Author: Rachelle

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XIV

Published on by Rachelle8 Comments


The R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril challenge, otherwise known as R.I.P. takes place every September 1st through October 31st.
The purpose of the R.I.P. challenge is to enjoy books that could be classified as Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, or Supernatural.
There are multiple levels of participation (Perils):

  • Peril the First – Read four books, any length, that fit the definition of R.I.P. literature.
  • Peril the Second – Read two books of any length.
  • Peril the Third – This Peril involves reading one book.
  • Peril of the Short Story – You can read short stories any time during the challenge.
  • Peril on the Screen – This is for those of us who like to watch suitably scary, eerie, mysterious, Gothic fare during this time of year. It may be something on the small screen or large.
  • Peril of the Review – Submit a short review of any book you read.

This year, I’ll be doing Peril the First, Peril of the Short Story, Peril on the Screen, and Peril of the Review if I find some time.  I’ve got a huge list of books on Goodreads for me to choose from for this event, the Something Wicked Fall challenge, and the 24-Hour Readathon happening in October.

Down the TBR Hole #70

Published on by Rachelle
Image: hjl

Down the TBR Hole was started by Lia over at Lost in a Story.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

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?

I will be repeating this process until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.

My TBR pile is down to 670 books, thanks to all the reading I accomplished during Bout of Books!

This week’s books:

At Odds with Destiny by Various Authors – GO.  This is an ebook of books, but it’s mislabeled as book one of a trilogy. I already own one of the books, The Luck of the Weissensteiners by Christoph Fischer, and most of the others don’t sound interesting.

Spirited Away by Maggie Plummer- GO. I try not to judge books by their cover, but what is going on with this one?! Is it a man holding a pregnant woman’s stomach, a woman holding her own pregnant stomach, or something else entirely? Then there’s the synopsis, which is also a confusing mess.  I stopped reading it after the poorly written review that was supposedly from “Publisher’s Weekly.”

The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids by Michael McClung – KEEP.  I’m always skeptical of self-published books.  However, this one won a Fantasy blog-off against 267 other self-published books and it has really good reviews.  I’m still skeptical, but I’m willing to give it the 50 page test. The Unwilling Adventurer by Heidi Willard – GO.  The synopsis seemed too good to be true, so I checked some of the reviews, and sure enough, the majority of them are 3 stars and below. I don’t have time in my life for books that are only so-so.

Anais of Brightshire by Jamie Wilson – KEEP. I was initially drawn to this freebie by the title.  The synopsis gives me the impression that the book will have a 50/50 chance of being great or a total dud.  I’m willing to try it.

My TBR pile is down to 667 books. I’ll probably be getting rid of more next week, and since this is a 3-day weekend, I might even be starting the post out with fewer books on the pile.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for August 23rd – 29th.
  • I finally got in to see my doctor about my back.  It’s continuing to get better, but she is going to have me go to physical therapy.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 4/5
  • Steps: 35,512
  • Miles: 14.60
  • Total Miles: 469.54
  • Active Minutes: 159

Monday's Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.
Currently Reading:

  • Legend by Marie Lu
  • Press Start to Play ed. by Daniel H. Wilson and John Joseph Adams
  • The Witches of New York by Ami McKay


Finished:

  • The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
  • Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
  • Strange Magic by Syd Moor


Total pages read this week: 1227
Total books for the year: 50 of 60. Last week was Bout of Books 26.  I finished my 50th book on Saturday, which was my original goal for the year, so I upped my goal to 60.  At the rate I’ve been reading, I might have to increase it again, but I’m not sure.

#BoutofBooks – Day 7 and Wrap-Up

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment

Bout of Books
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 26 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
I didn’t even pick up Press Start to Play, ed. by Daniel H. Wilson and John Joseph Adams yesterday.  Instead, I got distracted by another book, The Witches of New York by Ami McKay.
  • Time Read: 56 minutes
  • Pages Read: 45
  • Books Finished: 0
  • Total Number of Books Read: 3

Overall, this has been my best Bout of Books in quite awhile.  I finished 3 books, read for over 1,000 pages and for nearly 24 hours.

#BoutofBooks – Day 6

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment

Bout of Books
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 26 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
I finished Strange Magic by Syd Moor, and then read a few more stories in Press Start to Play, ed. by Daniel H. Wilson and John Joseph Adams.  I doubt that I’ll be able to finish Press Start to Play by the end of Bout of Books, but I’m hoping that I’ll get close.
  • Time Read: 2 hours 28 minutes
  • Pages Read: 119
  • Books Finished: 1
  • Total Number of Books Read: 3

#BoutofBooks – Day 5

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment

Bout of Books
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 26 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
I nearly finished Strange Magic by Syd Moor yesterday.  I have about 20 pages left, which I will finish today.
  • Time Read: 4 hours 20 minutes
  • Pages Read: 208
  • Books Finished: 0
  • Total Number of Books Read: 2

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for August 16th – 22nd.
  • Since my back is still hurt, I haven’t been doing very much of anything, but I did returned to work this week.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 15,593
  • Miles: 6.41
  • Total Miles: 454.94
  • Active Minutes: 52

#BoutofBooks – Day 4

Published on by Rachelle

Bout of Books
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 26 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
I dipped into Strange Magic by Syd Moor every chance I got yesterday.  I’m glad today is Friday since that means I’ll have more time to read after work and then the whole weekend 🙂
  • Time Read: 2 hours 24 minutes
  • Pages Read: 96
  • Books Finished: 0
  • Total Number of Books Read: 2

#BoutofBooks – Day 3

Published on by Rachelle

Bout of Books
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 26 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
I went back to work yesterday, even though I wasn’t sure if I would make it through the whole day.  However, I also got a chair massage in the afternoon, and was feeling so much better afterward that I walked up the street to a bookstore that is attached to a Peet’s and bought a book, Strange Magic by Syd Moor, and a Hibiscus Tea Fog (so yummy!).  I had intended on only reading a couple of pages on my bus ride home, but I got sucked in, and now I’m 64 pages in and on chapter five.
  • Time Read: 1 hours 20 minutes
  • Pages Read: 64
  • Books Finished: 0
  • Total Number of Books Read: 2