Author: Rachelle

Down the TBR Hole #155

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 holding steady at 1094 books. I finished a book but added a book to my wishlist.
This week’s books:

The Snow Gypsy by Lindsay Jayne Ashford – KEEP. This historical fiction book is set after WWII in Spain, and as with many of the previous WWII stories I’ve decided to keep on my TBR, I’m keeping this one because the setting is completely different from any of the others I’ve read.

Rock Needs River by Vanessa McGrady – GO. I have no interest in adoption memoirs.

The Fever King by Victoria Lee – GO. A YA post-apocalyptic fantasy romance?! That’s just too much for my brain.

Opal by Maggie Stiefvater – KEEP. The “Raven Cycle” series is probably my favorite in the YA genre and the series that made me fall in love with Stiefvater’s work.

Beyond the Shadow of Night by Ray Kingfisher – KEEP. Here is yet another WWII novel set in a country I’ve not read about before. I’m beginning to think I could do an around-the-world reading challenge with the WWII stories on my TBR alone.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1092 books. I’m not sure I’ll be getting rid of any books in the next post, but we shall see.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for June 2nd – 8th.
  • Other than the mood and anxiety issues, things are getting better. My face has mostly cleared up, I’m sleeping a bit better, and I discovered that spicy foods are a common trigger for night sweats, so I’ve stopped eating anything spicy for dinner to see if that helps.
  • Since body composition is a much better indicator of overall health than weight or BMI, I splurged on a new scale that measures all that. The at-home scales aren’t as accurate as the professional ones found in some gyms and other places, but they’re much more reasonably priced (a one-time cost versus around $100 each time at the gym) and it doesn’t require me going anywhere or making an appointment.
  • My first time on the new scale showed me some things I already knew but also showed me a couple of measurements that made me happy (my muscle mass for example). The important thing is now I have solid numbers that I can track over time to see how the changes I’m making in my diet and exercise are affecting my body.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3/5
  • Steps: 47.689
  • Miles: 19.30/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 11.65/100
  • Total Miles: 349.30/800
  • Active Minutes: 104/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • The Galveston Diet by May Claire Haver, MD
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Rumo by Walter Moers
  • Fitness After 40 by Vonda Wright, M.D.

Finished:

  • The Book of Nordic Self-Care by Elisabeth Carlsson

Total pages read this week: 155

Total books read: 38 of 80

TBR: -23 (Goal is -36)

I’ve gotten back into my normal daily routines, but I’ve been listening to podcasts during my commute instead of audiobooks. My page count will probably continue to be low until I get back to audiobooks.

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

Down the TBR Hole #154

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 up several books to 1096. I finished a book but bought a few ebooks.
This week’s books:

Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb – KEEP. I think this might be a good Readers Imbibing Peril book.

The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande – GO. I thought this book was about using checklists to improve productivity or better organize daily life, but I didn’t get that impression from the synopsis. It seems to be more of an ode to the checklist, which I am not interested in.

The River Widow by Ann Howard Creel – GO. I was interested in this historical fiction novel until the last couple of sentences of the synopsis when the main character develops feelings for a man who might lead to her losing her daughter. No, thank you.

The Road Beyond Ruin by Gemma Liviero – KEEP. This historical fiction novel is set just after WWII, and that’s just different enough from the hundreds of WWII stories to interest me.

The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles de Lint – KEEP. A Fantasy story all about cats?! Why have I not read this book yet?!
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1094 books. I’m sure I’ll let go of at least one book in the next post.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for May 19th – June 1st.
  • I’m not sure what happened, since I had continued sticking to the Belly Fat Blast challenge guidelines as much as possible, but I regained nearly all the weight I had lost. With this, my night sweats, insomnia, acne, and mood swings went through the roof. I guess that my hormone levels went haywire. My symptoms began easing up this past week, but the weight is not going down again yet. This has not done well for my overall mood, and I feel discouraged. I’m not giving up, but I am struggling.
  • Since I didn’t post last week, I’ve listed the totals for both weeks below.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 4 and 3/5
  • Steps: 53,278 and 41,943
  • Miles: 21.73 and 17.19/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 11.65/100
  • Total Miles: 330/800
  • Active Minutes: 105 and 72/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • The Galveston Diet by May Claire Haver, MD
  • The Book of Nordic Self-Care by Elisabeth Carlsson
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Rumo by Walter Moers

