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Down the TBR Hole #6

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 every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I skipped last week since I was participating in the 24 in 48 readathon, so I’m doing 10 books this week instead of only 5.  I currently have 575 books on my to-read shelf.  I owe the decrease almost entirely to the readathon, but also I found some books on the list that I had already removed from my collection but had forgotten to take off of Goodreads.

This week’s ten books:


The Lord of the Plains by Sarah Chapman – GO.  Meh.  I don’t know when I picked up this ebook, but I hope I didn’t pay anything for it.

Gods and Dragons – Keep.  I have no idea if any of these eight books will be any good, but I already own them, so I’m willing to give them a chance.

A Sea of Shields by Morgan Rice – GO.  I know I had to have picked this one up for free because there is no way I would have paid money for the 10th book in a series which I’ve never read.  I’m not interested in this one enough to read nine other books before finally getting to read it.

The Final Formula by Becca Andre – GO.  The synopsis makes me think this one will have me raising my eyebrows at a bunch of plot points that feel implausible, and I don’t have time for that crap.

Vigilante of Shadows by Miranda Stork – GO.  One word: Nope.
The Magic of Highland Dragons by Kella McKinnon – KEEP.  I don’t care how cheesy or romantic this book might end up being; it involves Highlanders 😉
The Rise of Mallory by Roy Huff – KEEP.  This is the 3rd book in the Everville series, so I’ll reassess whether or not to keep it after I read the 1st book.
The City of Worms by Roy Huff – KEEP.  Ditto for the 2nd book in the Everville series.
Birth of the Monster by Shane K.P. O’Neill – GO.  The synopsis says this is the prequel to The Dracula Chronicles series, but next to the title it says this is book 5.5.  Either way, I’m not interested.
Horseradish by Lemony Snicket – KEEP.  I LOVE A Series of Unfortunate Events so there’s no way I’m not reading this!
My to-read shelf is down to 570 books!  It will probably stay there for a week or two if it doesn’t grow since I already know I’ll be keeping several of the next books on the list.  I’ll start off next week with book #56.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

fitreaders-2017-1

  • This check-in is for July 21st – 27th.
  • This has been a crazy week that I don’t feel like talking about, but I did get a few miles of walking in for the Maurader’s Marathon.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Steps: 19,615/70,000
  • Miles: 8.06/35
  • Total Miles: 292.02
  • Active Minutes: 57/210
  • Days I Drank 80 ounces of Water: 6/7
  • Virtual 5Ks: 0/10
  • Total Money Donated: $2.81/$10.00

#24in48 – Final Update (Hour 48)

Published on by Rachelle

The 24 in 48 readathon is over, and while I didn’t read for 24 hours, I still see it as a success.  Below is my final update.

Final Update
The Boyfriend brought me home a chocolate croissant!  I also ended up taking a nap.  I’m already in bed thanks to having to be up early for a Doctor’s appointment before I go to work, so I didn’t read nearly as much as I wanted to today.  That’s ok because I still got a lot of reading done, and I finished FOUR books this weekend!
In the Middle of Reading:

  • The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore


Books Finished:

  • The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
  • The Ghost Ship by Diane Carey
  • 1984 by George Orwell

  
 
Pages Read: 143
Total Pages Read: 722
Time Read: 3 hours 43 minutes
Total Time Read: 16 hours and 26 minutes
I don’t know when the next 24 in 48 readathon is, but I will definitely be participating!

#24in48 – Update 3 (Hour 36)

Published on by Rachelle

Only 12 hours left of the 24 in 48 readathon!  Below is my update.

Update #3
I read for an hour before I went to bed last night, but I got up a bit late this morning.   I had the same breakfast as yesterday.  I’ll probably be grazing for the rest of today instead of eating regular meals while I try to get as much reading done between chores.  I already know I won’t make the goal of reading for 24 hours, even though I think I’ll get close.
Current Reads:

  • 1984 by George Orwell
  • The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore

 
 
Pages Read: 37
Total Pages Read: 579
Time Read: 1 hour 24 minutes
Total Time Read: 12 hours and 43 minutes
My final update will be at 11 pm Central time.  Happy reading!

#24in48 – Update 2 (Hour 24)

Published on by Rachelle

We’re now a whole day into the 24 in 48 readathon.  I’m off to bed, but below is my update.

Update #2
YAY!  I finally finished The Count of Monte Cristo!  That means I’m only one book away from completing half of my Classics Club list.
I found myself craving some super cheesy lasagna, so that’s exactly what I ate for dinner.  I also snacked on some peanut butter ice cream.  Other than that, I’ve been staying hydrated with lots of water.
Current Reads:

  • 1984 by George Orwell
  • The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore

 
Books Finished:

  • The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
  • The Ghost Ship by Diane Carey

  
Pages Read: 460
Total Pages Read: 542
Time Read: 8 hours 56 minutes
Total Time Read: 11 hours and 19 minutes
My next update will be at 11 am tomorrow.  I want to finish 1984 before I go to bed, but I also don’t want to stay up too late tonight.  Decisions, decisions.

#24in48 – Update 1 (Hour 12)

Published on by Rachelle

It’s hour 12 of the 24 in 48 readathon and here’s my first update!

