middle Grade The Giver
N: New Adult Breakable
O: Overdrive If I Stay
P: Poetry The Divine Comedy 12/19/16
Q: Sequels The Infinite Sea
R: Religion The Shack 11/30/16
S: Shifters Frost Burned 12/31/16
T: Teen Speak
U: Urban Fantasy Daughter of Smoke & Bone
V: Vampires Destined
W: Werewolves Forever
X: Next in Series Iced
Y: Young Adult Under the Never Sky
Z: Zombies Feed 11/4/16

I've got 1 hour left of my audiobook to complete my last book for this challenge so I'm going to copy D.G.'s example for my second round.

One reads above all to prevent oneself thinking
~Aldous Huxley

COMPLETED on 06/17
Books Read per Year Added - Year in brackets denotes when it was added to my TBR
2008 - 1
2010 - 2
2011 - 11
2012 - 5
2013 - 2
2014 - 6
2015 - 13

o- other-world: Nirvana (Nirvana #1) (2015) -Read 05/11
n- non-fiction: The Girl with Seven Names (2015) -Read 02/23
e- egypt: Palace of Desire (2011) -Read 03/12

r- rebellion: Crossed (Matched #2) (2014) -Read 03/07
e- eexistentialism-absurdism: Nausea (2011) -Read 06/06
a- australian-nz-women: Stella Miles Franklin: A Biography (2012) -Read 05/10
d- depravity: Razor: Tilly Devine, Kate Leigh and the Razor Gangs (2014) -Read 04/28
s- series: A Tangle of Gold (2015) -Read 03/02

a- australiana: Robbery Under Arms (2010) -Read 04/05
b- boarding-school: Akarnae (2015) -Read 03/04
o- ottoman: The White Castle (2011) Read 05/01
v- violence: All the Birds, Singing (2015) -Read 05/21
e- education: Sang Pemimpi (2015) -Read 06/15

a- alcoholism: The Girl on the Train (2014) -Read 02/29
l- literature: The Secret History (2014) -Read 03/31
l- law-enforcement: Worst Case (Michael Bennett #3) (2014) -Read 05/13

t- twentieth-century: Death in Venice - Tristan - Tonio Kröger (2010) -Read 04/04
o- orphanages: The Tiger's Wife (2011) -Read 04/27

p- poison: Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials (Singaporean Mystery #2) (2015) -Read 05/11
r- royalty: Tiger's Curse (2015) -Read 03/14
e- east-asia: Wild Orchid (2012) -Read 05/18
v- vintage-mystery: A Pocket Full of Rye (2011) -Read 04/30
e- english-mysteries: They Do It With Mirrors (2011) -Read 05/14
n- nostalgia: The Wizard Heir (2011) -Read 05/02
t- thriller: The Semester of Our Discontent (2015) -Read 04/19

o- ocean: The Book of Speculation (2015 -Read 04/22
n- nautical: The Shadow-Line (2011) -Read 04/26
e- eccentric: Sea Hearts (2013) -Read 04/13
s- scottish: Lady Molly of the Scotland Yard (2015) -Read 03/11
e- espionnage: The Aquitaine Progression (2012) -Read 04/09
l- labor: The Iron Heel (2011) -Read 06/17
f- fantasy: Firstlife (2015) -Read 02/24

t- travel: Factory Girls (2008) -Read 03/17
h- horror: The Man in the Picture (2012) -Read 02/24
i- imprisonment: The Prisoner of Heaven (2014) -Read 03/19
n- no-regret: Golden Earrings (2011) -Read 05/20
k- kick-ass-heronie: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) (2013) -Read 05/31
i- indigenous: Riding the Black Cockatoo (2012) -Read 03/30
n- new-york: Run For Your Life (Michael Bennett #2) (2015) -Read 03/07
g- gulag: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (2011) -Read 03/18

I finished my first of these for the year: The City of Lost Souls . I really enjoy this series, so it was nice to get back to it, even though it was a very long book.

One down, 12 to go. Not really "on track," though the widget says I am.

Susan wrote: "I finished my first of these for the year: The City of Lost Souls . I really enjoy this series, so it was nice to get back to it, even though it was a very long book.

One down, 12 t..."

I think you'll be on track for a few days until March ticks over...

I find that I prefer the infernal devices trilogy than this series. Have you seen the movie or the more recent serial adaptation?

Tien wrote: I find that I prefer the infernal devices trilogy than this series. Have you seen the movie or the more recent serial adaptation? ..."

I do like that one as well -- though maybe not any better -- and I've been debating whether to read the graphic novels of the ones I've already read.

I haven't seen the movie based on The Mortal Instruments series. Friends told me it was terrible. I have been enjoying the TV series, though. It's a better medium, since there's so much in the book that I can see how a movie would be very hard to get right. But it's unnerving how everyone is so ... beautiful. Is that what you expected Magnus Bane to look like? And Hodge knew Jocelyn in the old days, right? So shouldn't he look older than he does?

