-Eva- Attacks Mt. TBR

My challenge last year went down in flames, so hopefully this year turns out a little better. I mean to make a dent in my Mt. TBR and the easiest (albeit not very elegant) division is to make format my categories. This way I can pick genre after my mood, but have no excuse to go shopping for new shiny stuff. I'm not going to set a number for each category, but I'm aiming for an overall total of 60.

Paper: 18
Audio: 23
Kindle: 6
NOOK: 2
Comixology: 0
Digital File: 0

49/60

Audio: Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years by Sue Townsend 1/3/18 Review
Kindle: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins 1/8/18 Review
Audio: Doctor Who: Prisoner of the Daleks by Trevor Baxendale 1/13/18 Review
NOOK: Curse of the Missing Puppet Head by Kinky Friedman 1/14/18 Review

I gave up on Photobucket, so no pretty pictures this year... :)

I am currently reading Accounting for Dummies (for work, not enjoyment...), City of Refuge because I'm going to New Orleans in a couple of weeks, and am listening to Witches Abroad. Two of those are very good reads and I hope for many more this year! Hope everyone else is off to a good start as well.

Hi Eva, great to see you here!

Hello Eva, lovely to see you! Good luck with your Mount TBR!

Welcome back Eva, hope you have a successful year attacking Mt TBR!

Lovely to see your thread pop up in the group, Eva!

Good to see you again! Even without pretty pictures.

Hooray, Eva is back! I like the idea of using different formats as your categories. Happy reading in 2018!

Welcome back, Eva! Good luck working your way through the TBR!

Welcome back. Hope you have lots of fantastic reads in 2018!

Thank you, all!

Since I'm going to New Orleans soon, I thought it was time to dust this one off:
Paper: City of Refuge by Tom Piazza 1/25/18 Review

Currently reading a Sherman Alexie memoir, which has turned out to be a series of vignettes and poetry and really fascinating.

I didn’t think you were going to be here this year, Eva. Glad to see you and placing my star.

>13 dudes22:
Yes, I made it this year! My dropping out last year resulted in a dismal total for the year, so I'm back! :)

Just finished what is probably my favorite Discworld (so far, at least):
Audio: Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett 1/27/18 Review

Welcome back!!!

>15 LittleTaiko:
Thank you!

Last book of January was tough to read, but very good:
Kindle: You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie 1/29/18 Review
Note that if you've not read Alexie before, I wouldn't recommend starting with this as its format is so different from his other works.

January Summary:

Number of books: 7

Paper: 1
Audio: 3
Kindle: 2
NOOK: 1
Comixology: 0
Digital File: 0

7/60

Best read of the month: Witches Abroad, because it was just so much fun.
Least good read of the month: The Moonstone, because of how long and convoluted it was.

>16 -Eva-: I DNFed The Moonstone. I don't think I got past the first narrator!

Also, seeing that you've read a Doctor Who audio makes me think it's high time to pick up another one. Last year I became addicted to Big Finish audio dramas :D

>17 rabbitprincess:
I started Moonstone on the Serial Reader app, but forgot about it for a while and then Amazon offered a free version, so I decided to finish. It was a good story, but soooo long. :)
I use the DW audios to take breaks between longer reads - works great!

Since I got to go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year (which was so much fun!), the reading pace for February has been slow. I have managed to finish two so far, though. One was a reread, but with Stephen Fry as the audio narrator, it was better than ever.

Audio: A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle 2/20/18 Review
Paper: War for the Oaks by Emma Bull 2/20/18 Review

I'm on to The Sign of Four on audio and am planning another urban fantasy for the SFFKIT, not sure which one.

>19 -Eva-: Ooh, Stephen Fry would be a good reader for Sherlock Holmes stories :)

@cammykitty's pictures of Sage and Wanda reminded me that I haven't posted my little (now BIG) doggo, Oliver, this year.

>21 -Eva-: Lovely photo! I'm glad to hear you had a good time in New Orleans. I agree with >28 LittleTaiko: that Stephen Fry would be a terrific narrator for Sherlock Holmes stories. I'll have to look for those.

Aww, cute pup!

