Author: Rachelle

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for December 10th – 16th.
  • One of the Boyfriend’s friends is visiting this week, so we’ve been busy busy busy.  It also means I’m getting in a lot more walking than usual, and I think I might just barely hit my mileage goal for the year.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3/5
  • Steps: 51,062
  • Miles: 20.90/16.30
  • Total Miles: 738.51/775
  • Active Minutes: 85/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar
  • A Lone Star Christmas by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Finished:

  • Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost
  • The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas by Syd Moore
  • It Ate Billy on Christmas by Roman Dirge
  • A Die Hard Christmas by Doogie Horner
  • The Night Before Christmas in Texas by Betty Lou Phillips and Roblyn Herndon
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton

Total pages read this week: 598

TBR Mountain: -24

Total books read: 94 of 80

I’ve hit both of my book goals for the year! Assuming I don’t buy any more physical books this year without finishing an equal number of them, I have earned a new Kindle. I’m going to wait until after my Birthday (in January) to buy it, though, since there’s a possibility that the Boyfriend got it as either my Christmas or Birthday present.

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

Down the TBR Hole #135

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 down to 1118 books. I finished and started several books this week.
This week’s books:

Dear Theo by Vincent Van Gogh – KEEP. Van Gogh is my favorite artist and this book contains his letters to his brother, which I think will be much more telling about his life than any biography.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune – KEEP. I have heard nothing but rave reviews for this book!

Tools for Slow Living by Agata Toromanoff – GO. This seems to be more of a design/style book than anything else and its overall rating on Goodreads is 2.73 with no written reviews. I bought it (along with the next two books) as an impulse during a trip to Half Price Books when stores were starting to open back up during the pandemic.

Stop Saying You’re Fine by Mel Robbins – GO. I got into Mel Robbins for a while after reading a later book of hers, The 5 Second Rule. This book seems to be all of the same information.  I don’t need to reread about how not hitting the snooze button changed her life.

Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin – KEEP.  While this book might not have any new insights than what I’ve gotten from other similar books, I’m willing to give it a chance.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1116 books and I’m now only 3 physical books away from my TBR goal for the year. That’s much more doable than 5 books with less than a month to go. The next post will have more of the physical books I own and likely be the last post for 2023.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for December 3rd – 9th.
  • The Boyfriend and I went to the Christmas Ranch on Friday night and had a really good time walking around to see all of the lights and drinking hot chocolate.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3/5
  • Steps: 46,237
  • Miles: 18.89/16.30
  • Total Miles: 717.81/775
  • Active Minutes: 90/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost
  • The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas by Syd Moore

Finished:

  • A Classic Christmas by various authors
  • The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani
  • Take a Look at the Five and Ten by Connie Willis

Total pages read this week: 868

TBR Mountain: -19

Total books read: 89 of 80

I’ve been reading many Christmas-themed books, but not my physical ones, and with only 23 days left to finish 5 of them, I’m concerned that I won’t earn my new Kindle this year. I’m having a great time with what I’m reading, though, and with participating in the #WinterGames and #SnowedIn challenges on Litsy!

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

Down the TBR Hole #134

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 down to 1122 books. I finished and started several books over the past couple of weeks.
This week’s books:

Take a Look at the Five and Ten by Connie Willis – KEEP. I’ll be reading this ebook this month as a part of a reading challenge I’m participating in on Litsy.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman – KEEP. I have this one in both ebook and audiobook so I can read along to Gaiman’s narration.

The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling – KEEP. My Best Friend read this in one day and loved it, so I’m looking forward to reading it.

The Raconteur’s Commonplace Book by Kate Milford – KEEP. I love the “Greenglass House” series, of which this is the 5th and most recent book.

Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff – KEEP. I bought this when I needed it, but never got around to reading it. I’m going to keep it for now, since Winter is a difficult time for me, especially around February.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1122 books. The next post will be mostly physical Non-Fiction books I already own.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for November 19th – December 2nd.
  • Since I was out of town last week, this post is for two weeks.  I did a lot of walking but at a much more leisurely pace.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3 and 0/5
  • Steps: 41,730 and 41,595
  • Miles: 16.91 and 16.93/16.30
  • Total Miles: 698.92/825
  • Active Minutes: 91 and 13/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • A Classic Christmas by various authors
  • Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

Finished:

  • Past Due for Murder by Victoria Gilbert
  • Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae
  • Sarah’s Quilt by Nancy E. Turner

Total pages read this week: 978

TBR Mountain: -19

Total books read: 86 of 80

I was back home in Texas for Thanksgiving, and so this post is for the past two weeks of reading. I had such a great time in Texas and it had been so long since I had been home that I didn’t want to leave. Now that it’s December, I’ll be reading Holiday and Winter-related books for the rest of the year and participating in a few different activities, challenges, and readathons on Litsy, including a read-along of Letters from Father Christmas.

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

Down the TBR Hole #133

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 down to 1129 books. I finished and started several books over the past couple of weeks.
This week’s books:

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth – KEEP. I like that this story looks at what happens to the heroes after they’re done doing heroic things.

The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre – KEEP. I absolutely love wolves, and I enjoy reading about them.

I Touched a Cat and I Liked It by Anna Blandford – KEEP. I love reading about cats even more than wolves, and I especially enjoy cat humor.

Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae – KEEP. I’ve had this Scottish Cozy Mystery on my TBR for quite a while, and I’m planning to finally read it sometime this month.

Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide by J.K. Rowling – KEEP. This is the third book in the “Pottermore Presents” trilogy, of which I’ve already read books one and two.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1129 books. The next post will be mostly books I already own that I’m planning on reading this Winter and am unlikely to be getting rid of any time soon.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for November 12th – 18th.
  • This has been a rough week, and I’ve been feeling a little down. My degenerative disc disease has progressed enough that I had to get a walker for the bad days.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 1/5
  • Steps: 30,773
  • Miles: 12.52/16.30
  • Total Miles: 665.08/825
  • Active Minutes: 44/150