Whitewavedarling's TBR Year

2024 was a rough year, there's no two ways about it. Whether I'm looking at work, or the personal realm and some hard losses, or my feelings about the world in general, it's been a rough year. We lost my two elderly female cats, Ziva and Quinn, who you've seen so many pictures of--Quinn to cancer, and Ziva in July to what was technically longstanding kidney disease, but the losses came so close, I think it was the grief that finally allowed the kidney disease to get my dear Ziva. We'd adopted a new girl--Mercy, who I'll show you pictures of soon--who'd so closely bonded with Ziva, it was partly because of her that we hurried to add to the family, and the three new additions have, without doubt, have been the best part of 2024.

So, this year, my main goal is just to keep looking forward and appreciating what we've got, and using books as my healthy form of stress relief, and as I do, I'll also be doing my best to work away at Mount TBR through the challenges, which I do so enjoy.

In 2024, I mostly managed to meet my monthly goals. Ultimately, I think I'm going to finish the year being one-book-read *short* of completing all of the monthly reads when it comes to the RandomCat, the ScaredyKit, and the SFFFKit, but I did manage to finish all 12 books I set aside for the CalendarCat and all 24 of the books (barring one so far that I'll finish this month) for the AlphaKit. I also managed to read all 24 of the book club books I planned to (or, will as of this week). I didn't do as great on my general challenges... I meant to read 12 nonfiction works, 12 works by favorite authors, and 12 poetry collections. So far, I've got 5 nonfiction books completed, 6 poetry collections, and 10 by favorite authors (though this category might actually get done before the month ends). I also aimed to read 100 books, and I'm guessing I'll fall short by a few books (I'm at 91 now, and midway through four others...).

Alphabet-wise, I always try to read the alphabet via author and title--i.e. read a book whose title starts with A, another that starts with B, etc., and whose author's last name starts with A, and another that starts with B, etc. When 2024 finishes, I *think* I'll have read the whole alphabet through author names, but will be missing a 'J' and a 'V' when it comes to the titles. There's still time, so we'll see what happens, but as of now, I think that's where I am. But we'll see what happens.

So, to begin, I'll simply offer a picture of my home's newest additions. Our littlest, Kona, is the black kitten who we adopted in August. Luna, beside him, was adopted right around Halloween. She's younger than him, but already bigger...

I grew up with some tortoiseshells, but never any pure black cats. Now, we've got our tuxedo Mercy and our all black Kona. Nobody ever told me how difficult it would be to photograph them, but we're doing our best. This was our first decent shot of Mercy, shot soon after we adopted her in February (on a complete whim).



But much like trying to photograph black cats, the book challenges here are ones I can't ignore. So...

I'm going to do my best this year to keep up with my own book club in HOWLS, as well as the RandomCat, ColorCat, CoverCat, ScaredyKit, SFFKit, and AlphaKit. I'd initially been interested in the CultureCat and NatureKit, but those topics have ended up being so specific, I don't think I can meet a lot of the goals through my TBR, so I'm thinking that each month I'll try to make time to participate in just one of them. But I also know that's a *lot*, so I'm going to list them in order of priority and see how I do... Meanwhile, I also hope to keep reading nonfiction, poetry, and my favorite authors.

January: Airframe (HOWLS Read #1), Winterset Hollow (HOWLS Read #2), Willful Creatures (ColorCat), On Directing Film (CoverCat & 'O' AlphaKit), The Woods All Black (ScaredyKit), Sweet Tea and Spirits (SFFKit & CoverCat #2 & 'S' AlphaKit & RandomCat), Joseph Anton (CultureCat)
February: HOWLS Read #1, HOWLS Read #2, RandomCat, The Gold Persimmon (ColorCat & 'G' AlphaKit), You Must Set Forth at Dawn (CoverCat), Militia House (ScaredyKit), SFFKit, 'L' AlphaKit, The Wild Trees (NatureKit)
March: HOWLS Read #1, HOWLS Read #2, RandomCat, Three Days in the Pink Tower (ColorCat), Crossbones (CoverCat), Chasing the Boogeyman (ScaredyKit), SFFKit--magical realism, 'U' AlphaKit, ?Something in the Woods Loves You? (CultureCat/NatureKit and 'A' alphakit with author if it works for the naturekit)
April: HOWLS Read #1, HOWLS Read #2, RandomCat, Angel's Game (ColorCat), A Psalm for the Wild-Built (CoverCat & SFFKit), Lamia (ScaredyKit), 'K' and 'E' AlphaKits, The Birds of Heaven (NatureKit)
May: HOWLS Read #1, HOWLS Read #2, RandomCat, Damned, Delicious, and Dangerous (ColorCat & 'D' AlphaKit), Aseptic and Faintly Sadistic (CoverCat), ScaredyKit, SFFKit--authors of global south, 'I' AlphaKit, Mushroom at the End of the World (NatureKit)
June: HOWLS Read #1, HOWLS Read #2, RandomCat, Lycanthrophy and Other Chronic Illnesses (ColorCat), Soft Targets (CoverCat), ScaredyKit--YA and Graphic Novels, SFFKit--anthologies/collections, 'Q' AlphaKit, The Sea Around Us (NatureKit & 'C' alphakit)
July: HOWLS Read #1, HOWLS Read #2, RandomCat, All the White Spaces (ColorCat & 'W' AlphaKit), Clover (CoverCat), ScaredyKit--Ghosts, SFFKit--alternative history, 'T' AlphaKit, CultureCat/NatureKit
August: HOWLS Read #1, HOWLS Read #2, RandomCat, Speak Right On (ColorCat & 'N' AlphaKit), Collage Macabre (CoverCat), ScaredyKit--Female Author, Ardulum (SFFKit), 'J' AlphaKit, CultureCat/NatureKit
September: HOWLS Read #1, HOWLS Read #2, RandomCat, The Silver Swan (ColorCat), Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts (CoverCat), ScaredyKit--King and Family, High Fae Academy (SFFKit), 'B' and 'M' AlphaKits, CultureCat/NatureKit
October: HOWLS Read #1, HOWLS Read #2, RandomCat, Me of Little Faith (ColorCat), Pre-Approved for Haunting (CoverCat & 'P' AlphaKit), The House at Phantom Park (ScaredyKit), SFFKit, 'F' AlphaKit, CultureCat/NatureKit
November: HOWLS Read #1, HOWLS Read #2, RandomCat, Appleseed (ColorCat), Peace in the Sky (CoverCat), ScaredyKit--Psychological Thriller, SFFKit, 'Y' and 'H' AlphaKits, CultureCat/NatureKit
December: HOWLS Read #1, HOWLS Read #2, RandomCat, Wolf Tales (ColorCat), Incidents Around the House (CoverCat), ScaredyKit--Favorite Scary Trope, SFFKit, 'V' and 'R' AlphaKits, CultureCat/NatureKit