So after becoming best friends over on my thread, I of course had to seek out your own, and lo, here I find that you have an adorable dog, too! Dog people are the best people. I've chosen my new BFF well! Ha! Please give Oliver some ear scritches from me, and my two dogs (Tuppence the Border Collie and Mario the Golden Retriever) say Hello.

(Seriously, I keep scrolling back up because Oliver is So. Stinkin. Cute.)

Eva, Oliver has grown into a very handsome fellow!

>24 scaifea:
Hello back to Tuppence and Mario!
Oliver's a big charmer - when we go to the dogpark, he does a big loop and greets each dog and then he takes a second loop to greet all the humans before starting to play. Such a fun doggo. He was tiny when we got him from the rescue and, since his mother is a cocker spaniel(!), we were hoping for a small-ish dog. Nope, built-like-a-tank is what we got, but so crazy friendly it doesn't matter. :)

>25 DeltaQueen50:
Most fawned over dog I've ever had! People will cross the street to say hi. It's really funny.

>27 -Eva-: - I would totally cross the street to come see Oliver - he's just too cute.

>21 -Eva-: Oliver is gorgeous!
I'm sad that my husband appears to be allergic to many dogs (streaming eyes etc), and also we really don't have the room right now. I'd love to have a dog, but might have to banish the husband to the kennels :)

So much personality comes through with the one-up, one-down ears! What a cutie.

Oliver is definitely a cutie. Count me in with the crowds crossing the road to say hi to him.

It's a short month and with my vacation-week, I didn't get a lot read, unfortunately.

Finished two more before the end, though:
Paper: Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton 2/26/18 Review
Audio: The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle 2/28/18 Review

February Summary:

Number of books: 4

Paper: 2
Audio: 2
Kindle: 0
NOOK: 0
Comixology: 0
Digital File: 0

Total: 11/60

Best read of the month: A Study in Scarlet because it's the start of such a classic series.
Least good read of the month: Guilty Pleasures because it was entertaining, but not so riveting I want to continue the series.

Hi Eva! Glad to see you back this year. Oliver is so cute. Love his neck scarf.

>33 VioletBramble:
Thank you! The scarf has become his "look" now, but it started because he is incapable of drinking without dipping his whole muzzle into water (and walking all over the house, dripping water everywhere), so we needed to have a wipe around at all times. :)

Paper: The Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker 3/5/18 Review
I can't in all honesty recommend this one, but it is somewhat entertaining it all its lunacy.

>34 -Eva-: I read this as a buddy read on Litsy through Serial Reader. It was bananas! And somehow it felt like an abridged version of a longer story.

Have you seen the movie with Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi?

>35 rabbitprincess:
Yes! I saw that when it came out and I am weirdly fond of it still. I think that's part of why I didn't hate the book - I had Grant and Capaldi in my head when I was reading, and it was a lot more entertaining that way. :)

>36 -Eva-: I'm undecided whether to see it. I don't do well with scary movies, especially startle-scare movies, but the pictures I've seen of Capaldi make me swoon...

>37 rabbitprincess:
I’m not sure it qualifies as scary, even if it has some startling moments. It’s mainly bizarre and surreal in a very camp way.

>21 -Eva-: Such a nice portrait! I have to imagine taking such crisp animal photos with them facing the camera is a hard thing to do -- Oliver looks so engaged!

>39 pammab:
Thank you! Though, I have many, many, many pictures of him where he's just a white blur, mind... :)

>19 -Eva-: - Oh, Mardi Gras! That is a bucket list trip for me.

>21 -Eva-: - What a sweetie!

I found you! It was easier to find you on Litsy than here! Is this your only thread? I threw it a star just in case. :D

>42 SqueakyChu:
I'm here! Yes, this is my only thread - I'm not posting as much as I used to - last year, I failed completely, so this is a step up! :)

>43 -Eva-: Well, at least I know where to find you. I’ve barely followed anyone else’s thread this year. I maintain my own thread on the 75 books group, but spend most time on the TIOLI challenges thread. I have been hosting that challenge since 2010. I can hardly believe that. I’ll try to keep up with you again on Litsy. I am now reading more contemporary Japanese fiction than I am Israeli fiction.

>44 SqueakyChu:
I'm having issues with just keeping up with everyone in this group, so the 75:ers is much too daunting to me, but I will find and drop a star on your thread over there. The TIOLI is great, especially since that one influenced our CATs over here!

