2018 TBR Pile Challenge Hosted by Roof Beam Reader

We're going to gloss over the fact that I haven't posted in year and straight into talking about the 2018 TBR Pile Challenge hosted by Roof Beam Reader. This is my official sign-up post and since one of my goals this year is to get back into blogging, why not start here?

The challenge is fairly simple. Participants make a list of 12 books that have been sitting on our TBR piles for over a year and we make it a goal to read them throughout the year. We also get to pick 2 alternates because some books are unfinishable. Or they don't seem as appealing 4 months in. Or we decide we must have been crazy when we made our list and hate everything. That's usually me.

In any case, here is my list. You'll notice a lot are classics since I am hoping to pick up a few more of those this year (I only read a few last year. 2017 was a YA heavy year.)

1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: I started this one a few years ago and only made it 100 pages in before setting it aside and never finishing it. I think it's time.

2. Tess of D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy: I love Hardy and have read a number of his books, but I've been shying away from this one.

3. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: I truthfully don't know much of anything about this book. It was on my original 250 list and as I unpacked it last night to put on my shelf, I thought it looked interesting.

4. READ! East of Eden by John Steinbeck: I really enjoy Steinbeck and have liked almost everything I've read by him, but this size of this one intimidates me. I've heard it's a lot of people's favorite, so why not.

Link to Post: East of Eden

5. Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien: I loved The Things They Carried and a few more titles by O'Brien on my shelf, but this one caught my eye.

6. A Million Suns by Beth Revis: This is the second in a trilogy that has been sitting on my shelf for years (I read the first title, Across the Universe shortly after it came out). I've been trying to read from my shelves and this is a trilogy that caught my eye!

7. The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith: I have had this one sitting on my shelf, along with its sequel, for a year or two. I love Smith, and it's been awhile since I've picked up one of his books!

8. Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev: This is another second in a trilogy where I read the first book and never finished the trilogy, but they've been sitting on my shelves....this one has Shakespeare, so I'm sure I'll love it!

9. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling: Truth-I haven't read anything by J.K. Rowling other than Harry Potter a million times. But I own her other books. I'm not usually a fan of mysteries which is why I've strayed away...

10. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson: Yet another trilogy where I've read the first book but not the others. Again, this is book 2. And this one I feel the worst about since I have read book 1 TWICE. Third time's the charm! (I feel I should mention that I really enjoyed book 1 both times I read it, so I know that's not the issue!)

11. READ! Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco Stork: This has been sitting in my Amazon cart for ages and I finally checked it out of our media center back in December. Now it's sitting on my nightstand.

Link to Post: Marcelo in the Real World

12. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: People are always shocked, SHOCKED that I haven't read this. I just haven't! But I have a wonderful Penguin Clothbound calling my name!

Alternates:

1. READ! Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster: I very much enjoyed the other Forster I read very early in my 250 project and the cover on my edition of this is gorgeous. haha, yes. I judged it by the cover.

2. Sanctuary by Edith Wharton: I have been hoarding my unread titles by Wharton because I love her so, but it's been awhile and this title jumped out at me last night when I was stacking my shelves.


What should I read first? What are your reading plans for the year? Comment below!