EPIC FAIL: Or, the Take Control Extension

Right.

So.

This is a little embarrassing.

Remember the Take Control challenge that ended last month?

Yeah, I've been so busy with other things I haven't been able to post an update yet.

I, um... failed.

Epicly.

I told myself when I set the challenge -as I do every time I take a reading challenge- that THIS TIME will be different, that THIS TIME I won't put too many books on, and that THIS TIME I'll actually read them on. Thus, the epic part of epic fail.

But I'm no quitter! So what I've decided is to continue with the Take Control challenge until I finish it, because all of these are books I still really want to read and I figure late is better than never. Right? And if this actually works to motivate me, well, maybe this will become 'a thing' round these here parts.

So here is the updated list:

From my bookshelves:

I did not get through any of these, unfortunately. 

The Finnegan Zwake series by Michael Dahl
I am ashamed I haven't read these yet. Ashamed. I wasn't able to finish the series for years because they were out of print, but my dad discovered they were back in print, and completed my set two Hanukkahs ago. There are five books in total, about 150 pages a piece, and I've only read the first three. Plus, they're MIDDLE GRADE MURDER MYSTERIES! Do you have any idea how rare those are?
I told you. Ashamed.

The Undead Road: My Zombie Summer Part One by David Powers King
This is a book I bought last year. I was really excited about it, yet somehow haven't gotten to it yet. :P

(if I have time)
Star Wars: Rise of the Empire by James Luceno and John Jackson Miller

Audiobooks:

Heartless by Marissa Meyer | FINISHED!

Sands by Kevin L. Nielsen

(if I have time)
Etherwalker by Cameron Dayton

From my Kindle library:

PWNED by Shannen Crane Camp
Popular cheerleader who 'helps' the captain of the squad pick on geeks, but she's actually a closet gamer herself. I've wanted to read this for ages!

That Girl, Darcy: A Pride & Prejudice Story by James Ramos
This is a gender-swapped Pride and Prejudice retelling. This is either going to be really good or terrible and I can't wait to see which it is.

Avis Blackthorn: Is Not An Evil Wizard! by Jack Simmonds
A kids book in the vein of Harry Potter; the only good wizard from an evil wizarding family is off to wizarding school to escape his miserable home life.

Book Club Read: 

Airman by Eoin Colfer ^_^ | FINISHED!

In addition to my library hoard...

Beauty by Robin McKinely | FINISHED!

(if I have time)
Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull | FINISHED!

Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull | FINISHED!

Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull | FINISHED!

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull | currently reading

Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull

Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull

What books have been on your TBR for a shamefully long time?

TTT: My Fall TBR REVISITED

Okay. Two weeks ago I did the Fall TBR post and I've realized none of the books I'm actually working on reading EVEN MADE THE LIST. And since I'm trying to maintain my sanity and actually use TBRs as good organizing tools instead of impossible challenges, I'm amending my Fall TBR to something realistic for me.
First things first: The Fall TBR will be read between October and November 25th.

There. Now I have a deadline.   

Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

1. Iron Man: The Gauntlet by Eoin Colfer
No way in heck is this changing!
Yeah. No brainer. I haven't shut up about this book since it was announced and it releases on October 25th. LET THE COUNTDOWN COMMENCE! And I've already pre-ordered it. (You can too! We're talking a $9.65 hardcover pre-order from Barnes and Noble, people; don't think, just do it.)

2. The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey
Sitting on my up-next shelf as we speak!
I'd never heard of this, but I picked it up at a thrift store. It's a Beauty and the Beast retelling and I've got a list of those I want to read before March. (Gee, wonder why...)
Double bonus! I've been hearing recently about Lackey's Elemental Masters series, which sounds phenomenal. Turns out this is the beginning of that. Score.

3. Who Killed Albus Dumbledore? edited by John Granger
This has been sitting on my shelf for two weeks already. Why didn't I add it in the first place?!
This is way too much fun to pass up. Six essay/fan theories on what happened in Half-Blood Prince and what it means for Deathly Hallows, published before book seven came out. I've flipped through and it looks *fantastic!* Definitely stuff here I totally missed out on since I was a latecomer to the series. Like, there's a theory Slughorn took on Dumbledore's identity? So Dumbledore's really still alive?
It escapes no one's notice the editor's name is 'Granger', either.

4-6 Dead Girls Detective Agency by Suzy Cox, Desolate Angel by Chaz McGee and Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet
These stay, because OCTOBER IS MURDER MYSTERY MONTH!
October is always 'murder mystery' month for me, born of the annual theme at the library where I grew up and the fact that my family didn't celebrate Halloween, so every year about this time I try to read some nice good murders and these three are already on the list. We'll see if I can make it through any of them. Murder mysteries are notoriously sticky for me to explore; I tend to like stuff a little grittier than cozies, but that usually means they're nowhere near clean, either.

7. Dracula by Bram Stoker
Again, I knew it would be read. Why didn't I add it?!
Book club pick for the month!

8. The Faerie Reel edited by Ellen Datlow 
Anthology of short stories. I didn't add it initially, because I figured it would be sort of 'on the side' reading. But I never really do 'on the side' reading. It's all in or nothing!

9. Vicious by V.E. Schwab
If you've lost count on how many times this has popped up on one of these season TBRs, you're not alone. I have too. But the next time this title pops up on my blog, it will be in sidebar 'What I'm Reading' section and then in a review because, come on, this is getting ridiculous.

10. Pwned by Shannen Crane Camp
Another title that's been on my TBR for a while, which turns a few cliches on their heads. Beautiful, popular, cheerleader co-captain Reagan West has a dark secret: she's a die-hard gamer, which is basically Loser Central.

Bonus 11: Marvel's Original Sin and Civil War
I'm way behind on my comic reading, so I'm going to start setting aside at least one night a week to devote to comics. No exceptions!
Before Captain America: Civil War hit theaters, I planned to read the comic, but the comic was actually the last in a grand story arc so I had to read the rest of them. I got through the rest of them, but never actually made it to Civil War. Huzzah.
Original Sin made the list because I went to read the next issue of the Loki: Agent of Asgard and had no bloody clue what was going on.

So what remains are the, er, remains of my original Fall TBR, so we're calling this my backup. IF I get through the others, IF I have time, this will be next. Ahhh, I feel so much better... ^_^


Aftermath and Aftermath: Life Debt by Chuck Wendig
These are from my shelf and I'm rather ashamed I haven't gotten around to them yet. But seeing as the final book is due out in February, I ought to get them into my system. Also, I'm hoping it gives a good transition from Empire to First Order. *fingers crossed*

Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
The sequel just hit the new book display at my library and it looks and sounds like a library lover's dream.

What are you reading this fall?
And are you any better at finishing TBR lists than I am?