The Final Checkpoint! #TBR2019RBR

Posted on December 18, 2019 by

23 Comments

And so it ends.

As we head into the final few days of 2019, I wanted to post briefly about the challenge and people’s progress, including my own. First, I’m sad to say that I will not be bringing the challenge back for 2020. I know a lot of people were hoping it would be back again for Year 9, but I’ve decided I’m just not too interested in hosting it anymore, and my attentions here on the blog and elsewhere have turned to other matters.

I’m currently editing my second academic text (a collection of essays of literary criticism to be published early in 2020) and sending out queries for my first novel (which has been completed and revised. If you know any agents looking for LGBTQ Own Voices YA, let me know or send them my way!) So, I wish I could keep this up again another year, but it’s time to say goodbye, or at least goodbye for now.

As to my challenge progress this year, it looks like I’m only going to get through 7 of the 12 books I need in order to “Win.” That’s still a win for me, though, as it’s 7 books that had been sitting on my shelves for ages that I’ve finally read!  I enjoyed most of them, too.

Here are the 7 that I’ve finished:

Of this list, I would have to say that my favorites were The House of the Vampire, Timequake, and Gemini. (Gemini was pretty stunning. More people should read it, seriously.)

We do have some folks who have commented on the master post indicating that they are finished – outstanding! After the year ends, I will be going back to The Mister Linky to randomly select a winner from all the participant posts this year. Remember, all your linked reviews for completed books from your original TBR Pile list (which I have saved), plus ONE final wrap-up post, will earn you entries into the final giveaway, provided you have linked them all to our Mister Linky by January 14th. I will be selecting the winner on January 15th. To put it simply:

  • How to be entered to win: Link up reviews for any/all completed book on your original list before January 14th.
  • How to get a bonus entry: Link up a challenge wrap-up post before January 14th.
  • How to get a second bonus entry: If you COMPLETED your challenge (at least 12 out of 14 books read and reviewed), leave a comment on this post by December 31 saying so; I will check your links and/or your wrap-up post, if you provide one, and add your name to the “Current Completers” list below.
  • One winner will be selected randomly on January 15th and be notified via blog/email.
  • Only those who originally registered for this challenge last year and have been participating are eligible to be entered. (I have all original lists saved.)

Current Completers:

If you’re out there and you’ve finished your challenge, be sure to leave a comment letting us know! If you didn’t finish – what kind of progress did you make?  1 of 12?  6 of 12? Even reading one book is a step in the right direction, so if you gave it a shot – good for you!

Which books from your list did you love? Which ones did you hate? Which reading challenges are you looking forward to in 2020?

Category: 2019 TBR Pile Challenge

23 Comments on “The Final Checkpoint! #TBR2019RBR”

  1. I had high hopes at the start of the year, but I’ve managed only 4 titles of 12. I think part of the reason was the way I structured my list: I put all of the Vintage Movie Classics set on it, with the intent of reading each book and watching the movie adapted from it. A nice concept, but it didn’t end up being practical between not being able to find certain movies in easily accessible forms and then trying to time things to watch between business trips. (Admittedly, the pressure I was feeling was my own creation.)

    Thanks for hosting this originally, and for bringing it back for a couple of years. It’s been great fun, even in the years I didn’t “win.” (Like you said, it’s still a kind of win, since I read four books I’d been delaying reading for various reasons.)

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  2. This is the first time I haven’t finished! I discovered I needed a serious blogging break, and that included the last THREE titles, all of which were chunksters, so I only did 9. I’m partway through #10, and it’s fascinating, but I don’t think I’ll be able to finish it before the New Year. Thanks so much for hosting this fun challenge for all this time!

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  4. I’m happy to report I finished all 14 books! I had saved the longest and hardest for last–maybe not wise–and wasn’t sure I’d finish it before year’s end. But thankfully I did. I agree with the fact that any number of books actually read is a win.
    I didn’t hate any of them, though I enjoyed some more than others. Though I benefited in some way from all of them, probably the one I enjoyed most was Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohkle. It’s about a daughter of one of Hitler’s genetic scientists who realizes what her father’s work involves and hides her friend’s deaf daughter. Cathy is a new-to-me author, but I’ll definitely be looking up more of her books.
    I’m sorry you won’t be able to continue the challenge next year, but I understand. I know it involves a lot of behind the scenes work. Thank you so much for doing that and hosting it as long as you have.
    As to other challenges, I’ll be doing the Back to the Classics challenge (if it’s being held again–have not heard yet) and the Mount TBR Challenge hosted by Bev at My Reader’s Block.

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  6. Thank you for hosting this challenge, I’ve really enjoyed the two years I’ve joined in. I’ve managed to read 13 of the 14 but of course still have 2 reviews to post! And Wives and Daughters has arrived – thank you!!

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  7. Congratulations on the essays! That is very exciting.

    I am having a hard time reading the other comments but I have two more books to read, so if I get a few days off next week, I think I can do it. Starting grad school in August slowed me down but my professor let me write a paper about Worldbuilding in Nancy Drew so that was fun!

    Wishing you a great holiday, Adam!

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  8. Congratulations on your two essay collections and your novel in progress! I love this challenge but I can appreciate why you don’t want to host it again. I finished 9 books and I’m reading two, so I feel pretty good about it! Like you said, they are books I might not have read otherwise, so the challenge was worth it.

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  9. I’m sad you’re not doing the challenge again, but also kind of relieved because I no longer have the backlog I used to and there were a couple of books that would have made it onto my list that I’m no longer really interested in reading. It sounds like you have a lot going on, so I can see why you’d let this go. I can’t wait to hear more about your YA book!

    I finished the challenge, in that I read 12 of my books, but it turns out that one of them didn’t qualify because it was published on Jan 2, 2018 – I had put it on my To Read list before it was published and missed the date when I was making my list. Oh well, the challenge was still a success to me! I’ll be writing and linking a wrap-up post soon!

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  10. I had such high hopes at the start of the year, but only ended up finishing 2, and I don’t believe I wrote anything about either. I’ve been such a blog slacker this year, but hopefully in 2020 I will get my act together! Thanks for hosting Adam, even when I don’t get much read, it’s always a great inspiration.

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  11. I finished, but it turns out that one of my books, though it was on my TBR before 2018, wasn’t published until Jan 2, 2018 so it technically doesn’t qualify. Anyway, it feels complete in that I read (or at least tried to read) everything on my list!

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  12. I got 14 out of 14 read. I was planning a blog wrap-up post but vacation and now Christmas is getting in the way lol. Hopefully between the 26th and the 30th I’ll get the post finished!

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  13. I hope I’m not repeating this, WordPress somehow didn’t have me signed in. I got 14 out of 14 done and enjoyed them all, but a couple of favorites that stand out were Pleating for Mercy and By Cook or by Crook. I’m excited to join the 2020 challenge. This one definitely kept me on track and helped clean out 14 books from my drawer.

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  14. 6 complete, and the 7th is mostly complete!
    2019 was the year of the biggest changes for me (big move, family deaths, etc.) so a lot got in the way of reading and blogging. I’m quite proud of how I did considering it all! My wrap-up post will be coming soon!

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    • AND…..posted!
      Thanks again for doing this, it’s been fun! Best of luck with everything. I’ll still be following you, so I’ll get to hear about things I’m sure.

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  15. Pingback: 2019’s Reading Wrap-Up (or It’s Better Late than Never) – "You Might as Well Read"

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