I didn’t lose any weight this week, but I also veered from my diet a bit due to dining out for dinner on Friday with a friend and getting lunch and snacks at the Columbus Book Festival yesterday.
Fitbit has made it more difficult for me to tally up my weekly stats by doing away with the dashboard on the website. I now have to go day by day in the app. The frustrating part is that the app only shows my “Zone” minutes and not all active minutes. While my goal of 150 minutes a week is going to stay the same, I’ve changed the name of it.
I made it to the Columbus Book Festival about 30 minutes after it started this morning. Don’t let the photo above fool you; all the action was happening inside the library and the topiary park behind the library, and it was already packed when I arrived!
Midnight Reader Club
The Midnight Readers Club was probably the most packed spot in the topiary park and with good reason! They were selling lots of wonderful “Blind Date with a Book” packages that all included a reading log bookmark, a magnetic bookmark, a highlighter, annotating tabs, and stickers. Since it’s #SciFiSummer, I picked up three interesting-sounding SciFi novels.
Tobias S. Buckell, John Scalzi, Yume Kitasei
When I was looking at the schedule this morning, I saw that there was a Horror panel, and I almost went to that, but then further down on the schedule, I saw there was a Science Fiction panel at the same time. I did not look at the names of the authors on the panel but decided to go purely because it was SciFi. So, imagine my surprise when I saw JOHN SCALZI! I’m sure the Horror panel was great, but these three authors were hilarious and I’m glad I didn’t miss it. I was in the back, so the photo I got of Tobias S. Buckell, John Scalzi, and Yume Kitasei isn’t great.
#BookHaul
Unfortunately, it completely skipped my mind to ask them if I could take a good photo when I went to get their books signed after the panel. I already have the ebook of Starter Villian, but couldn’t resist getting a physical copy along with a couple of Scalzi’s other books. I also got both of Kitasei’s books, The Deep Sky and The Stardust Grail, and Buckell’s Runes of Engagement, in addition to a couple of other books that looked interesting. 60 Songs that Explain the ’90s by Rob Harvilla is also a podcast that I will be listening to at some point and I picked up Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings after seeing the author on another panel I happened upon while trying to get out of the sun for a few minutes.
Novel Puzzles by Claire Mercer
All in all, I had a great day. The lines were long for just about everything, and I got hot, sweaty, and a little sunburnt, but now I have lots more books to read and some book-related puzzles to work through while I hang out inside in the AC.
“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 New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver, MD
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Finished:
The Day of the Troll by Simon Messingham
Big Damn Hero by Nancy Holder & James Lovegrove
Titanborn by Rhett C. Bruno
Total pages read this week: 457
Total books read: 45 of 80
TBR: -32 (Goal is -36)
Last weekend, I aimed to finish two books for the #SciFiSummer reading challenge, and I succeeded. I am now one book away from being a “Viper Pilot.” One of those books, Titanborn, was an ARC for #CampNetGalley, and the other, The Day of the Troll, was my #DoubleSpin for this month.
This weekend is the Columbus Book Festival. Last year was a blast but there were far more people there than expected and I wasn’t prepared. This year, my goal is to get there at the beginning before it gets too crowded and too hot and I’m taking an extra tote bag with me for all the books and book-related things I know I will end up buying.
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!
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 a whole lot of books to 1115. I was looking for an ebook I wanted to read and discovered a whole bunch of ebooks that I had never put into Goodreads. I’m not sure how that happened since I thought I had got them all cataloged a few years ago, but at least they’re organized now.
This week’s books:
A Girl from Nowhere by James Maxwell – KEEP. Nothing in the synopsis is grabbing my attention, but it also sounds like it might be a good story overall. I’ll give it the 50-page test.
The Witch’s Kind by Louisa Morgan – KEEP. I don’t know if I’m at all right, but I’m getting Practical Magic vibes from this one. I’m hoping it will be as good.
A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin – KEEP. The synopsis starts by comparing this book to three different excellent stories, and that always makes me skeptical. I’m still going to give it a chance, but I will not be expecting great things.
The Girl in the Tree by Şebnem İşigüzel – KEEP. I don’t know how I feel about this one. It’s not what I normally read, and many of the reviews don’t inspire me to pick this one up, but I’m not ready to let it go just yet.
The First Mrs. Rothschild by Sara Aharoni – GO. I don’t know why exactly, but I’m not interested in reading this.
My want-to-read shelf is down one to 1114 books. I’m not sure about any of these books, and I don’t think the next post will be much different.
“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 New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver, MD
Big Damn Hero by Nancy Holder & James Lovegrove
Titanborn by Rhett C. Bruno
Total pages read this week: 287
Total books read: 42 of 80
TBR: -27 (Goal is -36)
My next few weekends will be busy and probably not very relaxing, though they’ll likely be fun. So, I’m doing only what I have to get done this weekend; other than that, I’ll be reading. I want to finish at least two books for the #SciFiSummer reading challenge. I’m also participating in #CampNetGalley and want to finish at least a couple of ARCs I’ve had on my TBR for far too long.
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!
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 1097 books. I finished a book, but bought a book and added a few others to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
The Killing Fog by Jeff Wheeler – GO. Nothing in the synopsis sparked my interest and I don’t remember how I got this ebook or why.
The Dalai Lama’s Cat and The Art of Purring by David Michie – KEEP. I loved The Dalai Lama’s Cat and look forward to reading this second book.
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown – KEEP. I don’t know about this one because I’ve already read another book by Brown that focused on vulnerability and I’m questioning how much more needs to be written about the topic by the same author. I’m going to keep it for now and think on it a little more later.
Now, Then, and Everywhen by Rysa Walker – KEEP. Time Travel Science Fiction is in my wheelhouse, and even though I don’t remember how I got this book or exactly when, it’s in my TBR and I’m happy about that!
The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy – KEEP. A story involving books set in Ireland? Why, yes, I believe I will keep that, thank you very much.
My want-to-read shelf is down one to 1096 books. I’m not sure about any of the books for the next post. Not even a little bit.
I’m only 5 lbs. from my goal weight and my clothes fit more comfortably. I also feel better and lighter and movement is easier. I WANT to move my body more, which is a big deal because exercise has never been something I enjoy.
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 one to 1093 books. I finished a couple of books but added a few books to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
Before the Broken Star by Emily R. King – GO. The synopsis sounds like this is a YA Romance disguised as Epic Fantasy. No, thanks.
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim – KEEP. I needed this book when I got it, and I still need it now.
Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim – KEEP. I don’t know if I realized it at the time, but this is another book by Sunim. I’m going to keep it for now and decide on whether or not to let it go after I read The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down.
No Walls and the Recurring Dream by Ani DiFranco – KEEP. I have loved Ani’s music since seeing her at my very first concert when I was 17. I still have the concert ticket. Her lyrics kept me going at a very rough and dark time in my life.
The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith – KEEP. I’m skeptical. This one will get the 50-page test.
My want-to-read shelf is back to 1092 books. I’m not 100% certain, but I might not be letting go of any books in the next post.
