The 2025 #ShelfLove Challenge!

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

I’m bringing back the #ShelfLove reading challenge in 2025 in an attempt to reduce the amount of money I spend on books and the number of books on my TBR.

Goal: Abstain from buying books or set a book buying limit – and focus on clearing your physical and virtual TBR bookshelves for the entire year.

Challenge Dates: January 1st – December 31st, 2025

THE GUIDELINES:

  • Abstain from spending money on books for one calendar year or set a book buying limit (whether that’s monetary or the number of books you may buy).
  • Gift cards are OK as well as any Audible credits you already have in your account.
  • Encourage other challenge participants via blog comments and social media.
  • Library books do not count for this challenge. This challenge is only for books you already own.
  • Netgalley, Edelweiss, or other ARC books can count for this because you have the book, so read it!
  • Read books that are in your personal library that were obtained before January 1, 2025.

NO BOOK BUYING CHALLENGE STEP 1: SELECT YOUR GOAL

  • 1-10 books: shake hands with your shelves
  • 11-20 books: pat your shelves on the back
  • 21-30 books: give your shelves a warm friendly hug
  • 31-40 books: regular date night with your shelves
  • 41-50 books: your shelves are now your BFF
  • 51+ books: your shelves and you are going steady – I’m choosing this goal because my reading goal for 2025 will be more than 50 books.  I’m a member of the Nightmares from Nowhere book club, so I am allowing myself to continue my subscription. These books, plus whatever books I check out from the library should be more than enough, but the key is to stay away from the book stores!

NO BOOK BUYING CHALLENGE STEP 2: Link-Up

  • Create a sign-up post that includes your chosen goal on your blog or any social media platform (Facebook, X, Goodreads, Litsy, etc.).
  • Don’t forget to use the challenge hashtag #ShelfLove.
  • Comment on this post with a link to your sign-up post!

NO BOOK BUYING CHALLENGE STEP 3: READ THOSE BOOKS!

  • Feel free to post updates on how the challenge is going and what books you’ve been reading. I’ll be providing an update every week in my “Building the Book Fort” posts, and you can comment on those posts if you would like, but updates aren’t mandatory.

I can’t wait to read all y’all’s sign-up posts and show my bookshelves some love!

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for December 1st – 7th.
  • I’ve been trying to get into the holiday spirit, but, thanks to my back, I’m struggling. I finally got the Christmas decorations up yesterday, and I’m reading a couple of Christmas-themed books, but nothing is helping me get out of this funk I’m in.
  • Active Days: 0/5
  • Steps: 32,032
  • Miles: 12.86/15.34
  • Total Miles: 758.61/800
  • Zone Minutes: 19/150

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
  • David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
  • Classified as Murder by Miranda James
  • 25 Days by Per Jacobsen
  • A Texas Hill Country Christmas by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Finished:

  • Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

Total pages read this week: 283

Total books read: 111 of 115

I didn’t read much this week, but I did get the majority of my Christmas shopping done and made a Christmas music playlist. I’m planning to listen to an audiobook while I finally decorate the house and wrap presents this weekend.

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

Down the TBR Hole #180

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 several books to 1131. I finished one book, but I bought A LOT of books over Thanksgiving weekend.
This week’s books:

Exile, Texas by Rachel Caine – KEEP. I love the “Great Library” series and bought this ebook because it’s set in Texas.

Sisters at the Edge of the World by Ailish Sinclair – KEEP. I’ve enjoyed Sinclair’s other books, so getting this one seemed like a no-brainer.

For Whom the Book Tolls by Laura Gail Black – KEEP. I’ve been striking out with many of the book-related cozy mystery series I’ve been reading this year, but I’m willing to give this first book in the “Antique Bookshop Mystery” series a try.

Of Wolves and Med by Barry Lopez- KEEP. Other than cats, my favorite animal is the wolf. This book was on my wishlist for years before I finally found it “in the wild.” I’m definitely going to prioritize reading it in 2025.

Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman – KEEP.  This sounds like a very interesting take on the ghost story, and I’m willing to give it a chance.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1131 books. I’m not letting myself buy anymore books this year. Even though that won’t stop me from adding any to my wishlist, I’m hoping to get my Want to Read shelf down at least a couple of books before December 31st.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for November 24th – 30th.
  • I was in Texas for most of this week having a great time with family and friends for Thanksgiving. I ate way too much food, most of it not very healthy, and I am OK with that!
  • Active Days: 1/5
  • Steps: 39,685
  • Miles: 16.05/15.34
  • Total Miles: 745.75/850
  • Zone Minutes: 50/150

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
  • David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
  • Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
  • Classified as Murder by Miranda James
  • 25 Days by Per Jacobsen

Finished:

  • Strange Tricks by Syd Moore

Total pages read this week: 846

Total books read: 110 of 115

I was visiting family and friends in Texas for most of the week of Thanksgiving. While I did read quite a bit, it was mostly while at the airport or on the plane. I was busy the rest of the time. One of the days I was in Austin, I went to the First Light bookstore. It was a wonderful little shop with a great vibe, and I enjoyed it more than any other independent bookstore I’ve visited in Austin. I will definitely be going back the next time I’m home.

First Light Book Haul

I also got several Kindle books (I couldn’t resist the Black Friday deals), a couple of audiobooks, and a book from my favorite Half Price Books in Austin. I won’t be buying anymore books this year unless they’re Christmas gifts for other people.

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

Down the TBR Hole #179

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 still at 1122 books. I finished a few books, but I also acquired a few more that I want to read in December.
This week’s books:

The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson – KEEP. My boyfriend and I loved the show “Longmire”, so I decided to buy the first book in the series it was based on.

Murder at the Lakeside Library by Holly Danvers – KEEP. I haven’t been enjoying the book-related cozy mysteries as much as I used to, but I’m still going to give this one a try.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch – KEEP. I’ve been wanting to read this one for a long time. However, I only ever found the later books in the series at the bookstore, so I finally caved and bought the book online.

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott- KEEP. I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book, and since I love dark stories based on folklore or fairytales, I had to buy this one.

Doing Time by Jodi Taylor – KEEP.  “The Chronicles of St. Mary’s” is one of my favorite Science Fiction series, so I had to get this first book in the spinoff “Time Police” series.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1122 books. I highly doubt I’ll be letting go of any of the books in the next post, but I’m hoping that by then, my TBR will be down at least a couple of books since I plan to finish a few by the end of the month.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for November 17th – 23rd.
  • I spent several days this week being sick while also working extra hours. It was exhausting, and I spent this weekend not doing anything to try to recover.
  • Active Days: 0/5
  • Steps: 31,526
  • Miles: 12.74/15.34
  • Total Miles: 729.70/850
  • Zone Minutes: 20/150

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
  • David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
  • Strange Tricks by Syd Moore
  • Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
  • Classified as Murder by Miranda James

Finished:

  • Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Betrayal by Lydia Sherrer
  • If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle
  • The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass
  • The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono
  • Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox

Total pages read this week: 787

Total books read: 109 of 115

TBR: -19 (Goal is -36)

I’ve been sick again this past week and combining that with the cold and rainy weather, I haven’t been feeling like doing much other than reading, especially anything cozy. I’ll probably finish at least three more books before the end of the month. Because of this, I’ve extended my reading goal yet again.

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

Down the TBR Hole #178

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 several books to 1122. I finished a couple of books and bought a couple of books, but I also removed a few books from my wish list after DNF’ing the first book in a series.
This week’s books:

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine – KEEP. I’ve been enjoying Caine’s other series, “The Great Library”, so when I found this paperback at Half Price Books and saw that it’s the first book in a series about vampires set in Texas, I decided to buy it.

Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater – KEEP. I’ve loved nearly every book Stiefvater has written, and I loved “Brave.” I also have a weakness for stories set in Scotland, so this was a no-brainer, auto-buy.

Stranger and Stranger by Rob Reger and Jessica Gruner – KEEP. This is the second book in the “Emily the Strange” series, and I thought I would certainly read it this year. However, there were so many other books I wanted to read during #RIP, and I didn’t get around to this one. Hopefully, I’ll get to it next year.

Novel Advice by Jay Bushman- KEEP. Fictional characters write to Aunt Antigone, the “agony aunt for the fictional” for advice. What could be more fun?!

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas – KEEP.  Here’s yet another pick for the Fantastic Strangelings book club. I will get to it at some point.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1122 books for now. Unless I finish some books, I don’t think it will be going down anytime soon.