- 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
“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.
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!
Down the TBR Hole #206
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. I finished a couple of books, but added a few more to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan – KEEP. I’m really looking forward to reading this Vampire book set in Texas that was one of the picks for Jenny Lawson’s “Nightmares from Nowhere” book club.
A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry – KEEP. I bought this book from an Indy bookstore during Independent Bookstore Day last year, which also happened to be on the same Saturday as the Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon.
Cabinet of Curiosities by Aaron Mahnke- KEEP. I love Mahnke’s “Lore” podcast and book series, so I had to get this audiobook as soon as it came out. I hope I’ll get to it during this year’s #RIP.
Forever Strong by Gabrielle Lyon – KEEP. I know I need to get more exercise, especially weight-bearing exercise, and yet I still continue to struggle with it. I’ll start a program that is easy, not overly demanding for my physical ability, doesn’t have exercises I’m simply not capable of doing, and doesn’t take up a lot of my time, but finding the motivation is still a struggle. I bought this ebook hoping that it will help with that. I might finally read it once I’m through physical therapy and am healthy enough to do more.
Sisu: The Finish Art of Courage by Joanna Nylund – KEEP. This is the second book about Sisu that I’ve bought, forgetting I already had one, but I’m going to keep it for now in case I don’t like the other one.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1193 books. I’ve finished one book from my TBR, but I still have seven books checked out from the library. We’re only halfway through the month, so I think I will still be able to finish most of the library books, and at least one more book from my TBR before July 1st. The stretch will be finishing all of my current reads before June 20th, when #SciFiSummer begins.
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for June 8th – 14th.
- I’ve been nearly pain free all weekend thanks to the new medications I’m on. I also don’t deal with as much stress on the weekends (as long as I stay away from the news), so I’m sure relaxing, finally getting better sleep (again, thanks to the meds), and taking some much needed time for self-care have all gone a long way towards helping me manage my pain.
- Someone recently told me that our mental health (and really all parts of us, but he was speaking specifically about mental health) is no different than keeping a car. You would never get one oil change in your car and expect it to run well forever more. Cars, just like our mental health, need regular maintenance. I knew that on an intellectual level, but until those words were said, I didn’t truly understand the connection between my struggles with my mental health and my frequent neglect of it. Over the years, any time I started feeling good again, I would stop meditating, journaling, going to therapy, etc., not getting that I was feeling good because I was taking care of myself and not because I was “cured.”
- I take the time and effort to care for my car, my plants, my pets, and anything/anyone else I love, and now I know I deserve and NEED the same level of care for the rest of my life, not just when I’m sick or hurting. That is such a simple truth, and it only took me a couple of decades to learn it.
- Exercise Days: 4/7
- Steps: 39,506
- Miles: 15.95/16.31
- Total Miles: 354.12/850
- Zone Minutes: 53/150
Building the Book Fort
“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
- Cat About Town by Cate Conte
- The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
- The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
Finished:
- The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate
- Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire
Total pages read this week: 565
Total books read: 63 of 75
TBR (goal is -24): -10
#ShelfLove Challenge: 34 of 51
I had appointments with my Primary Care Doctor and a Neurosurgeon this week, and I have a lot of hope now that I will be ok. There is a lot of damage in my neck, but there are a lot of non-surgical options to help me with managing my pain, and possibly getting rid of it entirely, as long as I’m willing to do the work. I’ll be going to physical therapy, and I’m on a couple of short-term medications to get me through the worst of it. If those don’t work, we’ll try some other treatments. So far, the medications do seem to be working, and I’ll also be continuing to try out the things I’m learning from Mind Your Body as well as the author’s podcast, “The Cure for Chronic Pain.”
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!
#SciFiSummer Reading Challenge 2025
Summer is the best time of year to read Science Fiction. So, I’ll be reading as much Sci-Fi as possible from June 20th, the Summer Solstice, to the 21st of September (the day before the Autumnal Equinox). I’ve got a lot of it on my TBR, and I’m inviting all of you to join me!
Here are the challenge levels:
- Red Shirt – 1 to 3 books
- Viper Pilot – 4 to 6 books
- Browncoat – 7 to 9 books
- Time Lord – 10 or more books
This year, I’ll be trying for “Time Lord.” In addition to my TBR, I have a lot of Science Fiction books I want to check out from the library, and since I’m also participating in my library’s Summer Reading Challenge, I’ll be focusing on Sci-Fi books that will fit the prompts and/or bingo board for that as well.