Currently Reading:

Personally completing the alphabet through titles and authors...

Through Book Titles:

Through Book Authors:

The Giveaways I need to catch up with and get read:
Millard Salter's Last Day (LT)
The Crowns of Croswald (LT)
Learning to Cry (LT)
Acheron (GR)
Code Peking Duck (LT)
Mountain Spells (LT)
Non-Serviam (LT)

The HOWL Society has become a huge part of my life, and so I try to participate in those book club reads twice a month. Here's our resident Howler in honor of the club, my dear big doofus Guinness, who knocked a screen out of the lanai yesterday while chasing a butterfly...because of course he did.



HOWL Reads:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.

We have so many pictures that were taken while focusing on one animal, and then, oh, there's another cat in the background! In honor of the RandomCat and our random cats, here's one of my favorite recent pictures, featuring Quinn, Guinness, and Mercy (their first time watching tv together).



RandomCat:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Colors! I've built my own challenges around colors in past years, so I was excited to see this make the cut for 2025. And our pups love bright colors...especially pink, blue, and purple. Here's our Charlie with her pink octopus.



ColorCat:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

The CoverCat's another one I'm really excited for. Here's Hart, now our resident grumpy old man who's doing a marvelous job of putting up with kittens, posing for his close-up...



CoverCat:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

I love the ScaredyKit. It's often the challenge where my plans change most over the course of the year because so many of the books on my TBR fit the many categories, and I just love scary reads! With that in mind, here's Kona and Mercy, with Mercy acting like she's seeing a ghost while Kona falls asleep beside her, the two of them together in the tip-top of a cat tree which, were I as small as them, I know I'd be far too scared to climb...



ScaredyKit:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

And, there's the SFFKit. I still think a pic of Guinness going supernaturally long to enjoy our sectional is the best pic possible for this one, so here's an oldie but a goodie:



SFFKit:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

The AlphaKit is fun simply because there's so much to choose from (normally!), and yet it still helps guide my year so that I don't wander TBR-land endlessly trying to figure out what to read next. In honor of the fun of this one: Two dogs watching a rabbit, and a much smaller Mercy attacking Guinness' leg for the fun of it! (He eventually looked around, said 'What the heck?', and sat on her to get her to leave him alone to watch rabbits.)



AlphaKit:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.

And here's where I cheat a little, because I just can't stretch my TBR far enough to cover both the CultureCat and the NatureKit while also keeping me happy. So, this year, I'll aim to cover the year with one challenge between the two of them, reading a book from one challenge or the other every month. Here's the first (calm) picture we snapped of Mercy and Charlie getting along, despite their very different cultures and personalities...



CultureCat/NatureKit:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Can you see the tiny black kitten snuggled up next to an 80-lb. hound's face? Not fiction...the two of them get along beautifully. And there's my proud, smiling husband in the back, who's much better at devouring nonfiction than I am. Here's to another try this year...



Nonfiction:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

I love poetry, and it always feels poetic when two sweet fur-babies really start bonding. Here's the first time we spotted Kona and Mercy cuddling, about a week after he came home to join the family this past August. Just about as soon as Mercy met him, she adopted him for her own, just like he'd taken one look at me in a shelter's kitten room, and climbed onto my lap. After he did, he refused to leave/let go, making it very clear he was coming home with us even if we'd theoretically planned on adopting another girl (silly us).



