Down the TBR Hole #151

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads want-to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?
My shelf is down a couple of books to 1099. I finished a few books this past week.
This week’s books:

White Rose, Black Forest by Eoin Dempsey – KEEP. I’m skeptical about this one, but I’m willing to give it a chance. I will DNF it in a heartbeat if it turns out this is a Romance that just happens to be set during WWII.

An American Princess by Annejet van der Zijl – KEEP. I’d never heard of Allene Tew before, and though it doesn’t seem like she did much other than get married a bunch of times, I’m still interested for some unknown reason.

The House by the River by Lena Manta – GO. Meh.

The Great Passage by Shion Miura – KEEP. I’m not sure if I will enjoy this one, but I’m intrigued enough to keep it.

Last Train to Istanbul by Ayşe Kulin – KEEP. This is another WWII story, but from a POV I’ve never read before or know much about.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1098 books. I thought I would be letting go of more than just one book, and I’m thinking the same for the next post. We’ll see if I’m wrong.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for April 28th – May 4th.
  • I started the Belly Fat Blast challenge on May 1st, and so far it’s going well. I’m still struggling with perimenopause symptoms, which I knew wouldn’t go away overnight, but my body feels a little better overall. That is enough for me to continue. In fact, I’ve got a hot yoga class later this morning to help me get those active minutes in.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 5/5
  • Steps: 40,417
  • Miles: 16.41/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 11.65/100
  • Total Miles: 263.10/800
  • Active Minutes: 163/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • The Galveston Diet by May Claire Haver, MD
  • The Untitled Books by C.J. Archer
  • Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
  • The Book of Nordic Self-Care by Elisabeth Carlsson

DNF:

  • Better Off Read by Nora Page
  • The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal

Finished:

  • 10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
  • The Borrowers by Mary Norton
  • Unlock Your Menopause Type by Heather Hirsch
  • Unfuck Your Sleep by Faith G. Harper
  • Coping Skills by Faith G. Harper

Total pages read this week: 751

Total books read: 33 of 80

TBR: -20 (Goal is -36)

Only four days into the month, and I’ve already hit my goals. Most of the books I’ve been reading have been ebooks, though. A lot of the Non-Fiction I own is in ebook format, and I’ve been reading as much as I can about how to deal with the sleep and mood issues I’ve been having, related to perimenopause.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

Down the TBR Hole #150

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads want-to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?
My shelf is up a couple of books to 1102. I finished an audiobook, but I also bought a few books.
This week’s books:

Trial by Fire by Sabine C. Bauer – KEEP. This book has been on my wishlist for a couple of years now; ever since my boyfriend and I rewatched the series on Netflix.

Nightfall by Daniel Barnett – KEEP. This is the first part in a serial, and though I usually don’t bother with serials, “Nightmareland” has six parts. Most serials fizzle out after a couple of parts, so I’ll give this one a chance.

Prosper’s Demon by K.J. Parker – KEEP. If I remember correctly, this was a recommendation from an episode of the “Reading Glasses” podcast several years ago.

A River in Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa – KEEP. There don’t seem to be a lot of stories from the people who lived in and escaped from North Korea.

As Good as True by Cheryl Reid – GO. I don’t remember when or why I got this book, but I’m assuming I got it for free. Regardless, I’m not interested at all.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1101 books. The next post will be full of free ebooks I picked up over the years, and I think I’ll be getting rid of at least a couple of them.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for April 21st – 27th.
  • I tried a few of my old yoga DVDs that are supposed to be for beginners, but either they didn’t mention any modifications for difficult poses or I didn’t enjoy them. I might try some YouTube videos, so if you have any recommendations, please leave a comment.
  • I haven’t had much trouble cutting added sugars from my diet, and so far, I’ve been able to get most or all of my daily fiber. I don’t officially start the Belly Fat Blast challenge until May 1st, but getting some practice and building a habit of tracking my nutrition has helped me figure out what I will need to work on to be successful.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 4/5
  • Steps: 43,453
  • Miles: 17.77/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 8.75/100
  • Total Miles: 246.69/800
  • Active Minutes: 141/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • 10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
  • The Borrowers by Mary Norton
  • The Galveston Diet by May Claire Haver, MD
  • Unlock Your Menopause Type by Heather Hirsch
  • Better Off Read by Nora Page

Finished:

  • Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter

Total pages read this week: 580

Total books read: 28 of 80

TBR: -14 (Goal is -36)

I’m trying to read as much as I can about Perimenopause and Menopause before I have an appointment with my primary care doctor next week, so other than audiobooks, I’m not reading much Fiction lately. I hope I’ll finish The Borrowers by the end of the month, though.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

Down the TBR Hole #149

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads want-to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?
My shelf is down a book to 1100. I finished a couple of books, but I also bought an ebook.
This week’s books:

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware – KEEP. This book sounds like the perfect #RIP read.

