Play Book Tag discussion

We just got the green light for the final year of Unofficial Trim Completion! To make it clear to old, newer, and new members, this is the final phase of a yearlong challenge from 2019 that everyone really enjoyed and wanted to finish, but anyone can join and jump in at any time. So…. This is going to be the explanation and planning thread, and there will be a new one to kick off the year.

This is not an official PBT challenge. You do not have to participate, you can drop or enter participation at any time. This is the ultimate easy extra. You will not receive any extra points for books that you read, but you should put them in the monthly or other folders to get points, as well as if they fit into particular challenges. It is for fun. And to complete left over Buddy Reads that people had planned. This is how it works. You create a list of 12. It does not have to be the same list as last year or the original challenge. If you are new, there will be opportunity to put down whatever list you want. Each month, someone will pick the number, and you read the number on your list, thus ensuring that this book comes off your TBR.

I will provide a list of the former Buddy Reads planned for each of the numbers. Those that were in position one to 12 will stay the same. Those numbers picked for 13-24 will get put into the next available new slot. So everyone who still wants to read the same book together, keeps that number, or gets shifted together, leaving available slots that do not conflict on our prior lists. Anyone who wants to add to that Buddy read, can join. Anyone who looks at each other’s lists and sees they have the same book, can together choose to have a buddy read, as long as they agree on the number. You can have as many as you like. People can choose to read together. Just because you were in on a planned Buddy read last year, does not mean that is your choice for this year. And just because you sign up for one, does not mean you are committed to do, it, or to do it when the number is called. This is just for fun. If you wish to read one of your trim books earlier than its called, or shift it out for something else, hey no one is watching, or counting – this is to for sure eliminate 12 extra books from our TBR’s in 2019 and finish the challenge.

Also, some people have talked on the thread, of putting more than one choice on their list – feel free. I am sticking with my largely original list of 12 left, which at this point has books I wanted to read in 2017, and 2018, and maybe a little of 2019.

I will publish the new tracking thread for the challenge just before the new year, and I will select the number. Subsequent numbers will be picked instead of from the randomizer, from the folks who read all of their Trim Books in 2020 on time, followed by the folks who read them at some point, followed by anyone else who got really involved. Up to ten names will be posted for February through November, leaving the last pick left obvious for December 2021. My suggestion is to post our number after the announcement of the monthly tag, and if you aren’t able to do so, or wish to drop out of the selection privilege, no worries, I got you. This is meant to be as unpressured as possible.

So how do I plan my Trim List of 12? Here’s how. I am going to post the original and newly numbered Buddy Read List, and then, start with my own. I might shift it around if people come up with new and good stuff. And I will track who and where the buddy reads are, so I can post the list more fully just before the end of the year. Good executive functioning comes in handy here. I will keep track. Change your lists around on this thread, I’ve got it. Ask me questions, I will help us solve it. And will post the new thread by the end of the year to start us off. I took off the names of the people, who were involved, so there was no new pressure. If we don’t have two anymore by the end, I will remove the book from the list of Buddy Reads. If I notice new ones that I think you eagle eyes didn’t pick up yourselves, I will try to help arrange. I will keep editing this post #1, as it looks like folks are signing up for these. My only two buddy reads left was number 2, for Ninth house, and #10 for the Dream Daughter. If your eagle eyes notice something, let me know.

#1 The Age of Innocence - Charlotte
#1 An American Marriage, AJ, Kate?, Diana?

#1 White Tiger - BnB
#1 Six Four
#1 And Then There Were None - Jenny
#1 Eva Luna - BC, Amy, Sally
#1 - Beartown, Kate, Hayjay, Diana? Charlotte?

#2 The Ninth House - Amy, Meli, Charlotte, Shelley
#2 Stranger Beside Me - Oliver, AJ
#2 - Ghana Must Go - BnB, Jen

#3 The Time Traveler's Wife 
#3 Rain of Gold
#3 The Left Hand of Darkness
#3 Becoming - AJ, Heather
#3 - 12 Ways your phone is changing you - Shelley, Sue
#3 - Aperigon, Shelley, Amy?, Sally?

