Cora’s TBR Challenge – Page 5 – Cora Lee, Regency Romance Author

2014 TBR Challenge Finale

December 31, 2014December 31, 2014 Cora Lee

2014 is coming to an end fellow readers–did you meet your TBR Challenge goal?

My initial commitment was 12 books from my heaping TBR bins/kindle/iPod. I read 21 books that were six months old or older (yay!). Looking back through the Goodreads shelf I made, I can see that I favored paper books over electronic ones, and that no audio books made it into the fray. I know what happened with the audio books (I’m still working on one enormous one, and half-listened to a couple as I drifted off to sleep at night), but the paper vs. electronic count surprises me a bit. E-books are physically easier to read for me–no mass market paper back to squint at or pry open, no weighty hardcover to lift and hold. But I’m something of a tactile person, and there’s nothing like holding a real book in your hands 🙂

I also mentioned in my original post that I’d wanted to go with a small number of TBR books in order to leave room for other reading challenges and writing time. I completed the other two challenges I began, and incorporated TBR books into both (two birds, one stone right?). But the writing time never materialized. That’s something I definitely need to work on next year.

Overall, I think the TBR Challenge was a good idea. Knowing that I was posting updates to this blog and keeping a public Goodreads shelf helped motivate me. When it was time for a new book I’d find

myself digging through my bins and reading blurbs, searching for one that still sounded interesting months (and in some cases, years) after I purchased it. That was a lot of fun–like a kid sampling treats in an ice cream shop, looking for just the right flavor–and something I didn’t realized I missed until I started doing it again. In all the tumult of 2014, digging through my TBR bins was also comforting for me, and gave me a sense of accomplishment as the piles in some bins shrunk. I have no idea what 2015 has in store for me, but I’m going to make sure a TBR Challenge is involved 😀

Books

Cora’s TBR Challenge Check-In

November 24, 2014November 23, 2014 Cora Lee

It’s November, readers–eleven months down and just one left to go in this year’s TBR Challenge!

After having a pretty awful October, my stubborn streak kicked in and I became determined not to let the situation at work or my chronic illnesses get the best of me. Reading is one of my favorite past times, and I refuse to give it up! Even though I come home drained of energy, I’ve been doggedly reading from my TBR bins a little at a time. I usually only get an hour in each day, and I read slower than usual because of the fatigue, but I do it 😀

Over the summer I reported that I was gravitating toward my bins of physical books rather than e-books, and I’ve returned to that trend. Then it was to weed out non-keeper-shelf books in an effort to lighten the load before I moved across the state. This time I think it’s simply because I can see the piles in their various bins every time I walk into my living room. My Kindle, however, conceals its contents well–I have no idea how many books are actually on it without making a concerted effort to check.

When I did check I discovered the number had grown! I’ve been very careful about resisting the lure of the bookstore and the library’s used book sales, but apparently not the siren call of Kindle book price drops. Maybe I should concentrate on e-books for the last month of the challenge 🙂

Books

Cora’s TBR Challenge Check-In

June 16, 2014July 20, 2014 Cora Lee

It’s June, fellow readers! We’re halfway through the year! Are you halfway through your TBR commitment?

I missed our check-in last month with a nasty, wouldn’t-let-me-go migraine–I couldn’t even look at a book for nearly two months. But a couple of weeks ago the pain finally dissipated. My diet has become more severely restricted to avoid even possible migraine triggers–so I haven’t had chocolate in months!–but I feel almost good. (And yes, there is at least one doctor’s appointment in my future.)

And last week, I went on a little book binge 😀

Two of the books I read had been on my kindle for over a year (over two years in one case), so I’m now current on my TBR Challenge commitment. The teacher-hiring season has also begun, and in just a couple of months I’ll be back in a classroom somewhere, so I’m hoping to get ahead of schedule on this challenge (and the others I’m participating in, too). There are just too many days when I come home from school too tired to even read, so I’m trying to prepare for it ahead of time.

