Category: Uncategorized

Down the TBR Hole #31

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 up to 722 books thanks to adding a couple more books to my wish list .

This week’s five books:


All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque – KEEP.  I remember seeing a film adaptation of this book when I was in high school, and I’ve wanted to read the book ever since.  I own the paperback, and yet still haven’t gotten around to reading it.  Probably because I know how difficult it will be for me.

My Ántonia by Willa Cather – KEEP.  This is one of those books that has been sitting on my self because I keep forgetting what it’s about.  Then I re-read the synopsis, remember why I want to read it, and put it back on the shelf to read at some other time.

Audrey’s Guide to Witchcraft by Jody Gehrman – KEEP.  I’m skeptical about this one, but I’m willing to give it a shot since I already own the ebook.

Insanity by Cameron Jace- GO.  The synopsis is absolutely ridiculous.  Good-bye.

Fing by Papa G. – GO.  Another ridiculous synopsis for another free ebook I picked up years ago.  Buh-bye!
My to-read shelf is back down to 720 books.  Unless a miracle happens, I highly doubt that number will go down before next Saturday.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

  • This check-in is for June 29th – July 5th.
  • I recently tried another exercise app, The Walk, by Six to Start, the creators of the Zombies, Run! app, and so far I like it.  My only complaint is that it doesn’t have the music feature that Zombies, Run! has.
  • In addition to my morning workouts, I managed to get over 10K steps on two separate days this week!  Hoofing it from place to place is becoming easier and more enjoyable now that I’m getting some much needed strength training.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.

 

  • Workouts: 6/6
  • Steps: 35,685
  • Miles: 14.63
  • Total Miles: 372.13
  • Active Minutes: 282/210

Down the TBR Hole #30

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 still sitting at 721 books.

This week’s five books:


P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern – GO.  I saw the movie adaptation years ago, and really enjoyed it.  I got the paperback, thinking that it would be even better.  However, after reading reviews stating that just about everything was changed for the movie, I’m going to have to let this one go.

Cannonbridge by Jonathan Barnes – KEEP.  I’m horrified by the fact that I haven’t read this one yet.  Why?  Because this is one of the first ARCs I received through Netgalley.  Not only that, but I also own the trade paperback!  I’m going to make a point of picking this one up before the end of #COYER.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck – KEEP.  This is another book that I feel the need to finally get around to reading this Summer.

Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer- KEEP.  Here’s another one of which I’ve seen the movie adaptation first.  However, I’m still going to read it.  I feel like this book should be read during the Winter, though.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens – KEEP.  Why have I not read this yet?! *Sigh*
My to-read shelf is down to 720 books.  Hopefully I don’t find anymore books to add before next Saturday! 😉

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

  • This check-in is for June 22nd – 28th.
  • It’s taken me a long time to find something that not only works for me but that I WANT to stick to doing.  That is the workout program in the book Zombies, Run! Keeping Fit and Living Well in the Current Zombie Emergency by Naomi Alderman.

  • I suppose it makes sense that I would love the book since the Zombies, Run! app was often the only thing that would get me out of the office to go walking during my breaks.
  • While I’ll still be tracking my steps, miles, and active minutes, my focus will be on my new goal of doing my workouts each day.  Since I didn’t start until Monday, I’m short of my new goal by 2 days.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.

 

  • Workouts: 4/6
  • Steps: 15,609
  • Miles: 6.39
  • Total Miles: 357.50
  • Active Minutes: 55

Down the TBR Hole #29

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 up to 721 books.  Though I finished a couple of books on my Nook over the past week I added several more to my wish list.

This week’s five books:


The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir – KEEP.  I will tackle this beast of a book some day.

The Complete Stories by Franz Kafka – KEEP.  I enjoyed “The Metamorphosis” and was interested enough in Kafka’s life to want to read his other work.  I also own copies of his novels, Amerika and The Trial.

Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi – KEEP.  I’m skeptical but intrigued, and since I already own a physical copy, I’ll go ahead and keep it for now.

