Bucketyell is dusting off the jackets, pulling up a chair and diving in...

I need more room for new babies (like the 10 bargain books I just ordered.. they are bargains people, bargains!) so I am committing to clearing 50 titles from my stacks. I am limiting it to titles that I physically owned by the end of 2009 but will make a concerted effort to pull the ones with the most dust first.

The official list (as I read them):

January
1) The River Sorrow by Holden
2) Truelove and Homegrown Tomatoes by Cannon
3) Can't Buy My Love by Jean Kilbourne
4) The Eternal City by de Rosa
5) Trading Up by Silverstein
6) A Doll's House by Ibsen
7) Sarah's Key by de Rosnay
8) Altered Land by Hardy
9) No Good Deeds by Lippman
10) The Lake of Dead Languages by Goodman
11) The Stranger in the Plumed Hat by Karafilly

TBR count: 738

February
12) The Secret Cardinal by Grace
13) Too Close to the Falls by Gildiner
14) The Camera my Mother Gave Me by Kaysen
15) The Armchair Detective by Weber
16) The Wedding: An Encounter with Jan Van Eyck by Rees
17) Creation by Govier
18) The Flanders Panel by Perez-Reverte
19) My Life in France by Child
20) Ellen Foster by Gibbons
21) Heidi by Spyri
22) The Swiss Family Robinson by Wyss
23) The Weekend Man by Wright
24) I Am First a Human Being by Witsuka/Tomaszewski
25) Stonyground by Chambers

TBR Count: 724

Welcome to the challenge and good luck. I am sitting at my computer surrounded by bags of books that I haven't shelf room for yet. Everytime I look down at them, I get incentive to read some more off my shelves.

Oh yeah! That's a good rule! If it's a bargain then you aren't actually doing anything wrong...you are essentially SAVING money. And if you bought it at a thrift store, well that's just good for humanity! More books can be rationalized many ways!
There are worse addictions!!!

Welcome to the group! As you can tell, you are far from alone in your book buying compulsion. We're early in, but the group does seem to be encouraging folks to dive deeply into their shelves.

"..... concerted effort to pull the ones with the most dust first."

"Dust" is a most excellent indicator to the age of the TBR pile. Without it, I wouldn't know what books are what. ;)

Welcome to the group.

1) The River Sorrow by Holden. My first title! And honestly, its been on the shelf so long that I have no idea where it came from.

Review? It started off good but overall, it was long and a little over the top. I also have a copy of Four Corners of Night by him (most likely bought at the same time as the first) so I will give it a go sometime this year and see if he improved any.

2) Truelove and Homegrown Tomatoes by Cannon. In my quest to read one book a week and hit the 50 mark by year-end, I realised that I was already behind so I chose a quick and easy read this time. This one has been around forever and although it looked cute, I never really gave it much thought.

It's a strange little book about finding love and growing tomatoes. I think I would have liked it more if the main character wasn't so hellbent on finding a husband so her life will have meaning again. Her husband dies and literally weeks later she is convinced the only way to survive is to remarry.

It's cute and fluffy and reminds me a lot of Fannie Flagg. I am happy I read it but even happier to have freed up some valuable real estate.

I think that book was on the TBR list that was eaten by cyberspace last year. It sounds like one that I can NOT put back on the list (I have a personal revulsion to "finding a husband so...life will have meaning again"). Thanks!

As cute as it was, the 'must-find-a-husband-to-complete-myself' plot was a little hard to take at times.

3) Can't Buy My Love by Jean Kilbourne. I am taking business courses and will probably end up majoring in marketing so this one was right up my alley. I think Kilbourne takes things a little too far at times but for the most part, she is right on the money. Some of the ads shown in the book are downright disturbing.

All right, so the verdict is... 678 TBR's (and that's just the stuff that is upstairs) and 151 wishlist items. I think I have some catching up to do.

Why is it that you want to know the magic number and yet it makes you feel slightly ill at the same time? Oy.

That's exactly why I DON'T want to know the magic number...
Especially since I seem unable to prevent myself from adding to it on an almost-daily basis.

Don't you wish those pesky authors would just stop writing so we could catch up?

Actually, I think people like us who love reading and love books should be eligible for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Where would all those authors be if no one appreciated their work?

There should be an "Thanks for Supporting Us" award for the person who has the largest TBR pile. Right now, I think bucketyell might be one of the front runners!

You are lucky indeed to have over six hundred choices when you are looking for your next read.

I have always wanted a Nobel Prize. It would look good on the mantle :)

Sadly, my TBR number is paltry compared to some. Well, maybe 'sadly' isn't the right word...

Anywho, I will try to bring that number down to a more manageable one this year and I will also try (hehe... I am laughing as I type this) to keep the newbies to a minimum. And that will start after my Amazon order arrives.

Well this certainly isn't working. After going for a leisurely drive this morning, my TBR pile grew to 692! And I suppose when the Amazon order comes in, it will grow further.