#4 (formerly 13)
#4 The Hate U Give - Shelley
#4 News of the World by Paulette Jiles
#4 - Masterpiece - Theresa, HayJay

#5 Circling the Sun by Paula McLain - Theresa
#5 Nine Perfect Strangers - AJ, Charlotte, Diana?, Jenni
#5 - The Space Between Us- Joanne, JoyD
#5 - The Elegance of the Hedgehog - JenK, DianaH
#5 - Cold Sassy Tree - Amy, HayJay

#6) (formerly 14)
#6 Hot Milk  - BnB

#7 The Cellist of Sarajevo 
- Jenny
#7 Rebecca  
- Charlotte
#7 The Book Thief  - AJ
#7 Seabiscuit - BnB, HayJay
#7 - Cockroaches, JenK, BC

#8 The Boston Girl 

#8 Between the World and Me, - Meli?

#8 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, BnB
#8 Red at the Bone
#8 - Water for Elephants - AJ and Jenni
#8 -Lions of Fifth Avenue - Hayjay, Amy

#9 (formerly 18)
#9 Once Upon a River
#9 A Tale for the Time Being - BnB, JenK
#9 - Brothers K. Shelley, Charlotte

#10 (formerly 20)
#10 Love and Ruin 
#10 Salt to the Sea - JenK, Jenni 

#10 The Lies of Locke Lamora - AJ
#10 The Dream Daughter - Amy, JoyD, Shelley
#10 Wild - BnB
#10 The Night Circus - Meli, Charlotte

#11 (formerly 23)
#11 The Library Book - Charlotte, HayJay
#11 The Bird King
#11 - Time After Time - Amy, Joanne, JoyD
#11 - The Hired Man, BnB, JoyD, Heather

#12 (formerly 24)
#12 Vicious 
#12 Clockmaker’s Daughter - Charlotte, Kate? Diana?, HayJay?
#12 Notes on a Crocodile - Meli
#12 - The Time In Between - Amy, Joy D
#12 - The Most Fun I Ever Had - Sally, Amy
#12 - The Stationary Shop - Shelley, JenK
#12 - The Promised Land - Heather


Amy’s New Trim List (2021)

#1) A Pidgeon and a Boy/Eva Luna
#2) Ninth House and/or A Spark of Light
#3) The Butterfly’s Daughter
#4) Caspian Rain
#5) Cold Sassy Tree
#6) Modern Girls
#7) The Opposite of Fate
#8) The Patriots
#9) The Possible World
#10) The Dream Daughter
#11) Time After Time
#12) The Time in Between/The Most Fun I Ever Had

Does everyone, especially those new or rejoining, get the concept? Start posting your lists, and I will help…. And will also start tallying the 2020 thread to pick our pickers for the year!

Thanks for playing and happy warm holidays to all,

Amy

Thanks for starting us off (again!).

I haven't been doing the buddy reads, so this is my remaining list of 12:

1. Hallucinations / Oliver Sacks
2. The Tattooed Witch / Susan Macgregor
3. The Silver Linings Playbook / Matthew Quick
4. Beth / Nora Kay
5. Kitty Cornered / Bob Tarte
6. Herbert Has Lots for a Buck / Elizabeth McLachlan
7. The Dreams of Ada / Robert Meyer
8. Daughter of Time / Sarah Woodbury
9. Such a Pretty Face / Cathy Lamb
10. Sylvia / Bryce Courtenay
11. The Horseman’s Graves / Jacqueline Baker
12. Honolulu / Alan Brennert

I might note Daughter of Time for myself as its on my TBR too....

I just want to announce that that was exhausting! Going through the last thread and seeing who read the most and when. I thought I had topped out with respect for Nicole and Anita, and Cindy, for going through the threads, but my respect just tripled!!!!