The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens- KEEP.  I love Dickens, especially during the Winter.  There’s no way I’m getting rid of this one.

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory – KEEP.  I know a lot about Henry VIII, but other than Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, I don’t know much about his various wives.  I’m willing to keep this one for that reason.
My to-read shelf is stuck at 721 books, but that will hopefully change as I continue to clear out my Nook.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

  • This check-in is for June 15th – 21st.
  • I’ve decided to no longer track how much money my activity is accruing for donation through Plus3.  It’s such a tiny amount that I no longer feel it’s worth my time to check every week.  I’m keeping my FitBit connected so that my activity continues to go towards charity, but I won’t be including the amount in my check-ins anymore.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.

 

  • Steps: 29,148/56,000
  • Miles: 12.07/25
  • Total Miles: 351.11
  • Active Minutes: 186/210

Down the TBR Hole #28

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 718 books.  I finished 3 more books on my Nook over the past week and removed several others that were complete garbage I had downloaded for free, probably without even reading the synopsis.  I’m so glad I don’t do that anymore.  Just because it’s free and an ebook doesn’t mean it’s worth having in my collection and bloating my TBR.

This week’s five books:


Gardens in the Dunes by Leslie Marmon Silko – KEEP.  This in another book I found in the gift shop at the Indian Pueblo Culture Center.

Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko – KEEP.  The Boyfriend got this for me years ago as part of a Birthday present.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis – KEEP.  This was recommended to me by the Boyfriend’s Aunt, along with the 1st book, Doomsday Book.

The Queen’s Fool by Philippa Gregory- KEEP.  Though this one is set during the reign of Elizabeth I, it’s not centered around her but a fictional character.  I’m much more likely to be able to handle that, unlike The Virgin’s Lover, which I tossed out last week.

Ethan Frome and Selected Stories by Edith Wharton – KEEP.  I’m keeping this one for the Classics Club since it’s fairly short and I only have a little over a year to finish my list.
My to-read shelf is holding steady  718 books, but I’m sure it will only be decreasing over the Summer as I clear out my Nook for COYER, Sci-Fi Summer, and the NEWTs reading challenge.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

  • This check-in is for June 8th – 14th.
  • I’m back to taking every opportunity I can to walk and it feels great.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.

 

  • Steps: 33,587/56,000
  • Miles: 13.79/25
  • Total Miles: 339.04
  • Active Minutes: 209/210
  • Total Money Donated: $0.93/$5.00

Down the TBR Hole #27

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 723 books.  I finished Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield, a book that I’ve owned since 2011!  I also decided to remove books from my TBR that are purely cookbooks or instructional craft books since I don’t read them in the same way as most other books.

This week’s five books:


The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon – KEEP.  “Books, libraries, and newspapers have at last become things of the past.” WHOA!  I need to read this!

Around the World with Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis – KEEP.  Auntie Mame kind of annoys me and I cringe when a certain someone I know says she aspires to be like this iconic character.  However, I find myself wanting to find out what antics she gets up to in this sequel.  It’s also a fairly short book and I already own it, so why not?

The Virgin’s Lover by Philippa Gregory – GO.  The English History course I took in college ruined this for me.  I know too much about Queen Elizabeth I to not roll my eyes at every non-factual bit in this book.

Poisoned Pens ed. by Gary Dexter – KEEP.  The idea of a book full of authors insulting each other sounds too fun to pass up.  The only fear I have is that I will come across an insult about a favorite author by another favorite author.

What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund – KEEP.  The subject of this book fascinates me, so there’s no way I’m getting rid of it.
My to-read shelf is down one to 722 books.  COYER started today and Sci-Fi Summer starts in less than 2 weeks, so I’m hoping that number will continue to decrease.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

  • This check-in is for June 1st – 7th.
  • I’ve been taking it easy on knee this week so I shifted my focus to doing yoga.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.

 

  • Steps: 23,161/56,000
  • Miles: 9.51/25
  • Total Miles: 325.25
  • Active Minutes: 132/210
  • Total Money Donated: $0.90/$5.00