Author: Rachelle

Classics Club Spin #12

Published on by Rachelle

classicsclub

It’s that time again!  The Classics Club is doing another Spin.  Below is my Spin list.  On Monday, a number between 1 and 20 will be chosen, and I’ll be reading the book from my list that corresponds with that number.  I’ll have until May 2nd to finish it.  Depending on which book it is, I might do a read-along.

  1.  Albee, Edward: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  2. Lawrence, D.H.: Lady Chatterley’s Lover
  3. Atwood, Margaret: A Handmaid’s Tale
  4. Du Maurier, Daphne: Rebecca
  5. Barrie, J.M.: Peter Pan
  6. Dumas, Alexandre: The Count of Monte Cristo
  7. Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front
  8. Smith, Betty: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
  9. Bronte, Anne: Agnes Grey
  10. Fitzgerald, F. Scott: Tender is the Night
  11. Flaubert, Gustav: Madame Bovary
  12. Milton, John: Paradise Lost
  13. Burnett, Frances Hodgson: The Secret Garden
  14. Proust, Marcel: Swann’s Way
  15. Goethe, Johann: Faust
  16. Carroll, Lewis: Alice in Wonderland
  17. Yeats, William Butler: Irish Faerie Tales
  18. Hemingway, Ernest: A Farewell to Arms
  19. de Saint-Exupery, Antoine: The Little Prince
  20. Swift, Jonathon: Gulliver’s Travels

24 Hour Take Control TBR Readathon!

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment
Take Control TBR Pile Read-a-thon
*Edited to correct the fact that the readathon isn’t until next Saturday…Sorry for any confusion.

Kimberly over at Caffeinated Book Reviewer is hosting the #TakeControlThon as part of the March Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge.  Anyone can participate, though, so if you haven’t heard about it yet, you should join in!  The only real rule is to read books from your TBR that were published before March 1st of this year.

I’ve known about this readathon for about a month, but my life got busy, and I completely forgot about it until I looked at my calendar late last night.  So, I don’t have a pile of books already stacked and ready to go yet.  I’m winging it for now.  However, I do know that my 1st book will be An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon since I was already in the middle of reading that before I got sidetracked by other books.  When I get to the point where I need a break, I’ll randomly pull a book off my shelf.  Or, maybe I’ll have my book life back in working order by next Saturday and will have a TBR list to add to my kick-off post.

I will also try to stay up as long as possible during the readathon, but I know I won’t be doing the entire 24 hours.  There is supposed to be a Twitter chat and some challenges, but I don’t know when or what, so I may or may not participate in those.  However, I will be posting an update or two.  Again, I’m winging it.

Are you participating in the #TakeControlThon?

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle2 Comments
FitReaders2016
  • This check-in is for February 26th – March 3rd.
  • I only met my stairs goal this week, but I’m still wearing an ankle brace.
  • Now that I’ve been in the ankle brace for a week, I’ll start adding back in some light exercise.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Yoga Workouts: 0/5
  • Steps: 32,205/42,000
  • Miles: 13.23/17.5
  • Flights of stairs: 51/42
  • Active Minutes: 79/210
  • Monthly 5K Races Completed: 1/10
  • Monthly 1 Mile Fun “Runs” Completed: 1/10
  • Total Money Donated: $8.11/$100.00

Mini-Review: Succubus Dreams

Published on by Rachelle

Succubus Dreams

  • Author: Richelle Mead
  • Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
  • Pages: 318

The Georgina Kincaid series is one I willingly buy when I need some brain candy.  I was first introduced to the series through a book club I occasionally participate in, and I was hooked within a few pages of Succubus Blues.

