Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2016 - Check Point #1

I joined Bev's challenge at My Reader's Block to lower the number of TBRs that seems to be a constant presence, in my home at least! I opted for Mt Everest, that is to read 100 books from my TBR piles.  I now have (after sorting out a few books I finally realised I will never read) 193 books on my shelves.  If I managed to read 100 there will be less than hundred for next year! Haha, well, if I don't buy any more in the meantime. I try to be rather strict with physical books at least for the time being. Here a first summary of my reading so far.

1. The life-changing magic of tidying by Marie Kondo
2. Our Man in Havanna by Graham Greene
3. Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut
4. The German Woman by Paul Griner
5. Under jorden i Villette by Ingrid Hedström
6. The Almost Nearly Perfect People - Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia by Michael Booth
7. The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel
8. The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevallier
9. Amsterdam - A History of the World's Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto
10. The Sage of Waterloo by Leona Francombe
11. Blekingegatan 32 by Lena Einhorn

 A. Post a picture of your favourite cover so far.  

I think it has to be this one from a historical fiction on Greta Garbo

 B. Who has been your favourite character so far? And tell us why, if you like.

Grandmother Old Lavender (a rabbit) from the wonderful story The Sage of Waterloo, which is told from a rabbit point of view. She has the wisdom learned through generations, tells the history of the battle and the people involved and always has a word of wisdom to sooth her grandson William.

 C. Have any of the books you read surprised you--if so, in what way (not as good as anticipated? unexpected ending? Best thing you've read ever? Etc.)

I have to choose The Sage of Waterloo here as well. A surprisingly human story from a rabbit perspective and with a wonderful twist in the end. On top of this a beautiful, almost poetic prose.

 D. Title Scrabble: See if you can spell a word using the first letter of the first word in the titles of some/all of the books you have read so far. Feel free to consider "A," "An," or "The" as the first word or not as it helps you with your word hunt.

My word BLOG!

Blekingegatan 32 by Lena Einhorn
The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevallier
Our Man in Havanna by Graham Greene
The German Woman by Paul Griner

Great challenge, thanks for hosting Bev!