Author: Rachelle

Building the Book Fort

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

Currently Reading:

  • Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
  • The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
  • God’s Hammer by Eric Schumacher
  • The Bookseller of Inverness by S.G. MacLean

Finished:

  • The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

Total pages read this week: 358

Total books read: 67 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -16

#ShelfLove Challenge: 37 of 51

The major life-changing event I’m going through is my relationship of twelve years has ended and I will soon be moving out of the house we’ve been living in for a little more than four years. I’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster since we made the decision to split, but I know I will eventually be OK. I’ve already packed up about a quarter of my books, and set aside several books that I want to read over the next couple of months. Other than those, I’ll be reading books from the library.

On a much brighter note, this weekend is the Columbus Book Festival. I’m going to try my best to not buy a lot of books that I will only end up having to pack, but I know I’ll end up buying at least a couple.

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

Down the TBR Hole #209

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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 want-to-read shelf is up to 1193 books again. I finished a book, but added a couple more to my wishlist.

This week’s books:

The Magical Bookshop: Volumes 1-3 by Liz Hedgecock – KEEP. I don’t know if I’ll love this Cozy Mystery series or not, but I’ll at least try out the first book.

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay – KEEP. This one is still on my wishlist, mostly because I can check it out from the library and I already have a ton of Horror novels to get through on my TBR.

Midlife Bites by Jen Mann – KEEP. With all of the upheaval in my life right now, this just might be the book I need to read sooner rather than later.

Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati – KEEP. This book is right in my wheelhouse.

The Plutonium Blonde by John Zakour and Lawrence Ganem – KEEP.  According to the synopsis, this book “pokes fun” at pulp fiction, Private Detective and Science Fiction novels in particular. I’m willing to give it a try.

My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1193 books for now. This might be the last “Down the TBR Hole” post I write for a while, and I’m not even sure how long “a while” will be. I might write these posts sporadically when I have the time and energy, but right now I’m not all that sure about much of anything in my life.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

  • This check-in is for June 29th – July 5th.
  • My life has been turned upside down and shaken vigorously. I’m barely holding it together emotionally, and the stress is causing me some neck and shoulder pain. I’m meditating every day, and doing other things for self-care, so I’m sure I would be an absolute wreck if I hadn’t already established those habits and routines.
  • Exercise Days: 3/7
  • Steps: 33,693
  • Miles: 13.62/16.31
  • Total Miles: 399.77/850
  • Zone Minutes: 115/150

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:

  • Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
  • The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
  • The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
  • God’s Hammer by Eric Schumacher

Finished:

  • The Dead Zone by Stephen King

Total pages read this week: 512

Total books read: 66 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -15

#ShelfLove Challenge: 37 of 51

I’m going through a major life-changing event right now that I’m not yet ready to share here, but it’s going to mean I may need to take a break from blogging, and I don’t know how long of a break I’ll need. I might only need to go down to one post a week, but I haven’t decided on much of anything just yet.

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

Down the TBR Hole #208

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 want-to-read shelf is up one to 1193 books. I finished a couple of books, but added a few more to my wishlist.

This week’s books:

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler – KEEP. This one sounds like it will be a lot of fun!

How to Relax by Thich Nhat Hanh – KEEP. This is a short book on a subject I’ve been reading a bit about lately

Roar by Stacy T. Sims – GO. I didn’t realize that this book on women’s fitness was geared towards athletes, something I have never been and don’t plan to ever be.

Liar Temptress Soldier Spy by Karen Abbott – KEEP. I’ve heard nothing but praise for this book. Even the woman at the checkout when I bought it said it was amazing.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix – KEEP.  Hendrix has become an auto-buy author for me. I love his brand of Horror!

My want-to-read shelf is back down one to 1192 books. I spent most of Saturday reading because I made sure I had no other plans for the day and I also went tech-free for 24 hours starting fairly early that morning. It felt great, though I did have a few moments of thinking I should be doing something more productive with my time. I told that voice in my head to shush and got back into the book I was reading. It’s still going to take quite a bit of time to catch up on all the library books, so I might make Saturdays my do-nothing days for a while.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

  • This check-in is for June 22nd – 28th.
  • This week was much better than last week. Life has calmed down considerably, and I chose to rest as much as possible while I had the space and time to do so.
  • Exercise Days: 0/7
  • Steps: 37,798
  • Miles: 15.31/16.31
  • Total Miles: 386.15/850
  • Zone Minutes: 45/150

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:

  • The Dead Zone by Stephen King
  • Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
  • The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
  • The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
  • God’s Hammer by Eric Schumacher

Finished:

  • Between Jobs by W.R. Gingell

Total pages read this week: 359

Total books read: 65 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -13

#ShelfLove Challenge: 36 of 51

This week has been a lot easier than the previous one. I only had a couple of rough days in regards to lingering side effects from the medication I was on, and I was able to get back into my normal routines for the most part. My plan for this weekend is to do another tech-free 24 hours (starting in about an hour) and use that time to read as much as I want. I have a lot of library books that I want to read before they’re due back, and I would also like to finish the physical books I’m currently reading. Frankly, I just need a low-key, laid back weekend, and I’m determined to give that to myself.