>45 -Eva-: Well, at least I can chat with you on Litsy now! :D

So far this month, I've gotten through my continuing listen to Sherlock Holmes, one group read, and one CAT.

Audio: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle 3/14/18 Review
Paper: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell 3/20/18 Review
Paper: December Heat by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza 3/22/18 Review

Next is This Census Taker for the New Weird KIT.

Glad you enjoyed Sherlock so much. I was not drawn into Cloud Atlas and eventually abandoned it. I might try it again sometime when I think it might.

>48 thornton37814:
The Sherlock audio is read my Stephen Fry and he is a real gift as a reader - I'd listen to him narrate almost anything. :) You kind of have to go into Cloud Atlas with a bit of reckless abandon and if that's not fitting the mood you're in at the time, I'd think it's a hard read.

I thought this one would take longer, but once I had started, there was no choice but to finish!

Paper: This Census-Taker by China Miéville 3/25/18 Review

I received this as a SantaThing last year and am so very pleased. Such a great read that really brings Nairobi to life. If you are "reading the world" and are looking for Kenya, read this!

Kindle: Who Will Catch Us As We Fall by Iman Verjee 3/26/18 Review

>49 -Eva-: - Stephen Fry as reader would totally have me revisiting the Sherlock Holmes stories!

I read Cloud Atlas right as it came out at the recommendation of a friend of mine. In retrospect, I think her taste in books was a lot more "literary" than mine, and also that she was a lot more worldly at that age. I remember being intrigued by the conceit, but struggling to see how the stories were related. It sounds like I might have a better go of it this many years on.

>52 lkernagh:
I would happily have him read me the phone book, even. Such an amazing reader!

>53 pammab:
Yeah, it’s not a “starters” book, for sure. Especially if you’d not read Mitchell before. I did watch the movie they made from it, but it was not good - unless you read the book, it makes very little sense and I thought they missed some major points. Fun to see some of the imagery, though.

Finished another Sherlock before the end of March:

Audio: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle 3/29/18 Review

So my totals ended up thus:

March Summary:

Number of books: 7

Paper: 4
Audio: 2
Kindle: 1
NOOK: 0
Comixology: 0
Digital File: 0

18/60

Best read of the month: This Census-Taker because it's so beautifully told and the world building is pretty close to flawless.
Least good read of the month: The Lair of the White Worm because it's just a bit too nuts to be truly enjoyable.

Finished this one a day late for March, but will count it towards March MysteryCAT anyway.

Paper: Bangkok 8 by John Burdett 4/1/18 Review

Lots of great reads so far this month.

Audio: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle 4/6/18 Review
Paper: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 4/10/18 Review
Paper: Tigana by Gay Gavriel Kay 4/14/18 Review

Now on to Slaughterhouse-Five for the SFFKIT and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd for the MysteryCAT.

This was my first Vonnegut, but I'm pretty sure it won't be my last - what a peculiar writer. :)

Paper: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 4/15/18 Review

>58 -Eva-: Vonnegut isn't usually the sort of author that I go for at all, but I read Cat's Cradle for my real life book group once and loved it! I then got a freebie short story, 2BR02B, when I first got an e-reader, and loved that too. So one day I will get round to Slaughterhouse Five. I definitely recommend Cat's Cradle though, it was a pretty quick read but a good one!

>58 -Eva-: Try Breakfast of Champions. I read it years ago, but I read back on my notes where I said that I found it hilarious! That should be enough to recommend it. :)

>59 Jackie_K: and >60 SqueakyChu:
Thank you! Wishlisting both! I'm not sure what I had expected of Vonnegut, but not what I got. :)

This was a lot of fun to read, even if I already knew who the killer was. Well done, Ms. Christie.

Kindle: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie 4/17/18 Review

>62 -Eva-: Yay! Have you seen the Poirot adaptation of it? It's neat to watch when you know whodunnit :)

>63 rabbitprincess:
I have not, but I've been eyeing the Britbox add on Amazon, so it's on my list... :)

>64 -Eva-: I love Britbox! It is how I've been able to watch Classic Who :)

Yes, I was completely surprised when I finally was pushed to read Slaughterhouse Five. Whatever I was expecting, it wasn't that!