Wow! I can't believe I've already read 8/17 books for this challenge. It has worked so nicely with the Bookopoly Challenge that it's getting rid of them fast! Too bad my Lost list isn't going as nicely. Oh well I still have read 1/10 for that so I'm not technically behind ;)

February's update: 22/92 | Read: 19 - DNF: 3

My most interesting shelves this month were:
- superpowers
- rags to riches
- ex-convicts

I'm trying to pick shelves that describe what the books are about. :)

Books Read per Year Added
2011 - 5
2012 - 4
2013 - 6
2014 - 5
2015 - 2

Susan wrote: "I haven't seen the movie based on The Mortal Instruments series. Friends told me it was terrible. I have been enjoying the TV series, though. It's a better medium, since there's so much in the book that I can see how a movie would be very hard to get right. But it's unnerving how everyone is so ... beautiful. Is that what you expected Magnus Bane to look like? And Hodge knew Jocelyn in the old days, right? So shouldn't he look older than he does? "

Yea... movie was terrible. I don't think the tv series is that good either... It's how they're described in the book though, isn't it? How gorgeous they all are! And yes, Magnus Bane supposedly have cat eyes? I think the Magnus Bane in the movie was so much better (him & Jocelyn -Lena Headey were the best features of the movie)



I haven't actually watch the series, only bits & pieces of it but I've just looked up Hodge... gosh, is he supposed to be hot-looking? The Hodge in the movie IS a grey-headed dude so... not sure what they're doing there! Appealing to the younger generation :p

Charity wrote: "Wow! I can't believe I've already read 8/17 books for this challenge. It has worked so nicely with the Bookopoly Challenge that it's getting rid of them fast! Too bad my Lost list isn't going as ni..."

well done, Charity!
I'm finding this edition to be a lot more flexible so I also got quite a few off my tbr, #winning :D

D.G. wrote: "February's update: 22/92 | Read: 19 - DNF: 3

My most interesting shelves this month were:
- superpowers
- rags to riches
- ex-convicts

I'm trying to pick shelves that describe what the books are..."

I love your updates, D.G.! I must say that I tried to vary my shelves but they still aren't as interesting as yours! I think I need to look harder lol

Tien wrote: "I love your updates, D.G.! I must say that I tried to vary my shelves but they still aren't as interesting as yours! I think I need to look harder lol "

Thanks! :) I pretty much pick the book first and then check the first page to see what shelves I can find that describe the book and fit one of the letters I'm missing. My own shelves are pretty much about genres so I'm amazed at the shelves other people use!

Two more completed for my MM list. That makes 9/26 with another nearly done. Doing right well so far. :)

March's update: 33/92 | Read: 26 - DNF: 7

Good news: I moved on to the second phrase of my sentence!
Bad news: Lots of DNFs this month (more than double what I had in Jan+Feb combined.) And a bunch of them from 2012...it seems there's a reason 2012 have been languishing on my TBR.

My most interesting shelves this month were:
- Hell
- French Revolution
- Instalove (**snort**)
- Terrorism

Books Read per Year Added - Year in brackets denotes when it was added to my TBR.
2010 - 2
2011 - 5
2012 - 6
2013 - 8
2014 - 7
2015 - 5

woohoo, D.G.

I've started to keep a track of date-added too for my list and it seems I'm reading a lot off 2015 lol and only 1 or 2 off other years... hhmmm, I need to read a little more indiscriminately :p

LOL, it seemed to happen that way for me too (where I read the most from the most recent years). This is the first year where my distribution has bee more even. :)

I have questions:

1. We've had about 4 different editions of Moving Mountains so far... do you like it being different each year? Is there a particular one that you like? Is there something in particular you'd like to see in MM?
PS: I do have something different again for 2017 ed but would like some feedback if you'd like to see a repeat of one or a certain feature to be incorporated

2. Is anyone up for a Read-a-Thon?
I'm thinking first week of May, if at all. I'm falling behind with LOST & need some encouragement ;p

I only remember the last two...can you tell us the format of the previous years? Maybe I participated and I don't remember? (LOL!)

I think I like the idea of having different ones each year but I don't like the shelf selection to be too constrained like it was last year (having to tie one shelf to the next). I'm flying through this year because I can pretty much select the shelves I like. :)

BTW, Tien. This is probably my favorite challenge. I have been saying for years and years that I have to work on my TBR but this is the only challenge where I've been able to actually do it. :)

I know exactly what you mean, D.G., I haven't been successful in previous years either and only this year that I've been able to read more than a handful.

My idea for 2017 is just as flexible

Tien -
I'm up for a readathon. I'm ahead in Moving Mountains but way behind in LOST. Would be nice to get a boost.

I've got a long way to go in Pursuit - rolled lots of duplicates - as well as the old Scattegories game. My goal is to complete all old games this year.

LOST and MM are both progressing nicely for me.

I also haven't read that many for the Moving Mountains challenge but I loved Scattegories and Reader's Pursuit and of course LOST is wonderful for getting the older books off my TBR.

April's update: 44/92 | Read: 35 - DNF: 9

Good news: I'm almost halfway through my phrase!

I had soo many interesting shelves this month that it was hard to pick just a few:
- Older Woman
- Opposites Attract
- Napoleonic Wars
- Celebrity

Books Read per Year Added
2010 - 2
2011 - 6
2012 - 8
2013 - 10
2014 - 9
2015 - 7
2016* - 2

*ONLY for series started PRIOR to 2016

I currently have the remaining six titles for this challenge checked out from the library...wonder if I'll actually read them all before I have to return them. :-)