Author: Rachelle

Down the TBR Hole #169

Published on by Rachelle
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 1132. I finished several books but added several to my wishlist.

This week’s books:

Forever Autumn by Mark Morris – KEEP. I hope I’ll finally get to this one this year for #RIP.

The Sundial by Shirley Jackson – KEEP.  I’m pretty sure this was the read-along pick for #RIP several years ago, and though I thought I would get to it, I never did. Maybe I’ll change that this year.

The Ghostkeeper’s Journal by Japhet Asher – KEEP. This interactive book requires an app, and I need to read it this year, assuming the app is still available.

Classic Horror Tales ed. by Editors of Canterbury Classics- KEEP. I bought this from the bargain section of Barnes and Noble because I’m a sucker for old short story anthologies and the cover has a lovely velvet feel to it.

Strange Tricks by Syd Moore – KEEP.  This is the sixth book in the “Essex Witch Museum Mystery” series, and there’s only one book left for me to read after it. I wish the author had written more, and I hope these last books bring Rosie Strange’s story to a good conclusion. I have questions, damn it, and I want them answered!

My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1132 books for now. Once again I knew I wouldn’t be letting go of any books. I probably won’t get rid of any in the next post either.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for September 8th – 14th.
  • My Boyfriend thinks I’m dealing with burnout and am probably depressed. I think he’s right, despite how much I’ve been reading lately (which is usually one of the first things to go when I’m depressed). Because I’ve been reading so much, I didn’t recognize the signs. I don’t have the energy, either physically or mentally to do much, and I’m struggling with doing basic daily necessities.
  • We did go to see “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” yesterday, which was good, but I’m not handling stress well, and driving to the movie theater ramped my anxiety up and sapped my energy to the point where there was a large part of me that wanted to go back home.
  • The worst part of all this is that there is so much I want to do, especially as we head into spooky season. However, I’m finding more and more that I don’t have the spoons to do any of it. Just thinking about what it would take to do something makes me feel tired. My world is narrowing down again and I never have any idea of when it will open back up.
  • Active Days: 1/5
  • Steps: 34,103
  • Miles: 13.73/15.34
  • Total Miles: 580.54/850
  • Zone Minutes: 33/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

“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 Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland
  • Fairy Tale by Stephen King
  • David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
  • The September House by Carissa Orlando

Finished:

  • Mrs. March by Virginia Feito
  • Waypoints by Sam Heughan
  • Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson
  • Clause of Death by Lorna Barrett

Total pages read this week: 1345

Total books read: 76 of 85

TBR: -14 (Goal is -36)

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril:

  • Peril of the Fiction – 5
  • Peril of the Listen – 0
  • Peril of the Short Story – 6
  • Peril of the Screen – 4 episodes of “Ghost Hunter,” 2 episodes of “Creeped Out,” and “Bird Box.”

I love most of what I’ve been reading and watching for #RIP, and the Boyfriend and I are having a date day at the movies this afternoon to see “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”

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

Down the TBR Hole #168

Published on by Rachelle
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 back up by one book to 1130. I finished several books last week but bought a few and added a couple to my wishlist. While I’ll probably still buy a couple of books here and there through the rest of this year, I will rely more and more on my local public library. That probably won’t mean much for the number of books on my want-to-read shelf, but I will also be shopping my own shelves more and more, which should start decreasing that number.
This week’s books:

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig – KEEP. I recently bought 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie Hartmann, and this was the first title mentioned.

Love People, Use Things by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus – KEEP.  I watched the authors’ documentary on Netflix several years ago, so when this book came out not long after, I bought the ebook hoping it would inspire me even more on my decluttering journey. Now I hope it will help me as I drastically cut my spending in preparation for leaving my job. 

How the Marquis Got His Coat Back by Neil Gaiman – KEEP. This is a short story set in the world of Neverwhere, one of my favorite books by Gaiman.

Billy Summers by Stephen King – KEEP. King was the first adult Horror author I read. I was too young to be reading them, but I think I turned out OK… At the very least, his books introduced me to the world of the macabre in a way that Goosebumps couldn’t do, and I don’t think I would’ve tried out and fallen in love with Gothic Fiction without that introduction.