>65 rabbitprincess:
Hmm, stop tempting me. :)

>66 RidgewayGirl:
So, so very different from what I had expected!

Another Sherlock-collection done (Stephen Fry's narration makes is so great!) and one Rivers of London-installment. I really try to read the Rivers of London-series slowly so that it'll last longer, but I'm down to the last book, a couple of shorts, and the graphic novels, so not sure if I can keep myself from finishing sooner rather than later. :)

Audio: The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle 4/18/18 Review
NOOK: Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch 4/19/18 Review

I was very happy to see you give Slaughterhouse 5 a good rating as I will be reading it at some point in the foreseeable future. I have never read anything by Vonnegut so I have been a little nervous about it.

>69 DeltaQueen50: - I haven't either. I wonder what we are all fearing. Maybe I'll have to try it too.

>68 -Eva-: Glad to see you continuing to enjoy the Rivers of London series. There's a couple of short stories and a novella available if you haven't got around to those yet. Book 7, Lies Sleeping, is due out somewhere towards the end of this year I believe.

>69 DeltaQueen50: and >70 dudes22:
Really good and only ~140 pages. I have no idea what I've been waiting for as it took me a mere afternoon to start and finish!

>71 AHS-Wolfy:
I love it! Thank you so much for recommending it. I have one book left, the shorts, the novella, and the graphic novels left and am trying to hold off on finishing all. However, now that I know there's a whole new book coming (Amazon US says November 13, 2018), I may just go ahead! Such a great series!

This was a huge favorite with my friends when I was a kid, but I wish I had read it back then as it came up a little short now. Another book on the donation-pile, though - YEY! :D

Paper: The Wind on the Moon by Eric Linklater 4/24/18 Review

>68 -Eva-: For my next reread of Sherlock Holmes, I'll definitely have to seek out the audiobook version featuring Stephen Fry!

Glad to see you are continuing to love the River of London series. I've really enjoyed the books I've read so far.

>74 mathgirl40:
Fry is the best reader I know!

Finished another Sherlock before the end of April, one of the less great stories:
Audio: The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle 4/27/18 Review

So my totals ended up thus:

April Summary:

Number of books: 10

Paper: 5
Audio: 3
Kindle: 1
NOOK: 1
Comixology: 0
Digital File: 0

28/60

Best read of the month: Foxglove Summer because I just love the characters and the overall storyline.
Least good read of the month: The Wind on the Moon because my expectations were so different from reality.

It took my forever, but I'm finally getting caught up on things.

>21 -Eva-:
OMG, Oliver is a cutie!

>75 -Eva-: Foxglove Summer looks like a good, fun read. I may have to put that on the list. :)
ETA: Just noticed that it's part of a series. Do the books stand on their own, or should they be read starting from book one?

>76 andreablythe:
Thanks! He's a charmer, for sure.

Yes, Rivers of London-series should be read in order - first one is called Rivers of London in the UK edition and Midnight Riot in the US edition (they are the same book!).

>77 -Eva-:
Ah, thanks! Awesome!

Well, I am absolutely rubbish at keeping up with everyone's thread - sorry about that - but I have been reading a bit in May. #silverlining

Paper: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 5/3/18 Review
Audio: His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle 5/4/18 Review
Audio: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan 5/9/18 Review
Audio: Doctor Who: Snowglobe 7 by Mike Tucker 5/13/18 Review
Audio: Small Gods by Terry Pratchett 5/20/18 Review
Audio: Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton 5/23/18 Review
Paper: Kjell by Kjell Eriksson 5/24/18 Review
Audio: The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam by Chris Ewan 5/28/18 Review
Paper: Rituals by Cees Nooteboom 5/29/18 Review
Audio: Death of a Cad by M.C. Beaton 5/30/18 Review

May Summary:

Number of books: 10

Paper: 3
Audio: 7
Kindle: 0
NOOK: 0
Comixology: 0
Digital File: 0

38/60

Best read of the month: Small Gods, because it's just so brilliant and funny.
Least good read of the month: Rituals, because I didn't do well with its philosophizing rather than telling a good story.

