Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher

DNF:

  • A Lone Star Christmas by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Finished:

  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar
  • The Winter Freak Show by Daniel Parsons

Total pages read this week: 762

TBR Mountain: -25

Total books read: 99 of 80

I’m back from visiting family in Arizona, and even though I finished two books from my physical TBR, I came back with two new ones. I also got the Kindle Scribe as one of my Christmas presents, and it’s awesome! On top of that, I got a gift card to buy some ebooks, so I’m looking forward to a lot of great reading in 2024. I’ll be spending the rest of the year going through my books to update Goodreads (I’m sure I’ve missed a couple of books that need to be shelved), setting up my book tracker for the new year, and figuring out new goals.

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

#COYER 2024 – Unwind

Published on by Rachelle

It’s been several years since I’ve participated in #COYER, hosted by Berls, Michelle, Lillian, and Stephanie, but I have so many ebooks I’ve been neglecting in favor of trying to get my physical TBR under control, that I’m going to join in this annual reading challenge once again.

I’m not going to repeat all of the rules since they can be found at the #COYER link above, but the basics are that there are four chapters for the reading challenge portion and four semesters for the community challenge portion. While I’ll participate in the community challenge as I can (which will include some readathons and other activities), my focus will be the reading challenge.

  • Chapter 1 will run from January to March and will return to the strict rules for Winter.
  • Chapter 2 will run from April to June and the rules will be a little looser (including physical books).
  • Chapter 3 will run from July to September and the rules? What rules?!
  • Chapter 4 will run from October to December and the rules will be like in the Spring.

Since #COYER Winter only includes free or nearly free ebooks and audiobooks that aren’t library books, borrowed books, or included in Kindle Unlimited, Amazon Prime, or the Audible Plus Catalog, I’ve added the books from my TBR that count to a new COYER bookshelf on GoodReads. I’ll pull from these throughout the year, and read other books when they count during the other Chapters.

Will you be participating in #COYER? Let me know in the comments!

Down the TBR Hole #136

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 a couple of books to 1118. I finished and started several books this week but added some to my wishlist.
This week’s books:

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë – KEEP. It’s a goal of mine to read all of the books written by the Brontë sisters.

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – KEEP. I will also read all of Dickens’ novels at some point since he is one of my all-time favorite authors.

Warcross by Marie Lu – KEEP. I’ve had this book for quite a while and have heard it’s one of the best YA Sci-Fi books out there.  Perhaps I’ll finally pick it up during next year’s #SciFiSummer reading challenge.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab – KEEP. I have loved most everything Schwab has published, so I’m looking forward to getting around to this one before long.

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty – GO.  This book sounds amazing, and that’s exactly what many reviews say; it sounds great but is extremely slow and they put it down to read other books. I don’t have time for that.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1117 books. The next post won’t be until after Christmas, but it will have more of the physical books I own.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for December 10th – 16th.
  • One of the Boyfriend’s friends is visiting this week, so we’ve been busy busy busy.  It also means I’m getting in a lot more walking than usual, and I think I might just barely hit my mileage goal for the year.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3/5
  • Steps: 51,062
  • Miles: 20.90/16.30
  • Total Miles: 738.51/775
  • Active Minutes: 85/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar
  • A Lone Star Christmas by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Finished:

  • Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost
  • The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas by Syd Moore
  • It Ate Billy on Christmas by Roman Dirge
  • A Die Hard Christmas by Doogie Horner
  • The Night Before Christmas in Texas by Betty Lou Phillips and Roblyn Herndon
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton

Total pages read this week: 598

TBR Mountain: -24

Total books read: 94 of 80

I’ve hit both of my book goals for the year! Assuming I don’t buy any more physical books this year without finishing an equal number of them, I have earned a new Kindle. I’m going to wait until after my Birthday (in January) to buy it, though, since there’s a possibility that the Boyfriend got it as either my Christmas or Birthday present.

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

Down the TBR Hole #135

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 to 1118 books. I finished and started several books this week.
This week’s books:

Dear Theo by Vincent Van Gogh – KEEP. Van Gogh is my favorite artist and this book contains his letters to his brother, which I think will be much more telling about his life than any biography.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune – KEEP. I have heard nothing but rave reviews for this book!

Tools for Slow Living by Agata Toromanoff – GO. This seems to be more of a design/style book than anything else and its overall rating on Goodreads is 2.73 with no written reviews. I bought it (along with the next two books) as an impulse during a trip to Half Price Books when stores were starting to open back up during the pandemic.

Stop Saying You’re Fine by Mel Robbins – GO. I got into Mel Robbins for a while after reading a later book of hers, The 5 Second Rule. This book seems to be all of the same information.  I don’t need to reread about how not hitting the snooze button changed her life.

Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin – KEEP.  While this book might not have any new insights than what I’ve gotten from other similar books, I’m willing to give it a chance.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1116 books and I’m now only 3 physical books away from my TBR goal for the year. That’s much more doable than 5 books with less than a month to go. The next post will have more of the physical books I own and likely be the last post for 2023.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for December 3rd – 9th.
  • The Boyfriend and I went to the Christmas Ranch on Friday night and had a really good time walking around to see all of the lights and drinking hot chocolate.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3/5
  • Steps: 46,237
  • Miles: 18.89/16.30
  • Total Miles: 717.81/775
  • Active Minutes: 90/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost
  • The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas by Syd Moore

Finished:

  • A Classic Christmas by various authors
  • The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani
  • Take a Look at the Five and Ten by Connie Willis

Total pages read this week: 868

TBR Mountain: -19

Total books read: 89 of 80

I’ve been reading many Christmas-themed books, but not my physical ones, and with only 23 days left to finish 5 of them, I’m concerned that I won’t earn my new Kindle this year. I’m having a great time with what I’m reading, though, and with participating in the #WinterGames and #SnowedIn challenges on Litsy!

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

Down the TBR Hole #134

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 to 1122 books. I finished and started several books over the past couple of weeks.
This week’s books:

Take a Look at the Five and Ten by Connie Willis – KEEP. I’ll be reading this ebook this month as a part of a reading challenge I’m participating in on Litsy.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman – KEEP. I have this one in both ebook and audiobook so I can read along to Gaiman’s narration.

The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling – KEEP. My Best Friend read this in one day and loved it, so I’m looking forward to reading it.

The Raconteur’s Commonplace Book by Kate Milford – KEEP. I love the “Greenglass House” series, of which this is the 5th and most recent book.

Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff – KEEP. I bought this when I needed it, but never got around to reading it. I’m going to keep it for now, since Winter is a difficult time for me, especially around February.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1122 books. The next post will be mostly physical Non-Fiction books I already own.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for November 19th – December 2nd.
  • Since I was out of town last week, this post is for two weeks.  I did a lot of walking but at a much more leisurely pace.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3 and 0/5
  • Steps: 41,730 and 41,595
  • Miles: 16.91 and 16.93/16.30
  • Total Miles: 698.92/825
  • Active Minutes: 91 and 13/150