Author: Rachelle

Down the TBR Hole #84

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 one from last week to 1065 books thanks to a new addition to my wishlist.

This week’s books:

A Beautiful Work in Progress by Mirna Valerio – KEEP.  I don’t remember where I got this ebook from, but I do remember that I got it because it’s a memoir about an overweight woman who runs, and not only am I overweight, but I wanted to get back into running.  Now that I’ve been diagnosed with a heart condition and am under doctor’s orders to not doing anything strenuous, I considered ditching this book.  Why get inspired to be a runner when I’m not able to run?!  However, I’m going to keep it on my TBR for a while longer.  I’m hoping that running is not something that I will have to put aside for the rest of my life. Song of Edmon by Adam Burch – GO.  The planet in this story is called Tao and is split between Daysiders and Nightsiders.  I’m assuming the author got this idea from the Taoist symbol and concept of Yin and Yang, and that’s just a little too on the nose for my tastes. Secondborn by Amy A. Bartol – KEEP.  I have a sneaking feeling this book is going to turn out to be a disappointment, but the first part of the synopsis sounds amazing.  I can’t pass up the possibility that it won’t end up as just another DNF, especially since I already own the ebook. Woodwalker by Emily B. Martin – KEEP. I have no idea if this will be worth reading, but I like the cover, the title, and the synopsis, so I’m keeping it. The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte by Ruth Hull Chatlien – KEEP.  I only got this because it’s about a real woman in history, who while perhaps didn’t do much that was historically significant, still led an interesting life worth reading about.  And, really, we need more books about history from the perspective of women.  Hopefully, this one will be good.
My TBR pile is back down to last week’s number of 1064 books. The next post will be made up entirely of Science Fiction and Fantasy ebooks that I got for free.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for April 30th – May 6th.
  • I got bad news on Tuesday.  My heart condition is serious and will require another appointment with a cardiologist and probably more tests.  They need to figure out the cause to know how to treat it.
  • My little exercise bike arrived on Monday, and I’ve got it set up.  So far, I’ve only tried it out to make sure it works properly, but I will start using it either today (after my workout session) or tomorrow while I’m sitting around.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 1/5
  • Steps: 26,215
  • Miles: 10.69
  • Total Miles: 216.79/1,000
  • Active Minutes: 59/150

Monday’s Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Clever Girl Finance: Grow Your Money by Bola Sokumbi
  • The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
  • Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

Finished:

  • Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Beginnings by Lydia Sherrer
  • We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
  • The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

Challenges:

#ShelfLove – 18 of 51 books from my TBR.

Total pages read this week: 775

Total books for the year: 27 of 90.

I somehow managed to keep up the readathon momentum this past week, reading over 700 pages and finishing 3 books. I’m now only 3 books behind schedule for my annual goal, and I think I will finish at least one of my current reads this week, so hopefully I’ll only be 2 books behind by the next “Monday’s Minutes”.

Down the TBR Hole #83

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 a couple more to 1066 books thanks to some more great books that I added to my wishlist.

This week’s books:

The Silver Music Box by Mina Baites – KEEP.  I’m getting a little bit tired of Historical Fiction about WWII, but this one looks like it might be different, so I’ll give it a try. The Vampyre ed. by John William Polidori – KEEP.  The page for this book on Goodreads has no synopsis, but I think this is a short story anthology.  I’m pretty sure I got this ebook for free years before I finally got around to adding it to my TBR on Goodreads, so I’ll give it a chance. Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock – GO.  It turns out this is a satire and critique of my favorite Romance Era authors, so no, thank you, but I’ll pass. Mark of Fire by Richard Phillips – GO. I’m really getting tired of the “Girl with magical powers that she must master to save her world” trope.  Goodbye! Collected Works by Algernon Blackwood – KEEP.  This huge collection contains more than 80 short stories and 10 novels by Algernon Blackwood, famous for his ghost stories.  I’ve had the ebook for years and never seem to get around to it, but I know I will at some point.  I’ll keep it for now.
My TBR pile is down two to 1064 books. Over the next few weeks, the books will be mostly Science Fiction and Fantasy ebooks that have been in my collection for far longer than they’ve been on Goodreads.

#ShelfLove Discussion: May I? Oops, I already did!

Published on by Rachelle

For April, the #ShelfLove Challenge participants are discussing the books they want to buy this year and why it’s so crucial they be allowed to buy them. This is going to be a very short post because I already pre-ordered this book, breaking my own book-buying rules.

Its publication date will be November 23rd of this year, and I have no regrets. I also have no shame. Regardless of the Shelf Love Challenge, I was going to pre-order Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone as soon as it was available to do so. There was just no telling when it would finally be announced. Us “Outlander” fans have been waiting for what feels like forever.

