#BoutofBooks 41!

Published on by Rachelle
Bout of Books

The Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01 am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are reading sprints, daily Discord questions, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For all Bout of Books 41 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

I haven’t participated in “Bout of Books” in several years, and I sadly learned that this one will be the last. They’ve moved most of the activities to Discord, which I don’t use (it gives me flashbacks to IRC chat rooms from the 90s) so I’ll only be participating in the actual readathon by reading as much as possible instead of doing other things like watching TV. I’ll mostly be finishing the books I’ve been reading, all of which I’m nearly at the halfway point.

My Goals

  • Read.  Read.  Read.
  • Finish at least 3 books.

Books to Read

  • Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
  • The Undays of Aralias Lyons by K.L. Horvath
  • A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke
  • Another book from my TBR.

Updates

Unlike past Bout of Books readathons, I will only be posting a wrap-up at the end instead of a daily update.

Are you participating in Bout of Books? Let me know in the comments!

Down the TBR Hole #164

Published on by Rachelle
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads want-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?
My shelf is holding steady at 1129 books. I was pretty busy this past week and didn’t finish any books.
This week’s books:

The Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton – KEEP. The zombie apocalypse from the perspective of a “foul-mouthed” crow? Yes, please, and thank you!

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas – KEEP. This appears to be a “Peter Pan” retelling of sorts, but darker, and that sounds interesting to me.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson – KEEP. This story involves libraries full of books about sorcery and one of the characters has a demonic servant of some kind. It sounds like it might be adjacent to the “dark academia” subgenre, and I’m down for that.

Un Lun Dun by China Miéville – KEEP. I’ve wanted to read this book for a long time. I have a feeling it’s going to be nothing like I’ve read before.

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay – KEEP. I’m highly skeptical about this one thanks to not enjoying The Brontë Plot. I will give it a chance, but I will ditch it in a heartbeat if it starts veering in the same direction.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1129 books. I knew I wasn’t likely to get rid of any of this week’s books, but I’m not sure about the next ones.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for August 4th – 10th.
  • I got so busy this week that I forgot about the Summer Charity Challenge. I also walked around so much yesterday that I hurt my foot. I think it’s one of the tendons, but regardless, I will be resting today.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 48,863
  • Miles: 19.72/15.34
  • Total Miles: 505.18/800
  • Plank Time: 3/120 minutes
  • Zone Minutes: 83/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

“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
  • Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine
  • Metatropolis ed. by John Scalzi
  • Packing for Mars by Mary Roach

Total pages read this week: 355

Total books read: 52 of 80

TBR: -12 (Goal is -36)

I got up early this morning to get on the road for the “Wands and Wizards” festival. Many of the local businesses participating had nothing to do with anything related to the wizarding world (one place literally had one “Harry Potter” item for sale in their entire store), but the places that did legitimately join in the fun made the 45-minute drive worth it. I was simultaneously tired and wired by the time I finally decided to head home thanks to all of the sugar, caffeine, and walking.

The best shop there

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

Down the TBR Hole #163

Published on by Rachelle
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads want-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?
My shelf is up quite a few books to 1129. I discovered a bunch of Horror books missing from my TBR when I was rearranging my physical bookshelves and planning for #RIP.
This week’s books:

The Mighty Manligator by Patrick E. McLean – KEEP. So far, I have loved everything that McLean has written.

The Book by Keith Houston – KEEP. This has been on my wishlist for a very long time. The problem is that I have so many books about books that I haven’t read yet. Eventually, I will buy this book, add it to my collection, and hopefully read it, too.

The Book Jumper by Mechthild Gläser – KEEP. Stories about being able to enter books are in my wheelhouse, and I will buy them automatically.

John Winchester’s Journal by Alex Irvine – KEEP. I’m glad “Supernatural” got a real ending, but that doesn’t mean I want it to be over. I hope to pick this one up during this year’s #RIP.

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix – KEEP. Hendrix is an auto-buy author to me, and there’s no way I’m not reading this one.
My want-to-read shelf is holding steady at 1129 books. I was right that I wouldn’t let go of any of this week’s books. I don’t think I’ll get rid of any of the books in the next post, either.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for July 28th – August 3rd.
  • I decided to sign up for the Summer Charity Challenge, which started August 1st and ends September 30th. The challenge is to do at least 120 minutes of planks. I’m already behind a little, but I’ll be doing a minute or so of planks throughout today to try to catch up.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 40,203
  • Miles: 16.31/15.34
  • Total Miles: 485.46/800
  • Plank Time: 3/120 minutes
  • Zone Minutes: 62/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

“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
  • Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine
  • Metatropolis ed. by John Scalzi

Finished:

  • Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Total pages read this week: 525

Total books read: 52 of 80

TBR: -15 (Goal is -36)

I only need to finish one more book for the #SciFiSummer reading challenge to become a Time Lord. I also only need to finish one more book to keep me on track for both of my goals, assuming I can stop myself from buying any more books this month.

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

Down the TBR Hole #162

Published on by Rachelle
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads want-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?
My shelf is down a few books to 1115. I finished a few books over the weekend.
This week’s books:

The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday – KEEP. I’ve always felt that Stoicism is similar to Buddhist philosophy, though I’m probably wrong. I’m going to read this book at some point so I can find out.

Atomic Habits by James Clear – KEEP. I’ve got some bad habits I would love to change into good habits, and I’ve heard this book is excellent for teaching how to do that. Now I just have to get myself to read it.

The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker – KEEP. I’ve read a lot of books on Minimalism and decluttering, and I do so because, even though I already know the information, they remind me of what I’m working towards and why. Also, every time I read another book on the subject, I end up getting rid of a ton of stuff from my home; usually stuff that I felt I needed to keep during the previous decluttering.

Digital Legacy by Daniel Sieberg and Rickard Steiber – KEEP. This is a short book about how to manage digital assets, such as social media accounts, in terms of what we want to have happen to all that stuff when we die. I’m interested to see if there’s anything I missed when I had my Will written, or if there’s a better way to make sure my digital life is handled after I’m gone.

Habit Stacking by S.J. Scott – KEEP. I’m not sure about this one, but I’ll give it a shot.
My want-to-read shelf is holding steady at 1115 books. I didn’t think I would keep most of these, let alone all of them. In the next post, I don’t think I’ll be getting rid of any of the books. We shall see.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for July 21st – 27th.
  • I had Friday off, and I’ve done next to nothing for the past couple of days other than a few chores around the house, rearranging a couple of my bookshelves, and a whole lot of reading while one of my cats turned me into furniture. It’s been great, but today I’m getting back into my normal routines. Next week’s stats should look much better.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 34,839
  • Miles: 14.15/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 17.69/100
  • Total Miles: 469.15/800
  • Zone Minutes: 44/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

“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
  • Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
  • Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine
  • Metatropolis ed. by John Scalzi

Finished:

  • Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
  • One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde
  • Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Total pages read this week: 1274

Total books read: 51 of 80

TBR: -22 (Goal is -36)

The books I’ve been reading for the #SciFiSummer reading challenges have been exactly the kind of SciFi I love!

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