Why do people have sales??? And why does the .99 cent book table suck me in... ALL THE TIME! And why, despite the looming number, am I sitting here with a huge smile on my face :)

:-D

4) The Eternal City by de Rosa - short, sweet and doesn't require a lot of thought. Perfect afternoon read about a not-so-perfect family. Not bad overall.

5) Trading Up by Silverstein. I quite enjoyed this one. It was recommended somewhere around here and when I went to add it to my wishlist, I realised that I owned it (hides face in shame). I am on a social commentary/shopping/luxury kick and this one hit the spot.

6) A Doll's House by Ibsen. I have a collection of 4 Ibsen plays and finally decided to re-read this one. I remember reading it in high school but had no clue what it was about. I think I will reserve judgement until I read the others. Strange, strange play.

7) Sarah's Key by de Rosnay. I am counting this one because it arrived just before Christmas (my secret santa sent it over) so it made the cut-off. I liked it overall but thought it could have been written better. It was a little choppy and not quite so polished. It should be interesting to see what she writes next though.

8) Altered Land by Hardy. I can't even remember where this one came from (sad but true) but it's been around forever. Oddly enough, I always thought it was a thriller but it's really a family drama type book. I am sorry that I kept passing it over because I really, really liked it and will have to hunt down more of this author.

And I think that about sums it up for the week. I got a little behind in posting!

Wow. Go, you!

Blond moment: I had a tough time reconciling your comment about Trading Up by Silverstein with my memories of it. Because I was thinking of Falling Up by Shel Silverstein! :-)

And Where the Sidewalk Ends! Staples read as a child :)

9) No Good Deeds by Lippman. Not good but not bad. Interesting plot but it was a little too cliched. But it's off the shelf to make room for the 14 new ones I bought today. This whole TBR reading thing isn't quite working.

10) The Lake of Dead Languages by Goodman. I really enjoyed this one but then again, I generally like Goodman's stuff. I tried reading something I knew I would like to break my curse!

It's a little predictable but it has enough twists and turns to keep you wanting more. I was a little surprised, that with so many drownings in the lake, the school kept allowing students to keep skating there. I certainly wouldn't be going near it!

One little thing... and it's always been a pet peeve of mine. Why, oh why do authors (American ones anyway) always feel the need to blame bad weather on Canada? If anyone actually paid attention to the weather network, one would see that our crappy weather (here in Ontario) always come up from the US. That's just how the weather currents go and always have. If Buffalo gets hit with something nasty, I know its a matter of time before it's going to cross the lake and get me too. Dunno why it bugs but it does.

I received The Lake of Dead Languages via bookmooch about a week ago, and am really tempted to start it. It wouldn't count for this challenge. But you are tempting me!

#27 - That's funny because as soon as I finished the book, I listed it on bookmooch!

26: We always hear about the "Alberta Clipper" bringing icy weather. If you are over east in the vicinity of Buffalo, you're probably at the end of the curve. The Clipper dips down south out of Alberta, freezes the jujubes off us Mid-Westerners, then heads north again, hitting first Buffalo, and then you.

Makes sense to me.

#29 - Well sorta. It does come in from the Pacific but it's generally mild (BC is the warmest place in Canada - damn them). It usually starts building up in Alberta but really gets going once it dips down.

We are both to blame for it but yet Canada always gets singled out. Sorry but it's always been a sore point with me. I once got into an argument with a woman who was from Northern Michigan. She was lamenting about how us poor Canadians had it so rough weather-wise. I actually had to pull out a map to show her that she was quite a bit north of where I lived.

Sorry... I will end my rant now :)

It's all good. I will not blame you for anything weather-wise that comes my way. Promise. (It's those damn Alaskans!)

Kidding, ArcticStranger!

I edited the above 3 times trying to close the italics. The end marks keep disappearing!

There. I got it.

Monday Morning: It's gone again. Just supposed to be the word "kidding."

Thanks MerryMary! Don't mind me. I am in an ornery mood today. That's what happens after a visit to the old homestead.

11) The Stranger in the Plumed Hat by Karafilly. I will finish off the month with this one. Seeing as how it's an ARC and the book came out in 2000, this one is definitely overdue.

It's a true story about a Polish family living in Montreal. After being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Karafilly's mother accidental burns down the family home and ends up in facilitated care. This is the story of how Karafilly deals with her mother's increasingly fragile state. At times it's almost too personal to read but overall it's honest, raw and moving.

12) The Secret Cardinal by Grace. It's not bad. Part Clive Cussler (although no one can take the place of Dirk Pitt) and part Tom Clancy (or how I imagine Clancy would be if I ever read his stuff). It was an interesting adventure novel but a little too technical for me and just a little farfetched.

13) Too Close to the Falls by Gildiner. This is NOT a book to take to the doctor's office because it will make you laugh out loud and people WILL look at you strangely. I really enjoyed this one. Catherine is exactly the type of child I know I will end up with if I ever decide to have one. Smart, precocious and not afraid to take someone to task.