Poetry:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

And, finally, a post to record time spent with my favorite authors. To bless it, here's what's currently my favorite picture of Luna. We've had her for about six weeks now. We hadn't realized it when we brought her home, but she'd been feral only three weeks before we adopted her. The first luxury she fell in love with was cat trees (though she's now graduated to belly rubs!).



Reads from Favorite Authors:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

And, one more post to start the year off right. Luna jumped up between Joel and I last night and made herself comfortable, demanding all of the belly rubs. Here's hoping all of your fur-babies are just so pleased and confident!



Happy Reading this year, everyone!

Thank you for sharing all the kitty pics and the stories.

Oh my, I'm in love with all your furry friends! The photo is AlphaKIT is just hilarious.
Looking forward to following your reading in 2025. I see some books in your list that I have had on my TBR for a while too, such as Winterset Hollow, The Sea Around Us, The Birds of Heaven and more.
And showing my ignorance here, what are HOWLS? :)

Thank you for all the wonderful pet pictures!! Good luck in your 2025 reading!

Happy reading in 2025 and good luck with your TBR! And thank you for the lovely pictures.

Lovely pet pics. Yeah, black furry friends are always hard to get good pictures of. Same with our black dog. Have to get that light just right.

Good luck and happy reading. I hope 2025 will be far better for you.

Great pics of your animals. We had a border collie and her face was all black which made it very hard to get a good picture of her. Hope you have a good reading year!

I love all the adorable photos! In >4 whitewavedarling:, Mercy seems to be really paying attention to the show!

Thank you for stopping by and enjoying my pet pics with me, everyone :) I swear, posting them here makes me do better about keeping my reviews/books updated since I never get tired of seeing them!

>22 Charon07:, Mercy LOVES television. I've seen Luna get interested in football a few times, and Guinness will pay attention if there's a dog on tv, but Mercy gets interested in all sorts of things and really enjoys it like no other cat I've ever had!

>17 JayneCM:, No worries! HOWLS is a giant, discord-based book/writing group revolving around horror, though a lot of people there read/write in different genres. (HOWLS stands for 'Horror-Obsessed Writing and Literature Society'.) It's just a great community of book lovers, and there's a great writing community there, as well. We have a book club that reads 3-4 books a month, though most of us only participate in one or two per month. Since I work from home, a lot of my socializing happens on there! For anyone interested, just look up Howl Society in a browser and you'll find us! (And I'm so excited to read Winterset Hollow--I'd planned on fitting it in late this year, though it looks like it might get voted in as a HOWLS read next month, so I may get to it sooner than later!)

>21 dudes22: and >22 Charon07:, I honestly don't know why it never occurred to me it would be so tough, but it really is a combination of luck and talent! Doesn't help that our black kitties prefer to sleep on black blankets...

Thank you for posting the pictures of your pups and kitties - they look like a fun group and they all deserve a little scritch under the chin!

What a menagerie! Good luck with your 2025 reading!

>23 whitewavedarling: Thanks for the info on HOWLS - sounds right up my alley! I may have to take a peek.

>26 JayneCM:, I hope you do! You'll see me there as wytwavedarling if you come by :) And we are indeed reading Winterset Hollow as one of our group reads in January, so it looks like I'm definitely getting to it sooner than later!

Thanks for coming by, >24 DeltaQueen50: and >25 Tess_W:! I don't comment on others' threads as much as I used to because I have to be more careful about resting my fingers/wrist when not working, but I'm lurking on yours and others! And I always love posting/sharing/seeing animal pics, of course :)

Looking forward to following your reading in 2025, and to seeing more pictures of your sweet pets.

These are so much fun. Wonderful family you and you husband have. I am 86 and love your attitude that keeps you going.

>29 RidgewayGirl:, Ditto!

>30 mnleona:, Thank you! Animals help so much during the rough times. Here's hoping it's a good year for both of us!

Your fur-babies are so sweet. Have a wonderful year of reading!

Happy new year! I'm looking forward to seeing what you read for ScaredyKIT and HOWLS this year.

>32 VivienneR:, Thank you! And, you too!

>33 sturlington:, You too! I'm looking forward to your reads, as well :)

And now that HOWLS reads have been voted in, I can officially lay out my January reading plans in full...

Airframe by Michael Crichton (HOWLS Read #1)
The Dead Hours of Night by Lisa Tuttle (HOWLS extra read if I have time)
Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Durham (HOWLS Read #2)
Willful Creatures by Aimee Bender (ColorCat)
On Directing Film by David Mamet (CoverCat & 'O' AlphaKit)
The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo (ScaredyKit)
Sweet Tea and Spirits by Angie Fox (SFFKit & CoverCat #2 & 'S' AlphaKit & RandomCat!!!)
and... Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie (CultureCat)

Most of these books are fairly short and/or fast reads, so I'm pretty optimistic I can make it through all of them. Joseph Anton is the only really thick one. That said, things could get thrown off... I've got a consultation on a project next week that would require me to pull in a few extra reads as background if I get the contract, so if that happens, something might have to give...