Additionally the amount of respect for the committed readers we have is unbelievable. The sheer number of people who joined and participated, and actually read either all of the books for the year, and some more of them - on time! It was almost hard to pick, but there were 11 standouts. Super-impressive. I am going to give up my January pick for one of these folks to pick instead, so they all can get a well deserved crack at the choice. There was also an incredible amount of community building, and a ton of popular Buddy Reads, including Kindred, the Lost Vintage, From Sand and Ash, Erotic Punjabi Windows, and Strange the Dreamer.

There was also a few people, particularly Meli and Joanne our number pickers for the year, who threw a lot of books at walls and across floors, and it seems Theresa had her head in Proust for a portion of the year. But one remarkable feature of this particular challenge was how many new members joined, and kicked it out of the park. That was really great to see. Especially for an unofficial no pressure challenge. Anyway, congratulations guys. I will announce you at the kickoff of the new official non-official thread, but I was super impressed. I'm excited to read again with you this year....

-Here ya go Amy-not set in stone, going to see what buddy reads come up-I have Time After Time on my shelf so I slotted it in at number 11 with you!

1 )The Mountain of Kept Memory
2) The Tournament
3) Then We Take Berlin
4) The Seven Sisters
5) The Space Between Us
6) The Sword Of Bedwyr
7) Joust
8) The Fires of Vengence
9) White Houses
10) Castle In The Sir
11) TIme After TIme
12) An Elephant In My Kitchen

Love it! Would love to read that with you.

Amy - this sounds great! Fantastic organizational job!

I am joining as I want to finish. I will be doubling up personally to snag those I missed reading last year, even though I curated the list knowing I was reading Proust. I clearly underestimated just how demanding a man Marcel was!

Will post my list a bit later and double check buddy reads. But do want to mention that November had a buddy read already of Rebecca because of the book to screen PBT monthly theme. The Bird King also already had its buddy read this fall because my Feminerdy Book Club was reading and discussing it.

Wow. This is complicated and I don't get it at all. My brain is fried from writing reports for school so I will try again later. Am I supposed to post my list of 12?

Yes you can post your list of 12. You can choose to look at some of the suggestions that were higher in the thread, or even better look at other peoples lists and see if there’s anything you want to switch or join onto. But it starts by posting your list of 12. I think it’s great to see newer members join in.

I made some changes to my old list, left about half of them, and added some I would like to reread one more time.

2021 Unofficial Trim

1. Stormbird - Conn Iggulden
2. The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story - Ann Rule
3. When Christ and His Saints Slept - Sharon Kay Penman
4. The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes - Diane Chamberlain
5. Small Sacrifices - Ann Rule
6. The Charm School - Nelson DeMille
7. Daughter of Sand and Stone - Libbie Hawker
8. The Sunne in Splendour - Sharon Kay Penman
9. The Forgotten Kingdom - Signe Pike
10. The Conqueror's Wife: A Novel of Alexander the Great - Stephanie Thornton
11. The Memoirs of Cleopatra - Margaret George
12. An Echo in the Bone - Diana Gabaldon

I played the first year but not last year. I'll see what I can do this year, with a new list of 12. Thanks for pulling this together again for 2021, Amy!

1. The Dust of 100 Dogs - AS King
2. Men in the Sun & Other Palestinian Stories - Ghassan Kanafani
3. Of Mice & Men - John Steinbeck
4. Sons & Lovers - DH Lawrence
5. Steppenwolf - Herman Hesse
6. Steppin' on a Rainbow - Kinky Friedman
7. The Sea Runners - Ivan Doig
8. Masques - Patricia Briggs
9. Still Life With Woodpecker - Tom Robbins
10. The Sea, The Sea - Iris Murdoch
11. Un Lun Dun - China Mieville
12. There's Wild, & Then There's You - M. Leighton

I'm keeping the list the same:

1. The White Tiger- Aravind Adinga*
2.Ghana Must Go - Taiye Selasi
3. For Rouenna - Sigrid Nunez
4. Lily and the Octopus - Steven Rowley
5. Reign of the Marionettes - Sheena Macleod
6. Hot Milk - Deborah Levy
7. Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Laura Hillenbrand*
8. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society* - Mary Ann Shaffer
9. A Tale for the Time Being* - Ruth Ozeki
10. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail* - Cheryl Strayed
11.The Hired Man - Aminatta Forna*
12. The Sadness - Benjamin Rybeck

Two observations; Oliver, the Sun in Splendour. That book has been on my TBR forever, but I am holding it off for the year that PBT finally pulls the long book challenge that everyone wants. When that challenge is announced, it will be the year I read it.