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen – KEEP.  The only reason I have this book is because the synopsis mentions “a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them.”
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1130 books for now. I knew I wouldn’t be letting go of any books, and I don’t think I’ll get rid of any in the next post either.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for September 1st – 7th.
  • I got sick this week and haven’t been doing much other than reading and resting since Thursday. I’m feeling mostly back to normal this morning.
  • Active Days: 0/5
  • Steps: 32,866
  • Miles: 13.19/15.34
  • Total Miles: 566.81/850
  • Zone Minutes: 28/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

“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
  • Mrs. March by Virginia Feito
  • Waypoints by Sam Heughan
  • Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson
  • The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland

Finished:

  • The Best of Luck by Jason Mott
  • It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman
  • The Pram by Joe Hill
  • Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix
  • In Bloom by Paul Tremblay
  • The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King
  • Big Bad by Chandler Baker
  • BadAsstronauts by Grady Hendrix
  • Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld

Total pages read this week: 919

Total books read: 72 of 85

TBR: -18 (Goal is -36)

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril:

  • Peril of the Fiction – 2
  • Peril of the Listen – 0
  • Peril of the Short Story – 6
  • Peril of the Screen – 4 episodes of “Ghost Hunter” and 2 episodes of “Creeped Out”

I decided to kick off #RIP with several short stories I got for free through Amazon last year (I think that was last year…). I also tried out a couple of shows on Netflix, but I won’t be continuing either. I’ve queued up several episodes of the “Lore” podcast, but I’ve been so into listening to audiobooks that I haven’t gotten around to the podcasts yet. I’ve also put a couple of holds for books in at my local public library, which is so close to where I work I can walk over during one of my breaks to pick up or drop off any books as needed.

Speaking of public libraries, I will use mine more often over the coming months and into the next year. I’ll be leaving my job soon due to my mental and physical health, and though I plan to get a part-time job, I won’t have nearly as much spending money as I do now and will be cutting back on expenses as much as possible. I’ve added a donation form to the sidebar of this blog so I can afford to keep it going. I’ll be bringing back the #ShelfLove challenge next year, and will hopefully be able to get back into writing reviews, so if you enjoy reading my blog, please consider donating.

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

Down the TBR Hole #167

Published on by Rachelle
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 1130. I finished several books this past week, but I also bought a few books.
This week’s books:

Dodge & Twist by Tony Lee – GO. I think I got this audiobook for free, and after reading the synopsis, I can’t see myself enjoying it.

The Essential Dogen ed. by Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt – KEEP.  Eihei Dogen wrote several volumes and this book is made up of selections from those much more lengthy writings as an introduction to him. 

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith – KEEP. I’m skeptical about this one, only because I don’t understand why unfinished books would go to a library in Hell of all places. Why? I hope there’s a good explanation for this in the story.

Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang – KEEP. As all of you probably already know, I love cozy mysteries about libraries or bookstores. This one involves a bookstore. There are only three books in this series, and the most recent one came out in 2021, so I’m not sure if there will be any more, but I’m still going to give this one a shot.

The Comfort Book by Matt Haig – KEEP. I’ve got this book in my “Bad Day” box which is full of stuff to help me deal with days when my back is keeping me stuck in bed. I haven’t read this one yet, but I’m hoping it will help me when I do.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1129 books. I was wrong again about not getting rid of any books. I sincerely doubt I will be letting go of any books in the next post, though.

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XIX

Published on by Rachelle2 Comments


The R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril challenge, otherwise known as R.I.P. takes place every September 1st through October 31st.


The purpose of the R.I.P. Challenge is to enjoy books that could be classified as Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, or Supernatural.


There are multiple levels of participation (Perils):

  • Peril of the Fiction – Read books of any length that fit the definition of R.I.P. literature.
  • Peril of the Short Story – Read short stories any time during the challenge.
  • Peril of the Real – Read any true tales of horror.
  • Peril of the Listen – Listen to RIP-related audiobooks, podcasts, and music.
  • Peril on the Screen – This is for those of us who like to watch suitably scary, eerie, mysterious, Gothic fare during this time of year. It may be something on the small screen or large.

This year, I’ll be doing Peril of the Fiction, Peril of the Short Story, Peril of the Listen, and Peril on the Screen. I’ve got a huge list of books on Goodreads for me to choose from for this event, the Something Wicked Fall challenge, the month-long FrightFall Readathon, and the 24-Hour Readathon happening in October.

Are you participating in #RIPXIX or reading any spooky reads over the next couple of months? Leave a comment!

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for August 25th – 31st.
  • I took it easy this week since I felt like I was still recovering from the concert and knew I would be busy this weekend.
  • Active Days: 1/5
  • Steps: 42,158
  • Miles: 17/15.34
  • Total Miles: 553.62/850
  • Zone Minutes: 37/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

“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 Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld
  • The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King

Finished:

  • Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
  • The First City by Joe Hart
  • Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Total pages read this week: 1,142

Total books read: 63 of 80

TBR: -12 (Goal is -36)

This weekend my Boyfriend and I are celebrating our anniversary. It’s also the weekend that #BacktoHogwarts day falls on and the start of #RIP. So, I signed up for another readathon on Litsy, #ForTheLoveofBooks. While my goal is only to read as much as possible, I hope to finish most of my current reads. I want to start September fresh.

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