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

Down the TBR Hole #207

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 want-to-read shelf is still holding at 1193 books. I finished a book, but added two more to my wishlist.

This week’s books:

Navy SEAL Mental Toughness by Christ Lambertsen – GO. One of the biggest struggles I’ve had as a Veteran is feeling like I couldn’t “hang.” I’ve beat myself up for years for not feeling strong or tough enough to remain in the Army, and while that wasn’t the sole reason I chose not to reenlist, it was a major contributor to that decision. During one particular moment of feeling like I just needed to kick myself in the rear and toughen up, I bought this ebook. I’m sure this book is the right one for someone, but that someone is not me.

Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton – KEEP. I had no clue that the movie “The 13th Warrior” was based on this book. I want to read it solely to see how it compares to the movie.

You Like It Darker by Stephen King- KEEP. I’m going to keep this one on my wishlist for now because I know I’m going to read it someday. However, I’m participating in a Stephen King reading challenge on Litsy, and it’s going to be a good long while before we finally get to this book.

Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes – KEEP. How does anyone pass up a book with a title like that?! I couldn’t.

Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Joanna Nylund – KEEP.  This was one of Jenny Lawson’s picks for her “Nightmares From Nowhere” book club, and frankly, I would have bought it even if it hadn’t been. It sounds exactly like the Horror I love.

My want-to-read shelf is down one to 1192 books. With my life having been a bit crazy this past week, I wasn’t in a place mentally to be able to relax into a good story. I had a couple of my library holds come in, bringing me up to nine books, and only two of those will qualify for #SciFiSummer. As much as I want to get through those books, and so many others this Summer, I’m giving myself the space to be ok with not reading much for a while. Forcing myself to read is not relaxing, and I can always check out those books again at some other time.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

  • This check-in is for June 15th – 21st.
  • This past week has felt like being stuck in the middle of a whirlwind. It wasn’t tornado-level chaos, but it was definitely stressful, difficult, and exhausting. My boyfriend was out of town, one of the short-term medications I was on to help get my nerve pain under control was causing a bunch of unpleasant side effects, and one of my two cats got sick with some kind of stomach thing.
  • One of the biggest things that helped me get through the week was breathing exercises. I still felt on edge and had all of my usual stress responses, but making myself stop periodically to breathe deeply for a few moments kept me from going over that edge into a breakdown. My body is still feeling some side effects from the medication (feeling tense, jumpy, and agitated regardless of what’s going on), but the deliberate, slow breathing is letting my body know that I am not in fact being chased by a wild animal.
  • The other thing that helped a lot was the decision to go to a day-long meditation retreat yesterday, even though I thought to myself that I couldn’t possibly take the time to do that with so many other things that needed doing. When I realized I was trying to talk myself out of going to the retreat because of busyness, I knew, barring any real emergency, I HAD to go to the retreat.
  • Exercise Days: 0/7
  • Steps: 41,258
  • Miles: 16.72/16.31
  • Total Miles: 370.84/850
  • Zone Minutes: 77/150

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:

  • The Dead Zone by Stephen King
  • Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
  • The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
  • The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
  • Between Jobs by W.R. Gingell

Finished:

  • Cat About Town by Cate Conte

Total pages read this week: 335

Total books read: 64 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -11

#ShelfLove Challenge: 35 of 51

One of the medications I’ve been on (and am happily done with now) has caused quite a few unpleasant side effects. I have been pain free most of the time, though, so I’m glad it did it’s job. I’ve also had an extremely stressful week thanks to one of my two fur babies getting sick while my boyfriend had been out of town and I had to handle all of that on my own along with the side effects of the medication. Since I wasn’t 100% sure which of the cats was actually sick, I had to wrangle both of them to the vet and back, which was not fun for any of us to say the least. It turns out Raith (my younger fur child) was the one who was sick, but we still don’t know what it was. He’s on a special diet and taking probiotics, and seems to be back to his normal self now (He’s not a snuggler by nature). But, yes, it’s been a rough week.

Raith resting with his Mommy

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