Finished:

  • Ethan Frome and Selected Stories by Edith Wharton

Total pages read this week: 294

Total books read: 37 of 80

TBR: -20 (Goal is -36)

My BFF and her husband were visiting this past week, and I haven’t been reading much at all. Now that they’ve headed back home, my daily life is returning to normal, including my nightly routine of reading for at least a half hour before bed.

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

Down the TBR Hole #153

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 several books to 1096. I finished a couple of books and got rid of a got rid of a couple as well.
This week’s books:

The Tenth Island by Diana Marcum – GO. I’ve already read Eat, Pray, Love and Under the Tuscan Sun. I don’t need another “White Woman Traveling and Finding Love” story.

Beautiful Exiles by Meg Waite Clayton – GO. I’m not interested in the love affair of two famous people. I’ve never cared about that sort of thing.

Whisper Me This by Kerry Anne King – GO. This is another one of those books that I don’t know how I got it or why I decided to get it. I hope it was free.

Stray by Tanya Marquardt – KEEP. Now this is a memoir I’m interested in reading. The reviews aren’t all that good, though, so it might be a dud. I’ll give it a chance.

The Ragged Edge of Night by Olivia Hawker – KEEP. Yet another Historical Fiction book set during WWII. However, there’s a mention of the “Red Orchestra,” which I’ve never heard of before, so I’m interested in potentially learning about a new perspective.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1093 books. I’ll probably let go of at least one book in the next post.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for May 12th – 18th.
  • I took most of the week off from work to get over the sinus infection I had, and I didn’t do much the rest of the week, either.
  • I’ve hit my first weight goal! My next goal is another 10 lbs, which will hopefully get me down one clothing size.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 1/5
  • Steps: 25,108
  • Miles: 10.24/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 11.65/100
  • Total Miles: 291.08/800
  • Active Minutes: 91/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment

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

Currently Reading:

  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • The Galveston Diet by May Claire Haver, MD
  • The Book of Nordic Self-Care by Elisabeth Carlsson
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Ethan Frome and Selected Stories by Edith Wharton

Finished:

  • Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
  • Silence: In the Age of Noise by Erling Kagge

Total pages read this week: 465

Total books read: 36 of 80

TBR: -24 (Goal is -36)

I’m trying a new strategy with my TBR. In addition to reading two short books each month for the #BookSpin reading challenge, I’m also attempting to read one of the longest books on my TBR each month. I’m hoping it will quickly start to create shelf space since those longer books tend to be thicker. If I fall behind on my reading goal, I’ll stop, but I’m currently 3 books ahead.

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

Down the TBR Hole #152

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 up several books to 1103. I finished an audiobook but bought a few ebooks this past week.
This week’s books:

The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan – GO. I don’t understand what this story is about and I think it’s probably full of Magical Realism, which I can’t stand.

The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen – GO. The synopsis was easier to understand than the one for The Gray House, but I’m just not feeling it.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield – KEEP. Whoever wrote the synopsis for this book needs to learn how to edit and use paragraphs, but I’m going to assume it wasn’t the author and give this book a chance.

Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson – GO. Why do I own this book?! How did I get this book?! Did I willingly pay for this book?!

Without a Country by Ayşe Kulin – KEEP. Last week I chose to keep Kulin’s other book I own, Last Train to Istanbul. I’ll keep this one as well, in case the other book is good enough for me to want to read more by her.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1100 books. Like this week, I’ll probably let go of more than just one book in the next post, too.