My favourite part was when she wrote about how she felt when her dad first brought home the 'talking box' - a RCA Victor TV set. She thought the characters in the commercials were speaking to her personally and would answer each and every one of them until her parents finally took her to a shrink because they were concerned something was wrong with her. I can't wait for the sequel to come in at the library!

14) The Camera my Mother Gave Me by Kaysen. What a strange, strange book! I saw the movie Girl, Interrupted (never read the book though) but I figured this would be along the same lines. But it's a short little book about Kaysen's vagina. Yup, vagina... you didn't read that wrong. It chronicles a year of her life as she tried desperately to figure out what is wrong with it. Strange but yet oddly compelling at the same time. I just don't know what to make of this one!

15) The Armchair Detective #1 by Weber. And then for something totally different, I picked this up and challenged my brain. Some of these are quite simple to figure out, some don't make much sense to me and some and downright ingenious. This will be my new bathroom reader for the next little while (that is a compliment - honestly!)

16) The Wedding: An Encounter with Jan Van Eyck by Rees. I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It's an ARC that I have had since 2005 and I have passed it by many, many times thinking it would be too fluffy. While it's not going to win a Nobel Prize, it is an interesting story about art and love in the 1400's. It is part of a series of stories called Art Encounters and these are fictional novels set around a famous work on art.

#37 - This reminds me of the Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective books I read as a pre-teen. I'll be adding this to my wishlist. Does Ken Weber write "full length" mysteries as well?

#39 - Nope, I don't think so. He has a series of Five Minute Mysteries and then this series. There are 40 mini-mysteries and each one is only about 2 pages long. Perfect book to have kicking around to read when you are bored.

I LOVE Encyclopedia Brown! That brings me back :)

#21, de Rosnay has written a bunch of novels in French that haven't been translated back into her native language (English) as yet. One that I've read is called "The Memory of the Walls" (rough translation), about a woman who moves into her dream apartment in Paris only to discover that there's something almost evil about it -- she tries to find out what's amiss and there's a plot line involving a serial killer and her own past secrets. It's a good, standard thriller, also involving an apartment. The one on my TBR list is "Moka", about a mother whose child is knocked down and in a coma by a mocha-colored Mercedes; the Parisienne heroine and her English mother in law go chasing after the culprit. Some of these could easily find a market here, I suspect.

#38, and speaking of French books that deserve translating and Van Eyck, there's a marvellous book by Gilbert Sinoue, L'enfant de Bruges, or The Child of Bruges, about the adopted son of van Eyck, whose parentage and fate is tangled up with a mystery about men of science and learning being murdered. It's a great mystery story.

I might just have to brush up on my high school french again and check out some of these. I can read basic french and have meant to brush up. Maybe a good recommendation is the kick in the pants I need!

17) Creation by Katherine Govier. I quite liked this one. I read it because I am doing the Canadian challenge and needed something for Labrador. This is the fictional tale of Aubudon as he travels up the Labrador coast in search for new species of birds to draw/paint.

I find when reading this type of book, I am not sure what is fact and what is literary licence so I now want to do some research on him to see. He came across as a rather prickly man who was very motivated by fame and fortune but yet also genuinely fascinated with birds. He not only loved painting them but he also loved to dissect & stuff them.

I have a few others by her so I will move them up the list a little.

I remember reading a lot of Govier (or at least, whatever she had published) back in the mid-80s when Fables of Brunswick Avenue was her new hot book. I think I need to go back and rediscover her...

If you're interested in historical fiction at all, the easiest French reads I've found recently are a series by Sarah Frydman revolving around the various members of the Medici family. Le saga des Medicis, three volumes -- Contessina, le lys des Medicis and Lorenzo ou le fin des Medicis. If the subject doesn't interest you, though, I'd suggest avoiding them... My French used to be very good, now it's less fluent, but here in NY reading is really the only way to boost it as we have no French TV -- can get Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, etc., but no French, not even the Swiss Channel 5. My ex-bf used to tape this wonderful French show about books for me -- Bouillon de culture. Highbrow, a bit, but great fun and intriguing books and great for my French. My goal is to get back to reading French as easily as English, which I really haven't done since I was 20!!

18) The Flanders Panel by Perex-Reverte. Meh. Not good but not bad. The writing style is quite good but the ending really sucks. Next.

#43 - I might just check those out. Thanks! I have a couple readers kicking around so I will brush up with those first and then tackle a 'real' book. :)

As for Govier, I have an ARC edition of Three Views of Crystal Water (that has been on my shelf since 2005) and a collection of short stories called Before and After. I am really not much of a short story reader so I have no idea where that one came from! Both I will try to complete this year. I promise!

I have one of Govier's called Random Descent that I'll have to pull out. It won't help me with Labrador, though.

#46 I think I have that one sitting around. Somewhere...