Cuba ed. by Ann Louise Bardach – KEEP. I bought this over a decade ago, and though I’ve read a few of the short stories in it, I never finished it.

Voices in the Snow by Darcy Coates – KEEP. I’ve read 3 other books by Coates, and only one was a dud. I’ll keep this one for now since there’s more than a 50% chance I’ll enjoy it.

The Whole Five Feet by Christopher R. Beha – KEEP. I’ve had this book on my wishlist for several years and still haven’t bought it, mostly because I haven’t found it in any bookstore, new or used. I might check it out from my library.

Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation by Noel Riley Fitch – KEEP. This is another book that has been on my wishlist for years because I haven’t been able to find it in any bookstore. Unfortunately, it’s not available at my library, either, so at some point I’ll have to try to buy it online.
My want-to-read shelf is steady at 1100 books. My prediction last week that I would keep all of the books in this week’s post was correct. I predict that I’ll let go of a couple of books in the next post.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for April 14th – 20th.
  • In my quest to help myself manage perimenopause while continuing to build healthy habits, I came across a book, The Galveston Diet by Mary Claire Haver, MD. I went on her website and discovered “The ‘Pause Life”, her blog and online community for all things related to menopause and women’s health.
  • While checking out the resources on “The ‘Pause Life”, I came across the four-week “Belly Fat Challenge” and decided to try it.  Instead of jumping straight into the Galveston Diet, I’m using the month of May to do the challenge. Until then, I’m slowly adjusting my diet to include more fiber, continuing to limit my sugar, and planning how to get the amount of exercise I need to complete the challenge.
  • I’m also considering adding restorative yoga and meditation to my evening routine since the challenge also calls for reducing stress. Doing those activities might also help with my sleep issues, but even if they don’t, neither is harmful so it’s worth trying.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 5/5
  • Steps: 44,688
  • Miles: 18.21/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 8.75/100
  • Total Miles: 228.92/800
  • Active Minutes: 150/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • 10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
  • The Borrowers by Mary Norton
  • Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter
  • The Galveston Diet by May Claire Haver, MD

Finished:

  • The Right to Arm Bears by Andrew Seiple
  • The Secret of the Indian by Lynne Reid Banks
  • The Race to Chimney Rock by Jesse Wiley
  • A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett
  • Crazy Psycho Murder Tree by Patrick E. McLean
  • How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse by Cressida Cowell
  • What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause by John R. Lee, Jesse Hanley, and Virginia Hopkins

Total pages read this week: 1,556

Total books read: 27 of 80

TBR: -20 (Goal is -36)

Thanks to Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon last weekend, I’m now caught up on my reading goals with 10 more days in the month to get ahead a little.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

Down the TBR Hole #148

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads want-to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?
My shelf is down a book to 1101. I finished several books during the readathon on Saturday, but I also discovered a bunch of books on my shelves that had not been added to my Goodreads.
This week’s books:

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson – KEEP. This book is one of those that I would accidentally buy a second copy if I didn’t have Goodreads to tell me I already own it.

Alcatraz from Inside by Jim Quillen – KEEP. I bought this and the following books while I was visiting Alcatraz.

Bird Man by Jolene Babyak – KEEP. The book above mentions daily encounters with the “Bird Man,” and this book is written by someone who lived on the island and knew Robert Stroud.

Acatraz Believe it or Not by T.C. Bakker – KEEP. I mostly got this one just for fun.

Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell – KEEP. I want to read this book because of the title. I don’t know why, but I love it. Hopefully, I’ll enjoy the book as much as the title.
My want-to-read shelf is steady at 1101 books. I thought I might get rid of several books this week, but was wrong. I think I’ll keep all of the books in the next post, so we’ll see if I’m wrong again.