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 a couple of books to 1102. I finished an audiobook, but I also bought a few books.
This week’s books:
Trial by Fire by Sabine C. Bauer – KEEP. This book has been on my wishlist for a couple of years now; ever since my boyfriend and I rewatched the series on Netflix.
Nightfall by Daniel Barnett – KEEP. This is the first part in a serial, and though I usually don’t bother with serials, “Nightmareland” has six parts. Most serials fizzle out after a couple of parts, so I’ll give this one a chance.
Prosper’s Demon by K.J. Parker – KEEP. If I remember correctly, this was a recommendation from an episode of the “Reading Glasses” podcast several years ago.
A River in Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa – KEEP. There don’t seem to be a lot of stories from the people who lived in and escaped from North Korea.
As Good as True by Cheryl Reid – GO. I don’t remember when or why I got this book, but I’m assuming I got it for free. Regardless, I’m not interested at all.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1101 books. The next post will be full of free ebooks I picked up over the years, and I think I’ll be getting rid of at least a couple of them.
I tried a few of my old yoga DVDs that are supposed to be for beginners, but either they didn’t mention any modifications for difficult poses or I didn’t enjoy them. I might try some YouTube videos, so if you have any recommendations, please leave a comment.
I haven’t had much trouble cutting added sugars from my diet, and so far, I’ve been able to get most or all of my daily fiber. I don’t officially start the Belly Fat Blast challenge until May 1st, but getting some practice and building a habit of tracking my nutrition has helped me figure out what I will need to work on to be successful.
“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
10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
The Galveston Diet by May Claire Haver, MD
Unlock Your Menopause Type by Heather Hirsch
Better Off Read by Nora Page
Finished:
Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter
Total pages read this week: 580
Total books read: 28 of 80
TBR: -14 (Goal is -36)
I’m trying to read as much as I can about Perimenopause and Menopause before I have an appointment with my primary care doctor next week, so other than audiobooks, I’m not reading much Fiction lately. I hope I’ll finish The Borrowers by the end of the month, though.
What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!
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 book to 1100. I finished a couple of books, but I also bought an ebook.
This week’s books:
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware – KEEP. This book sounds like the perfect #RIP read.
Cuba ed. by Ann Louise Bardach – KEEP. I bought this over a decade ago, and though I’ve read a few of the short stories in it, I never finished it.
Voices in the Snow by Darcy Coates – KEEP. I’ve read 3 other books by Coates, and only one was a dud. I’ll keep this one for now since there’s more than a 50% chance I’ll enjoy it.
The Whole Five Feet by Christopher R. Beha – KEEP. I’ve had this book on my wishlist for several years and still haven’t bought it, mostly because I haven’t found it in any bookstore, new or used. I might check it out from my library.
Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation by Noel Riley Fitch – KEEP. This is another book that has been on my wishlist for years because I haven’t been able to find it in any bookstore. Unfortunately, it’s not available at my library, either, so at some point I’ll have to try to buy it online.
My want-to-read shelf is steady at 1100 books. My prediction last week that I would keep all of the books in this week’s post was correct. I predict that I’ll let go of a couple of books in the next post.
In my quest to help myself manage perimenopause while continuing to build healthy habits, I came across a book, The Galveston Diet by Mary Claire Haver, MD. I went on her website and discovered “The ‘Pause Life”, her blog and online community for all things related to menopause and women’s health.
While checking out the resources on “The ‘Pause Life”, I came across the four-week “Belly Fat Challenge” and decided to try it. Instead of jumping straight into the Galveston Diet, I’m using the month of May to do the challenge. Until then, I’m slowly adjusting my diet to include more fiber, continuing to limit my sugar, and planning how to get the amount of exercise I need to complete the challenge.
I’m also considering adding restorative yoga and meditation to my evening routine since the challenge also calls for reducing stress. Doing those activities might also help with my sleep issues, but even if they don’t, neither is harmful so it’s worth trying.
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 book to 1101. I finished several books during the readathon on Saturday, but I also discovered a bunch of books on my shelves that had not been added to my Goodreads.
This week’s books:
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson – KEEP. This book is one of those that I would accidentally buy a second copy if I didn’t have Goodreads to tell me I already own it.
Alcatraz from Inside by Jim Quillen – KEEP. I bought this and the following books while I was visiting Alcatraz.
Bird Man by Jolene Babyak – KEEP. The book above mentions daily encounters with the “Bird Man,” and this book is written by someone who lived on the island and knew Robert Stroud.
Acatraz Believe it or Not by T.C. Bakker – KEEP. I mostly got this one just for fun.
Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell – KEEP. I want to read this book because of the title. I don’t know why, but I love it. Hopefully, I’ll enjoy the book as much as the title.
My want-to-read shelf is steady at 1101 books. I thought I might get rid of several books this week, but was wrong. I think I’ll keep all of the books in the next post, so we’ll see if I’m wrong again.
I began looking at all of the symptoms I’ve been dealing with for the past couple of weeks. While stress is a contributing factor, I’m thinking that I might be in perimenopause. I started considering this when I started having night sweats, so I checked out a book about it from the library. I discovered a whole bunch more symptoms I had been having that I didn’t realize were also signs of perimenopause.
To help me track my symptoms and figure out what triggers them or makes them worse, I found a free app called Balance. I linked to their website because there’s another app with the same name but for mindfulness and meditation.
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 to 1102 books yet again. Over the past few weeks, I’ve finished a couple of books but bought a couple and added a couple to my wishlist.
This week’s books:
Cynicism from Diogenes to Dilbert by Ian Cutler – KEEP. I was drawn to this book out of interest in learning more about Greek Cynicism and modern Cynicism, particularly in pop culture.
Virginia Woolf by Quentin Bell – KEEP. I know a little about Woolf’s life and would like to learn more about her.
Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg – KEEP. This is mandatory reading for anyone wanting to understand the Beat Generation, and it’s such a short book that I don’t know why I haven’t read it already. I bought my copy at the bookstore that originally published it, City Lights Books in San Francisco.
The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene – GO. I’m tired of love stories set during WWII.
Reader, Come Home by Maryanne Wolf – KEEP. I’ve had difficulty getting into and reading older novels, such as Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. I wonder if my increased use of technology, especially social media, might be the cause. I’m interested to see what Wolf has to say about it.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1001 books. Though I’m not certain, I might let go of several books in the next post.