19) My Life in France by Child. I read Julie and Julia last year so I figured it was time to give Julia a chance to speak. And I am conflicted. I really enjoyed the beginning. Her enthusiasm for learning french cooking was infectious and made me want to keep reading. Then, it just got boring. I am not sure where it lost me but it did. I was quite happy to have it end so I can start something else.

20) Ellen Foster by Gibbons. This was a recommendation from another LT'er and I picked up a copy last year but kind of forgot about it.

This is a very sad story about a young girl who just wants a loving family. She loses her mom and her dad in quick succession and ends up being passed around until she finally finds a foster family where she feels like she fits in. I liked it overall.

21) Heidi by Spryi. I have always wanted to read this one but never did for whatever reason. And I am surprised because it was quite similar to The Secret Garden which was one of my faves as a child.

This one fits in nicely with my 101010 Challenge category - Childhood Classics that I never had a chance to read. It's a cute little tale and I quite liked it.

I used to love the scenes of Heidi and Clara going back to the mountain, and Clara discovering what it's like to sleep on the hay and drink fresh milk...!

22) And for my second Childhood Classic, I chose The Swiss Family Robinson by Wyss. Overall I found this to be a weird book. I had no idea how religious it would be (and I am afraid that I am not religious at all). I also found it very misogynistic. Now I realise that it was written in 1849 and things were very different back then but it still grated a little. It was interesting though, particularly learning about the different animals and their uses.

I read that one after I read Robinson Crusoe. I remember thinking that the Robinson family had it WAY too easy. They found everything they needed on the wrecked ship.

I felt that way too. Anytime they needed something, it just happened to turn up on the boat or else someone found a natural substitute in the woods.

And they never seemed to run out of ammo. Just where were they going originally that they needed over 10 years worth of ammo and gun powder? Geez...

Robinson Crusoe is also on my TBR list so we will see how they compare.

23) After a bit of a break to complete my mid-term (damn school gets in the way!), I finished The Weekend Man by Wright. I generally love his stuff but this one didn't quite make the mark. It started off great but there just wasn't much going on after that. And I hated the ending.

Did you notice in The Swiss Family Robinson that the father cried a lot? It's all "Come here," I cried, and "Go there," I cried. Also, what was up with them not liking bananas?

Heh. And he kept calling his eldest son (Fritz?) lazy... A LOT. Good parenting there!

I will admit that I had a good laugh when papa bear finally asked his sons why they insisted on shooting every new animal they encountered. Sometimes they ended up shooting enough food for an army in a single day.

Very strange book.

24) I Am First a Human Being by Wituska/Tomaszewski. This is an interesting collection of letters written by Krystyna Wituska, a Polish resistance fighter, who was captured and eventually executed.

Sounds interesting...another book to be added to my growing wishlist. Bucketyell, who was she writing to and where was she imprisoned?

She was writing from a Gestapo prison in Berlin (she was held in a couple different places before being executed) and most of the letters were to her parents but there were a few to friends.

The saddest part is the incredibly upbeat tone of the letters. She realised that her parents were suffering because of her capture but tried to keep her letters light so they wouldn't worry. She kept talking about all the friends she was making there and how good the conditions were. But then, when writing to others, she would let slip how some of her new friends would 'disappear' suddenly.

I will bookmooch it for you if you would like the copy.

25) Stonyground by Chambers. I liked this one. It takes place in Bruce County (Ontario), a place that I spent a lot of time in during my youth, and it's basically a step-by-step look at how the author built his extense, gorgeous garden. Complete with pictures and maps of how everything was laid out, he discusses the thought involved in planning everything.

I know my description is not doing it any justice because the book is much more than just a how-to guide. It's written in a memoir style and includes both factual information about plants and flowers as well as personal ancedotes and stories.

60> Thanks for the offer of bookmooch but quite frankly...I'm afraid to get involved with bookmooch. My TBR stacks and wishlist are so out of control right now that I think bookmooch will just push me over the edge!!! ;-> I have added this book as a "to buy" on my wishlist rather than a "research to buy". Eventually, it will be added to my TBR stacks.

62> I don't blame you. Bookmooch may be the death of this challenge for me.

Bookmooch has already been the death of my challenge.

I have acquired 108 books so far in 2010 and I would say 75% of those came from bookmooch. It is a love/hate relationship. I love it. My husband hates it. :)

26) The Lace Reader by Barry. I have mixed feelings about this one. The first part confused the crap out of me. I should have paid more attention to the first paragraph I suppose. The second part fascinated me. Overall, I enjoyed it but I am still somewhat confused...

27) The Outsider by Camus. Why have I never read this one before? Camus calls it the 'absurdity of life' and I would have to fully agree. I loved it.

You are making great progress--particularly since your purpose in joining the challenge was to make room for the new books you are buying. You are really blowing through books lately!

