Month: August 2015

The Classics Club Spin #10: My Spin List

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classicsclub

The Classics Club is doing another Spin!  Below is my list of twenty books I haven’t yet read taken from my Classics Club List.  I chose books that I already own, and that feel at least sort of like Autumn to me (though I can’t explain why because I’ve never read these books). Some of them are lengthy and more difficult reads, some of them are short and should be easy to get through, and some of them I’ve deliberately put off (I’m looking at you Decameron).  On Monday, a number will be chosen, and I’ll be reading the corresponding book.  Depending on which book it is, I may or may not do a read-along.

  1. Albee, Edward: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  2. Dumas, Alexandre: The Count of Monte Cristo
  3. Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front
  4. Smith, Betty: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
  5. Boccaccio, Giovanni: The Decameron
  6. Burnett, Frances Hodgson: The Secret Garden
  7. Proust, Marcel: Swann’s Way
  8. Carroll, Lewis: Alice in Wonderland
  9. Golding, William: Lord of the Flies
  10. Wells, H.G.: The Time Machine
  11. Hawthorne, Nathaniel: The Scarlet Letter
  12. Heller, Joseph: Catch-22
  13. Hemingway, Ernest: A Farewell to Arms
  14. Cooper, James Fenimore: The Last of the Mohicans
  15. Crane, Stephen: Red Badge of Courage
  16. Hugo, Victor: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
  17. de Saint-Exupery, Antoine: The Little Prince
  18. Defoe, Daniel: Moll Flanders
  19. Tan, Amy: The Joy Luck Club
  20. Swift, Jonathon: Gulliver’s Travels

Bout of Books 14: Day 6 Progress

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Bout of Books
 The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. For all Bout of Books information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.

 

I spent most of the day in a foul mood, so I didn’t do much of anything, but I did manage to finish The Vile Village.  My mood greatly improved after that, so I returned to the books from my goal list.  I read a few chapters of Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness, but the substandard writing threatened to return me to crankiness.  So, I put that book away and picked up another book that isn’t on my list, The Portable Dorothy Parker.  I put on my “Bachelorette” playlist and the only thing missing was a glass of wine.  Oh well, Dorothy Parker is her own vintage.

 

  • Books Read: The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket
  • Pages Read: 330
  • Total Number of Books Read: 4
  • Challenges: Road Trip Challenge

Bout of Books 14: Road Trip Challenge

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Stephanie @ Steph in Wonderland has challenged those of us participating in Bout of Books to come up with four to five States or places we would like to go and books that are set there.

As I’ve said before, I love traveling.  I’ve been to more places internationally than I have within the US, though.  So, I’m going to stick to places in the US for this challenge (Book covers are linked to Goodreads).

Boston: The Good City edited by Emily Hiestand and Ande ZellmanGood City

Hawai’i: Hawai’i’s Story by Lili’uokalani HawaiiI lived in Hawai’i for several years at a couple different points during my childhood.  Even though I was taught quite a bit of the history, I know it was watered down.  However, I absolutely loved the Polynesian Cultural Center.  I would love to go back to the islands, as well as get a more in-depth history.

Maine: A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich

Maine

New York: The World in a City by Joseph Berger

New York

New Orleans: The Missing by Tim Gatreaux

Missing

I recently mentioned that I’ll be going to New Orleans with The Boyfriend for our second anniversary.  I’m looking for more book recommendations, so if you have any, leave a comment.

Bout of Books 14: Day 5 Progress

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Bout of Books
 The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. For all Bout of Books information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.

 

Yesterday was another emotionally draining day for me, and I had difficulty sleeping.  So, instead of reading any more of the books I had planned to finish for Bout of Books, I read most of The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket instead.  “A Series of Unfortunate Events” books are meant for truly sucky days.

 

  • Pages Read: 153
  • Total Number of Books Read: 3
  • Challenges: I didn’t do yesterday’s challenge.

Bout of Books 14: Day 4 Progress

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Bout of Books
 The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. For all Bout of Books 14 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.

