My Boyfriend thinks I’m dealing with burnout and am probably depressed. I think he’s right, despite how much I’ve been reading lately (which is usually one of the first things to go when I’m depressed). Because I’ve been reading so much, I didn’t recognize the signs. I don’t have the energy, either physically or mentally to do much, and I’m struggling with doing basic daily necessities.
We did go to see “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” yesterday, which was good, but I’m not handling stress well, and driving to the movie theater ramped my anxiety up and sapped my energy to the point where there was a large part of me that wanted to go back home.
The worst part of all this is that there is so much I want to do, especially as we head into spooky season. However, I’m finding more and more that I don’t have the spoons to do any of it. Just thinking about what it would take to do something makes me feel tired. My world is narrowing down again and I never have any idea of when it will open back up.
Peril of the Screen – 4 episodes of “Ghost Hunter,” 2 episodes of “Creeped Out,” and “Bird Box.”
I love most of what I’ve been reading and watching for #RIP, and the Boyfriend and I are having a date day at the movies this afternoon to see “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”
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 back up by one book to 1130. I finished several books last week but bought a few and added a couple to my wishlist. While I’ll probably still buy a couple of books here and there through the rest of this year, I will rely more and more on my local public library. That probably won’t mean much for the number of books on my want-to-read shelf, but I will also be shopping my own shelves more and more, which should start decreasing that number.
This week’s books:
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig – KEEP. I recently bought 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie Hartmann, and this was the first title mentioned.
Love People, Use Things by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus – KEEP. I watched the authors’ documentary on Netflix several years ago, so when this book came out not long after, I bought the ebook hoping it would inspire me even more on my decluttering journey. Now I hope it will help me as I drastically cut my spending in preparation for leaving my job.
How the Marquis Got His Coat Back by Neil Gaiman – KEEP. This is a short story set in the world of Neverwhere, one of my favorite books by Gaiman.
Billy Summers by Stephen King – KEEP. King was the first adult Horror author I read. I was too young to be reading them, but I think I turned out OK… At the very least, his books introduced me to the world of the macabre in a way that Goosebumps couldn’t do, and I don’t think I would’ve tried out and fallen in love with Gothic Fiction without that introduction.
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen – KEEP. The only reason I have this book is because the synopsis mentions “a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them.”
My want-to-read shelf is staying at 1130 books for now. I knew I wouldn’t be letting go of any books, and I don’t think I’ll get rid of any in the next post either.
Peril of the Screen – 4 episodes of “Ghost Hunter” and 2 episodes of “Creeped Out”
I decided to kick off #RIP with several short stories I got for free through Amazon last year (I think that was last year…). I also tried out a couple of shows on Netflix, but I won’t be continuing either. I’ve queued up several episodes of the “Lore” podcast, but I’ve been so into listening to audiobooks that I haven’t gotten around to the podcasts yet. I’ve also put a couple of holds for books in at my local public library, which is so close to where I work I can walk over during one of my breaks to pick up or drop off any books as needed.
Speaking of public libraries, I will use mine more often over the coming months and into the next year. I’ll be leaving my job soon due to my mental and physical health, and though I plan to get a part-time job, I won’t have nearly as much spending money as I do now and will be cutting back on expenses as much as possible. I’ve added a donation form to the sidebar of this blog so I can afford to keep it going. I’ll be bringing back the #ShelfLove challenge next year, and will hopefully be able to get back into writing reviews, so if you enjoy reading my blog, please consider donating.
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 up a couple of books to 1130. I finished several books this past week, but I also bought a few books.
This week’s books:
Dodge & Twist by Tony Lee – GO. I think I got this audiobook for free, and after reading the synopsis, I can’t see myself enjoying it.
The Essential Dogen ed. by Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt – KEEP. Eihei Dogen wrote several volumes and this book is made up of selections from those much more lengthy writings as an introduction to him.
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith – KEEP. I’m skeptical about this one, only because I don’t understand why unfinished books would go to a library in Hell of all places. Why? I hope there’s a good explanation for this in the story.
Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang – KEEP. As all of you probably already know, I love cozy mysteries about libraries or bookstores. This one involves a bookstore. There are only three books in this series, and the most recent one came out in 2021, so I’m not sure if there will be any more, but I’m still going to give this one a shot.
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig – KEEP. I’ve got this book in my “Bad Day” box which is full of stuff to help me deal with days when my back is keeping me stuck in bed. I haven’t read this one yet, but I’m hoping it will help me when I do.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1129 books. I was wrong again about not getting rid of any books. I sincerely doubt I will be letting go of any books in the next post, though.
The R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril challenge, otherwise known as R.I.P. takes place every September 1st through October 31st.
The purpose of the R.I.P. Challenge is to enjoy books that could be classified as Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, or Supernatural.
There are multiple levels of participation (Perils):
Peril of the Fiction – Read books of any length that fit the definition of R.I.P. literature.
Peril of the Short Story – Read short stories any time during the challenge.
Peril of the Real – Read any true tales of horror.
Peril of the Listen – Listen to RIP-related audiobooks, podcasts, and music.
Peril on the Screen – This is for those of us who like to watch suitably scary, eerie, mysterious, Gothic fare during this time of year. It may be something on the small screen or large.
This year, I’ll be doing Peril of the Fiction, Peril of the Short Story, Peril of the Listen, and Peril on the Screen. I’ve got a huge list of books on Goodreads for me to choose from for this event, the Something Wicked Fall challenge, the month-long FrightFall Readathon, and the 24-Hour Readathon happening in October.
Are you participating in #RIPXIX or reading any spooky reads over the next couple of months? Leave a comment!
“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
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld
The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King
Finished:
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
The First City by Joe Hart
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Total pages read this week: 1,142
Total books read: 63 of 80
TBR: -12 (Goal is -36)
This weekend my Boyfriend and I are celebrating our anniversary. It’s also the weekend that #BacktoHogwarts day falls on and the start of #RIP. So, I signed up for another readathon on Litsy, #ForTheLoveofBooks. While my goal is only to read as much as possible, I hope to finish most of my current reads. I want to start September fresh.
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 1128. I finished several books for #BoutofBooks, but I also bought a few books.
This week’s books:
Books for Living by Will Schwalbe – GO. I can’t believe I’m saying this about a book about books, but I’m no longer interested in reading this one.
A Pleasure to Burn by Ray Bradbury – KEEP. This is a collection of short stories all taking place in the world of Fahrenheit 451, probably my favorite Bradbury novel, though Something Wicked This Way Comes is a close second.
Christmas Present by Jodi Taylor – KEEP. I love “The Chronicles of St. Mary’s” series, and I’m looking forward to reading this short story during the holidays this year.
By Book or by Crook by Eva Gates – KEEP. I love cozy mysteries about libraries or bookstores, and this one involves a library. It’s also the first in a series with the 11th book having come out this year, so I know it’s popular. Yes, I know that’s not a guarantee that I’ll love it, but it does raise the chances quite a bit.
Watership Down by Richard Adams – KEEP. I’ve been told that this book is traumatizing, or at least it was to anyone expecting a cute story about bunnies. Since I already know it’s not that kind of book, I think I’ll be alright.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1127 books. I didn’t think I would get rid of any books, and I was wrong. I wonder if I’ll be wrong about the books in the next post as well.
