- 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.
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for May 25th – 31st.
- I’m still dealing with a lot of pain, but yesterday I was determined to go to the Pop Cats convention to see all things cat-related, but also to meet Lydia Sherrer, the author of the “Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus” series. The boyfriend and I had a good time, and I was the happiest I’ve been in a while. Not only did I get to meet Lydia, I also got a pic with her, and I now have signed copies of the last two books in the series. While we were only at the convention for a couple of hours, I had to lay down when we got home, and wasn’t able to do anything else for the rest of the day but rest.
- I checked out Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs from the library, I bought a massage pad, starting taking a supplement that is supposed to help with nerve pain, and I got the Reverse Health 28-Day somatic exercise program, all because I’m getting desperate to alleviate my pain. Medication isn’t working, and while I do have a serious diagnosis that will likely require surgery, it’s two weeks until I get to see a doctor, and I’m struggling to function.
- With my physical and energy limitations in mind, I’ve decided to change “Active Days” to “Exercise Days,” and will track how many days each week I do one of the somatic workouts from the Reverse Health app.
- Exercise Days: 2/7
- Steps: 40,217
- Miles: 16.09/16.31
- Total Miles: 320.78/850
- Zone Minutes: 25/150
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 Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living by Mary E. Kingsley
- The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate
Finished:
- Friends with Bunny Feets by Andrew Seiple
- Disenchanted by Robert Kroese
Total pages read this week: 450
Total books read: 59 of 75
TBR (goal is -24): -9
#ShelfLove Challenge: 33 of 51
I’m still in constant pain, and no medications, exercises, or other treatments are working well enough to make much of a difference; however, a couple of months ago I bought tickets to the Pop Cats Convention because CATS, of course, but also because Lydia Sherrer, author of the “Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus” series will be there! It’s this weekend, and I’ve done everything I can think of to help me get there and through what should be a fun and hopefully distracting-from-the-pain day. The only rule is that I’m not allowed to be adopted by another cat, as we’re staying a two-cat family for now.
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!
Down the TBR Hole #203
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 couple of books to 1190. I finished a few books, but I added several more to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson – KEEP. This is a Classic, and since I saw the movie before I found out that it was a book, I definitely want to read it.
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs – GO. I got this ebook when I was desperate for anything that might be Cozy, even though Women’s Literary Fiction is not really my thing most of the time. I’m pretty sure I got the ebook for free or at a very low price, so I’m going to let this one go.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman – KEEP. One of my Boyfriend’s Aunts recommended this book while we were visiting for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. Then, while we were waiting for our flight back home, I found a copy of the book sitting in the magazine rack of the airport’s bookstore. It was the only copy in the store, and I saw that as fate. I still haven’t gotten around to reading it, but I hope to change that this year.
The Death of a Beekeeper by Lars Gustafsson – KEEP. This is a bibliotherapy recommendation for living with chronic pain. Given what is going on in my life right now, I need to read this short book sooner rather than later.
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson – KEEP. This is one of Jenny Lawson’s picks for her monthly book club “Nightmares from Nowhere”. I recently got into Dark Academia with the “Scholomance” series by Naomi Novik, so I’m looking forward to reading it.
My want-to-read shelf is down one book to 1189. I’ll probably be doing a lot more reading than usual for a while since I’m much more limited in my physical activities. With any luck, I’ll be doing my reading outside in the sun so I’m not cooped up in the house all the time.