Thanks! But seeing as how I bought 9 new books just today, I am not blowing through fast enough :)

And I will admit, a few (and only a few) have wormed their way back on to the shelves. I offer them to people at work, friends, family or even bookmooch but some don't want to leave. And I happily let them back in because an unloved book in a horrible thing to witness.

I had the same reaction to Barry; tho not so much confused as irritated. Someone needs to tell her less is more. Either quirky characters in situations that most of us could recognize, or regular folks in quirky situations, but not bizarre people in surreal situations. Hard to relate. Notice that her new book is on LTER this month.

Yup, irritation is a good word to use. I think I will try her new one and then make my final decision as to whether I like her or not.

Bucket - I think I'll wait and see what your reaction is before trying her again. The best thing about her book was coming up with the lace reading as a form of fortune telling.

I've had The Lace Reader sitting around forever. I did start it once upon a time, but it didn't grab me--maybe because of the characters who are "Characters".

I started it a few times before continuing. It seems to be a love it or hate it kind of book. Should be interesting to see where the next one goes. If I am half as confused about who's who and what their purpose is, I'm done.

#74 -- What a GREAT way to put it! I will probably read the next one, but not waste an LTER request on it. It's definitely a book to borrow...

28) The Education of Little Tree by Carter. I read this one primarily because it's been kicking around forever but also because I just finished Literary Hoaxes and this one was listed. I think perhaps if I had of read it before reading LH, I might have enjoyed it but now that I know the story behind the story, it coloured my perception somewhat.

And how! I can't see how you could read it without having its history affect your reactions to it.

I just kept thinking "Oh no you didn't!" after each adventure. The edition I had didn't label itself as a memoir so if I hadn't of read Literary Hoaxes I never would have known the hoax thing behind it.

29) Everybody's Favourites by Rae. This is an awesome little book that I have had for years. I would pick it up, read bits and pieces and then it would go back into obscurity. But this time, I read it cover to cover and am wondering why I never did before.

It's basically a collection of short essays by famous (and not-so-famous) Canadians talking about the one book they read as a child that stayed with them or moved them the most. I just love reading about books that I loved and seeing that someone else had the same reactions I had. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to relive part of their youth.

30) Middlesex by Eugenides. I f'loved this book! No idea why I put off reading it (length maybe?) but I am sorry I did.

Last week's total read was a big old 1 thanks to school, work and other stuff. This wouldn't be so bad if the total number of NEW stuff brought this week wasn't 40. My rule of reading more than I bring in was shot to hell this weekend (thanks to book sales and mooching). This is SO not working... Now to find room. :)

Is it terrible of me if I say your 40:1 ratio this week is making me feel a bit better? :)

I'm doing well at not buying books -- except (bet you knew that was coming!) for book clubs and continuing to request Early Reviewers Books. Here's what I'm worried about, though. My wish list is gettling longer every day. And one day, all this pent up demand might just EXPLODE!!!! I have credit cards and a library card and a car.....

#81 - Well I am glad that I am making someone feel better!

#82 - This place is just killing my wishlist. I started it so that people would have an idea of the type of books I like and would be interested in reading (my Christmas list if you will). Now it seems to have a mind of its own. I swear magic computer fairies add to it when I am not around. I can't imagine, with all I own and/or have read lately, that I could possibly be interested in more but yet, the continually growing list reminds me of how behind I am. Oy!

31) Eat Pray Love by Gilbert. Bye bye. Not sure I will miss you that much but thanks for making room on the shelf. :)

March
26) The Lace Reader by Barry
27) The Outsider by Camus
28) The Education of Little Tree by Carter
29) Everybody's Favourites by Rae
30) Middlesex by Eugenides
31) Eat Pray Love by Gilbert
32) Alice in Wonderland by Carroll
33) Through the Looking Glass by Carroll

TBR Count 716

32) Alice in Wonderland & 33) Through the Looking-Glass by Carroll. I knew the story of Alice (thanks to Disney) but had never read either of the books. This was a treat! I am sorry that I never enjoyed them before because I loved this type of fantastical stuff when I was young.

34) Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling by Wolman. This is a brief little overview of the English language and how it came to be. Wolman looks at specific points in history that were pivotal to the formation of this weird and wonderful language.

35) Black Beauty by Sewell. I can't say I was ever into horse's as a child so maybe that is why I never read this one. Strange that it is written from the horse's point of view though -- that took some getting used to! Overall, it's a cute little story with a happy ending. Pretty much all one needs in a kid's book right?

87> So Black Beauty has a happy ending? I remember being "traumatized" by this story as a very young girl. The family was probably watching it on the "Wonderful World of Disney". When it got to the part where Black Beauty was working as a coal horse and a wagon passed by carrying the body of a dead horse (probably Black Beauty's stablemate)...I was DONE. Now that I think about it, I was traumatized by many shows on "Wonderful World of Disney". My dad would get sooo mad...not at me but at the fact the Disney would show such things. Ahhh...childhood, how did we ever survive???

