TBR Pile Challenge Wrap-Up

I realize the year isn't over, but I'm pretty sure this challenge is over for me. My original sign-up post is here.

Here is my final tally:

1. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (finished January 27)
2. The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway (failed! admitted defeat on March 16)
3. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley (finished February 20)
4. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (finished May 25)
5. Walden by Henry David Thoreau (finished August 10)
6. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
7. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
8. The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher (finished November 15)
9. Between Man and Beast by Monte Reel
10. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (finished April 12)
11. Mortality by Christopher Hitchens (finished April 27)
12. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Alternates:
All Fall Down by Sally Nichols
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (finished April 1)

As you can see, I completed 8 books out of the required 12, which is actually a nice surprise, because for some reason I thought I had only read 7. 

When I deleted my entire to-read list on Goodreads, I kept just the titles for this challenge, but I didn't really hold onto my desire to read them. Some of them, sure, but not all. I'll probably still read Tender is the Night someday, and possibly A Separate Peace, but I'll likely not give another thought to the rest.

I already made a list for next year's challenge but, alas, it turns out that the host, Adam at Roof Beam Reader, will no longer be doing this challenge. It's all right because I'm considering not doing any challenges next year, but I fear I may weaken and join one (or two) anyhow. Adam is hosting a couple of other challenges and the one that tempts me is the Shakespeare Challenge, because I hate Shakespeare but my hatred may be unjustified.

Although I didn't complete this challenge, I feel satisfied with how well I did and I'm especially glad I finally read the ones I did. Mortality was good but I could have lived without reading it, but the others were all really wonderful so I'm glad I made them a priority this year.

Did you participate in any reading challenges this year? How did you do?