I am nothing if not a sucker for a) turning everything competitive even when it doesn’t need to be a competition and b) making piles of books to read. In that spirit, I am participating in Adam’s TBR challenge over at Roof Beam Reader.
By March 2018, I will have finished or possibly rage-quit my doctorate. Either way, I will have time to read long and absorbing books again, and I am very excited about it. The goal of the TBR Pile Challenge is to read 12 books from your TBR pile that have been hanging around waiting to be read for at least a year. I have happily scouted around my flat and found far more than 12 books that I’ve been waiting to read. Here is my list (plus two alternates, as permitted by the rules, just in case a couple end up in the did-not-finish pile).
- The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien (published 1977)
- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (published 2007)
- The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett (published 1986)
- Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (published 1937) (finished 24/4/18)
- Taliesin by Stephen Lawhead (published 1987)
- I, Claudius by Robert Graves (published 1934)
- Daniel Deronda by George Eliot (published 1876)
- A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon (published 2006)
- Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel (published 2009)
- Old Goriot by Honoré de Balzac (published 1834)
- Murder Must Advertise by DL Sayers (published 1933)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick (published 1968)DNF’d 13/5/18Alternates, if needed:
- Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene (published 1958)
- A Grief Observed by CS Lewis (published 1961) (finished 9/5/18)
louloureads 
so many good ones here, my favorite is definitely Wolf Hall and the sequel – and I think I saw book 3 should come out at the end of 2018, finally!!
I’ve been waiting until I have a week off work to crack open Wolf Hall – it seems like the type of book that demands attention!
Excellent list! I read I, Claudius for the 2014 TBR Challenge. It’s a dense read but worth it. Also enjoyed Death on the Nile and A Thousand Splendid Suns. You have really nice variety on your list!
And I too am a sucker for making lists and piles of books, but I didn’t realize until you mention it that I may also be a competitive reader. Did not think of myself as competitive until my children were old enough to play Scrabble with me. It’s not pretty. Maybe I am the same way about book challenges, because I’ve always been terrible at sports.
I am very competitive when it comes to things I know I’m good at – so board games, reading, and pub quizzes. I am not at all competitive with sports because I know I’m bad at them!
Good to hear that I, Claudius is worth it, because I’ve tried to read it a few times and struggled. I think I need to get a new edition where the print isn’t so small. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Good luck, Lou! No rage-quitting! You got this!
Thanks! I’m still determined to make it! 🙂
A Thousand Splendid Suns was amazing!! Good Luck with your doctorate, that will be a weight lifted off your shoulders when you are done! Happy Reading (in your “spare” time) in 2018.
Thanks! I am very much looking forward to it being done! And happy reading in 2018 to you too 🙂
I loved A Thousand Splendid Suns … I hope you enjoy it! Good luck with your reading. 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Some fabulous, but very different reading choices ahead of you this year.
I read the Graeme Greene last year ( IN Cuba) which was the perfect place to read it 😁
A Thousand splendid suns was good too. I’ve read one Balzac & loved the experience – hope to get to Old Goriot myself this year.
My TBR – http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com.au/2018/01/mount-tbr-personal-challenge.html?m=1
I also loved the one Balzac that I’ve read so far (Black Sheep), so I’m excited about Old Goriot.
I loved Reading Lolita in Tehran and would really recommend it-I haven’t read anything else on your list, but I’m really keen to get to Name of the Rose. (Also, apologies for commenting here and not on your blog, but I can never get comments to post on Blogspot with my WordPress account-they seem to disappear into the ether somewhere! Looks like you have a good year’s reading ahead of you 🙂
Whew, The Silmarillion. Good luck. That is not light reading, let me tell you haha. I couldn’t get through it (and I’m a huge LOTR fan). Sending you positive vibes, though!
I have The Reality Dysfunction from Peter Hamilton on my TBR Challenge, but it’s over 1100 pages and I’m second guessing it. I’m tempted to replace it with Wolf Hall. It just sounds SO good. Great pick.
I also have had I, Claudius on my unofficial TBR pile for a while. So great list, is what I’m saying!
I tried to read The Silmarillion when I was about 15 and I enjoyed what I managed of it, so I’m hoping that will be true throughout this time!
All the best for the challenge for you too! 🙂
Thanks!
I’ve been reading some of Philip K. Dick’s works lately. You certainly picked one of the best for this challenge. I read ‘A Spot of Bother’ a few years back, and I remember enjoying it a lot. One of my hopes this year is to read more Agatha Christie. Good luck with the challenge!
I have actually struggled to get into Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – I’m going to give it another shot next month.
Wolf Hall! Run, don’t walk to start reading that one. 🙂
Noted!