Author: Rachelle

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.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for May 28th – June 3rd.
  • This week has been the final push to finish getting the house ready to move in by tomorrow.  My whole body hurts, and I hope to spend Sunday doing as little as possible.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 4/5
  • Steps: 37,359
  • Miles: 15.28
  • Total Miles: 269.42/1,000
  • Active Minutes: 154/150

Monday’s Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
  • Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

Finished:

  • Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for Ultrahuman Protection by Alexander C. Kane

Challenges:

#ShelfLove – 20 of 51 books from my TBR.

Total pages read this week: 354

Total books for the year: 32 of 90.

It’s been raining on and off for the past few days so I haven’t been able to get as much yard work done as I would like. However, I am nearly done with the cleaning inside the house, and I’ve also been packing up stuff (mostly books) in the apartment to get ready for Moving Day.

I’m trying to finish Shades of Grey by tomorrow when my library loan expires. I’m not able to renew the ebook, thanks to other people waiting for it, but I did place a physical copy on hold, so hopefully, I won’t have to wait too long to get back to reading it if I’m not able to finish it in time. Of course, I could do the trick of taking my Kindle off the wi-fi, and see if that will give me some more time.

Down the TBR Hole #85

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 up again to 1070 books. This week’s books:

Lost in Arcadia by Sean Gandert – GO.  This story seems to be an exaggeration of current events set in the near future, and I’m tired of the real world as it is.  I’ll pass on this one. The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King – GO.  An orphan who is constantly ill is picked by a tyrant to be one of his courtesans or wives if she wins in battle against his current courtesans and wives?!  Is it just me, or does that not make any sense at all?! Hannah: The Ugly Teapot by Fred Holmes – KEEP.  I’m skeptical, but it is a Middle-Grade Fantasy, and I LOVE a good Middle-Grade Fantasy.  I’ll give it a shot. Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan – KEEP. I’ve never read a WWII story from the perspective of an Italian. This one also happens to be based on a true story and isn’t just Historical Fiction. Scar Tissue by Scott Wiener – GO.  This literally has one review on Goodreads, and it’s only a star rating at that.  It is also self-published.  I’m not going to waste my time with a book that has been out in the world since 2017 and no one has been willing to review it.
My TBR pile is down to 1067 books. The next post will be made up of more Science Fiction and Fantasy ebooks that I got for free.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for May 21st – 27th.
  • I’ve been trying to tackle the wilderness that my yard has become all week.  I literally had to take a weed wacker to the grass to cut it down enough to mow it.  My arms were hurting so badly from all of the yard work that I had to take Thursday off to recoup; otherwise, I’m sure my numbers would be just as high as last week, if not higher.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 4/5
  • Steps: 33,219
  • Miles: 13.52
  • Total Miles: 254.14/1,000
  • Active Minutes: 231/150