Georgina has agency.  Even though she gets assistance from others, she makes her own decisions and doesn’t wait around to be rescued.  She also doesn’t deliberately choose to do anything she knows will get her into trouble.  Perhaps all of that is because she’s hundreds of years old and has learned a lesson or two over the years of her life as a succubus, but it is a refreshing change from the stereotypical Romance that has turned me off of the genre over the years.  The other thing I like about the series is that each book doesn’t necessarily end with everything fixed and everyone happy.  While there aren’t any cliffhanger endings, so far, and these aren’t heavy books at all, she deals with heartbreak and other relationship issues that the majority of readers can relate to, and she handles them realistically.  In other words, her life is a bit messy, and things aren’t all tied up with a pretty bow by the last page.

If you’re looking for a Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy series as some occasional brain candy to dip into when you need a break, I highly recommend this one.

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Monday’s Minutes

Published on by Rachelle2 Comments

“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:

  • An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
  • Bad Magic by Pseudonymous Bosch
  • The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

 Echo Bad Magic Dream Thieves

Finished:

  • Succubus Dreams by Richelle Mead

Succubus Dreams

Challenges:

Total pages read: 470

Total # of books for the year: 10.  This week has been interesting.  Just as I was beginning to figure out a new routine, I sprained my ankle and, due to a couple of other injuries and physical limitations, exercising went out the window.  Then, I went to a doctor’s appointment to meet my new PC, and I discovered that the quality of care at the VA clinic I go to has completely changed.  Before, many of the people working there were rude and not very helpful, wait times for anything were worse than the DMV, and my former PC spent more time lecturing me than working with me to improve my health or informing me about any of my lab results.  Now, every person I came across was friendly and more than willing to help, I never waited more than ten minutes for anything, and my new PC is the best doctor I’ve ever had in my life.  I was with her for an hour and left feeling as if, finally, I received the health care I needed.  On Saturday, the Boyfriend and I finally went to see Dead Pool.  Afterwards, we binge-watched the second half of the final season of Mad Men.  Both were amazing, but this is a book blog so I’ll spare you my ravings.

My Top Commenter: Is Shaina from Shaina Reads.

What are you reading this week?

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
FitReaders2016
  • This check-in is for February 19th – 25th.
  • I sprained my ankle, so I’m a bit surprised I managed to do the amount of steps that I did.  It’s a very mild sprain, but still.
  • I’ve got a doctor’s appointment today, and so I should be able to add back in some legitimate exercise again, just in time to do a 1 Mile Fun “Run” before the end of February.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Yoga Workouts: 0/5
  • Steps: 26,478/42,000
  • Miles: 10.87/17.5
  • Flights of stairs: 35/42
  • Active Minutes: 60/210
  • Monthly 5K Races Completed: 1/10
  • Monthly 1 Mile Fun “Runs” Completed: 1/10
  • Total Money Donated: $7.47/$100.00

DNF Review: Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment

Cupcakes

  • Author: Meghan Ciana Doidge
  • Genre: Paranormal Romance
  • Pages: 280

This book was my book club’s selection for February.  Usually, I wouldn’t read a book like this since it’s Paranormal Romance, but it was free on Amazon at the time, so I thought, “Why not?”

I did not DNF Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic because it’s Paranormal Romance.  Even though it’s not a genre I read much of, I figured this would be a nice, light-hearted read for around Valentine’s Day.  The reason I quit reading is because the MC deliberately did things she knew would get her into trouble and then didn’t understand why things spun out of control.  As with, The Magic Shop by Justin Swapp, another book I DNF’d for the same reason, I was beyond annoyed at the constant “I know I shouldn’t do this, but I’m going to do it anyway.”  On top of that, the plot seemed to be heading towards Jade falling in lust with the overly alpha male vampire who is just on the other side of being a controlling, abusive stalker.  I could be wrong about that, but since this is a Paranormal Romance, I could see that happening, and if there’s any Romance I despise, it’s the kind that involves the female lead hooking up with the A-hole for no good reason.  Besides, is there ever a good reason to do that?  The only example I can think of is when Buffy hooked up with Spike, but she never let him pull any of that supposed creepy “alpha” crap with her, at least not that I remember.