How have you all done since last we talked? On track? Woefully behind? Or surging into summer?

If you missed the beginning of the challenge, you can still join in! Check out my original post or my TBR Challenge Page for more information.

Books

Cora’s TBR Challenge Check-In

April 21, 2014April 17, 2014 Cora Lee

It’s been three months since I issued my TBR Challenge. How are you doing? Have you discovered any books that are so good you wish you’d read them sooner?

IMG-20140212-00025 — My non-fiction books, most of which I have yet to read.

It’s been nearly a month since I picked up a book from my TBR pile, but April has been a bit bumpy for me so far. I began the month with a migraine, and even though it wasn’t as severe as migraines I’ve had in the past, I still couldn’t read (or do a lot of other things, for that matter). And it lasted for over a week–normal for me, but discouraging nonetheless.

Once I was back at full strength, I succumbed to the pull of the library. Bringing home new books always makes me feel better, but with a tight budget “bringing home new books” has come to mean a trip to the library (or the Overdrive website). There are so many great books out there that I don’t yet own–a lot of which I found shopping with my Amazon settlement money–I couldn’t resist picking some of them up. So, while I’ve done some reading the past two weeks, the books haven’t come from my TBR piles.

Luckily it’s only April. I still have four months before I’ll be going back to work, and that’s plenty of time to wade through the TBR!

Books

Cora’s TBR Challenge Check-In

March 17, 2014March 14, 2014 Cora Lee

It’s March fellow readers! Has your TBR pile gotten any smaller?

I have to say, doing this challenge here on the blog where everyone can watch my progress has been motivating. I’m actively searching for more time to read to ensure I make my goal…sometimes to the detriment of my to-do lists!

One thing that’s helped me this month is finding books in different formats. I snap up little mass market paperbacks at my local library used book sales, but when I get home I have such a hard time reading that tiny print! The book goes in the TBR bin and ends up staying there. But I live in an area with a wonderful library system–what they don’t have, they can get. So I looked up my mass market paperbacks and found larger version that are much easier to read.

Presto! Two more books climbing out of the TBR bin!

Are you making progress with your commitment? If you missed the beginning of the challenge, it’s not too late to join in the fun! Check out my TBR Challenge Page for more details.

Books

Cora’s TBR Challenge Check-In

February 17, 2014February 14, 2014 Cora Lee

Okay, so it’s been almost exactly a month since I posted my TBR Challenge. How’s it going? How many of you have begun reading books long forgotten? How many of you forgot your pledge?

My own first action was to take stock of my supplies, so to speak. I am one of those compulsively organized people, so my books are already grouped together based on their subject matter. But I have so many still to read, I wasn’t even sure what books were in each group!

I did find a couple of duplicates–I’d bought a book twice not realizing that I already had it at home. Happily, these were books from the local library used book sale, so I didn’t spend much money. And the duplicate copies will go right back to the library for re-sale, so it works out 🙂

One thing that surprised me, though, was that I found whole series on my Kindle I didn’t know I possessed. I’m notorious for buying the first book in a series when it’s on sale, but forgoing the rest until I’ve had a chance to read the first. I discovered a lot of those as well, but I also found the first five books in Julie Ann Long’s Pennyroyal Green series, all of Annette Blair’s Rogue series, all four of Jacquie D’Alessandro’s Regency Historical series, and several “boxed sets” that I bought and didn’t remember I had.

Once I had figured out what was here, the tough part began: which book do I read first? I have more time for reading now, because I’m still not working. But it was really difficult to pick a book–too many choices is almost worse than not enough choices! I finally just grabbed one without looking…and was rewarded with Ellis Peters’ lovely Brother Cadfael 🙂

So how are you fairing this month? What has been the hardest thing about this challenge? Any surprises so far?

You can also check out my TBR Challenge page to monitor my progress or add your thoughts on the books I’m reading.