Author: Rachelle

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for January 22nd – 28th.
  • I’m down 8 lbs.
  • I would really like to sign up for this year’s Taji 100, which starts February 1st, but I’m concerned that I won’t be able to get anywhere near 100 miles in 28 days with how the weather is affecting my back and hip.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 4/5
  • Steps: 30,497
  • Miles: 12.43/17.26
  • Total Miles: 49.53/900
  • Active Minutes: 128/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Unstuck by James S. Gordon
  • The Book of Idle Pleasures by Dan Kieran and Tom Hodgkinson
  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Finished:

  • Mort by Terry Pratchett

Total pages read this week: 228

TBR Mountain: -1

Total books read: 6 of 80

I spent a crazy amount of time over the past week going through all of my books on Goodreads and sorting them out into two new shelves (Physical and Ebook) and then reconfiguring my spreadsheet to calculate how many physical books I’ve read versus how many I own. I own 517 physical books that I haven’t read yet, and another 308 ebooks, plus 72 audiobooks.

Now that I’ve got all of the numbers and a clear view of my TBR situation, my goals are to 1) read 80 books this year, as already planned, and 2) reduce my physical TBR by 24 books. I’m already down 1 book this month, so I’m going to try to finish A Deadly Education by the 31st.

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

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for January 15th – 21st.
  • I’ve got my elliptical about halfway set up, but I’ve been having a lot of back pain and other health issues this week.
  • I’m down 6 lbs, which is great considering I haven’t been able to be nearly as active as I want to be.  I see losing a pound in the past week as proof that my new way of eating is at least helping, especially when I’m not able to exercise much.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 22,838
  • Miles: 9.32/17.26
  • Total Miles: 37.10/900
  • Active Minutes: 64/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Unstuck by James S. Gordon
  • Mort by Terry Pratchett
  • The Book of Idle Pleasures by Dan Kieran and Tom Hodgkinson
  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Finished:

  • This is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo
  • How to be Champion by Sarah Millican
  • The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

Total pages read this week: 625

TBR Mountain: +3

Total books read: 5 of 80

I recently discovered that Amazon has come out with a new Kindle, the Scribe, and it is now my reward for meeting my reading goal for the year AND reducing my TBR by 24 books (which I’m already behind on because I bought a few audiobooks). I really want to reduce my physical TBR, but that’s going to take some work over the next week or so to create new shelves on Goodreads (“Physical” and “Ebook”, because I already have one for my audiobooks), and then reconfigure my spreadsheet to calculate how many physical books I’ve read versus how many I own. Right now, it has just one calculation for all of my books combined.

Why am I doing this? 1) I own over 900 books that I haven’t read yet, and 2) I would like to get to the point where the only physical books I own and buy are my absolute favorites. My space and shelving are limited and packing, moving, and unpacking a thousand+ books is painful. I’m still building my book fort, but I would like it to be a little smaller and more manageable.

I would also like to get back to doing “Down the TBR Hole” posts again. Getting rid of books I’m no longer interested in will help me reach my goal, and clear out some clutter from my shelves and Kindle. Since I usually sell my physical books to my local Half Price Books store, I can save up that little bit of money and put it towards the cost of the Kindle Scribe once I’ve reached my goals.

