Author: Rachelle

Monday's Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.
Current Reads:

  • Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien – for the #FanspeakTheRing Read-Along
  • Feed by Mira Grant
  • Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro
  • Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
  • Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett
  • The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Fellowship Feed Primary

MJ_Movie_CVR.indd Bookplate Princess Bride 2

Challenges:

Total pages read: 531

Total # of books for the year: 47.  The Boyfriend and I finished Downton Abbey, but it was also a rough week for me.  It was bad enough that I had to put down all of my books, except for Bookplate Special, and pick up The Princess Bride.  I just couldn’t handle reading anything that would hit my emotional buttons the way Mockingjay and Primary Inversion had been.  Luckily, the weekend was good and I started coming out of my funk.  The Boyfriend and I went with some friends to see the new Star Trek movie, and we also decided to exchange our 3rd anniversary presents a little early instead of waiting for September 1st.  I got him the hardcover edition of The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher.  I wish I could have afforded to get him something more, but he was thrilled and that’s what counts.  He surprised me with a Sony Walkman audio player.  I’ve been wanting a replacement for my very old and craptastic Zune ever since Microsoft stopped supporting it, and not long after that, it stopped holding a charge for more than an hour or so.

What are you reading this week?

Bout of Books 17!

Published on by Rachelle
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 12:01am Monday, August 22nd and runs through Sunday, August 28th 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 17 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

I’m finally coming out of the funk I’ve been under for the past week or so, and just in time to get ready for another Bout of Books!  I, unfortunately, wasn’t able to use my vacation time for this one, but, hopefully, I’ll be able to next time.

My Goals

  • Read for at least 2 hours each day.
  • Finish the books I’m currently reading.
  • Finish at least one more book from my TBR.

Books to Read

One or two of these might already be finished by August 22nd.

  • Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Feed by Mira Grant
  • Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro
  • Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
  • The Princess Bride by William Goldman
  • Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett
  • The Communication Room by Adam Aresty

Updates

I will be posting an update each day with the amount of time I read, the number of pages read that day and the titles of any of the books I’ve finished.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
FitReaders2016
  • This check-in is for August 5th – 11th.
  • My goal for this week was 8K steps per day.  I didn’t get anywhere near meeting it.  I was sick for most of three days and was so far behind on my steps that I knew I wouldn’t catch up.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Steps: 29,252/49,000
  • Miles: 12/17.5
  • Flights of stairs: 111/70
  • Active Minutes: 109/105
  • Road to Hogwarts miles: 50/50
  • Monthly 5K Races Completed: 3/10
  • Monthly 1 Mile Fun “Runs” Completed: 2/10
  • Total Money Donated: $21.25/$25.00

Monday's Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.
Current Reads:

  • Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien – for the #FanspeakTheRing Read-Along
  • Feed by Mira Grant
  • Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro
  • Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Fellowship Feed Primary

MJ_Movie_CVR.indd

Finished:

  • The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Scorpio

Challenges:

Total pages read: 343

Total # of books for the year: 47.  Do you remember how last week I said I was going to get back to being an organized blogger?  Yeah, about that…The Boyfriend and I have been binging Downton Abbey together.  While I’ve seen most of the series, I started over after he expressed an interest in trying it out, and I’m fairly certain I’m even more hooked on it than I was before.  Most of our free time has been consumed with watching or discussing the show, so I haven’t done much organization wise or anything else for that matter.  We’ll probably be done by the end of the week, so I’ll hopefully have some time to sit down and get everything in order on Saturday or Sunday.

What are you reading this week?

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
FitReaders2016
  • This check-in is for July 29th – August 4th.
  • My goal for this week was 7K steps per day.  I didn’t meet my goal, but I got very close to averaging 6K steps per day, and I made over 7K for four days of the week without any problems, so I’m going to try for 8K.
  • The heat here in Texas has finally gotten to be too much for me.  I’m not going to be able to go walking outside during my breaks at work until the temperature comes back down to somewhere below an oven in Hell.  That means most of my exercise is going to come from getting on the treadmill after I get home.  If I’m not able to reach my goal with that, I’ll consider moving on to the Couch to 5K running program early.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Steps: 41,316/49,000
  • Miles: 16.98/17.5
  • Flights of stairs: 111/70
  • Active Minutes: 213/105
  • Road to Hogwarts miles: 47.36/50
  • Monthly 5K Races Completed: 3/10
  • Monthly 1 Mile Fun “Runs” Completed: 2/10
  • Total Money Donated: $20.86/$25.00

Monday's Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.
Current Reads:

  • Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien – for the #FanspeakTheRing Read-Along
  • Feed by Mira Grant
  • Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro
  • The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
  • Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Fellowship Feed Primary

Scorpio MJ_Movie_CVR.indd

DNF:

  • (R)evolution by P.J. Manney

Revolution

Challenges:

Total pages read: 483

Total # of books for the year: 46.  I completely forgot about reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding for the Classics Club Spin, and I also forgot to write my discussion post for #ShelfLove.  I need to get back to keeping this blog organized, so I’ll probably be taking some time this week to do that.

What are you reading this week?

