January 12, 2014

2014 TBR Pile Challenge


I was pondering if I want to join Adam's TBR challenge this year, because I failed miserably in it last year. You see, I'm really bad at planning ahead, so sticking to the list was really difficult. However, I guess I made it so difficult myself, as I chose some really daunting books. This year, I'm listing only the books from my TBR I'm really looking ahead. I hope that will help!

Books to read:
  1. Historia Brittonum by Nennius
  2. Historia regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth 
  3. Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory (what? I'm really looking forward to these three!)
  4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (this one is supposed to be amazing and I'm surprised I'm putting if off)
  5. Watership Down by Richard Adams
  6. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (I own these two in print, and they are calling to me from the shelf)
  7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (there are movies that I want to see!)
  8. Paradise Lost by John Milton (I started it yesterday, and I need some extra motivation)
  9. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (no reason whatsoever, only let's throw more Spanish guys here, maybe?)
  10. Platero y yo by Juan Ramón Jiménez (this I have in Spanish, and in Spanish I must read it)
  11. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
  12. Roadside Picnic by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky (I have these two on my reader already, so why not?)
Alternates:
  1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
  2. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

11 comments:

  1. what a cool list! I enjoyed very much your #6 and both alternates. I studied a lot Paradise Lost decades ago, and plan to reread it when I am done with Proust! It is such a vast wonderful work. Here you go for the encouragement!
    I also want to read #3, 9 and 11.
    here is my own list for this challenge:
    http://wordsandpeace.com/2013/12/15/2014-tbr-pile-reading-challenge/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ow... I do agree about vast, but I'll need to get much more used to it to get to the place where I can reckon it wonderful :) But thanks for your encouragement! :)

      Delete
  2. I reread Roadside Picnic last weekend and maaan.... so good. I want to check out more of Strugatskies, there was another story in the book that I read (За миллиард лет до конца света), which was SO odd, but in a funny kind of way - basically nothing happened, just a bunch of Russian scientists discussing extraterrestrial possibilities, but it was so funnily written (even if translated into Estonian).

    I also have Wolf Hall in my TBR Pile list, I read maybe a 100 pages last year and just didn't get into it. I also read a half of the Outlander last summer (it's such a big book so half is a big junk), but then I went into reading slump because of grandma's death and it's now staring at me from the shelf, accusingly... I should start again, it probably won't be my favourite book ever, but there were elements there that are really nice.

    Good luck! I hope the challenge will go better for you this year :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Check out Hard to be God - definitely one of the most wonderful and heartbreaking things I've ever read! Their funny books are really good too, especially Monday Begins on Saturday, but you need to know something about good olde Soviet times to get it :) I started reading Roadside Picnic at school, but it was just a book I snatched from somebody for an especially dull lesson, so I needed to give it back afterwards :) That's why I know only the beginning :) Time to correct it!

      Delete
    2. Oh, thanks for recommendations! I *definitely* want to try out the funny books. I do know a good deal about "good olde" Soviet times (in fact I have a strange fascination with the topic...) so this sounds just peerfect :))

      Delete
  3. You know, people have recommended Outlander to me as well and I haven't read it. I am planning on reading all of Hilary Mantel for certain. Read Malory ages ago and again for a class I took in college. Watership Down was a favorite from my adolescence. I still remember some of it vividly, which I can't say about many books. Paradise Lost was interesting to me because I realized how much Milton had influenced Christian teaching (almost as much if not more than the Bible itself, at times). Foundations (so good), Handmaid's Tale (so good) and Hunger Games (fun and good--made me actually tear up a bit). I've heard of almost every choice you have on here and look forward to the reviews you write.

    Good luck with the challenge!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You sound most encouraging! Good to know you liked so much of the books on this list! Thanks!

      Delete
  4. The first three choices really took me aback, especially after you said you were going to take it easy. :) That was awesome!! I am actually planning on reading Le Morte D'Arthur myself. I've been eying Outlander, but was scared it might end up too chick lit-ish (not my favourite thing in the world). Hopefully I'm wrong though. Watership Down, Paradise Lost and Foundation are on my TBR, so I might get inspired to read them with you! I tried Wolf Hall before, but just couldn't get into it - will definitely re-try someday. And I found Hunger Games (first book) actually pretty good, considering I do not really read YA. Excellent list! Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Strange, I've never suspected that Outlander may be chick lit-ish... I guess I need to read and see for myself :) Paradise Lost readalong is happening just now, and we are still in the beginning, so join it!!

      Delete
    2. Outlander *is* slightly chick lit-ish - I think that is why I didn't exactly fly through it. Not that it is a bad thing - I think that it kinda suits the story even, but I was completely unprepared for that, so maybe that was why I personally was taken back a bit :)

      Delete
    3. Well, now I'm prepared, thanks :) We'll see if it bothers me...

      Delete

Share your thoughts!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...