BnB - Good for you with the buddy reads. I really hope people join you. You also had an incredible year last year with this challenge, and that was noticed by me long before I attempted to try and count.

Third - Time After Time. I will start a buddy read on number eleven for this book, but I was thinking about it. I think there are like five different books with this title, and I might wager ours is not the same. That said, lets do it anyway, and see when the time comes. Maybe we both read it, even if its different....

I'm going to completely change up my list for 2021. I skipped around and read a bunch of my 2019/2020 books out of order - mostly because they were books I wanted to read.

For 2021, I'm going to take the 12 books that have been on my TBR the longest.

1. Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia, and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots by Nancy Goldstone
2. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
3. 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke
4. In the Days of Rain: A Daughter, a Father, a Cult by Rebecca Stott
5. The Only Story by Julian Barnes
6. Human Croquet by Kate Atkinson
7. Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
8. The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
9. Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak
10. Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie
11. Animal's People by Indra Sinha
12. Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

**Edited to move 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You to number 3.

Amy wrote: "I just want to announce that that was exhausting! Going through the last thread and seeing who read the most and when. I thought I had topped out with respect for Nicole and Anita, and Cindy, for g..."

I am posting my November read tonight or tomorrow, and I still plan to finish my December read before the end of the year! :-) I will still finish! LOL!

My list of 12 for the final PBT Trim the TBR:

#4 remaining

✅1. Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume - completed 11/14/21 - 4 stars - My Review - selected for November
✅2. The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish - completed 1/22/21 - 4 stars - My Review - selected for January
✅3. The Third Hill North of Town by Noah Bly - completed 6/19/21 - 2 stars - My Review - selected for June
4. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann - selected for December
✅5. The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar - completed 4/30/21 - 4 stars - My Review* - selected for April (buddy read with Joanne)
✅6. Winter by Ali Smith - completed 5/17/21 - 4 stars - My Review - selected for May
✅7. Great House by Nicole Krauss - completed 3/29/21 - 4 stars - My Review - selected for March
✅8. Tin Man by Sarah Winman - completed 2/9/21 - 4 stars - My Review - selected for February
✅9. Lanny by Max Porter - completed 9/9/21 - 4 stars - My Review - selected for September
✅10. The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain - completed 10/26/21 - 4 stars - My Review* - selected for October (buddy read with Amy)
✅11. The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna - completed 8/15/21 - 4 stars - My Review - selected for August* (buddy read with Heather and Booknblues)
✅12. The Time In Between by María Dueñas - completed 3/25/21 - 4 stars - My Review (buddy read with Amy and Sallys, moved up to March)
✅13. (additional #12, since the original was completed ealier) Heaven and Hell by Jón Kalman Stefánsson - completed 7/18/21 - 4 stars - My Review - selected for July

*=buddy read

Sallys wrote: "Wow. This is complicated and I don't get it at all. My brain is fried from writing reports for school so I will try again later. Am I supposed to post my list of 12?"

It doesn't have to be complicated. Just pick 12 books you want to read, number them, and every month a new number is chosen. You'll read the book at that number.

If you want to do buddy reads with some of the others who are doing that, you just put those books in the same numbers as the others.

Hope that helps! :-)

Sue - Loved the Three Daughters of Eve....

Joy D - Loved the Weight of Ink.

Joy - I think I got the buddy reads too.. Three with me, and one with BnB. I will add the new one of ours, (The Time In Between, #12, which by the way I just researched, And 124 users tagged it Spain.) And the Hired Man at #11 with BnB. Its on my computer list, but not yet edited on the top thread....

