Down the TBR Hole #98

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 has decreased to 1146.  I finished a book and removed two books from my wishlist.
This week’s books:

The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson – KEEP.  I’ve enjoyed Bryson’s writing style before, and I’m strangely fascinated with language and how it has evolved over time.  In another lifetime, I probably would have been an etymologist.

Selected Poems by Robert Frost – GO.  I’m not a reader of Poetry.  I’ve tried, and I would like to be, but when I want to sit down with a book and read for a while, it has never been a book of poems that I’ve picked up.  I’ll read a poem here and there, but that’s about it.  I need to let go of the reader that I think I could be someday and allow myself to be the reader that I am by making space for the books I know I’ll read.

The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon – KEEP.  I loved The Shadow of the Wind, and while The Angel’s Game wasn’t quite as good, I’ve been looking forward to reading this 3rd book in “The Cemetery of Forgotten Books” series for a while.

The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport- KEEP. I was mildly obsessed with Anastasia Romanov after reading a book about her that I checked out from the library at school.  It was years before the animated movie (which I’ve never seen), but I never forgot her story.  I thought I was done with all that until I read the Goodreads synopsis, and I now want to read this book even more than when I originally got it.  The only reason I’ve put it off for so many years is that it’s a bit of a chunkster.

Cape of Storms by Nina Berberova – KEEP.  Here is another book about the Bolsheviks’ impact on Russia and its people, in this case, three Russian exiles who escape to France.  This is a much shorter book in comparison to The Romanov Sisters and I don’t remember where or when I got it or if I even knew what it was about, but it was sometime prior to November 2017, when I added it to my want-to-read shelf.
My want-to-read shelf is down one to 1145 books. The next post is full of yet more physical books that I own, and I doubt I’ll be parting with any of them.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for March 5th – 11th.
  • I haven’t lost any weight this week.
  • I got the materials to put together a second raised bed for my garden, and I started seeds for broccoli, celery, and lettuce, but I wasn’t able to do anything else thanks to the weather.  I tried to paint the boards that make up the raised beds, but it was too cold, even in the garage with a space heater.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish the raised beds next weekend.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 4/5
  • Steps: 40,797
  • Miles: 16.61/17.26
  • Total Miles: 141.45/900
  • Active Minutes: 154/150

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
  • The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
  • Sew You Want to be a Hero by Andrew Seiple
  • Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Allies by Lydia Sherrer

Finished:

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Walden on Wheels by Ken Ilgunas

Total pages read this week: 366

TBR Mountain: -5

Total books read: 14 of 80

While I finished 2 books, neither of them were physical books. So I still have to finish or let go of 1 physical book this month to stay on track. I also need to finish 6 books to keep up with my reading goal. With March being close to halfway over already (How?!), I doubt that will happen, especially since I’m spending most of my weekends setting up my garden.

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

Down the TBR Hole #97

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 has gone up one to 1150.  I finished a book, but a book I had preordered several months ago arrived.
This week’s books:

It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis – GO.  I’m usually all for Dystopian Fiction, but I realized that it’s usually Dystopian Sci-Fi, set in a distant future or an unknown time, and I keep passing this book up because it seems a little too close.  Maybe that means I *should* read it, but I don’t like to should myself.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg – KEEP.  I saw the movie when I was probably too young to really understand it, and I only remember bits and pieces of it.  I’ve wanted to read the book ever since I found out that it existed, and maybe after I finally read it, I’ll rewatch the movie.

Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick – KEEP.  The Boyfriend got a vintage copy of this book for me, which is Dick’s first published novel, after finding it in a used bookstore. It’s the type of distant-future Dystopian Sci-Fi that I prefer.

Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol- KEEP. I only bought this because it’s one of the books that Rory in “The Gilmore Girls” mentions reading.  Now that I’ve read the Goodreads synopsis, I’ll keep it and give it the 50-page test.

