Category: The Book Fort

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

• Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
• The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
• Firestarter by Stephen King

Finished:

• God’s Hammer by Eric Schumacher

Total pages read this week: 249

Total books read: 70 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -17

#ShelfLove Challenge: 38 of 51

This week I got approved for the two-bedroom townhome apartment, and I’ve been busy figuring out what stuff I’ll need that I don’t already have and then finding those items online and creating a wish list. While I’ll definitely have to prioritize the needs over the wants, I discovered that there are a ton of things from bedding to area rugs with dinosaurs on them! I’m not talking about children’s bedroom/playroom cartoonish stuff, but modern and stylish “grown up” home decor! I could quite literally decorate my entire home in dinosaurs! However, I will probably stick to my bedroom and bathroom, maybe the dining room. I already have other ideas for my office and living room, and I’m not sure what I’ll do with the kitchen. I also found some bookish decor that I definitely want.

Prior to my excitement about being able to decorate my new home however I want, I was feeling very down about the whole situation, from how much money I was going to have to spend just to move into the place, to how much I’m downsizing and not being sure how I will fit all my stuff into roughly 900 square feet. I have no idea where I will put all of my books. I may not have enough room for all of them and might have to keep at least some of them in boxes. While all of this is still a bit annoying or upsetting, I’m doing my best to focus on the positive aspects. Besides not having to compromise on decor, I will finally have my own bathroom, and I won’t have anyone annoyed with me for leaving my tea mug on the counter by the kitchen sink. Speaking of tea mugs – I will be able to have as many of them as I want, instead of having to confine them to one small cabinet, and I’ve already chosen a mug I want to get as a sort of house warming gift to myself.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

• Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
• The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
• God’s Hammer by Eric Schumacher
• Firestarter by Stephen King

Finished:

• The Bookseller of Inverness by S.G. MacLean

Total pages read this week: 801

Total books read: 69 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -15

#ShelfLove Challenge: 37 of 51

Most of my reading happened on Sunday and Monday because I needed to return The Bookseller of Inverness to the library. For the rest of the week, I spent a lot of my free time looking for an apartment, and I submitted my application for a two bedroom townhome yesterday. I’ll hopefully have a move-in date by sometime next week so I can start getting quotes from moving companies. In the meantime, I’m going to do my best to relax and read this weekend. I would like to finish at least one book by Monday.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

• Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
• The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
• God’s Hammer by Eric Schumacher
• The Bookseller of Inverness by S.G. MacLean

Finished:

• The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

Total pages read this week: 358

Total books read: 67 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -16

#ShelfLove Challenge: 37 of 51

The major life-changing event I’m going through is my relationship of twelve years has ended and I will soon be moving out of the house we’ve been living in for a little more than four years. I’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster since we made the decision to split, but I know I will eventually be OK. I’ve already packed up about a quarter of my books, and set aside several books that I want to read over the next couple of months. Other than those, I’ll be reading books from the library.

On a much brighter note, this weekend is the Columbus Book Festival. I’m going to try my best to not buy a lot of books that I will only end up having to pack, but I know I’ll end up buying at least a couple.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

• Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
• The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
• The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
• God’s Hammer by Eric Schumacher

Finished:

• The Dead Zone by Stephen King

Total pages read this week: 512

Total books read: 66 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -15

#ShelfLove Challenge: 37 of 51

I’m going through a major life-changing event right now that I’m not yet ready to share here, but it’s going to mean I may need to take a break from blogging, and I don’t know how long of a break I’ll need. I might only need to go down to one post a week, but I haven’t decided on much of anything just yet.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

• The Dead Zone by Stephen King
• Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
• The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
• The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
• God’s Hammer by Eric Schumacher

Finished:

• Between Jobs by W.R. Gingell

Total pages read this week: 359

Total books read: 65 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -13

#ShelfLove Challenge: 36 of 51

This week has been a lot easier than the previous one. I only had a couple of rough days in regards to lingering side effects from the medication I was on, and I was able to get back into my normal routines for the most part. My plan for this weekend is to do another tech-free 24 hours (starting in about an hour) and use that time to read as much as I want. I have a lot of library books that I want to read before they’re due back, and I would also like to finish the physical books I’m currently reading. Frankly, I just need a low-key, laid back weekend, and I’m determined to give that to myself.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

• The Dead Zone by Stephen King
• Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
• The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
• The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
• Between Jobs by W.R. Gingell