Oh, how I loved Black Beauty! I wonder what I would think of it now.

I remember when I read Black Beauty aloud to my daughters, I could hardly get through the sad parts, I was crying so hard. I think it affected me more than it did them! It seems like the old children's classics often have death and misfortune included in the story. I wonder if it was thought that these books would help children to face the difficulties of life.

I do wish I had read Black Beauty as a child because I would have gotten so much more from it. And, well to be perfectly frank, all the references to "being mounted by my master" wouldn't have had me rolling around in tears if you know what I mean. One must take one's head out of the gutter when reading kid's books. Heh...

36) A Man of my Words by Lederer is the last one to finish this weekend. It was exam week so I started many but wasn't able to finish until Thursday night. Needless to say, I have been a lean mean reading machine since then.

Lederer is one of my faves. I love words and he just plays around with them in such neat, inventive ways. This volume is more a series of essays on various topics involving words and puns.

#91 - LOL !!!

88- I had to stop reading/watching Black Beauty as a child as well. It was just too intense for my heart to handle. I figured it probably had a happy ending but I couldn't stand the misfortunes the horse had to pass through to get there.

I always did have a vivid imagination - it was all too real to me.

>88 ca_dmv: Aah...childhood, how did we ever survive???
Analyze many, if not all, of the children stories and look at how much violence and child abuse in them - Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Snow White, etc.

I read Black Beauty last year for the first time and I thought it was cute. I must have missed the part that was traumatic. If this book is bad for kids, how can the movies that are out these days be better?

I'm not sure that books that have difficult passages or themes are bad for children. What child does not prefer books in which the protagonist is a plucky orphan? And it allows them to process their fears (death, danger, cruelty...) in a safe way. Kids also have a strong sense that the good will prevail and that suffering will be rewarded in the end, so maybe horrible events hit adults harder--kids know that eventually all will be made right. And in Black Beauty things do end happily.

Hey! I have The Camera My Mother Gave Me on a shelf somewhere. I remember thinking when I bought it that I couldn't wait to understand how the title fit the subject matter. I'm thrilled that someone else has this book. I'll have to find it.

I loved Middlesex too and also wondered why it took me so long to read it.

I loved Black Beauty as a child, but I had an abridged illustration edition. My daughter received the unabridged version last year, and I re-read it. It was very upsetting to my horse-loving mind.

The message I got from that book when I read it aeons ago was that it was a really, really bad time to be a horse.

Re: Black Beauty - I just kept thinking "good grief this poor horse gets passed around a lot!" It was nice that it all came full circle in the end. After all the crap that the poor horse had to go through, it was nice that he ended up happy. Yes, I am a sap....

Re: The Camera my Mother Gave Me - I liked it but found it to be a very, very strange topic. I think my enjoyment of it was more because I totally related to her plight. I too have unresolved medical issues and so I get her frustation with the lack of answers. I got a copy of Girl Interrupted because I like her writing style.

37) The Wind in the Willows by Grahame. Read mainly for the 101010 challenge (more childhood classics that I somehow missed reading). This is NOT a kids book. Good grief! Mr Toad reminded me of a F. Scott Fitzgerald character. I quite enjoyed it but I can't imagine a child liking it (well, except for the fight scene maybe).

I tell ya, I am getting quite the education on 'kids' books this year! :)

38) The Call of the Wild by London. I really enjoyed this book! I had no idea how well London wrote and I now look forward to reading White Fang at some point in the near future.

39) The Secret History by Tartt. I remember starting this book when it first came out and I just couldn't get into it. I was bored silly after the first few pages. But, after seeing it on so many 'must read' lists and having it recommended over and over, I ended up picking up a copy for a buck at a sale (can't go wrong with that!) and I am ever so glad that I did because it's awesome. It's a great mystery and a compelling read.

April
34) Righting the Mother Tongue by Wolman
35) Black Beauty by Sewell
36) A Man of My Words by Lederer
37) The Wind in the Willows by Grahame
38) The Call of the Wild by London
39) The Secret History by Tartt

TBR Count 712

Well, I actually read more in April than I thought but I am behind. I am a few books away from finishing the 101010 challenge so then I will dive into this one full force and maybe, just maybe, get below 700!

40) The Tin Flute by Roy. I have neglected my Canadian reading for awhile so it was nice to find a good read that fit so many of my challenges :)

41) Heart of Darkness by Conrad. I must say, I am 'meh' about this one. I read reviews about this one and they all go on about how deep the novel is. And then I read it and think 'maybe he just wanted to write about how crappy it is to enter a foreign country, steal everything worth stealing and wonder why the natives in that country don't like you much'.

42) The Future Homemakers of America - double meh with a side of ugh. Boring..... Now I now why this ARC has sat on my shelf since 2002!

Oh no! I have Future Homemakers of America on my TBR pile. It just may have to wait quite a bit longer now.