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

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for January 8th – 14th.
  • My new elliptical didn’t arrive until Tuesday, and I was too busy during the week to set it up, but I’m hoping to get it set up either today or tomorrow.
  • One aspect of Fitness that I don’t talk about much here is my eating.  However, I’ve read several books about eating and health, specifically the microbiome and how what we eat affects it and then affects our whole body and brain.  I made a decision that after my Birthday, I was quitting sugar and processed foods, including fast food.  Partly because I’m Pre-Diabetic, partly because I wanted to see if it would affect my weight, but primarily because of what I’ve been reading regarding the connection between the microbiome and mental health.  I figured that it couldn’t hurt me, and even if all I did was improve my overall physical health, I would be better off regardless of any benefit to my mental health.
  • One stipulation to my new way of eating is that I’m allowed a fast-food burger and fries once a month, a little dark chocolate once a month, and a treat on special occasions (there’s no way I’m not having a slice of the 1886 cake I make for the Boyfriend’s Birthday!).
  • So far, I’ve lost 5 lbs in 2 weeks, and I have more energy and generally feel better.  It’s obviously not a cure for mental illness, but it does seem to help, and as I said, it’s not hurting me.  It’s also saving me money and the food I’m eating tastes better.  I don’t feel deprived.  I will say, though, that this has been a fairly easy transition for me since I already wasn’t eating/drinking a lot of things that I knew weren’t good for me (soda being the big one), and I got to this point by taking small steps and making little changes here and there instead of trying to overhaul everything overnight.  Will I continue to lose weight?  I don’t know.  Will my A1C be lower when I get my labs done again?  I don’t know.  The important thing for me right now is how I feel right now, and having more energy and feeling even a little bit better on average without costing me money is a win in my book.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 35,761
  • Miles: 14.59/17.26
  • Total Miles: 27.78/900
  • Active Minutes: 59/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Unstuck by James S. Gordon
  • This is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo
  • How to be Champion by Sarah Millican
  • Mort by Terry Pratchett

Finished:

  • Small Favor by Jim Butcher

Total pages read this week: 833

Total books read: 2 of 80

I was so into Small Favor that I left work early on Tuesday so I could finish it. Luckily, my work schedule allows me to leave early as long as I’m there between 8 am and 3 pm and I work 80 hours every pay period. So, as soon as 3 pm hit, I was out the door! I’m going to read a couple of other books before I pick up the next one in the “Dresden Files” series, Turn Coat, but I’m very much looking forward to it!

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

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for January 1st – 7th.
  • Welcome to my first check-in of 2023!  I’m switching things up this year and posting check-ins on Sundays instead of Saturdays.
  • My big goal for 2023 is to walk 900 miles.  I still haven’t decided on a big reward yet, but my weekly goal of 17.26 miles will earn me $5 towards something on my wishlist, and my monthly goal of 75 miles will earn me a trip to the bookstore.
  • I finally bought a piece of home gym equipment – an elliptical!  It’s supposed to arrive tomorrow, and once I get it set up, I’ll be using it to get some cardio on days when the weather isn’t cooperating (and that seems to be more days than not).
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3/5
  • Steps: 32,354
  • Miles: 13.19/17.26
  • Total Miles: 13.19/900
  • Active Minutes: 76/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Unstuck by James S. Gordon
  • This is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo
  • Small Favor by Jim Butcher

Finished:

  • Unf*ck Your Brain by Faith G. Harper

Total pages read this week: 409

Total books read: 1 of 80

I’m switching things up this year and posting my weekly “Building the Book Fort” on Saturdays and my #FitReaders check-ins will be on Sundays.

After more than a year, I’m finally reading the next “Dresden Files” book! I finished White Night in March of 2021, and while I wanted to read book 9 last year, I never got around to it. That might have been because it was still packed away in a box (yes, we’ve been living in our house for well over a year and we still have boxes to unpack *sigh*), but I deliberately went through those boxes looking for it a few days ago.

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

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Unstuck by James S. Gordon
  • Unf*ck Your Brain by Faith G. Harper
  • This is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo

Finished:

  • Nordic Tales by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Parker Hoysted Fillmore, and Jón Árnason

Total pages read this week: 346

Total books for 2022: 93 of 85.

Total books for 2023: 0 of 80

Happy New Year! I managed to finish one last book before the end of the year, but I’m still getting through the 3 books on mental health that I started at various times over the past few months. One of them is a library book, so I’ll be trying to finish that one sooner rather than later.

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

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for December 23rd – 30th.
  • I’ve got less than 2 miles to reach my 800-mile goal for the year!  I will be walking those miles today 🙂
  • This is my last check-in of 2022.  Even though I usually only report on Friday through Thursday of the previous week, I’ve included yesterday’s numbers as well.
  • My big goal for 2023 will be to walk 900 miles.  I haven’t decided on a big reward yet, but my weekly goal of 17.26 miles will earn me $5 towards something on my wishlist, and my monthly goal of 75 miles will earn me a trip to the bookstore.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 4
  • Steps: 49,767
  • Miles: 20.24
  • Total Miles: 798.48/800
  • Active Minutes: 101