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo – KEEP.  I read this in high school, and I’ve always wanted to re-read it.  It was one of my favorites, along with A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.  It inspired my French obsession, which lasted well into my college years.
My want-to-read shelf is back down to 1149 books. The next post is a toss-up of physical books that I’m not sure I’ll be keeping.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for February 26th – March 4th.
  • I haven’t lost any weight this week.
  • I got one of my raised beds built this weekend, and I’ll hopefully be able to build the second one next weekend.  I’ll also start seeds for some broccoli and celery today and set up my new compost bin.  Future projects will include setting up a rain barrel and installing a garden fence.  All of my plans are making me wish I didn’t have to work and then try to squeeze everything into weekends and evenings.
  • I finally earned another $5 towards something on my wishlist.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 2/5
  • Steps: 43,186
  • Miles: 17.67/17.26
  • Total Miles: 124.84/900
  • Active Minutes: 74/150

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 Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Live Your Best Life by Dr. Stuart Farrimond
  • Walden on Wheels by Ken Ilgunas
  • The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

Finished:

  • The Swallowed Man by Edward Carey

Total pages read this week: 270

TBR Mountain: -5

Total books read: 12 of 80

While I finished one book, my two book club books arrived, along with a book I had pre-ordered prior to setting my TBR goal. I still only have to finish or let go of one physical book this month to stay on track, but I have to read EIGHT books if I’m going to keep up with my reading goal. I need a readathon!

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

Down the TBR Hold #96

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 has gone down one to 1149.  I finished a book, but I also bought a book.
This week’s books:

Middlemarch by George Eliot – KEEP.  This is a Classic that I’ve never read before.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – KEEP.  This one is a chunkster that I’ve always wanted to read.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – KEEP.  I read this when I was very young after having seen the TV movie.  I think the copy I had at the time was loaned to me by my Grandma.  It was my first adult Historical Fiction novel, and I remember loving the story, so I really want to read this again from a much more mature point of view.

Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore- KEEP. This is another Classic that I’ve never read.

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings – KEEP.  Here is yet another Classic that I’ve never read.
My want-to-read shelf is holding steady at 1149 books. That’s not surprising since all of the above books are much older Fiction books that I have in mass-market paperback copies I bought from used bookstores.  I don’t know why, but those kinds of books seem to be the ones I choose to hold onto more than any other type of book or format.  The next post will be more of the same, so I probably won’t be getting rid of any books then either.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle
  • This check-in is for February 19th – 25th.
  • I’ve lost one pound this week, bringing my weight down by a total of 9 pounds.  This has been a super stressful week, and I’m very surprised that I lost weight instead of gaining.
  • Though my original change in diet included being allowed to have one fast-food meal per month, I’m finding that I’m sorely disappointed in the taste and quality and I don’t want it anymore.  I’d rather make a burger and fries at home.
  • I will be trying my hand at gardening this year, and I’m really excited about it!  I’ll be outside and more physically active and will hopefully end up with a lot of great-tasting produce.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3/5
  • Steps: 33,385
  • Miles: 13.60/17.26
  • Total Miles: 107.17/900
  • Active Minutes: 128/150

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 Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Live Your Best Life by Dr. Stuart Farrimond
  • Walden on Wheels by Ken Ilgunas
  • The Swallowed Man by Edward Carey

Finished:

  • Dark Archives by Megan Rosenbloom

Total pages read this week: 203

TBR Mountain: -7

Total books read: 11 of 80

This has been an insane and very stressful week, especially the second half of it. I had a dentist appointment that did not go how I thought it would and the next day we had a small electrical fire in the bathroom thanks to the bathroom fan shorting out. Luckily, I was home (because of my teeth) and got it extinguished right away, but the stress from both events (and the clean up after the fire) had me drinking wine, watching gardening videos, and snuggling my cats most evenings instead of reading. I also bought a book while I was out finding replacements for a couple of things that got ruined in the bathroom. I’m a month and a half ahead of my goal, though, and my reading will probably pick up again this weekend.

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

Down the TBR Hole #95

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 has gone down one to 1152.
This week’s books:

1916 by Morgan Llywelyn – KEEP.  This book is set during the Irish Rebellion, a part of History that I’ve been interested in learning more about since the very brief discussion about it in an English Literature course I took in college.

Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski – GO.  The synopsis on Goodreads isn’t inspiring any interest in reading this book.

The Return of the Indian, The Secret of the Indian, and The Mystery of the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks – KEEP.  I never finished this series when I was a kid, only having read the first 2 books, and I re-read the first book, The Indian in the Cupboard, a few years ago.

Breakfast with Socrates by Robert Rowland Smith- KEEP. The Goodreads synopsis says that the author applies different philosophical ideas to the everyday, mundane activities of life.  I think this will be a fun and interesting book.

Wideacre by Philippa Gregory – GO.  Another non-inspiring synopsis.  I think I’ll stick to Gregory’s later novels.
My want-to-read shelf is now down to 1150 books. I honestly didn’t think I’d get rid of any books this week, but instead, I got rid of two!  The next post will be filled with yet more of the physical books I own.