DeltaQueen50, my main problem with it was that I just didn't like any of the characters. They all irritated me beyond belief and I really don't think they were meant to do that! I read half and then moved it off the shelf. If you ever get around to that one, let me know if I missed anything in the second half that could possibly redemn the first.

43) Another TBR off the shelf! I just finished Riding Lessons by Gruen. Sadly, I bought this one because I loved Water for Elephants but then didn't want to read it because it just didn't look like it could live up to WFE. Weird eh?

It certainly didn't live up to the same standards as WFE but it was a good book on its own. The main character pissed me off with her selfishness but she somewhat redemned herself in the end. It lacked depth overall but if you are just looking for a simple, straightforward beach read, this one fits the bill.

44) The Mermaids Singing by Carey. No idea where this one came from or how long it's been kicking around but I am trying to make a concerted effort to purge the oldies!

When I first picked this one up yesterday, I really liked it. It's a novel about three generations of Irish women and the chaos that they seem to bring to each other's lives. Being of Irish descent myself, I really enjoyed the somewhat mythical tone and lush descriptions.

But today, when I finished it off, I was really struck by all amount of whining & bitchiness in the book. Grandma is uphappy that her daughter died before they could reconcile. Daughter was an absolute bitch to grandma before she left home at 18 and has now died an unhappy, miserable mess. And now grand-daughter has taken mom's bitchiness to new levels. Strange how ones opinion can change in the matter of a day!

45) One Last Breath by Booth. Another oldie of indeterminate age that I can successfully move off the shelf (and good thing too 'cus it's a rather large trade book that was taking up valuable real estate!). It's a pretty good mystery although a little too predictable. It looks like it's part of a series (I hate reading things out of order) but I am not sure it's a series that I need to explore further. Good escapist reading for a mindless Sunday morning stuck in bed with a cold.

46) A Death in Belmont by Junger. I started this one eons ago (got it from the library) but lost interest and never finished. Then I met the author and got a free copy of it which promptly sat on my shelf for another few years. So recently, the movie A Perfect Storm was on which that kind of piqued my interest in Junger again so I pulled this one out and promptly read it in one go.

Junger is an excellent writer. I can't say that I am a huge fan of true crime but this one wasn't written in the traditional sense of a true crime novel. It's an interesting, matter-of-fact account of the Boston Strangler (or maybe not the Boston Strangler depending on whose side you are on). Junger certainly assumes no side and is quite forthright in his indecision which is quite remarkable considering the fact that his own mother could possibly have been a victim if not for her quick thinking.

Now I need to make up my mind about whether to purge it or not...

May
40) The Tin Flute by Roy
41) Heart of Darkness by Conrad
42) Future Homemakers of America by Graham
43) Riding Lessons by Gruen
44) The Mermaids Singing by Carey
45) One Last Breath by Booth
46) A Death in Belmot by Junger

TBR Count 702 (the numbers don't seem to match up but this is the actual count so who knows where I missed up)

47) Last Summer at Barebones by Mason. Not bad. A little weird at times but an interesting coming-of-age book nonetheless. And, only eight years languishing on the shelf!

48) How to Make an American Quilt by Otto. All I can say is bye bye...

49) Mrs Mike by Freedman. I quite enjoyed this book and am ashamed at how long this one has sat on the shelf. Now to make a concerted effort to read the sequels before they disintegrate with age.

One more book to go and I will have reached my goal for this challenge. I plan to continue (cause I have waaaaaaay too many left on the shelf!) but it's neat to have reached a goal. Perhaps I will extend it to 100 and really make it a challenge...

50) The Sunday Wife by King. And with that, I am done. Well, for now. I still have a long way to go but I can now say that I met me original goal.

The book? Interesting. I was worried that it would be a little too religious for me but it turned out to be quite humourous and entertaining with a touch of religion on the side. It's not my usual cup of tea but I figured I should give it a go as its been on my shelf since 2002! And I am glad I did.

I also have The Same Sweet Girls kicking around so I might try that one soon. It's only been here since 2005... oy!

Congrats on the goal-meeting! I'm impressed.

Good for you!! I made the mistake of setting my goal at the # of books I usually read in a year, never considering that I might want to read a new book or how I might fit in any ER books that I won (3 this year - but I'm not complaining). Next year I'll do it a little differently. And even if I reach my goal, I'm going to be further behind when I end the year than when I started.

I set my goal for 1/2 of what I usually read in the year, and it's working out....so far......

Congratulations on meeting your goal! Don't stop now!

51) Never Cry Wolf by Mowat was awesome. Loved the movie as a kid but I guess I always thought the books would be too 'adult'. Now I am kicking myself for not reading them sooner!

Never Cry Wolf is one of my favorites as well. I recently read The Boat Who Wouldn't Float by Mowat which was another winner!!!

I read Never Cry Wolf all in one night. To use a cliche - I laughed, I cried...

A Whale for the Killing is very upsetting.

