Author: Rachelle

Down the TBR Hole #88

Published on by Rachelle
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads 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 TBR pile shot up to 1115 books.  I added a large series to my wishlist so that I don’t have to keep looking up what the next book is as I finish them.

This week’s books:

Road Trips, Head Trips, and Other Car-Crazed Writings ed. by Jean Lindamood Jennings – KEEP.  I love road trips and books about them.

An Introduction to Women’s Writing ed. by Marion Shaw – KEEP.  Goodreads doesn’t have a synopsis, there are no other editions listed, and no reviews.  However, I remember finding this at a campus booksale for a $1, and I’m still interested in reading it.

Through Time by Andrew Cartmel – KEEP.  This was another “Doctor Who” book I got in a giveaway.

Wonder Woman Psychology ed. by Travis Langley – KEEP. I usually get the “[Insert fandom here] and Philosophy” books, but I didn’t see one for “Wonder Woman.”  Instead, I found this on the shelf at the bookstore, and I’m interested to see my favorite DC comic book character through the lens of psychology.

Dinosaur Highway by Laurie E. Jasinski – KEEP.  I LOVE Dinosaurs, and one of the biggest events every semester during my time in the Texas State University Geology Club was to go to a very small Natural History museum to help clean their portion of the dinosaur tracks and the surrounding area of debris.  The tracks we worked on were only viewable to regular visitors from a boardwalk, so it felt extra special to be able to get up close and personal with the tracks without having to be someone with letters after my name.  I bought this book in the museum’s gift shop during one of those trips so that I could learn more about the tracks and the history of the area.
My TBR pile is holding steady at 1115 books. I don’t know if it’s easier to get rid of ebooks than the physical books I own or if I’m just choosier about the physical books I buy, but I don’t seem to be willing to part with my physical books like I have the ebooks in previous posts.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for June 18th – July 1st.
  • I was up, packed, and out the door on my way to Wisconsin for my Dad’s memorial service last Friday before I even thought about posting a check-in, so this check-in is for two weeks.
  • My daughter was visiting for a couple of days after the memorial, and we went to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, which was far larger than either of us knew.  My FitBit tracked over 16,000 steps that day, and we were both exhausted, but we had a great time.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 10
  • Steps: 99,942
  • Miles: 40.71
  • Total Miles: 336.29/1,000
  • Active Minutes: 610

Monday’s Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

  • The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek
  • Fast. Feast. Repeat. by Gin Stephens

Finished:

  • Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

Challenges:

#ShelfLove – 22 of 51 books from my TBR.

Total pages read this week: 255

Total books for the year: 36 of 90.

I was out of town this weekend for my Dad’s memorial service, and for the next two days, my daughter is visiting. Last week, I also got some really good news about my heart condition, and I got a job offer. It has been a whirlwind of activity and emotions. How I’ve managed to read over two hundred pages is beyond me.

Monday’s Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

  • Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
  • The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek

Challenges:

#ShelfLove – 21 of 51 books from my TBR.

Total pages read this week: 251

Total books for the year: 35 of 90.

I’m starting to think yard work is never done. At least not until Winter. I’m very glad our front and back yards are not very big.

Down the TBR Hole #87

Published on by Rachelle
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads 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 TBR pile went down to 1092 books.  I noticed that my individual TBR and Wishlist shelves weren’t adding up to the total that my to-read shelf was saying, and I spent far too much of my time figuring out why.

This week’s books:

Science Fiction Short Stories ed. by Laura Bulbeck – KEEP.  This was a gift from the Boyfriend.  I’m not sure what makes these stories “Gothic,” other than the cover, which is beautifully dark in my opinion, but I’m willing to find out.

Truth or Dare by Starhawk – KEEP.  This book is technically a re-read for me since I read it when I was in high school, but that was so long ago (gasp!) that I’ve kept it on my TBR as unread.

The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister – KEEP.  The synopsis opens with, “Water for Elephants meets The Night Circus…”, two books I greatly enjoyed.  The story itself sounds interesting as well.

Penny Dreadfuls ed. by Stefan R. Dziemianowicz – KEEP. I have so many “Penny Dreadful” books, but, while there is some overlap, they all have different stories.

A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne – KEEP.  This book came in a book subscription box I had signed up for years ago (2017) and I remember there being quite a bit of talk about it being amazing.  It has an average of 4.05 stars on Goodreads, with well over 4 thousand reviews, which lends credence to the hype.  I’m pretty sure the only reason I haven’t read it yet is because it is HEAVY and over 600 pages.  It will definitely have to be a nightstand book.
My TBR pile is holding steady at 1092 books. The next post will be loaded with more of the physical books I own.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for June 11th – 17th.
  • I started off this morning with a walk in the park next to where I live.  I’m going to be doing that most mornings from now on, at least until I start working again.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 25,003
  • Miles: 10.15
  • Total Miles: 295.58/1,000
  • Active Minutes: 74/150

Monday’s Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

  • Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
  • The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek

Finished:

  • Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
  • The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Challenges:

#ShelfLove – 21 of 51 books from my TBR.

Total pages read this week: 679

Total books for the year: 35 of 90.

We’re getting all the stuff fixed in the house as problems come up, and with the exception of a couple of things I still need to unpack, the house finally feels like a home. The Boyfriend and I had a mostly lazy weekend, and that gave me the time to read an entire book and get a good start on two others.

Down the TBR Hole #86

Published on by Rachelle
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads 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 TBR pile shot up to 1098 books.  I finished the first book in a series, Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor, and added the rest of the series to my wishlist. This week’s books:

Hemingway Didn’t Say That by Garson O’Toole – KEEP.  This was a freebie, as many of my ebooks are, and I’m going to keep it because it sounds interesting, though it might end up being a dud as a lot of free and/or clearance Non-Fiction books tend to be. Extracted by R.R. Haywood – GO.  Time-Travel books are usually in my wheelhouse, but I’m just not feelin’ this one. Enemy by K. Eason – GO.  I’m not feelin’ this Fantasy novel, either. Golden Age by James Maxwell – GO. The synopsis for this book sounds like this is a Fantasy world ripped off from Ancient cultures. While a lot of Fantasy borrows elements from the real world, both past and present, this one sounds wholly unoriginal. Fan Phenomena: Doctor Who ed. by Paul Booth – KEEP.  I won a physical copy of this book, along with another one I’ll be taking a look at in the next post, from a blog giveaway years ago.  I’m still very much interested in reading it, and it will probably inspire me to re-watch “Doctor Who” for the third time.
My TBR pile is down a smidge to 1095 books. In the next post, I’ll start getting into a lot of the physical books I own that I had finally added to Goodreads after several years of saying I would get around to it eventually.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for June 4th – 10th.
  • Things are starting to settle down in the new house, and I’m getting back into some of my daily routines.  My plan is to go to the park next to the house to start walking regularly, probably next week.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 4/5
  • Steps: 39,230
  • Miles: 16.01
  • Total Miles: 285.43/1,000
  • Active Minutes: 100/150

Monday’s Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

  • Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

Finished:

  • Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

Challenges:

#ShelfLove – 20 of 51 books from my TBR.

Total pages read this week: 480

Total books for the year: 33 of 90.

I’m officially moved into the house, and of course, something had to break. The AC suddenly stopped working and no amount of troubleshooting resulted in it starting up again. Luckily, we have several fans. I haven’t been reading much, or at least it doesn’t feel like much, since unpacking and finding a home for everything is now the top priority.