Mount TBR 2013 Checkpoint #1

Oh boy, so far I'm not doing so great on this challenge as I did last year but I'm still confident I'll make it!

1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain (# of books read). If you're really ambitious, you can do some intricate math and figure out how the number of books you've read correlates to actual miles up Pike's Peak, Mt. Ararat, etc. And feel free to tell us about any particularly exciting adventures you've had along the way.
I've read three books so far (one per month), which means I've climbed 1075,5 m on my way to the top of Pike's Peak.

These are the books I read so far:
Hidden Fires, by Sandra Brown
Not Even for Love, by Sandra Brown
The Lucky One, by Nicholas Sparks

It seems I'm going for a romance theme this year, but I swear it was totally by accident! All the books counted for other challenges.

2. Complete ONE (or more if you like) of the following:
A. Post a picture of your favorite cover so far.

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

I really liked Lauren, from Hidden Fires. She's a strong and independent woman in a time where independent women were not a common thing. She's willing to fight for what she believes is right even if it means going against the man she loves and risk losing everything.

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.)

The Lucky One was a bit of a surprise, since I wasn't counting of liking it as much as I did. It's not the best Nicholas Sparks book I've read, but it was very good.

D. Which book (read so far) has been on your TBR mountain the longest? Was it worth the wait? Or is it possible you should have tackled it back when you first put it on the pile? Or tossed it off the edge without reading it all?

The book that has been the longest on my shelf is Not Even for Love, a resident since 2011. It was worth the wait.