Update #1
For breakfast, I had whole wheat toast with Irish butter, a yogurt, and a large cup of Earl Grey.  My lunch will be veggie tamales, black beans, Spanish rice, and a Cuban root beer called Iron Beer (It’s my all time fave soda and a very special treat).  My goal for today is at least 12 hours of reading, and compared to the last 24 in 48 readathon, I did a little better, time wise.
Current Read: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, which I’m determined to finish before the end of this weekend.

Pages Read: 82
Time Read: 2 hours and 23 minutes
My next update will be at 11 pm central time, and I will have much more to share!  See you then 🙂

#24in48 – Shh! I'm Trying to Sleep!

Published on by Rachelle

You Can't Read All Day
Though I won’t start reading until I get up in the morning, the readathon officially started at midnight EST.  I haven’t slept well for the past couple of nights, so I’m (hopefully) sound asleep as you’re reading this.  I’ll be posting updates every 12 hours throughout the weekend.
My TBR:

  • The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
  • 1984 by George Orwell
  • The Ghost Ship by Diane Carey
  • The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore
  • Allegiant by Veronica Roth

     
I’m determined to finish The Count of Monte Cristo this weekend, so I’ll be listening to the audiobook while I do my normal weekend chores.  I also want to get some more of the blanket I’ve been crocheting for the past several months finished.
For now, though, I’m happy to hang out in dream land.  See you in the morning! 🙂

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

fitreaders-2017-1

  • This check-in is for July 14th – 20th.
  • I haven’t been exercising much this week, but I did get a few miles of walking in for the Maurader’s Marathon.
  • As of yesterday, I’m on Stage 5 of the Appalachian Trail on Walking4Fun.  That means I’m no longer in Georgia, and about a mile into North Carolina.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Steps: 26,390/70,000
  • Miles: 10.87/35
  • Total Miles: 283.96
  • Active Minutes: 101/210
  • Days I Drank 80 ounces of Water: 7/7
  • Virtual 5Ks: 0/10
  • Total Money Donated: $2.74/$10.00

#24in48 Readathon!

Published on by Rachelle


Rachel is doing another #24in48 Readathon this weekend!  This is the Readathon that started it all for me.  I created this blog, a couple of designs ago and back when I was The Reading Wench, so I could better connect with such a great bookish community.  This will be my 4th 24 in 48!  I love it because I can read for 24 hours without the sleep deprivation 🙂
Goals:

  • My plan never goes just how I want it to, but I’m hoping to get at least 14 hours of reading in on Saturday and then finish up the remaining hours on Sunday.  Regardless, the ultimate goal is to read for 24 hours over the weekend.
  • Finish three books for #ShelfLove, #COYER Summer, and my #SciFiSummer reading challenge.  Since I’m already in the middle of The Ghost Ship and almost done with Parable of the Sower, this shouldn’t be too difficult to accomplish.

TBR:
All of the book covers are linked to Goodreads.

  • The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
  • 1984 by George Orwell
  • The Ghost Ship by Diane Carey
  • The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore
  • Allegiant by Veronica Roth
  •      

Sign ups are still open.  Are you participating in the 24 in 48 Readathon?

Down the TBR Hole #5

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 every week until I’ve filtered out my entire TBR.  I currently have 591 books on my to-read shelf.  The pile grew again while I was writing this post because I discovered how many other volumes of the Penny Dreadful Multipack there are, and I want to have them all.  It would have been 592, but I started reading The Ghost Ship by Diane Carey for #COYER Summer and #SciFiSummer.

This week’s five books:


The Great Darkening by R.G. Triplett – GO.  I don’t know when I picked up this ebook, but I hope I didn’t pay anything for it because I have no interest in reading it.

A Quest of Heroes by Morgan Rice – GO.  I hope I didn’t pay for this one either because the whole story is told in the synopsis and it’s the stereotypical “young man leaves his rural home in seek of glory” type of Fantasy story.  It even has a powerful sword awaiting the chosen one.  As much as I love the Arthurian legends, this book sounds like too much of a highly derivative and overly long tale that will bore me to death before I finish it.

A Tide of Shadows by Tom Bielawski – GO.  Holy Moly, I’m so glad I stopped my bad habit of one-clicking ebooks!  I hope I don’t have many more of these Fantasy stories that all sound the same in my TBR.

Penny Dreadful Multipack Vol. 3 by Robert Louis Stevenson, Eugène Sue, and Charles Collins – KEEP.  I LOVE Penny Dreadfuls, and while I’ve already read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I haven’t read the other stories in this volume.  I hope I’m able to get to them in October.

Fell’s Hollow by A.J. Abbiati – KEEP.  I’m going to hold onto this one for now since I already own it and the synopsis is interesting.  However, I’m concerned that it says “An Episodic Novel” on the cover and there’s no indication that this is a series on Goodreads.  From my understanding “episodic novels” are like tv series in that you get a small part of the story in each book.  This one is over 300 pages, though, so maybe it’s just written as episodes?
So, my to-read shelf is back up to 588 books!  Will it ever get any smaller?  I’ll be starting off next week with book #46.