And, I'll be heading out for my vacation in a couple of weeks and won't be back until mid-July, so I shall try and make my rounds before I leave, but (unfortunately) no promises... Hope you are all having a great reading year so far.

Excellent batch of May reading I see and Yahoo for vacation coming up!

>81 -Eva-: Have a great vacation! Also glad the Doctor Who novel was good :)

Happy holiday!

Hope you have a good holiday! Jealous!

Have a great time on your vacation, Eva!

Enjoy your trip, Eva!

Have a wonderful trip!

Keeping your thread warm until you get back.

>89 mamzel:
Thank you so much!!

I am indeed back from Sweden and Portugal, but am still in denial that I'm no longer on vacation. :( Missing this something awful:

/

I have managed to read a few books in this last month and most of them were pretty good, but I've been a little bit "off" my reading - funnily enough, I've mainly been sightseeing and hanging out with friends and family instead. :)
The Water Room
The Slitheen Excursion
Lords and Ladies
Jane Eyre

Welcome back, even though I am sure you would rather still be travelling. Those are great pictures, Eva.

>91 DeltaQueen50:
Thank you! Yes, this year’s “landing” was especially hard, so even though I’ve worked a week already, I’m using this weekend to segue back into normal. But, no, I’d rather not. ;)

Welcome home! It's always so difficult to get back to normal after a wonderful vacation.

Welcome back!

At my SIL's wedding yesterday, one of the many songs played during the dancing portion of the evening was "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)". Thought of you! ;)

>93 VivienneR:
Thank you! It is really tough to be back... :(

>94 rabbitprincess:
Thanks!
What a great music choice. :) I have understood that it is quite a common one for weddings.

>90 -Eva-: What gorgeous photos! I can understand why it's hard to readjust to "normal" life!

Welcome back! Portugal is on my bucket list...

>96 christina_reads:
Thanks! It's no fun at all...

>97 MissWatson:
Thanks! Highly recommended - good food, great beaches, nice wines, nice people, etc.

Welcome back, even if it is a bit tough to be back to "the grind" and all that.... ;-)

Spain and Portugal look wonderful. I'd be struggling too if I had to leave that!

>99 lkernagh: & >100 Jackie_K:
Thank you! I am adjusting, reluctantly... :)

Needless to say, I've been absent from my thread a lot. It's not just due to suffering from vacation blues, unfortunately; work has become a bit chaotic as I have taken over tasks from a person who left - tasks that I had no idea how to perform, so things have been hectic and I've been in a reading funk. :) Slowly improving, though. I have been reading a little, but mainly it's been new stuff which don't count toward this thread. I have gotten some Mt. TBRs done though:

Kindle: The Water Room by Christopher Fowler 6/6/18 Review
Audio: Doctor Who: The Slitheen Excursion by Simon Guerrier 6/6/18 Review
Audio: Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett 6/21/18 Review
Paper: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 6/28/18 Review
Paper: Close to Home by Peter Robinson 8/3/18 Review
Audio: The Devil You Know by Mike Carey 8/10/18 Review
Audio: City of Thieves by David Benioff 8/19/18 Review

>102 -Eva-: Glad to hear the work thing is improving and hope it continues that way for you. Also happy to see you enjoyed the first of Mike Carey's Felix Castor series, it really is a good one and I just wish he's get around to finishing it sometime soon.

>103 AHS-Wolfy:
Thanks!
Castor is really good - I’m onto the second one now and have the third waiting already. There are 5 total so far? Will it finish, or is it like the Dresden ones and could go on forever? :)

>104 -Eva-: As far as I know there's just one more book to go. Here's what Pete (psutto) said after I read the 5th book a couple of years ago:

I met Mike a couple of times last year - he has the last novel all planned out but has been working on other stuff first (like his award winning the girl with all the gifts ) I did say that I know a bunch of folk waiting for the last one...

>105 AHS-Wolfy:
Thanks, that's very good to know! Just so I won't get my hopes up once six is out and read. :)

Hi Eva - just caught up on your thread. I've been completely AWOL this year, apart from a shared read. I've found it really hard to keep reading though this month is finally going better.
My daughter and I just watched the trailer for The Lair of the White Worm and had a good laugh so thanks for that.
Oliver looks very cute.