June
47) Last Summer at Barebones by Mason
48) How to Make an American Quilt by Otto
49) Mrs Mike by Freedman
50) The Sunday Wife by King
51) Never Cry Wolf by Mowat

TBR Count 697 (I broke the 700 mark! Yeah me!)

Halfway through the year and you are making good progress, congrats on getting below the 700 mark. My TBR shelves increased over June. :(

Thanks! But I will admit that I have actually added 217 more books to Mt TBR this year but I am labelling them 'new' so I can delude myself into thinking I have this 'problem' under control. I think overall between the new and the old, I am dangerously close to hitting the dreaded 1000 mark by year end.

It's so nice not to be alone. Bucketyell, I bought 10 new books but haven't added them to the TBR shelves. They are on the kitchen counter!

That's why I hang out here... I find others who have booklust worse than me and it makes me feel good :)

52) I started out this month with one that I have had on the shelf since 2007. Absolution by Ramsay is a murder mystery and I can't say I was all that impressed. It's a first novel so I can give her a pass on some things but it just didn't come together. I am afraid that I didn't finish it so I will never know who the killer is but sadly, I really don't care whodunnit. I hate when that happens.

53) The White Tiger by Adiga. I absolutely loved this book! And truthfully? I only read it because it's on the 1001 list.
It's part Slumdog Millionaire and part The Catcher in the Rye (the Indian version). It even has a little Catch Me If You Can cockiness thrown in for good measure.

I really loved The White Tiger, too. Horatio Alger must be turning in his grave!

54) The Road from Coorain by Conway. This is the first of a two-book series and I can't wait to dig into the second. Very well written.

55) I just finished an oldie - Sleeping Partner by Humphreys. It was an excellent courtroom drama that kept me hooked until the very end and then, bam, it totally crapped out. That was probably the worst, most unsatisfying ending I have ever encountered. I still can't believe how dumb it was!

I hate it when a book you are enjoying suddenly lets you down like that. : (

56) Trade Mission by Pyper. I have had this one on the shelves for 8 years! Good grief!

I liked it. It was odd and a little farfetched but enjoyable. Lost Girls was better though...

Yeah, I've read a few of Pyper's books, and The Trade Mission was the weakest of 'em. I think that part of his strength is the way he describes Ontario and how well he knows it and that was necessarily missing here. Still, it wasn't horrible...

57) The Piper's Sons by Fergusson. Not bad, not great. It kept my attention until the end so I suppose it was not a complete waste of time. Plus, it's a hardcover that I bought umpteen years ago and I now have space for something else.

58) Madame Zee by Luke. I am sorry that this one sat on the shelf so long!

July
52) Absolution by Ramsay
53) The White Tiger by Adiga
54) The Road from Coorain by Conway
55) Sleeping Partner by Humphreys
56) Trade Mission by Pyper
57) The Piper's Sons by Fergusson
58) Madame Zee by Luke

Not bad... two made it back on to the shelves but not a bad month overall.

TBR total: 689

Good start to a new month! I finished 59) Slammerkin by Donoghue this morning and quite enjoyed it. I must admit, when I read the author's note at the end and realised that this is loosely based on a true story, I cried. Mary spent her life searching for some kind of meaning. She never really fit in anywhere and greatly resented her circumstances but felt powerless to change anything. The one power that she did have ended up backfiring on her in the end.

Now I will try to read Fingersmith by Waters by the end of the year so I can see how they compare.

60) Year of Wonders by Brooks. This was quite good (despite the depressing subject matter). I read something else by her (name escapes me but it wasn't March because that is still on the shelf) and I really didn't enjoy it much. This one was much better and has renewed my interest in Brooks.

Maybe you read People of the Book? I've read all three, and Year of Wonders is my favourite.

Yup! That's it, thanks!

So, YOW is better than March? If that is the case, it might just remain on the shelf for awhile...

Well, I thought so. But then, I didn't know March was a prequel to Little Women! As the title character refers to his children by name, I thought "hey, I know those people...." I did like March and I found the ending stronger than either of the other two books.

61) Welcome Home by McLean. I love the Vinyl Cafe stuff but found this one to be draggy. It was interesting at first but after awhile, everything started to blend together and I found I just didn't care about anyone anymore.

August
59) Slammerkin by Donoghue
60) Year of Wonders by Brooks
61) Welcome Home by McLean

TBR Total: 686

Well that wasn't a very good month... I really need to get this number down because in January when I start again, my newly acquired pile will count and that will bring me well over the 1000 mark. As a separate number, I can delude myself into thinking that things are under control. But as one big number? sigh.....

Oh, wow. What a good idea to count your new TBR separately from your old (and suitable for the purposes of this challenge) TBR. I like the way you think--it makes your TBR go down no matter how many books you've acquired.

I decided I had to add a tag to the new books I acquired so I would know not to count them toward this challenge this year. But they're fair game next year.

Yup, it makes me feel good to see that number go down. Self-delusion is always good isn't it?

Self-delusion is excellent.