Roof Beam Reader
Adam Burgess
July Checkpoint! #TBR2022RBR
Hello, TBR Pile Challengers!
I hope your summer (or winter) is going well. We are now officially in the second half of our annual challenge, and I’ve seen and read a lot of awesome updates and reviews for challenge books. We’ve got more than 140 links posted! Thank you for sharing!
As promised in June, this month’s checkpoint comes with the third of four planned mini challenges. I hope you’ll all take the opportunity to play the game and have a little fun. It doesn’t matter how far you are into your challenge, this time! Anyone who pre-registered for our challenge and linked up their list on time, way back in January, can enjoy this one. See below for details.
Progress: 8 of 12 Completed / 6 of 12 Reviewed
Uh oh! It’s clear to see that I have stalled completely. Since last month (well, since May, to be accurate), I haven’t done any new challenge list reading and still haven’t reviewed the two books that I did read but hadn’t written anything about. I’m going to have to get moving! I find myself suddenly in a position where I’m falling behind instead of being well ahead, where I’d been most of the year. Oops!
Since the Guide to Poetry I’m reading is so long (and such slow reading, intentionally so), I also think I’m going to have to pull another title from my list to read simultaneously, if I hope to continue making well-paced progress. I’m leaning toward James Baldwin, because who wouldn’t?
Books read:
- Chicago Poems (1916) by Carl Sandburg
- When My Brother was an Aztec (2012) by Natalie Diaz
- Sing, Unburied, Sing (2017) by Jesmyn Ward
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974) by Robert M. Pirsig
- A People’s History of the United States (1999) by Howard Zinn
- The Warmth of Other Suns (2010) by Isabel Wilkerson (not pictured)
- Crush by Richard Siken (needs to be reviewed)
- A Book of Common Prayer by Joan Didion (needs to be reviewed)
How are you doing?
Below, you’re going to find the infamous Mr. Linky widget. If you read and review any challenge books this month, please link-up on the widget below. This Mr. Linky will be re-posted every month so that we can compile a large list of all that we’re reading and reviewing together this year. Each review that is linked-up on this widget throughout the year may also earn you entries into future related giveaways, so don’t forget to keep this updated!
MINI-CHALLENGE #3:
Book poetry! Can you create a poem using the titles of the books on your TBR Pile Challenge list (finished or unfinished?) Give it a shot! The “best” poem entry, left in the comments of this checkpoint post, will win a book of choice, $20USD or less, to be shipped from The Book Depository! So, get creative, and good luck! (P.S. Best is entirely subjective. I’m picking whichever one I happen to like most.)
Roof Beam Reader 
Here is a Haiku from my titles –
Duel to the death,
Apocalypse trespasser,
Rising, void the grave.
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Ooh! That worked out well!
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I don’t think i can compete with a Haiku. That is just awesome.
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I’ve read 8 books so far, but haven’t reviewed any recently. I just finished Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and it was fantastic, I’m so glad I read it.
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I love that book so much. I’ve taught it twice. Circe once.
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Best I can do:
Fadeaway Girl,
This Club Frowns on Murder
[and] The Price of the Phoenix
[Is] The Ruby Raven
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This is great!
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10of 12 done, i’m happy not sure i will do great with the challenge but i will try ( when my mind won’t be cooking from the heat we have
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Wow – are you going to go for all 14!?
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i refuse to put pressure on myself so if i manage to do the 12 i will be happy more would be great but we will see as we go
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I have read 2 more books (so I am at 7/12), and written short reviews only. I definitely want to find time to write a longer one with excerpts for the 1t one:
The First Men on the Moon: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4823745701
A is For Alibi: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2735400911?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
And here is my poem with all my titles (https://wordsandpeace.com/2022/01/03/2022-tbr-pile-reading-challenge/), including the alternates – I put the title words in caps:
Oh, JOIE DE VIVRE
OUT OF SILENCE!
LE VOYAGE D’OCTAVIO,
where will it lead him?
Pure WANDERLUST with STUART LITTLE?
With THE FIRST MEN ON THE MOON?
Or through THE DISCOVERY OF FRANCE
to taste THOMAS JEFFERSON’S CRÈME BRÛLÉE?
But for A RAISIN IN THE SUN,
shared with THE DAUGHTER OF TIME,
is it true that A IS FOR ALIBI?
No, that won’t do.
The essential truth is simple:
ENSEMBLE, C’EST TOUT,
in a sweet EVENTIDE
ABSOLUTELY ON MUSIC.
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oki i’m trying my best:
(In) Wild Country
(by) Lake Silence
A Ghost of a Chance
( With )Mercenary Instinct, The Rookie
( Will) Chase the Dark
Vendetta
After Dark Mating needs
Magic ( is) for nothing
(as) Elemental Mating
(The) Demon Slayer (creates)
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I’ve finished eight from my list, seven from the original list and one from the alternates, so I’m well on track to finish by the end of the year. Of course I’ve left the longest books until the end! Hopefully I’ll tackle one of the doorstoppers next month. Thanks again for inspiring me to read my own books, I’ve already started a possible list for next year’s challenge!
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I’ve read 8 and reviewed 7. I’ve just finished Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell which was very interesting. About to start The Long Call by Anne Cleeves as I’m looking for something a bit easier to read while I’m on holiday.
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I’ve got Orwell’s WHY I WRITE coming up soon on my stack! I haven’t read CATALONIA yet.
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