Sally, you can post any 12, but if you like some of the Buddy Reads that are forming, (see the list above), you can feel free to align books and numbers with us. #10, 11, and #12 already have Buddy Reads for like four books, and BnB has another 6 or 7 more earlier in the list and would love some company. The list was compiled from last year and the year before, so if you like one of the titles that no one is yet sitting on, give it a try. Maybe it will generate interest, and you can always swap it out for something else.

I just caught it - The Space Between Us at #5 with Joanne and JoyD. Let me know if I missed any others.... I put them all in.

Here's my list .... I took the 7 left from my original list (I've been REALLY trying to read these books off the TBR), and added five additional titles.


1. Eva Luna / Isabel Allende
2. A History of Loneliness / John Boyne
3. The Girls / Emma Cline
4. The Creation of Eve / Lynn Cullen
5. The Virgin Suicides / Jeffrey Eugenides
6. What Alice Forgot / Liane Moriarty
7. Cockroaches / Jo Nesbo
8. Even in Paradise / Elizabeth Nunez
10. Gorky Park / Martin Cruz Smith
11. Dancing in the Lowcountry / James Villas
12. The Secret Life of Violet Grant / Beatriz Williams

Amy wrote: "You also had an incredible year last year with this challenge, and that was noticed by me long before I attempted to try and count.

I fell of the cart about midyear when I physically went back to work. At one point, I was ahead 14 books with my goodreads challenge and then just stopped reading and now I am several behind. I have a number of books that I have to read on the tbr challenge to be caught up.

I am hoping to be more on track for next year. It is a win/ win though because look at all the books from my tbr that I am finishing and only one I put on my dnf list and even that I don't consider a losing situation, because one way or another you need to find out that the book is not for you.

I’ll play this year - here’s a random selection off the TBR

1. Beartown - Backman
2. Quichotte - Rushdie
3. The Book of Dust - Pullman
4. Autumn - Smith
5. Frankkissstein - Winterson
6. Lost Children Archive - Luiselli
7. The Wall - Lanchester
8. Every Note Played - Genova
9. Tomb land - Sansom
10. The Clockmaker’s Daughter - Morton
11. An American Marriage - Jones
12. King Hereafter - Dunnett

Amy wrote: "Two observations; Oliver, the Sun in Splendour. That book has been on my TBR forever, but I am holding it off for the year that PBT finally pulls the long book challenge that everyone wants. When t..."

I hope you wagered something good ;)- Checked your shelf before I added it-Same book Amy, so we are good

Joy D wrote: "My list of 12 for the final PBT Trim the TBR:

1 Spill Simmer Falter Wither bySara Baume
2 The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish
3 The Third Hill North of Town by Noah Bly
4 Let the Great World Spin b..."

For sure Joy! Would love that!

OK I think I get it. So the ones you posted at the very top are buddy reads.

This is my list:
1) Exiles
2) Anxious People
3) The House Girl
4) Pachinko
5)The Museum of Extraordinary Things
6) The Immortalists
7) A Man Called Ove
8) Migrations
9)the Storytellers Secret
10) The Fruit of the Drunken Tree
11) What we owe
12) The Most Fun We ever had

Loved Fruit of the Drunken Tree Sallys, hope you do too!

Thanks. That's good to hear!

Sally - your list us fabulous! So many good ones on there! The storyteller’s secret is one of my ultimate top tens.

Just to add to your confusion, I wanted to mention that there is a Buddy Read for both the Exiles and for Anxious People in January. This is separate from Trim. If the number is called by the mystery picker, then you’re good to go. But if it turns out you read one or both of those in January with one of us, you can just stick a new one in there. The Most Fun - which I pledged to read with you this year, just became my second #12 so we can do it together. And just to make things even more confusing about the January Buddy Read for Anxious People, at least Nancy and I are using it to fly the PBT airlines to Sweden! If you want to come. What a great place to start a worldwide tour!

Joanne- Fabulous about #11. Loved your Goodreads note! Can’t wait to chat!

