Sunday Salon - So have you read any of the books you said you would this year?

Bart at Bart's Bookshelf has a lovely post on his book-buying ban, here. It got me to thinking.......how many of you put a ban on your book buying for the first part of this year? And more importantly, because that ban was most likely put into place because your TBR Mountain of Books is likely as big as mine (over 100 books, like Bart's), have you succeeded in reading any books that were on your TBR mountain yet?

I am happy to say - YES! However, I have to modify this by adding: I didn't give myself a book-buying ban. I know myself well, and I walk past Chapters after work, on my way home through downtown, every night. There is no way I can resist the lure of shiny new books!!! So, I confess that actually, my TBR might have ..........increased since New Year's Day. However, in my defense, I did read some books that were on the mountain already! Here is my somewhat sad total, since I should be at 16 books read today, and I'm only at 10:

Books read since Jan 1
taken off the TBR pile:
The Serpent's Tale - Ariana Franklin
The Face in the Frost - John Bellairs
Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich
Arctic Chill - Artur Indridason
Farthing - Jo Walton
currently reading : The Red Breast - Jo Nesbo

Books added to the TBR Mountain since Jan 1 (ie books bought.....)
Late Nights on Air - Elizabeth Hay
The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Magic for Beginners - Kelly Link
Lethal Legacy - Linda Fairstein
Grave Goods - Ariana Franklin
A Cure For All Diseases - Reginald Hill

***this never made it onto the pile, I bought it and started reading it the next day.
The Godstalker Chronicles - PC Hodgell *****Counts as 2 books

That's a difference of 0 to my TBR Mountain! I'm really thrilled with that!! It could have been much higher.....but I am making a point of reading what is on my TBR Mountain this year, and letting myself read (and buy) whatever catches my fancy. No rules. Just reading. So if my TBR Mountain looks the same size next winter as it does now, at least the books formerly on it will have been read and replaced by new books to read! This I think is my ultimate goal this year.

So how are you doing with your reading resolutions? Since my goal is 100 books read, I'm falling behind and for March, is my goal to catch up. Luckily for me, Carl's annual spring challenge Once Upon a Time IV (Yaaay Spring! Hurray Carl's Challenge)!!! is going to start on March 21, and I have some books on my TBR mountain I've been saving just for this:
The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly
Little, Big - John Crowley
Magic for Beginners - Kelly Link
The Naming - Alison Croggon
The Sea of Trolls - Nancy Farmer
Cry Wolf - Patricia Briggs
Urban Shaman - C. E. Murphy
Greywalker - Kat Richardson

and, I also confess that Patricia Brigg's latest paperback in the Mercy Thompson series is finally out, Bone Crossed, which I will be buying. Very soon.

There, they say confession is good for the soul.

So, how is your TBR mountain?

Oh, and what started all this? I opened my email this morning to find one from Amazon.ca, saying that finally, The Coffin Trail was sent to me on Friday, and I can expect early this week in my mailbox! Since I bought it in December, it doesn't really count for the new year slow-down, and I plan on reading it as well as Bone-Crossed as soon as I get my hands on them, so they shouldn't make my TBR Mountain fall over. Yes, confession is good for the soul!

Happy Sunday reading, my Gentle Readers!!

April Reads

Now that I have finally read enough books to start keep track of how I am doing with all my challenges, I thought I would give my totals:

April books read: 5
Year to date: 18
Not too shabby (for me anyway), but not where I was hoping to be....I'm averaging close to 5 books a month, but if I am going to complete all my challenges, I am going to have to ask the Creator for more hours in the day!!! (anyone else with me on wanting more hours to read?? Are we sure they won't pay us to read???)

Ok, here goes:
Once Upon A Time 2: 1/7
Orbis Terrarum: 2/9
Back to History Challenge: 2/12
Banned Book Challenge: 2/5
888 Challenge: 18/64
1st in a series: 2/17 (I had problems whittling this list down!! It's supposed to be 12!!)...2/12
Canadian Book Challenge: 6/13
Shakespeare Challenge: 0/3
Mythopoeic Award Challenge: 2/7
Short Story Reading Challenge: 1/8
TBR Challenge: 3/12
Birthday Challenge: 3/12 (can't find Ulysses!)
Man Booker Prize: 1/6

So, not too bad. Not as bad as it could have been, but not where I would like to be, especially with the 888 and Canadian Book Challenge. I have 3 challenges coming up to finish by the end of June: Canadian Book Challenge, Out of Time 2, and Banned Books, so I will be concentrating on those books.

I am really enjoying the challenges. I picked,as this was my first time doing these, books I was planning to read or really wanted to read this year. So I am getting through major piles of TBR books that lay on my shelves for some time now. This is a great feeling - I am reading books I've bought! Not that i didn't before, but I love to pick up books that are interesting, and then get caught up in reading fantasy and mystery, and forget everything else. So these challenges are a way to see if I can get myself to read more variety, and so far, it is working. So I am delighted. And, as some of you have seen in earlier posts, I have been buying books quietly so that my Inner Bookworm doesn't panic at all the books being read, and is soothed by the growing piles of NEW books to read, in next year's challenges. I've decided that I am challenge-addicted, and I love it!!! Next up, Canadian Book Challenge 2 (John has already said he will being doing it again, so get your Canadian books ready for July 1! And this time I won't be joining 3 months late!!), RIP (#3? I think; -horror and ghost stories for autumn!!! I'm already getting a pile ready for this one), and.....

There is one more challenge I am going to join, see next post (so I can link to it when I need to).....it really is irresistible, and so easy. So, this is to my sister who hasn't joined any yet - come on! I want to see you on this one! I'll even read one of your books on your list!!

And, if you check my sidebar, I've added the logo for the new Canadian Book Challenge. John has just posted it on his blog. It's under today's date. Come on, and enjoy our literature! There's some Margaret Atwood poems I want to read, more Charles de Lint, Guy Gavriel Kay, LR Wright, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Tanya Huff, plus new authors Joan Clark, Karen Irving.....we are not just Margaret Atwood and Mordecai Richler!!

I may not get to 100 books this year, but I am giving it a good try! And finding great books on the way.

Happy May 1st, everyone!