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
  • How to Hygge by Signe Johansen
  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • 31 Days to a Clutter-Free Life by Ruth Soukup
  • 10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
  • Nordic Lifestyle by Susanna Heiskanen
  • Mirror Gate by Jeff Wheeler

DNF:

  • Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn

Finished:

  • The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
  • Brain Energy by Christopher M. Palmer

Total pages read this week: 317

Total books read: 9 of 80

TBR: -11 (Goal is -36)

Maybe it’s because I’ve been decluttering a lot lately, but I seem to be having a much easier time getting rid of books I know I’ll never read than reading the books I have. Maybe it’s the books I’m trying to read. Maybe it’s because I’m mildly depressed and don’t have a lot of energy right now. Regardless of the reason, I’m in the middle (or nearly so) of 7 books.

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

Down the TBR Hole #141

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 to 1101 books. I added a book to my wishlist.
This week’s books:

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn – GO. I read that this book is amazing, but I’m just not interested, unfortunately.

Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab – KEEP. I thought I already owned this book, but after unpacking every book box I had and going through every book, I haven’t been able to find it. While I’ve removed it from my physical TBR shelf, I added it back to my wishlist.

Anne Sexton: A Biography by Diane Wood Middlebrook – KEEP. I’ve never been big into poetry, but Sexton is one of the few I will read, and that makes me interested in reading about her life.

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë – KEEP. At some point, I will finish all of the Brontë novels.

45 Mercy Street by Anne Sexton – KEEP.  I first read most of Sexton’s poetry while I was a teenager, but somehow I missed this one.
My want-to-read shelf is back down to 1100 books. The next post will be yet another wide selection of genres of physical books I already own.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for January 28th – February 3rd.
  • To live the Hobbit life this week, I did a little bit of decluttering, some garden planning, and a lot of reading. I’ve been feeling very low energy and I think I might be at the beginning of another depressive episode. I’m doing what I can to take care of myself while also giving myself plenty of space and time.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 43,084
  • Miles: 17.52/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 3/100
  • Total Miles: 73.59/800
  • Active Minutes: 84/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • How to Hygge by Signe Johansen
  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • 31 Days to a Clutter-Free Life by Ruth Soukup
  • 10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
  • The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
  • Nordic Lifestyle by Susanna Heiskanen
  • Brain Energy by Christopher M. Palmer

Total pages read this week: 504

Total books read: 7 of 80

TBR: -9 (Goal is -36)

I’m reading a lot more but not finishing any books yet. I have been deciding to let go of a lot of books, though, which is the only reason my TBR mountain is getting any smaller. My decluttering has slowed down significantly; probably because I’ve gotten to the hard part – paperwork. I have so much of it, but getting rid of what I don’t need to keep will not create much space and it’s just not any fun, especially when I deal with so much paperwork at my job. While my plan for this weekend is to declutter my craft and hobby stuff, I know it’s just me procrastinating on going through, organizing, and probably digitizing what I need to keep after shredding what I don’t.

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

Down the TBR Hole #140

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 book to 1102. I finished a couple of books this past week, but also added one to my wishlist.
This week’s books:

Sage Stone by Darcy Deming – GO. I would love to say that I’ll read this book someday since it was a gift, but I know I won’t.  It’s better that I let it go so that it finds someone who will read it.

How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry – KEEP. This will probably not be my cup of tea, despite the bookshop setting, but I’m going to give it a try anyway.

Embrace Your Weird by Felicia Day – KEEP. I suspect this book is more for creative or artistic people, but I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by Day, so I’ll give it a chance.

Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria – GO. *meh* I’m just not interested.

News of the World by Paulette Jiles – KEEP.  Post-Civil War Historical Fiction set in Texas? Yes, please!
My want-to-read shelf is down a couple of books to 1100. The next post will be another varied selection of genres of physical books I own, but I don’t think I’ll be getting rid of any of them.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for January 21st – 27th.
  • To live the Hobbit life this week, the Boyfriend and I had a wonderful Burns Night dinner. In addition to the haggis, we had cock-a-leekie soup, neeps and tatties, an extremely delicious Scottish cheese with crackers, and a whisky cake for dessert.  I’ve also continued decluttering and reorganizing the house, but I’m taking more breaks to read and do other things I enjoy.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 5/5
  • Steps: 43,874
  • Miles: 17.89/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 3/100
  • Total Miles: 56.07/800
  • Active Minutes: 166/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • How to Hygge by Signe Johansen
  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • 31 Days to a Clutter-Free Life by Ruth Soukup
  • 10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
  • The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
  • Nordic Lifestyle by Susanna Heiskanen

DNF:

  • The Librarians and the Mother Goose Chase by Greg Cox

Finished:

  • The Burns Supper Companion by Nancy Marshall
  • Third Eye by Felicia Day

Total pages read this week: 493

Total books read: 7 of 80

TBR: -7 (Goal is -36)

I’m still struggling with my mood, but it’s gotten a bit better thanks to me finally telling myself to sit down and spend some time with a book, any book, as long as I take the time to do nothing else but read for a while. I can declutter later. The stuff will still be there. Sometimes self-care is not doing the work, at least for a couple of hours.

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

Down the TBR Hole #139

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 1105. I finished and started a couple of books this past week, but I also bought a few.
This week’s books:

House of Shadows by Darcy Coates – KEEP. I haven’t enjoyed everything by Coates, but I think this one will be right up my alley.

Analiese Rising by Brenda Drake – GO. I have no interest in YA Romance disguised as Fantasy.

The Black Company by Glen Cook – GO. I have no idea what this story is about after reading the synopsis on Goodreads, other than something having to do with good and evil.

Pastrix and Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber – KEEP. I met the author during a Wellness/Yoga convention and was immediately interested in her books.  I still am, despite not remembering much about what she talked about at the convention.

Women Who Love Books Too Much by Brenda Knight – KEEP.  I’ll probably get through this book in a lazy weekend afternoon at some point.
My want-to-read shelf is back down a couple of books to 1103. The next post will have even more of the physical books I own.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for January 14th – 20th.
  • To live the Hobbit life this week, I ordered everything I needed for Burns Night. The Boyfriend and I will be having a traditional Burns Night dinner, which includes haggis.  I’ve also been decluttering and reorganizing the house a little bit at a time, including the pantry, to make our home more comfortable and cozy.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3/5
  • Steps: 33,758
  • Miles: 13.83/15.34
  • Miles Outside: 3/100
  • Total Miles: 38.18/800
  • Active Minutes: 95/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • How to Hygge by Signe Johansen
  • A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan
  • 31 Days to a Clutter-Free Life by Ruth Soukup
  • 10-Minute Digital Declutter by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
  • The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
  • Nordic Lifestyle by Susanna Heiskanen

Finished:

  • The Medici Manuscript by C.J. Archer

Total pages read this week: 388

Total books read: 5 of 80

TBR: -3 (Goal is -36)

I’ve been going from book to book looking for coziness and comfort, but not finding it in any of my current reads, which are mostly Non-Fiction. This time of year isn’t helping by making me want to sleep all the time thanks to the cold and lack of sunlight, and I’m struggling with my mood.

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