Mount TBR Final Checkpoint

Well, my fellow mountaineers, our 2018 climbing expedition is coming to a close and it's time to get ready for the Final Mountaineering Checkpoint. Where does the time go? I'm ready to hear how all our mountain-climbing team members have done out there on Pike's Peak, Mt. Ararat, Mt. Everest....whichever peak you've chosen. Checkpoint participation is absolutely voluntary and is not considered necessary for challenge completion.

For those who would like to participate in this checkpoint post, I'd like you to at least complete the first of these two things.  And if you feel particularly inspired (or generous about humoring me during the holiday season), then please do both.

1. Tell us how many miles you made it up your mountain (# of books read). If you've planted your flag on the peak, then tell us, take a selfie, and celebrate (and wave!).  Even if you were especially athletic and have been sitting atop your mountain for months, please check back in and remind us how quickly you sprinted up that trail. And feel free to tell us about any particularly exciting book adventures you've had along the way. 
 
Having learned my lesson last year about being too ambitious, I set my sights on Mount Everest again in 2018. I planted my flag on the peak at the beginning of November and loaded my spaceship to see how far I'd get up Olympus this time. (I just can't seem to make it to that peak). Right now, I have managed 127 books and I hope to claim one more before the ball drops on New Year's Eve.
 
2. The Words to the Wise According to Mount TBR: Using the titles of the books you read this year, see how many of the familiar proverbs and sayings below you can complete with a book read on your journey up the Mountain. Feel free to add/subtract a word or two to help them make sense. I have given my titles as examples: 

A stitch in time...[saves] The Pink Camellia 
Don't count your chickens...[before] The Grub-&-Stakers Pinch a Poke
A penny saved is.... (a) Payoff for the Banker
All good things must come... Before Midnight 
When in Rome... I Capture the Castle
All that glitters is not... The Lacquer Screen 
A picture is worth a... Odor of Violets Case with Three Husbands  
When the going gets tough, the tough get... The Killing Strike
Two wrongs don't make (a)... Queen's Quorum 
The pen is mightier than.... A Holiday Yarn 
The squeaky wheel gets... (the) The Body in the Basket  
Hope for the best, but prepare for... The Hellfire Conspiracy 
Birds of a feather flock... Just Around the Coroner 

And what do you get for all that hard work? The Checkpoint will close at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, January 8. On Sunday I will crank up the Custom Random Number Generator and pick a winning climber. He or she will have the chance to add to their TBR stack via my gently-used book vault (prize list will be sent). This prize may count towards your 2019 TBR climb.

Even if you're not in the mood for a prize or if you got distracted by pretty scenery or side trails (library books, ARCs, what-have-you), I'd love to have you check in and tell us how your 2018 mountain climb went!

***Please note--Links are for Checkpoint posts only. Links that are not Checkpoint-specific will be removed--to make it easier for me to track a winner.