What are the books you want to buy this year? What books have you already bought in spite of your book budget or buying ban?

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for April 23rd – 29th.
  • I had another test done yesterday to hopefully figure out what’s wrong with my heart, and now I’m back playing the waiting game.  In the meantime, I attended an online workout session through the weight management program I’m in, and it was a little bit of light cardio and strength training, so I plan to continue attending.
  • I ordered a small “under desk” exercise bike for when I’m watching TV or can’t get outside for a walk.  It should arrive on Monday, and I’m a little excited to get it.  I know it won’t solve all my problems, but it’s a little something more I can do to help myself, and that’s what counts.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 26,485
  • Miles: 10.85
  • Total Miles: 206.10/1,000
  • Active Minutes: 131/150

Monday’s Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Beginnings by Lydia Sherrer
  • Clever Girl Finance: Grow Your Money by Bola Sokumbi
  • We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

DNF:

  • Faithfully Religionless by Timber Hawkeye

Finished:

  • Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen
  • What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine
  • American Sherlock by Kate Winkler Dawson
  • The Librarians and the Lost Lamp by Greg Cox
  • The Flying Flamingo Sisters by Carrie Seim

Challenges:

#ShelfLove – 16 of 51 books from my TBR.

Total pages read this week: 1278

Total books for the year: 24 of 90.

I love writing these posts after a #readathon weekend! I’m still 4 books behind schedule for my annual goal, but that’s a lot better than last week’s 7.

Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon – Final Update

Published on by Rachelle
Dewey's Readathon_Pocketwatch_Bellezza


I’ve survived another Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon… sort of! What happened?! No 2nd update, and this final update is late. Well, one of my cats, Dresden, decided he wanted to sleep on my legs around 11:30 pm. On top of that, We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry was so good, I didn’t want to put it down. Then, sometime close to 2:00 am, Dresden suddenly decided to go off and be a cat somewhere else in the apartment, and then I started having trouble understanding what I was reading. I knew then that I was done. Oh well, it was a blast doing another readathon, and now I’m awake and refreshed (maybe a little hungover from all the snacks and tea), and I plan on finishing the last 100 or so pages of We Ride Upon Sticks today.

  • Total Pages Read: 667

Closing Survey

  1. How would you assess your reading overall? I did really well, up until I went to sleep.
  2. Did you have a strategy, and if so, did you stick to it? My strategy was to choose my books by rolling dice.
  3. What was your favorite snack? I never did get around to eating the chocolate peanut butter cups I had bought specifically for the readathon, so I’d have to say the pizza and Cherry Bubly I had for dinner.
  4. Wanna volunteer for our next event? Maybe.

See you next #Readathon! 🙂

Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon: Mid-Event Survey!

Published on by Rachelle
Dewey's Readathon_Pocketwatch_Bellezza

Here are my answers to the Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon Mid-Event Survey!

1. What are you reading right now? I’m nearly halfway through We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
2. How many books have you read so far? 2
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Readathon?  I’m choosing to roll a D20 to decide what to read from my Readathon Maybe’s list on Goodreads. Otherwise, it would be too difficult for me to choose one out of so many potentially awesome books.
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Only 1 interruption so far, when the Boyfriend asked me to put the pizza in the oven because he’s running a game right now. Not a big deal, since I continued to read while I waited for the oven to preheat and then the pizza to be ready.
5. What surprises you most about the Readathon, so far?  How I haven’t gotten sleepy at all yet, not even a little.

Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon – Update 1

Published on by Rachelle
Dewey's Readathon_Pocketwatch_Bellezza


I’ve survived the first 8 hours of Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon and I haven’t fallen asleep even once! Instead, fueled by Tim Horton’s and We Ride Upon Sticks, I walked to a local independent bookstore, Prologue Bookshop, while listening to the audiobook of The Librarians and the Lost Lamp.

  • Pages Read: 382
  • Books Read: We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry, The Librarians and the Lost Lamp by Greg Cox, The Flying Flamingo Sisters by Carrie Seim
  • Time Read: 7 hours and 22 minutes
  • Yummy in my Tummy: I had a few Tim Horton’s Tim Bits, a biscuit, egg, and cheese sandwich, and a Mocha coffee for breakfast.  I sipped a Choc-O-Nutter smoothie from Berry Blendz on my walk home from the bookstore. I had never been to Berry Blendz before, so I counted my smoothie as a “snack or drink that’s new to you” for the #readathonbingo. After I finished The Librarians and the Lost Lamp, I drank a mug of toasted coconut and almond tea and ate some biscotti and cherry pastry bites.

Until my 2nd update, at midnight, I’ll continue reading the remaining books on my Goodreads list.


Whether you’re participating in the readathon or not, what book(s) are you currently reading?