 

With everything that has been going on the past couple days, both good and bad, I haven’t been getting much sleep.  I decided to lay down for a bit, but I fell asleep, and I guess the Boyfriend thought I needed the rest because he didn’t wake me up before he left for work.  Instead, I woke up in the middle of the night.  I figured I would read in bed for a bit and fall back asleep, but I ended up finishing Harry Potter instead.  I’m going to take a nap but this time I’m setting an alarm.  Maybe then I’ll get back on a mostly normal schedule so that I can enjoy my last weekend before I head back to school.

 

  • Books Read: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
  • Total Number of Books Read: 3
  • Challenges: I didn’t do yesterday’s challenge.

Bout of Books 14: Day 3 Progress

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Bout of Books
 The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01 am Monday, August 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23rd in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 14 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
I stayed up way too late last night and got up earlyish to go out to breakfast with the Boyfriend and his Mom.  I took a nap midafternoon, and even though I did get some reading done, I ended up having to spend my evening dealing with some Jerry Springer drama from my family over my graduation.  Needless to say, I now have room for one more guest to attend my commencement ceremony and one less emotionally abusive person in my life.  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is standing in as my personal therapist while everyone else is asleep.
  • Pages Read: 80
  • Total Number of Books Read: 2
  • Challenges: I didn’t do yesterday’s challenge.

What are your comfort reads?  Let me know in the comments.

Bout of Books 14: Day Two Progress

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Bout of Books
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01 am Monday, August 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23rd in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 14 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
The Boyfriend’s Mom is in town, and posting my update for yesterday slipped my mind!  I still managed to finish another book, though.  I probably won’t finish any books today, but maybe tomorrow.
  • Books Finished: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle – I probably won’t review this one, but it was mostly good.
  • Total Number of Books Read: 2
  • Challenges: I didn’t do yesterday’s challenge.

#FitReaders Check-In #33

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Geeky Bloggers Book Blog
  • This check-in is for August 10th – 16th.  I’m still on Summer break, so I didn’t do week three of the 10-Week Mindful Diet Plan for Healthy Eating from Yoga Journal.
  • I’ve been staying indoors and out of the oven that is Texas in August.  Mostly, I’ve been gaming and reading, and the only exercise I’m getting is when I play with Dresden, the cat and when I clean.
  • I return to school for my final semester next week.  I’ll pick my goals back up at that time.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Yoga Workouts: 0/7
  • Steps: 13,909/56,000
  • Miles: 5.71/21
  • Flights of stairs: 2/70
  • Active Minutes: 0/210
  • Total Money Donated: $16.63

Bout of Books 14: Day One Progress

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Bout of Books
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01 am Monday, August 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23rd in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 14 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
The first day, and I’ve already finished a book!  I’m hoping to finish A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle today.
  • Books Finished: Irona 700 by Dave Duncan – I’ll be posting the review next week.
  • Total Number of Books Read: 1
  • Challenges: Fictional World Travel

Bout of Books: Fictional World Travel Challenge

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Leann @ Between Library Shelves is hosting the first Bout of Books 14 challenge.  She has tasked all of us that want to give it a try with coming up with books set in countries other than where we live.  I’ve been traveling since I was born (in Japan), but much of my travels have been within the United States, where I currently live.  Ever since I started college, though, I haven’t been outside of Texas (I’m going to New Orleans soon, though).  However, that doesn’t stop me from traveling via armchair.  Here are only six books out of too many to list* that are set in various countries around the world (The book covers are linked to Goodreads):

ForeignForeign Correspondences by Lesley Krueger (India, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and Canada)

Smile, You’re Traveling by Henry Rollins (Africa and so many other places around the world) Smile

 

 

80

 

 

 

 

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne (The title says it all)

The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg (France) Dream

 

 

 

Thief

 

 

 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Germany)

The Historian (Hungary, Turkey, Romania, and several other countries) Historian

*To find other great armchair traveling reads, check out Book Lust to Go by Nancy Pearl, which has a lot of great suggestions.