BC, I might add Eva Luna to my number 1, because it’s on my TBR too. Your number 12 is as well, Violet Grant, but I’m giving my second #2 to Sally.

Kate - two of yours were original Buddy reads, American Marriage in 1, and Clockmakers Daughter in 12. But no one else has claimed them yet, so if they turn up, maybe they make their numbers match yours.

Unofficial Trim TBR 2021 - And so it ends

NOTE: I doubled up most months with the picks from 2020 I did not get to. My plan is to read 2 books in the month that number is picked, unless I have read it before. Given I will not be reading Proust, I should be returning to my normal reading pace. I hope.

1. The Girl Who Played With Fire
2. The Silkworm & Last Train to Istanbul
3. The Mysterious Benedict Society & Jack of Spies
4. The Masterpiece
5. Circling the Sun *
6. Three Lives & Provençal Cooking: Savoring the Simple Life in France
7. The Penelopiad
8. Provence, 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste & Empire of Sand.
9. Becoming George Sand & The Magic Circle
10. Startup & The Wedding Girl
11. The Death of Mrs. Westaway & The Little Paris Bookshop
12. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes & The Secret of Santa Vittoria

*=buddy read

Looks great Theresa! I loved Circling the Sun. I thought it was great!

By the way, I made no effort to pair the doubling up or reorder in any logical way. Totally random. And yet, look at #6 - complimentary, while #8 & #10 are total mash-ups.

Unofficial Trim TBR 2021 - I'll try again!

I am thinking about adding another book to each of the numbers, but don't know yet, whether that will be helpful or hindering. Have to ponder that for a while.
I am going to move in the fall and want to finish as many of the books I already own before that, so I can decide which ones to keep and which ones to give away. If I haven't read them (yet) that is going to be much more difficult...

1 - The Goldfinch
2 - Fates and Furies
3 - White Teeth
4 - Things Fall Apart
5 - Ach, diese Lücke, diese entsetzliche Lücke
6 - The Orenda
7 - A Gentleman in Moscow
8 - Was man von hier aus sehen kann
7 - Erste Hilfe
8 -Sieben Minus Eins
9 - The Universe Versus Alex Woods
10 - Das Lavendelzimmer
11 - Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
12 - The World According to Garp

I want to try it myself too! Here is my list:

1 - The Time Traveller's Wife or The Kiss Quotient
2 - The Silkworm or All Your Perfects
3 - Five Quarters of the Orange or Vox
4 - Манюня or Sadie
5 - The Elegance of the Hedgehog or All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
6 - North and South or The Girls
7 - Beartown or Loneliness on the Net
8 - Into the Water or The Painted Veil
9 - Come Sundown or Someone I Loved
10 - An American Marriage or Delirium
11 - Nine Perfect Strangers or Truly Madly Guilty
12 - The Great Alone or Breakfast at tiffanys

AJ wrote: "I will join in again, with a brand new list and I don't plan to pressure myself if I don't get to finishing something. But I've seen that this has been community building and I always love particip..."

You have a great list here, AJ, Circe is a lifetime top 10 and whatwver you do, do not sneak a lookmat the very end. Let it just happen. I also enjoyed Lies of Locke Lamora a lot.

Diana H. wrote: "I want to try it myself too! Here is my list:

1 - The Time Traveller's Wife
2 - The Silkworm
3 - Five Quarters of the Orange
4 - Манюня..."

The Elegance of the Hedgehog was an absolute delight!

I read a few books off my Trim without them being selected and there are a bunch of books that got selected during 2020 that I didn't read so...


1. The Age of Innocence
2. Ninth House
3. - Already Read -
4. The Count of Monte Cristo
5. Nine Perfect Strangers
6. - Already Read -
7. Rebecca
8. A Bend in the Road
9. The Brothers K
10. The Night Circus
11. The Library Book
12. The Clockmaker's Daughter

2020 Leftovers:
April The Stand
February The Weight of Ink
December The Sleeping Doll
September A Game of Thrones
January The Marriage of Opposites
October Cutting for Stone
November The Heart's Invisible Furies

Diana H. wrote: "I want to try it myself too! Here is my list:

1 - The Time Traveller's Wife
2 - The Silkworm
3 - Five Quarters of the Orange
4 - Манюня..."

