Author: Rachelle

Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

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

Currently Reading:

  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • 10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
  • The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg
  • The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday

Finished:

  • Simple Matters by Erin Boyle

Total pages read this week: 238

Total books read: 16 of 80

TBR: -11 (Goal is -36)

Life has been turned upside down a bit this past week after getting a call from my daughter that her fiance walked out on her and their kids. This was on the same day my boyfriend was getting ready to fly out on a business trip and then get back in time to take me to get my wisdom teeth removed yesterday. It would be an understatement to say that reading hasn’t been much of a priority. The good news is that everyone is safe and healthy, and I’m healing nicely so far with very little pain. I’m hoping to get some reading in this weekend as a bit of self-care.

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

Down the TBR Hole #145

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
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 up to 1098 books. I finished a couple of books, but I bought several new ones.
This week’s books:

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman – KEEP. The synopsis on Goodreads reminds me of the “Mr. Lemoncello’s Library” series by Chris Grabenstein.

Seafurrers by Philippa Sandall – KEEP. This book sounds fun, and I need more of that (and cats) in my life.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger – KEEP. Both my Sister and her Husband recommend this one.

The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry – KEEP. This sounds like a solid Horror read perfect for #RIP.

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown – KEEP. I might read this sooner rather than later, as I think I could benefit from it right now.
My want-to-read shelf is holding steady at 1098 books. I don’t know what will happen in the next post, but I think I might be letting go of one book.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for March 3rd – 9th.
  • My back is doing much better and I’ve been able to get a lot of walking in this week, including a couple of walks outdoors.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3/5
  • Steps: 53,449
  • Miles: 21.76/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 7/100
  • Total Miles: 141.90/800
  • Active Minutes: 113/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

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

Currently Reading:

  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • 10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
  • The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg
  • Simple Matters by Erin Boyle

DNF:

  • The First Pillar by Roy Huff

Finished:

  • I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

Total pages read this week: 303

Total books read: 15 of 80

TBR: -13 (Goal is -36)

I think my reading slump might finally be over, and my interest in books is returning.

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

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for February 25th – March 2nd.
  • The applesauce muffins are fantastic.  I’m going to continue making them instead of the banana muffins.
  • The constant pain I’ve been in has started easing up enough for me to do more, and I finally got out of the house yesterday for something other than going to work.  It was only to run an errand, but being able to do that greatly improved my overall mood. I’ve also been able to do a little bit more around the house so that the Boyfriend doesn’t have to do everything.
  • I’m hoping to be able to go for a short walk outside today.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 31,225
  • Miles: 12.66/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 3/100
  • Total Miles: 120.14/800
  • Active Minutes: 79/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

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

Currently Reading:

  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • 10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
  • I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

Finished:

  • How to Hygge by Signe Johansen
  • Nordic Lifestyle by Susanna Heiskanen

Total pages read this week: 313

Total books read: 14 of 80

TBR: -11 (Goal is -36)

Everything is slowly getting back to normal for me. I don’t know how long it will last, but the relief is almost euphoric. I’m ecstatically grateful for the “not bad” days I had this week and hopeful I will have more.

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

Down the TBR Hole #144

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
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 up to 1098 books. I DNF’d a book, but I also bought an audiobook and added a couple of books to my wishlist.
This week’s books:

More Than a Woman by Caitlin Moran – KEEP. I loved How to Be a Woman, which I plan to reread at some point, and I’m looking forward to reading this second book as I’m beginning to relate more and more to a Middle-aged perspective (When the frack did that happen?!)

the sun and her flowers by Rupi Kaur – GO. I got this book in a book box subscription years ago, and while I’m sure this is a beautiful book of poetry, that has never been my thing, and I don’t know why I’ve kept this book for so long knowing that I would never read it.

White Trash by Nancy Isenberg – GO. The synopsis along with some of the reviews make me think this book implies that poor people are victims who need help making the “right” political choices. That way of thinking is scary to me as it feels very similar to how Lenin and others who brought Communism to Russia thought about poor Russians. It also feels insulting, patronizing, and condescending.

The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson – KEEP. I’ve read “The Lottery” many times, mostly in school, and I’ve read some of Jackson’s novels, but I’ve not read her other short stories. I also realized that I own this book in two different editions, the one pictured above and a smaller more portable hardcover, which means that I’ve been wanting to read it enough to forget that I already owned a copy and bought another.

City of Orphans by Avi – GO. I’m just not interested.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1095 books. I knew I would decide to let go of at least one book, but I wasn’t expecting to get rid of three. I’m not at all sure about what will happen with the next five books.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for February 18th – 24th.
  • To continue moving away from processed/packaged foods, I’ve been baking muffins to eat for breakfast during the week.  I used a low-sugar banana muffin recipe while I still had some overripe bananas, and this week I’m going to try applesauce muffins. The great thing about both recipes is that there is no added sugar. only what is naturally in the bananas and applesauce (which is unsweetened).
  • My back has been getting worse and I’ve been stuck at home most days this week. It is not helping my mood at all, and I’m working on coming up with things I can do to improve my mood when I can’t get out of the house or be more physically active.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 21,549
  • Miles: 8.81/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 3/100
  • Total Miles: 107.48/800
  • Active Minutes: 93/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

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

Currently Reading:

  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • How to Hygge by Signe Johansen
  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • 10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
  • Nordic Lifestyle by Susanna Heiskanen
  • I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

DNF:

  • The Viking’s Apprentice by Kevin McLeod

Total pages read this week: 109

Total books read: 11 of 80

TBR: -11 (Goal is -36)

While I’m still not reading much, I’m turning towards books that are in some way comforting and shifting away from the books I’ve been reading to improve myself. This strategy doesn’t always work out (which leads to DNFs), but I think it’s helping a little.

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

Down the TBR Hole #143

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
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 one to 1096 books. I finished a couple of books, DNF’d a couple more but then bought a few audiobooks.
This week’s books:

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond – KEEP. While this book is more than 20 years old, it’s still highly rated and the author won a Pulitzer for it so I’m willing to give it a try.

Doctor Who: Tales of Terror ed. by Jacqueline Rayner – KEEP. I’m going to try to get this book read in September when the #SciFiSummer and #RIP reading challenges overlap.

Skeleton Crew by Stephen King – KEEP. I don’t always love King’s short story collections, but one of these days, I’m going to read one that is as amazing as Nightmares and Dreamscapes.

The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett – KEEP. I feel skeptical about this one since it is related to literature; however, it seems to be more about a painting than about books. While that’s not a bad thing, I got the book thinking it was more about books.

Cursed ed. by Marie O’Regan – KEEP.  I’m never sure I’ll love a short story anthology, but I do love fairytales, especially the darker ones, and this anthology includes stories by Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, and Catriona Ward.
My want-to-read shelf is holding steady at 1096 books. I was right in my prediction that I wouldn’t get rid of any of this week’s books, and I’m predicting that I’ll let go of at least one in the next round of books I own.