Mount TBR Reading Challenge

I've decided to join the Mount TBR Reading Challenge because I have mountains of books to climb and miles of bookcases to read before I sleep (or something like that).  "TBR" is shorthand for "to be read.")

The idea is to concentrate on books I already have, rather than borrow library books or buy new ones that I don't really need.  So I'm telling myself to concentrate on reading what's here (and passing along books I've read to others), while planting flags on some of these mountains.

Challenge Levels:

Pike's Peak:  read 12 books from my TBR pile (14,115 ft)
Mont Blanc:  read 24 books from my TBR pile (15,781 ft)
Mt. Vancouver:  read 36 books from my TBR pile (15,787 ft)
Mt. Ararat:  read 48 books from my TBR pile (16,854 ft)
Mt. Kilimanjaro:  read 60 books from my TBR pile (19,341 ft)
Cerro El Toro:  read 75 books from my TBR pile (20,236 ft)
Mt. Everest:  read 100 books from my TBR pile (29,029 ft)
Mount Olympus (Mars):  read 150+ books from TBR pile (69,841 ft)

The Rules:

Once you choose your challenge level, you are locked in for at least that many books.  You are welcome to voyage further and conquer taller mountains after your commitment is met.  All books from lower mountains carry over towards the next peak.  Books must be owned by you prior to January 1, 2020.  The challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2020.

My declared goal will be Mt. Ararat, 48 books from my own shelves.  Why?   Because of Mt. Ararat's location.  I'm a theologian, and Mt. Ararat is "located" in the Bible (in Genesis 8:4 ~ "and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat." (Genesis 8:4).  I'm setting forth on this sea of books, hoping to rest atop Ararat by the end of 2020.  I'll come back here to list each book I finish that counts toward the goal.  I have three "practice peaks" before Mount Ararat.

Pike's Peak (#1-12)

1.  Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice ~ by Michelle Obama, 2019, journal, 9/10
2.  Paws for a Moment with God: Devotions Best Enjoyed in the Company of a Cat ~ compiled by Patricia Mitchell, 2010, reflections, 7/10
3.  Good Dog. Stay. ~ by Anna Quindlen, 2007, memoir, 9/10
4.  Cat Tales: A Catty Concoction of Quotes, Poems and "Dear Tabby" Advice ~ edited by Suzanne Beilenson, 1992, quotations, 7/10
5.  What Cats Teach Us ... Life's Lessons Learned from Our Feline Friends ~ by Glenn Dromgoole, 2000, gift book, 7/10
6.  Have a Little Faith: A True Story ~ by Mitch Albom, 2009, memoir, 9/10
7.  Making Toast: A Family Story ~ by Roger Rosenblatt, 2010, memoir, 9/10
8.  Ten Keys to Happier Living: A Practical Science-Based Handbook for Happiness ~ by Vanessa King, 2016, self-help, 9/10
9.  Allah: A Christian Response ~ by Miroslav Volf, 2011, religion, 8/10
10.  Transitions: Prayers and Declarations for a Changing Life ~ by Julia Cameron, 1999, meditations, 9/10
11.  The Big Book for Peace ~ edited by Ann Durell and Marilyn Sachs, 1990, stories, 9/10
12.  Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates: Using Philosophy (and Jokes!) to Explore Life, Death, the Afterlife, and Everything in Between ~ by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein, 2009, humor, 8/10

Mont Blanc (#13-24)

13.  Does God Have a Big Toe?: Stories about Stories in the Bible ~ by Marc Gellman, art by Oscar de Mejo, 1989, stories, 8/10
14.  Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival ~ by Velma Wallis, 1993, fiction, Alaska, 9.5/10
15.  Mortality ~ by Christopher Hitchens, 2012, memoir, 9/10
16.  Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner ~ edited by Ellen E. Garrigues, 1895 and 1910, ballad, 8/10
17.  Politically Correct Bedtime Stories ~ by James Finn Garner, 1994, humor, 8/10
18.  Once Upon a More Enlightened Time ~ by James Finn Garner, 1995, humor, 3/10
19.  The Andrew Project ~ by James Taylor, 1985, theology, 9/10
20.  Talk Before Sleep ~ by Elizabeth Berg, 1994, fiction, 9/10
21.  The Winged Cat: A Tale of Ancient Egypt ~ by Deborah Nourse Lattimore, 1992, fiction (Egypt), 7/10

Mt. Vancouver (#25-36)
Mt. Ararat (#37-48)

You can sign up for this challenge any time during the year by clicking this link:  Mount TBR Reading Challenge.  Headquarters and the "crew" joining this challenge are found here.