I think you have a great list, Diana! I loved Beartown and really like the Cormoran Strike novels (The Silkworm) and also The Great Alone.

@Charlotte-For sure move Cutting For Stone up on your TBR list-one of my all time favorites

Joanne wrote: "@Charlotte-For sure move Cutting For Stone up on your TBR list-one of my all time favorites"

I'm thinking It'll be one of my first books of 2021. I do the Popsugar reading challenge and it fits one of the prompts for that!... I'm waiting to see what the Jan tag is before I plan too much.

Here's my list:
1. And Then There Were None
2. The Apple Cart
3. Birdcage Walk
4. A Burnable Book
5. The Cellist of Sarajevo
6. The Chatelet Apprentice
7. Free?
8. The Fatal Tree
9. Hawksmoor
10. The Lady and the Poet
11. The Mistress
12. Mysteries

Theresa wrote: "Diana H. wrote: "I want to try it myself too! Here is my list:

Hope I'll enjoy it too!

Miriam wrote: "Diana H. wrote: "I want to try it myself too! Here is my list..."

Thank you, Miriam! It's nice to see that you liked some of my books, it's definitely gonna be easier for me to get to read them!

Charlotte wrote: "I read a few books off my Trim without them being selected and there are a bunch of books that got selected during 2020 that I didn't read so...


1. The Age of Innocence
2. "

Add me to the group that loved Cutting for Stone. It was phenomenal.

AJ wrote: " Olivermagnus wrote: "I made some changes to my old list, left about half of them, and added some I would like to reread one more time.

I added Stranger Beside Me to my #2 after seeing your list"

I'm happy to see that. After reading some true crime in 2020 I wanted to get to some others next year.

Thanks for keeping this going, Amy!
I will definitely keep the buddy read titles on here, so I can ensure I get them off the tbr. Buddy reads are more likely to get me motivated to finish. Hopefully Ninth House is not in February when Theresa and I read A Brief History of Seven Killings because it is not brief at all! So happy to see Ninth House still on your lists, Amy and Charlotte! I'm gonna add The Night Circus because I already have a copy and haven't read it yet.
I will also keep Notes Of A Crocodile in case my buddy comes back for that one (can't remember the other person who had this on their list for 2020).
I added a couple books people gave to me that I keep putting off as well as some aged titles that should be fast, fun reads.

1. Helter Skelter
2. Ninth House
3. Hell Hound
4. Ghosts of Berlin
5. Bring Me Back
6. Exquisite Corpse
7. The Kiss Quotient
8. Between the World and Me
9. The Ballad of Black Tom
10. The Night Circus
11. Lovecraft Country
12. Notes of a Crocodile

Meli wrote: "Thanks for keeping this going, Amy!
I will definitely keep the buddy read titles on here, so I can ensure I get them off the tbr. Buddy reads are more likely to get me motivated to finish. Hopeful..."

I've been sitting on Ninth House until it comes up for this. I have it sitting on a shelf ready to go!! I definitely want to read it this year since it fits a prompt for one of my other challenges.

I can't promise that I'll wait on The Night Circus. I saw that it is tagged for magical realism, so I'm thinking it'll be an audio book for me. It'll be available from the library in about 9 weeks.

I may want to join, but I'm not sure how well I'll do. I have lofty goals (sort of) and I may fall flat on my face. But, I figure I might as well pick 12 books and stick numbers next to them and see what happens.

Do I need to post my 12 books here once I've chosen them?

Charlotte wrote: "Meli wrote: "Thanks for keeping this going, Amy!
I will definitely keep the buddy read titles on here, so I can ensure I get them off the tbr. Buddy reads are more likely to get me motivated to fi..."

I know, I am so looking forward to Ninth House too!

Hmmm.... maybe I should remove The Night Circus 🤔
It wouldn't be a big deal because I have so many other books I could slot in there.