Review: Murder is Binding

Published on by Rachelle

Murder

  • Author: Lorna Barrett
  • ISBN: 9780425219584
  • Genre: Mystery
  • Pages: 271

When she moved to Stoneham, city slicker Tricia Miles met nothing but friendly faces. And when she opened her mystery bookstore, she met friendly competition. But when she finds Doris Gleason dead in her own cookbook store, killed by a carving knife, the atmosphere seems more cutthroat than cordial. Someone wanted to get their hands on the rare cookbook that Doris had recently purchased-and the locals think that someone is Tricia. To clear her name, Tricia will have to take a page out of one of her own mysteries-and hunt down someone who isn’t killing by the book. – Goodreads synopsis

This book cost me a penny, and I found it when I was looking for another book.   I had never read an adult mystery novel before, having only ever read a couple of Middle-Grade mysteries, but for a penny, I figured it was worth trying.
For that small piece of mostly zinc, I discovered that cozy mysteries are my new favorite comfort reads.  I enjoyed Murder is Binding so much that after I won a giveaway, I chose the 2nd book in the series, Bookmarked for Death as my prize.  I also bought a couple of other book-related mysteries when I took a box of books to the used bookstore, and the first book of another mystery series when it popped up as a Kindle daily deal.  Then there’s the other mystery I bought with some of my Barnes and Noble settlement money.  Yep, I’ve added five books to my TBR all because of a book I got for a penny.  Let this be a lesson to those of you who love books as much as I do: those random, too good to pass up deals are how they get you.
I have no idea if I will like those other series, but having already finished Bookmarked for Death, I can safely say that Lorna Barrett’s “Booktown Mystery” series is perfect for anyone who is a fan of cozy mysteries.  Even better if you love stories about books.  And if you want to try out the mystery genre, Murder is Binding works as a stand-alone novel to find out if it’s your cup of tea.
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#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
FitReaders2016
  • This check-in is for July 22nd – 28th.
  • My goal for this week was 6K steps per day, but I spent most of the week not feeling well.  Even though I didn’t meet my goal, I’m sticking with my walking program.  So, my new goal is 7K steps per day.
  • I’ve gone ahead and lowered my donation goal.  I figured out that Plus3 changed their rate from 5 cents to 2 cents per mile at the end of May.  Even if I’m successful at getting back to running by the end of August, I highly doubt I would get anywhere near $50.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Steps: 24,907/35,000
  • Miles: 10.23/10.5
  • Flights of stairs: 94/70
  • Active Minutes: 44/105
  • Road to Hogwarts miles: 30.38/50
  • Monthly 5K Races Completed: 3/10
  • Monthly 1 Mile Fun “Runs” Completed: 2/10
  • Total Money Donated: $20.67/$25.00

Review: Divergent

Published on by Rachelle

Divergent

  • Author: Veronica Roth
  • ISBN: 9780062024039
  • Genre: YA Science Fiction/Dystopian
  • Pages: 487

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue. On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is – she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are – and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves…or it might destroy her. – Goodreads synopsis

It seems like ages ago, but when my BFF ended up in the hospital after being hit by a truck, I found out she loves the Divergent series.  I quickly went out and bought her the final book that she hadn’t because it was still only in hardcover.  I also got myself a copy of Divergent with the full intention of it being the next book I read.  Lots of physical therapy and a couple surgeries later, and my BFF is a handbike racer and kayaker, and I finally got around to taking the book off my shelf.
While I won’t say this book belongs on my all-time favorites list, I will say that once I started reading it, I had difficulty stopping.  The writing isn’t all that great, but the story sucked me in, and even though I noticed the many awkward sentences and word choices, I kept turning pages until I had read over half of the book in one sitting.  I can definitely see why my BFF gobbled Allegiant up as soon as she was off the pain meds long enough to stay awake for a decent amount of time.  The pacing and chapter lengths are perfect to keep telling yourself “just one more chapter” or “just a few more pages.”
I enjoyed Divergent so much that I’ve already got myself a copy of Insurgent.  I could have left the story at the last page of this book; it’s not a cliffhanger.  However, I don’t want to leave it there.  I want to know what happens next, and I want to continue getting sucked into Tris’s story.  I don’t think there’s anything better than that when it comes to books, no matter the level of writing.
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Review: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Published on by Rachelle

Dirk

  • Author: Douglas Adams
  • ISBN: 9780671746728
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Pages: 306

What do a dead cat, a computer whiz-kid, an Electric Monk who believes the world is pink, quantum mechanics, a Chronologist over 200 years old, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poet), and pizza have in common? Apparently not much; until Dirk Gently, self-styled private investigator, sets out to prove the fundamental interconnectedness of all things by solving a mysterious murder, assisting a mysterious professor, unravelling a mysterious mystery, and eating a lot of pizza – not to mention saving the entire human race from extinction along the way (at no extra charge). To find out more, read this book (better still, buy it, then read it) – or contact Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. ‘A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-whodunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy epic.’ – Douglas Adams (Goodreads synopsis)

Prior to my BFF giving me this book and the second Dirk Gently book, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, for my Birthday a couple years ago, I had no idea that Douglas Adams had written other books than the ones in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series.  I’m so glad she set me straight about that!
While I think The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is probably his best work, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency isn’t far behind.  Also, I think it’s a bit unfair to compare the two since the first started out as a radio series before being rewritten into a novel and polished.
Regardless, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is everything you could hope for from a Douglas Adams novel.  It’s Sci-Fi that doesn’t take its self seriously, and it’s a wonderful way to escape from reality for a bit.  It also makes you wonder if the story isn’t more real than reality as we know it, which is what I love about Adams’ writing.  I’m greatly looking forward to The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.
Five Towels