#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

  • This check-in is for April 13th – 19th.
  • My first screen-free 24 hours ended this morning at 10:30, and I can safely say that I didn’t go crazy. It was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be, though, and made me very aware of how often I pick up my phone or turn on a screen out of “boredom,” even when there are so many non-screen related activities that I can do.
  • While I did some reading, I also started a “book blanket.” For every book I read this year, there will double-crocheted rows for every 100 pages and single-crocheted rows for 50 pages in a color of yarn that I picked for each genre. I’ve only got rows for the first two books I read this year completed, but I’m hoping to work on it a little each day to get caught up.
  • Active Days: 0/5
  • Steps: 44,921
  • Miles: 18.20/16.31
  • Total Miles: 233.95/850
  • Zone Minutes: 24/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

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

Currently Reading:

  • Feral Self-Care by Mandi Em
  • Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi
  • In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honoré
  • The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit

Finished:

  • Destination Simple by Brooke McAlary
  • A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner
  • The Lost Words by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris
  • 24/6 by Tiffany Shlain
  • Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care & Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson

Total pages read this week: 991

Total books read: 40 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -6

#ShelfLove Challenge: 21 of 51

Life is getting a bit less stressful thanks to a bunch of self-care and a lot of reading. I’m also going to be starting my first “Tech Shabbat” today after I post this, and I won’t be back on any kind of screen until tomorrow morning. That schedule works best for me, since I don’t want interfere with being able to write my weekly blog posts. I have a lot of activities listed for me to choose from, and I’ll write about my experience with going screen-free in my #FitReaders post tomorrow.

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

Down the TBR Hole #197

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
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 want-to-read shelf is up a few books to 1193. I only finished one book this past week, but added several more to my wishlist, and I bought a couple of books.
This week’s books:

The Unhappy Medium by T.J. Brown – KEEP. This is supposed to be a darkly humorous story about a skeptic who can see the ghost of a former colleague. I greatly enjoy dark humor, especially about anything supernatural, so I bought the audiobook without hesitation.

The Family Plot by Cherie Priest – KEEP. I’ve read Boneshaker and The Toll, and liked both of them enough to want to give this book a try.

Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid – KEEP. The synopsis had me at “gothic horror retelling”, and then it really had me at “fans of Shirley Jackson and Catherynne M. Valente.”

The Saga of the Volsungs translated by Jesse L. Byock- KEEP. I’m keeping this for now since I’m still interested in reading it at some point, but frankly, this might be an “aspirational me” kind of book.

The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly – KEEP.  This is the first book in the “Haunted Bookshop” Cozy Mystery series, and I got the audiobook on sale through Chirp. I’m always looking for new-to-me Cozy Mystery series having to do with books, so buying this one was a no-brainer.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1193 books. I have two books on my TBR that I want to get to before the end of the month, but other than that, I’m still catching up on all of the library books I checked out. I have stopped checking out anymore books from the library until I finish the ones I’ve got, but I do still have three books on hold. I won’t be getting one of those books anytime soon, though, as I’m 1702 in line!

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

  • This check-in is for April 6th – 12th.
  • If you read yesterday’s post, you’ll know that this has been a difficult week for me. To help myself get through it, I practiced a lot of self-care. I spent a lot of time with my cats, took a nap, did a lot of reading, and made chicken bone broth.
  • Today, I might make scones, but I will definitely be tending to my seedlings and starting some more lettuce seeds as I want to try succession planting this year. I would also like to finish another library book so I can return it tomorrow. Since it’s supposed to be warmer and sunny today, I might go for a walk as well.
  • Active Days: 0/5
  • Steps: 39,342
  • Miles: 15.97/16.31
  • Total Miles: 215.75/850
  • Zone Minutes: 14/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle1 Comment

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

Currently Reading:

  • Feral Self-Care by Mandi Em
  • Destination Simple by Brooke McAlary
  • Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi
  • A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner
  • Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care & Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson

Finished:

  • Sweatpants and Spells by Keira Blackwood

Total pages read this week: 479

Total books read: 35 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -7

#ShelfLove Challenge: 20 of 51

This was a difficult week. When it comes to friends, I prefer quality over quantity. The few people who I call friends are like family to me, especially if I trust them enough to invite them into my home. This past week I discovered that someone I worked with who I called a friend (and had over to my house) stabbed me in the back and caused me some trouble at work before he got fired. I learned that he had fully pulled the wool over my eyes after being told why he was fired and some of the other things he had done to ruin friendships in the office, attempted to get sympathy for illnesses he didn’t have, and made false complaints against anyone he decided he didn’t like.

Though what he did hurt me, I understand that he is a very unhappy person who wanted to make everyone else around him unhappy as well, and I hope that he finds what he needs to be happy and gets some help for whatever it is that has turned him into such a hateful person. It was somewhat of a relief when he was fired, though the damage he did will likely take a long time to be repaired. There are a couple of people in the office who, after everything, have decided to continue being friends with him. That baffles me, but since there isn’t anything I can do about it, I’m moving on with my life by trying to keep an open heart.

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

Down the TBR Hole #196

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 want-to-read shelf is up one book to 1189. I finished three books, but added several more to my wishlist.
This week’s books:

Darling by Mercedes M. Yardley – KEEP. This is yet another book I found while I was at the Columbus Book Festival. It sounds like the perfect book for #RIP.

Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan – KEEP. Shanahan’s The Fatburn Fix was the book that finally helped me clean up what I eat, which led to me feeling better both physically and mentally. While I have fallen off the wagon thanks to dealing with large amounts of stress over the past couple of months, I’m hoping to get back to what I learned in that book while adding new information from this book.

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle – KEEP. This is one of the picks for the Nightmares from Nowhere book club. I’m a bit skeptical because Tingle’s earlier books are way out there weird, but if Jenny Lawson says it’s great, I’ll give it a chance.

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence- KEEP. The synopsis is extremely vague about the plot of this book to the point that I don’t know what it’s about beyond having something to do with at least one book and a library. I’m willing to find out, though.

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte – KEEP.  This book is about Dinosaurs, obviously, and it has a bunch of full-color illustrations. Are you kidding?! Who would ever think I wouldn’t want to keep this one?!
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1189 books. I recently switched over to StoryGraph, but I’m keeping Goodreads specifically for these posts. I’ve found that, unlike everything else with StoryGraph, it’s easier to use Goodreads for going book by book through my want-to-read shelf. The day that changes will be the day I delete my Goodreads account.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

  • This check-in is for March 30th – April 5th.
  • This past week has been so stressful and overwhelming it feels like I didn’t just have an entire week-long vacation. I haven’t been sleeping well, the weather has been nuts, work has been chaotic, the news has been bothering me (my state is trying to cut a significant amount of money for library funding from the budget, and don’t even get me started on what’s going on with the IMLS), and I’m not eating well thanks to being surrounded by junk food and candy where I work.
  • All of this has put a strain on my willpower/discipline to make healthy choices, and that isn’t helping my stress levels at all. The combination of a lack of sleep, too much caffeine, too much sugar, and a never-ending to-do list only exacerbates everything else going on.
  • Since I had to return Gentle by Courtney Carver to the library, I went to the bookstore and got a copy to slowly reread and put into action. I also bought a journal that focuses on doing the activities that will help me lower stress and take better care of myself. I feel like I have to relearn these things every few years when my life gets topsy-turvy.
  • Active Days: 1/5
  • Steps: 47,040
  • Miles: 19.07/16.31
  • Total Miles: 199.78/850
  • Zone Minutes: 41/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by Rachelle

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

Currently Reading:

  • The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
  • Sweatpants and Spells by Keira Blackwood
  • Feral Self-Care by Mandi Em
  • Destination Simple by Brooke McAlary
  • Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi

Finished:

  • The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton
  • The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman
  • Gentle by Courtney Carver

Total pages read this week: 702

Total books read: 34 of 75

TBR (goal is -24): -9

#ShelfLove Challenge: 19 of 51

While I’m keeping my Goodreads account for now, I’ve switched over to StoryGraph. I’ve also been doing a bit of binge reading because while I thought that a week-long staycation full of relaxation, rest, and great home-made food would be enough to get me back in good mental health, my return to work ramped up my stress levels all over again. I haven’t been sleeping well, I’m having tension headaches and muscle pain, and it takes very little to send me into emotional chaos.

I was able to just barely finish Gentle before having to return it to the library, and I’m going to buy myself a copy. I want to reread it and really spend some time with each chapter. It was helping me lower my stress up until I felt rushed to finish it and didn’t have time to truly process the information.

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

Down the TBR Hole #195

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 want-to-read shelf is up to 1188 books. I finished three books, but added a whole bunch more to my wishlist.
This week’s books:

I Married Wyatt Earp ed. by Glenn G. Boyer – KEEP. I saw this book in one of the gift shops in Tombstone, AZ. The price was marked up and I refuse to pay more than the cover price for a book that isn’t rare or a collectable. Though it’s still on my wishlist several years later, I still want to get it at some point.

Once Upon a Crime by P.J. Brackston – KEEP. This is a Cozy Mystery set in the world of Grimm’s Fairytales. I’m very interested!

How Can I Help You by Laura Sims – KEEP. This is one of the picks for the Nightmares from Nowhere book club.

Broken Shells by Nikita and Nathaniel Edson- KEEP. I bought this Steampunk novel from the authors at their table during the first Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Book Festival. Now that I’ve remembered it’s on my TBR, I want to read it during this year’s #SciFiSummer.

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright – KEEP.  I also found this book at the Book Festival, and though I didn’t see the author, I think she was on one of the panels. This looked like an interesting Gothic novel so I figured I would give it a try.
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1188 books for now. While it probably won’t stop me from adding books to my wishlist, I’m going to severely limit how many books I buy from Amazon when I do inevitably buy some books. I recently found out how much of a cut Amazon takes from authors. The link is to an older video (6 months ago) because I couldn’t find the newer video Elizabeth Wheatley did on the subject, but I’m glad I did find the older one. Apparently several other online retailers are just as bad. Instead of giving these major companies my money, I’ll buy either from indy bookstores or directly from the author when I can.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

  • This check-in is for March 23rd – 29th.
  • I’ve had a great week of vacation. I did a lot of cooking, some baking, some gardening, and a lot of reading and hanging out with the cats. It was exactly what I needed.
  • Active Days: 3/5
  • Steps: 25,244
  • Miles: 10.22/16.31
  • Total Miles: 180.71/850
  • Zone Minutes: 139/150