Any book of at least 100 pages that is classified as Science Fiction, including any Sci-Fi subgenres, qualifies for this challenge. That means audiobooks, physical books, ebooks, library books, free books, other borrowed books, anthologies, and graphic novels are all acceptable options. You may also count any Sci-Fi book that counts towards another reading challenge.
Are you up to the #SciFiSummer challenge? Sign up by leaving a comment! (Links to reviews or TBR lists are welcome, too!)
Down the TBR Hole #205
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 holding steady at 1191 books. I finished a book, and added another to my wish list. There are just so many great titles coming out this Summer!
This week’s books:
Damsel by Evelyn Skye – KEEP. I want to read this before I watch the Netflix movie.
The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch – KEEP. I love the pen name, and the title, and that the series is named “Secret.” I’m betting this will be an enjoyable read.
The Oregon Trail: Danger at the Haunted Gate by Jesse Wiley – KEEP. This is the second book in “The Oregon Trail” Choose-Your-Own-Adventure series. It came in a box set containing the first four books. I plan on reading them all, and possibly getting the rest of the books in the series as well.
The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer – KEEP. Here’s another one that I plan to read before watching the Netflix movie, which also stars the same actress.
More Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter – KEEP. I read the first book in this duology as an audiobook, but for some reason, the audiobook for this one wasn’t available when I tried to find it, so I got a physical edition instead. I usually don’t read “Chick Lit,” but stories about women in their 40’s are what I need right now as a woman in my 40’s, and I love seeing more books being published that are written for and about my age group.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1191 books. I haven’t finished any books from my TBR yet, and I now have seven books checked out from the library, but the month is young.
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for June 1st – 7th.
- Everything I’ve been doing to try to manage the pain I’m in seems to be at least helping. I’ve had a few pain free hours every once in a while over the past week, and I’m getting a bit more sleep.
- To help me track my symptoms and what I’m doing, I got the Bearable app. So far, it’s already showing me that my pain gets worse when I’ve been stressed, which I suspected.
- Seeing this pain-stress connection in the data, and reading Mind Your Body, has gotten me to truly focus on my self-care, and not just for pain-relief. I’ve suffered from Anxiety and Depression most of my adult life, and I haven’t been great about managing those. So, I’m back to journaling regularly, going to a group, attending to my spiritual health, and reading books that might help me. I will likely start going to see a therapist again, but I’m on the fence about that right now.
- Exercise Days: 4/7
- Steps: 42,997
- Miles: 17.39/16.31
- Total Miles: 338.17/850
- Zone Minutes: 21/150
Building the Book Fort
“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.
Currently Reading:
- The Dead Zone by Stephen King
- The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate
- Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
Finished:
- The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living by Mary E. Kingsley
Total pages read this week: 562
Total books read: 61 of 75
TBR (goal is -24): -9
#ShelfLove Challenge: 33 of 51
My neck, shoulder, and arm pain still persists, but I occasionally have a few hours here and there when it either goes away entirely or lessens enough to be ignorable. I enjoy those moments as much as I can. This morning, though I’m in a bit of pain, I’m determined to go to one of the farmers’ markets near where I live. I’m very much looking forward to getting a coffee from Mosaic, a local roaster, and a scone from one of the local bakeries. Farm-fresh eggs are also on my list as the dozen my boyfriend and I bought last time were better and less expensive than any we could buy at the grocery store.
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!
Down the TBR Hole #204
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 a few books to 1191. I finished a few books, but I added a few more to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox – KEEP. Gothic Historical Fiction about a mysterious library? Yes!
One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence – KEEP. The synopsis sounds like this might be very similar to “Stranger Things.” I’m hoping it’s different enough that it doesn’t feel like a rip-off.
King Nix by Kirsten Bakis – KEEP. I’m skeptical about this one, but it was one of Jenny Lawson’s picks for the Fantastic Strangelings book club, so I’m willing to give it a try.
Everyday Sisu by Katja Pantzar – KEEP. This is one of two books I have about the concept of Finnish Sisu. I think it might be similar to Stoicism, but I’m not really sure.
Rumo by Walter Moers – KEEP. I started this book a while back, but for whatever reason I couldn’t get into it at the time. I’ll try again at some point.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1191 books. One of my goals for June is to read at least two books from my TBR, in addition to the two books from my TBR that I’m already reading and the six books I currently have checked out from the library. If I have to renew a couple of books from the library, I’ll do it, but some of them already have other people waiting for them.