Finished:

• Cat About Town by Cate Conte

Total pages read this week: 335

Total books read: 64 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -11

#ShelfLove Challenge: 35 of 51

One of the medications I’ve been on (and am happily done with now) has caused quite a few unpleasant side effects. I have been pain free most of the time, though, so I’m glad it did it’s job. I’ve also had an extremely stressful week thanks to one of my two fur babies getting sick while my boyfriend had been out of town and I had to handle all of that on my own along with the side effects of the medication. Since I wasn’t 100% sure which of the cats was actually sick, I had to wrangle both of them to the vet and back, which was not fun for any of us to say the least. It turns out Raith (my younger fur child) was the one who was sick, but we still don’t know what it was. He’s on a special diet and taking probiotics, and seems to be back to his normal self now (He’s not a snuggler by nature). But, yes, it’s been a rough week.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

• The Dead Zone by Stephen King
• Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW
• Cat About Town by Cate Conte
• The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
• The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

Finished:

• The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate
• Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire

Total pages read this week: 565

Total books read: 63 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -10

#ShelfLove Challenge: 34 of 51

I had appointments with my Primary Care Doctor and a Neurosurgeon this week, and I have a lot of hope now that I will be ok. There is a lot of damage in my neck, but there are a lot of non-surgical options to help me with managing my pain, and possibly getting rid of it entirely, as long as I’m willing to do the work. I’ll be going to physical therapy, and I’m on a couple of short-term medications to get me through the worst of it. If those don’t work, we’ll try some other treatments. So far, the medications do seem to be working, and I’ll also be continuing to try out the things I’m learning from Mind Your Body as well as the author’s podcast, “The Cure for Chronic Pain.”

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

• The Dead Zone by Stephen King
• The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate
• Mind Your Body by Nicole J. Sachs, LCSW

Finished:

• The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living by Mary E. Kingsley

Total pages read this week: 562

Total books read: 61 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -9

#ShelfLove Challenge: 33 of 51

My neck, shoulder, and arm pain still persists, but I occasionally have a few hours here and there when it either goes away entirely or lessens enough to be ignorable. I enjoy those moments as much as I can. This morning, though I’m in a bit of pain, I’m determined to go to one of the farmers’ markets near where I live. I’m very much looking forward to getting a coffee from Mosaic, a local roaster, and a scone from one of the local bakeries. Farm-fresh eggs are also on my list as the dozen my boyfriend and I bought last time were better and less expensive than any we could buy at the grocery store.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

• The Dead Zone by Stephen King
• The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living by Mary E. Kingsley
• The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate

Finished:

• Friends with Bunny Feets by Andrew Seiple
• Disenchanted by Robert Kroese

Total pages read this week: 450

Total books read: 59 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -9

#ShelfLove Challenge: 33 of 51

I’m still in constant pain, and no medications, exercises, or other treatments are working well enough to make much of a difference; however, a couple of months ago I bought tickets to the Pop Cats Convention because CATS, of course, but also because Lydia Sherrer, author of the “Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus” series will be there! It’s this weekend, and I’ve done everything I can think of to help me get there and through what should be a fun and hopefully distracting-from-the-pain day. The only rule is that I’m not allowed to be adopted by another cat, as we’re staying a two-cat family for now.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

• Friends with Bunny Feets by Andrew Seiple
• Disenchanted by Robert Kroese
• The Dead Zone by Stephen King
• The Lady Farmer Guide to Slow Living by Mary E. Kingsley

Finished:

• Life’s Short, Talk Fast ed. by Ann Hood
• Where Books Fall Open by Bascove
• An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris

Total pages read this week: 749

Total books read: 57 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -6

#ShelfLove Challenge: 31 of 51

I ended up at Urgent Care yesterday morning after waking up with a whole lot of pain in my shoulder. After a trip to radiology, the doctor did not have good news and referred me to a neurosurgeon. I’ve been trying really hard to stay positive since I’ve already been living with Degenerative Disc Disease in my lower back for well over a decade and have managed that fairly well without surgery. However, my mind keeps going to all of the things I loved to do that I can’t anymore, and all of the things that I might have to quit doing now. I know it could be worse, and I know there are so many other people in the world who are worse off than me, but that doesn’t change the fact that once again my daily life and my ability to be independent are being limited. Perhaps I’ll be in a more positive frame of mind when I can get a good night’s sleep that isn’t constantly interrupted by pain.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!