If you’re the type of person who fantasizes about being in a relationship with a possessive, violent stalker, then by all means, check to see if the book is still free on Amazon.  Otherwise, I recommend checking out a considerably better Paranormal Romance series.  Perhaps the Georgina Kincaid series by Richelle Mead.

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.

  • An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
  • Bad Magic by Pseudonymous Bosch – This is on hold until March since it’s an ebook and I’m participating in Feel the Paper Love February.
  • Succubus Dreams by Richelle Mead

 Echo Bad Magic Succubus Dreams

Challenges:

Total pages read: 206

Total # of books for the year: 9.  My first week of working full-time flew past.  I had a freak out moment Tuesday evening because I felt like I was never going to find enough time to read and blog or exercise again.  I managed to get through the week, and then on Friday night, I turned to the wonderful bloggers participating in #FitReaders as well as the Book Bloggers Do It Better group on Facebook.  I got lots of great advice, and I no longer feel overwhelmed.  Instead, I’ve got a plan.  We’ll see if it works.  However, because I haven’t gotten much reading accomplished this past week, I don’t have much to blog about for this week.  There will be some days that I don’t post anything, but I will try to space them out.  If my plan works, the sparse posting will only be temporary.

My Top Commenter: Is Shaina from Shaina Reads.

What are you reading this week?

Review: Stories I Told Myself

Published on by Rachelle

Stories

  • Author: Patrick E. McLean
  • Pages: 230

I listened to the free audio version available on podiobooks.com.

Funny, moving and always exquisitely well-produced, this collection of short stories and essays from the award-winning Seanachai podcast is not to be missed. If you like this American Life, but wish that Ira Glass’ voice was a bit softer on the ears, then this is the audio book for you. – Goodreads synopsis

Stories I Told Myself is a collection of short stories and essays that are chalk full of hilarity, even the slightly more serious ones.  Patrick E. McLean culled them from the results of his decision to write something every week, no matter how good or bad, to get past a writing block.  While I didn’t love this book quite as much as I did The Merchant Adventurer, I did enjoy it, and I especially liked that I could get through a story within the time it took me to drive to work.  Sometimes I could listen to two, maybe three, of them.  That means I was able to finish the podiobook version in about four days, and I didn’t have to leave off in the middle of a chapter and then have to wait until the end of the day or the next day to finish it (I rarely listen to audiobooks outside of my car).

The reason Patrick E. McLean is one of my favorite authors is that he writes about stuff that is bizarre, but in a way that makes sense and is oddly relatable in an extremely humorous way.  For instance, one story is about the problems of having a vampire living in your attic, especially if that vampire has horrible taste in music.  Anyone who has ever had a roommate, or even an annoying neighbor can understand what that experience might be like.  Another story shows how sharing candy can bring even the most unlikely people into a short-term understanding of each other.

A couple of the stories were a little off the mark, or just not that interesting, but that’s normal for a short story collection.  No matter how hard the writer and/or editor tries, there will always be a dud or two.  However, it is rare for all the others to more than make up for those one or two.  As a result, I highly recommend giving Stories I Told Myself a try, especially since the podiobook is free.

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#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle2 Comments
FitReaders2016
  • This check-in is for February 12th – 18th.
  • I only met my stairs goal this week, so I’ll be trying for an average of 6K steps per day again.
  • I started my new full-time job on Tuesday, and even though I take the stairs instead of the elevator and do other little things to get a few more steps, I’m still trying to figure out how and when I can workout during the week.
  • If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Yoga Workouts: 0/5
  • Steps: 34,817/42,000
  • Miles: 14.29/17.5
  • Flights of stairs: 42/42
  • Active Minutes: 179/210
  • Monthly 5K Races Completed: 1/10
  • Monthly 1 Mile Fun “Runs” Completed: 1/10
  • Total Money Donated: $6.96/$100.00